登陆注册
18899100000056

第56章

First I learned that Ar-hap's men, with the abducted Heru, had passed through this very port two days before, and by this time were probably in the main town, which, it appeared, was only about twelve hours' rowing up the salt-water estuary outside. Here was news! Heru, the prize and object of my wild adventure, close at hand and well. It brought a whole new train of thoughts, for the last few days had been so full of the stress of travel, the bare, hard necessity of getting forward, that the object of my quest, illogical as it may seem, had gone into the background before these things. And here again, as I finished the last cake and drank down to the bottom of the ale tankard, the extreme folly of the venture came upon me, the madness of venturing single-handed into the den of the Wood King.

What had I to hope for? What chance, however remote, was there of successfully wresting that blooming prize from the arms of her captor? Force was out of the question;stealth was utterly impractical; as for cajolery, apparently the sole remaining means of winning back the Princess--why, one might as well try the persuasion of a penny flute upon a hungry eagle as seek to rouse Ar-hap's sympathies for bereaved Hath in that way. Surely to go forward would mean my own certain destruction, with no advantage, no help to Heru; and if I was ever to turn back or stop in the idle quest, here was the place and time. My Hither friends were behind the sea; to them I could return before it was too late, and here were the rough but honest Thither folk, who would doubtless let me live amongst them if that was to be my fate. One or other alternative were better than going to torture and death.

"You seem to take the fate of that Hither girl of yours mightily to heart, stranger," quoth my hostess, with a touch of feminine jealousy, as she watched my hesitation. "Do you know anything of her?""Yes," I answered gloomily. "I have seen her once or twice away in Seth.""Ah, that reminds me! When they brought her up here from the boats to dry her wet clothes, she cried and called in her grief for just such a one as you, saying he alone who struck down our men at her feast could rescue her--""What! Heru here in this room but yesterday! How did she look? Was she hurt? How had they treated her?"My eagerness gave me away. The woman looked at me through her half-shut eyes a space, and then said, "Oh! sits the wind in THAT quarter? So you can love as well as eat.

I must say you are well-conditioned for a spirit."I got up and walked about the room a space, then, feeling very friendless, and knowing no woman was ever born who was not interested in another woman's loves, I boldly drew my hostess aside and told her about Heru, and that I was in pursuit of her, dwelling on the girl's gentle helplessness, my own hare-brained adventure, and frankly asking what sort of a sovereign Ar-hap was, what the customs of his court might be, and whether she could suggest any means, tem-poral or spiritual, by which he might be moved to give back Heru to her kindred.

Nor was my confidence misplaced. The woman, as Iguessed, was touched somewhere back in her female heart by my melting love-tale, by my anxiety and Heru's peril.

Besides, a ghost in search of a fairy lady--and such the slender folk of Seth were still considered to be by the race which had supplanted them--this was romance indeed.

To be brief, that good woman proved invaluable.

She told me, firstly, that Ar-hap was believed to be away at war, "weekending" as was his custom, amongst rebellious tribes, and by starting at once up the water, I should very probably get to the town before he did. Sec-ondly, she thought if I kept clear of private brawls there was little chance of my receiving injury, from the people at all events, as they were accustomed to strange visitors, and civil enough until they were fired by war. "Sickle cold, sword hot," was one of their proverbs, meaning thereby that in peaceful times they were lambs, however lionlike they might be in contest.

This was reassuring, but as to recovering the lady, that was another matter over which the good woman shook her head.

It was ill coming between Ar-hap and his tribute, she said;still, if I wanted to see Heru once again, this was my op-portunity, and, for the rest, that chance, which often favours the enamoured, must be my help.

Briefly, though I should probably have gone forward in any case out of sheer obstinacy, had it been to certain destruction, this better aspect of the situation hastened my resolution. I thanked the woman for help, and then the man outside was called in to advise as to the best and speediest way of getting within earshot of his hairy sovereignty, the monarch of Thitherland.

