“Our charts of these islands, of course, are secret,” the interpreter replied. “You should be out of the group in forty or fifty days, however, and then there is no land for some thousands of days’ sail to the south. I do not know your ship’s speed, so I cannot guess just when you are likely to make it. Such lands as there are are mostly islands at first; then the coast of the land you crossed turns east, and if you
keep straight south you will encounter it at about — ” He gave an expression which referred to a spring-balance reading, and corresponded to about forty-five Earth gravities of latitude. “I could tell you about many of the countries along that coast, but it would take a long time. I can sum it up by saying that they will probably trade rather than fight-though some will undoubtedly do their best not to pay for what they get.”
“Will any of them assume we are spies?” Barlennan asked pleasantly.
“There is that risk, naturally, though few have secrets worth stealing. Actually they will probably try to steal yours, if they know you have any. I should not advise your discussing the matter of flying while there.”
“We did not plan to,” Barlennan assured him, with glee that he managed to conceal. “We thank you for the advice and information.” He gave the order to hoist the anchor, and for the first time Reejaaren noticed the canoe, now trailing once more at the end of its towrope and loaded with food.
“I should have noticed that before,” the interpreter said. Then I would never have doubted your story of coming from the south. How did you get that from the natives?” In the answer to this question Barlennan made his first serious mistake in dealing with the islander.
“Oh, we brought that with us; we frequently use them for carrying extra supplies. You will notice that its shape makes it easy to tow.” He had picked up his elementary notions of streamlining from Lackland not too long after acquiring the canoe.
“Oh, you developed that craft in your country too?” the interpreter asked curiously. “That is interesting; I had never seen one in the south. May I examine it, or do you not have time? We have never bothered to use them ourselves.” Barlennan hesitated, suspecting this last statement to be a maneuver of the precise sort he himself had been employing; but he saw no harm in complying, since Reejaaren could learn nothing more from a close examination than he could from where he was. After all, it was the canoe’s shape that was important, and anyone could see that. He allowed the Bree to drift closer inshore, pulled the canoe to him with the tow-rope, and gave it a push toward the waiting islander. Reejaaren plunged into the bay and swam out to the little vessel when it ran aground, in a few inches of liquid. The front part of his body arched upward to look into the canoe; powerful pincer-tipped arms poked at the sides. These were of ordinary wood, and yielded springily to the pressure; and as they did so the islander gave a hoot of alarm that brought
the four gliders in the air swinging toward the Bree and the shore forces up to full alertness.
“Spies!” he shrieked. “Bring your ship aground at once, Barlennan — if that is your real name. You are a good liar, but you have lied yourself into prison this time!”