The Eyes of the Overworld by Jack Vance Read Free Book Online

and accept your just deserts.”
    â€œNothing has yet been decided,” Cugel reminded him. “The Chief Elder has ruled for no one.”
    The girl rose from her seat in the boat. “I will rule; I am Derwe Coreme, of the House of Domber. Give me the violet glass, whatever it is.”
    â€œBy no means,” said Cugel. “Take the cusp from Bubach Angh.”
    â€œNever!” exclaimed the squire from Grodz.
    â€œWhat? You both have a cusp and both want two? What are these precious objects? You wear them as eyes? Give them to me.”
    Cugel drew his sword. “I prefer to run, but I fight if I must.”
    â€œI cannot run,” said Bubach Angh. “I prefer to fight.” He pulled the cusp from his own eye. “Now then, vagabond, prepare to die.”
    â€œA moment,” said Derwe Coreme. From one of the legs of the boat thin arms reached to seize the wrists of both Cugel and Bubach Angh. The cusps fell to earth; that of Cugel was caught and conveyed to Derwe Coreme; that of Bubach Angh struck a stone and shivered to fragments. He howled in anguish, leapt upon Cugel, who gave ground before the attack.
    Bubach Angh knew nothing of swordplay; he hacked and slashed as if he were cleaning fish. The fury of his attack, however, was unsettling and Cugel was hard put to defend himself. In addition to Bubach Angh’s sallies and slashes, Firx was deploring the loss of the cusp.
    Derwe Coreme had lost interest in the affair. The boat started off across the barrens, moving faster and ever faster. Cugel slashed out with his sword, leapt back, leapt back once more, and for the second time fled across the barrens, and the folk of Smolod and Grodz shouted curses after him.
    The boat-car jogged along at a leisurely rate. Lungs throbbing, Cugel gained upon it, and with a great bound leapt up, caught the downy gunwale, pulled himself astride.
    It was as he expected. Derwe Coreme had looked through the cusp and lay back in a daze. The violet cusp reposed in her lap.
    Cugel seized it then for a moment stared down into the exquisite face and wondered if he dared more. Firx thought not. Already Derwe Coreme was sighing and moving her head.
    Cugel leapt from the boat, and only just in time. Had she seen him? He ran to a clump of reeds which grew by a pond, flung himself in the water. From here he saw the walking-boat halt while Derwe Coreme rose to her feet. She felt through the pink down for the cusp, then she looked all around the countryside. But the blood-red light of the low sun was in her eyes when she looked toward Cugel, and she saw only the reeds and the reflection of sun on water.
    Angry and sullen as never before, she set the boat into motion. It walked, then cantered, then loped to the south.
    Cugel emerged from the water, inspected the magic cusp, tucked it into his pouch, looked back toward Smolod. He started to walk south, then paused. He took the cusp from his pocket, closed his left eye, held the cusp to his right. There rose the palaces, tier on tier, tower above tower, the gardens hanging down the terraces … Cugel would have stared a long time but Firx became restive.
    Cugel returned the cusp to his pouch and once again set his face to the south, for the long journey back to Almery.

Chapter II
Cil
    Sunset across the northern wastelands was a mournful process, languid as the bleeding of a dead animal; twilight came to find Cugel toiling across a salt-marsh. The dark red light of afternoon had deceived him; starting across a low-lying barrens he first found dankness underfoot, then a soggy softness, and now on all sides were mud, bog-grass, a few larches and willows, puddles and sloughs reflecting the leaden purple of the sky.
    In Cugel’s pouch reposed the violet cusp which he must convey to Iucounu’s manse above the river Xzan in Almery. Cugel would have preferred to return at convenience, but Firx, that irascible tangle of spines and barbs which Iucounu had clasped