同类推荐
  • Madam How and Lady Why

    Madam How and Lady Why

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • Samuel Brohl & Company

    Samuel Brohl & Company

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 续灯正统

    续灯正统

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • A Phyllis Of The Sierras

    A Phyllis Of The Sierras

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 武王伐纣平话 吕望兴周

    武王伐纣平话 吕望兴周

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 刀塔西游之世界冠军

    刀塔西游之世界冠军

    这里没有是与非,只有胜与败,没有神与魔,只有强与弱!召唤那些耳熟能详的英雄们,用最纯粹的武力来证明自己,以力证道,才是王道!自从S1、S2世界总决赛以来,冠军似乎已经被韩国队霸占,而在这一年,S3的赛季来临,一只新星队伍SG战队自那中国DSPL甲级职业联赛而出,势如破竹踏入S3的顶尖队伍之列。不知是否能够创造奇迹?
  • 无尽长夜

    无尽长夜

    验尸神探和美女助手在解决一个又一个离奇的凶杀案后……看清了那无尽长夜中血红的目光。到底是诅咒还是别有用心?在一场离奇的银行劫案的背后到底藏着什么样的秘密?猎杀先天性心脏病患者,医院里的恐怖事件……到底是凶光夺命,还是有人故意为之?挡在神探面对的不仅仅是复杂的案情更是那至亲与朋友一个个死去带来的痛苦。到底该如何透过迷雾看清那背后的阴谋。到底该如何抓住“恶灵大人”的尾巴?一切尽在《无尽长夜》
  • 天使魔鬼

    天使魔鬼

    一半是天使,一半是魔鬼。她既是美女天使,为拯救学校无私奉献热血青春,还爱上一个无房、无车、无钱、无权、无背景的草根教师;她又是魔鬼镇长,只要你敢贪,敢色,她敢为你挺起两座坟墓,打开一扇地狱之门……
  • 妃你莫属,王爷的娇俏妻

    妃你莫属,王爷的娇俏妻

    倾城之貌,却被淹没,看那个异界之魂怎样拿回属于自己的幸福。与谁初见,谁许誓言芸芸众生之间,或许早已注定。女;人人道我美,过分美丽难道是我的错?男;就算你是红颜祸水也只能祸害我一个。女;那我就勉强祸害祸害你吧。男;..女;你不愿意?男;哪能啊!那是高兴的不会说话了女;这还差不多。自此某王爷的妻管严生活正式开始。
  • 灯谜百花大观园

    灯谜百花大观园

    本书积作者数十年学习、研究灯谜之心得,精心编撰而成。全书涵盖灯谜猜制要领、猜谜诀窍、制谜技巧、谜话拾缀、谜事随笔、竞猜谜选、灯谜集锦7大类,内容丰富多彩,深入浅出,雅俗共赏,知识性与趣味性相统一。
  • 中国教育的血肉人生:钱理群作品系列

    中国教育的血肉人生:钱理群作品系列

    “中国教育怎么了?中国教育怎么办?”著名学者钱理群先生“超越教育而言教育”,内心深处始终情系教育。本书即为其对中国当下教育的细致观察与深入思考。全书首辑历陈作者参与中国教育的所见、所闻、所感、所思,展示“中国教育的血肉人生”;次辑进一步提炼“真正的教师”坚守的韧性与智慧。作者长期对中国教育保持清醒的思考与批判,在中国教育界引起了巨大的震动,并有力地推动了中国的教育改革。
  • 雕明

    雕明

    眼看万贵妃就要病死,成化皇帝就要病死,弘治皇帝就要登基,太平盛世就要到来,陈林觉得机会来了。他要让老爹飞黄腾达,要让岳父青云直上,自己也要大捞特捞政治资本……
  • 我爱上了闺蜜的男友

    我爱上了闺蜜的男友

    梦嫣一直期盼着大学能好好谈场恋爱,不要轰轰烈烈,平平淡淡刻骨铭心就好了。在大学里,她有了人生中第一个好朋友——静宜!再次遇到天航的时候,她怎么也想不到,他居然就是静宜的男朋友。“我不能爱你,因为你是静宜的男朋友。”春天来了,幸福却有点苦涩!
  • 王爷,夺个皇位给你坐

    王爷,夺个皇位给你坐

    姚玉被鸳鸯佩带到了古代,没有谈情说爱过得她,一来就变成了新娘子,糊里糊涂的嫁进了王府,而娶她的王府三公子,却是个爹不亲娘不爱的人,两个命运相似的人,要如何面对王府中的争斗,如何面对重重难关!
  • 骑士奥义

    骑士奥义

    罗伊斯大陆,这是崇尚骑士的大陆,骑士代表着力量和权利。这是一个东方少年和骑士的故事。...........灵魂新书求收藏!求推荐!灵魂完本作品《蛮荒武帝》