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The Colour of Magic :: Пратчетт Терри
Страница: 146 из 150Another foot and the bottom half of a pair of legs followed as more water streamed down as if fillingan invisible mould. A moment later Tethis the sea troll was standing in front of them, blinking.
“I see,” he said at last. “You two. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised.”
He looked around, ignoring their astonished expressions.
“I was just sitting outside my hut, watching the sun set, when this thing came roaring up out of the water and swallowed me,” he said. “I thought it was rather strange. Where is this place?”
“Krull,” said Rincewind. He stared hard at the now closed luggage, which was managing to project a smug expression. Swallowing people was something it did quite frequently, but always when the lid was next opened there was nothing inside but Twoflower’s laundry. Savagely he wrenched the lid up. There was nothing inside but Twoflower’s laundry. It was perfectly dry.
“Well, well,” said Tethis. He looked up.
“Hey!” he said. “Isn’t this the ship they’re going to send over the Edge? Isn’t it? It must be!”
An arrow zipped through his chest, leaving a faint ripple. He didn’t appear to notice. Rincewind did. Soldiers were beginning to appear at the edge of the arena, and a number of them were peering around the entrances.
Another arrow bounced off the tower behind Twoflower. At this range the bolts did not have a lot of force, but it would only be a matter of time…
“Quick!” said Twoflower. “Into the ship! They won’t dare fire at that!”
“I knew you were going to suggest that,” groaned Rincewind. “I just knew it!”
He aimed a kick at the Luggage. It backed off a few inches, and opened its lid threateningly.
A spear arced out of the sky and trembled to a halt in the woodwork by the wizard’s ear. He screamed briefly and scrambled up the ladder after the others.
Arrows whistled around them as they came out on to the narrow catwalk that led along the spine of the Potent Voyager. Twoflower led the way, jogging along with what Rincewind considered to be too much suppressed excitement.
Atop the centre of the ship was a large round bronze hatch with hasps around it. The troll and the tourist knelt down and started to work on them.
In the heart of the Potent Voyager fine sand had been trickling into a carefully designed cup for several hours. Now the cup was filled by exactly the right amount to dip down and upset a carefully-balanced weight. The weight swung away, pulling a pin from an intricate little mechanism. A chain began to move. There was a clonk…
“What was that?” said Rincewind urgently. He looked down.
“I see,” he said at last. “You two. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised.”
He looked around, ignoring their astonished expressions.
“I was just sitting outside my hut, watching the sun set, when this thing came roaring up out of the water and swallowed me,” he said. “I thought it was rather strange. Where is this place?”
“Krull,” said Rincewind. He stared hard at the now closed luggage, which was managing to project a smug expression. Swallowing people was something it did quite frequently, but always when the lid was next opened there was nothing inside but Twoflower’s laundry. Savagely he wrenched the lid up. There was nothing inside but Twoflower’s laundry. It was perfectly dry.
“Well, well,” said Tethis. He looked up.
“Hey!” he said. “Isn’t this the ship they’re going to send over the Edge? Isn’t it? It must be!”
An arrow zipped through his chest, leaving a faint ripple. He didn’t appear to notice. Rincewind did. Soldiers were beginning to appear at the edge of the arena, and a number of them were peering around the entrances.
Another arrow bounced off the tower behind Twoflower. At this range the bolts did not have a lot of force, but it would only be a matter of time…
“Quick!” said Twoflower. “Into the ship! They won’t dare fire at that!”
“I knew you were going to suggest that,” groaned Rincewind. “I just knew it!”
He aimed a kick at the Luggage. It backed off a few inches, and opened its lid threateningly.
A spear arced out of the sky and trembled to a halt in the woodwork by the wizard’s ear. He screamed briefly and scrambled up the ladder after the others.
Arrows whistled around them as they came out on to the narrow catwalk that led along the spine of the Potent Voyager. Twoflower led the way, jogging along with what Rincewind considered to be too much suppressed excitement.
Atop the centre of the ship was a large round bronze hatch with hasps around it. The troll and the tourist knelt down and started to work on them.
In the heart of the Potent Voyager fine sand had been trickling into a carefully designed cup for several hours. Now the cup was filled by exactly the right amount to dip down and upset a carefully-balanced weight. The weight swung away, pulling a pin from an intricate little mechanism. A chain began to move. There was a clonk…
“What was that?” said Rincewind urgently. He looked down.