Atlantis Endgame by Andre Norton, Sherwood Smith Read Free Book Online Page B

transportation. And a great many of them were spectacularly painted along the sides, with figures of birds, dolphins, even lions, and the awnings above the passengers were decorated with crocuses and lilies.
    At first no one from these bravely decorated boats gave their own plain, modest craft a second glance.
    The crowd of voices resolved into individuals. Ross, listening closely, was somewhat relieved to hear a mix of languages: there was Ancient Egyptian and Ancient Greek as well as one that was incomprehensible. People seemed to switch back and forth between tongues, calling greetings, complaining about the heat, demanding space to unload goods, starting in on trade negotiations. Requesting news of friends and relations since the "rock rain." Exchanging gossip. Human relations, in short, exactly like those of their unknown descendants thousands of years up the time-line.
    "Rock rain," Linnea Edel repeated, staring out intently. Ross watched the woman continually turning her head, scanning, listening, and figured she probably would give an arm or a leg for a tape recorder, if not a video cam.
    Rock rain: one of the falls of pumice that the scientists had talked about, resulting from a preliminary eruption. Ross felt a pang of trepidation inside. The science brains had guessed pretty close, then.
    Eveleen sat on the railing, earrings swinging, as she watched a low-lying fishing smack ease up to the beach. No one looked her way as she observed the crew splash overboard, anchoring the ship with net-bound rocks on either side and then beginning unloading.
    Ross looked about. The crew of the fishing boat seemed to be mostly comprised of men, but not completely. Lithe young girls in their teens and maybe a bit older scrambled about in some of the fishing boats, obviously experienced at their work.
    "Yah!" An insistent shout, followed by a quick stream of words, brought all their attention around.
    Eveleen exchanged looks with Linnea Edel, who leaned forward, as if to take notes.
    Damn it anyway, were they already to be exposed?
    Ross turned, to see a man about his own age standing with one foot propped on the side of his boat, calling through cupped hands. An official of some sort, something they couldn't plan for?
    But before Ross could say anything, the man switched to Ancient Egyptian of his own accord, and cried, "You there. What arc you carrying?" His accent was strange, not at all like that of Jonathan and his team. Slurry, too quick. But Ross had encountered that syndrome before: language was always slower and more tentative in the lab. Here, it was real, living communication.
    He mentally framed his response, then said: "Marble and a few other items."
    "Then why are you here, where the foods are landed and brought to market?"
    "It is our first journey to Kalliste."
    "Ah. I thought you were Kemtiu." Kemtiu —the word the Egyptians used for themselves.
    "Yes."
    "There is always place for Kemtiu," the man called, and he bent down to talk to someone below his deck, and then straightened up. "And marble. Just as long as you bear no fruits."
    So this man was just nosing out the competition.
    "Our only food is for here," Ross said, striking his stomach.
    The man laughed, and Ross laughed with him, then said, "Where is the best warehouse for us to unload our goods?"
    "You'll want to sail down to that warehouse there with the dolphins painted on the side. We only have two left standing. Temo here is cousin to the owner and says he is honest enough, and speaks Kemt."
    "We shall do so. Thank you, and may the gods smile on you."
    "And on you." The two boats parted.
    The setup made sense: perishables would be unloaded closest to Akrotiri and the market. Other things could be brought by cart.
    Stav and Kosta expertly turned the boat, angling parallel to the coast. They made their way through the tangle of craft, sailing parallel to the shore.
    Ross and the others studied the buildings dotting the mountainside. And it was a mountain,