“Now don’t let’s go gettin’ ourselves all upset over might-’ave-beens. The facts o’ the matter are that you did produce this charmin’ little boat an’ that it did spirit you safely away from that pustulant seep o’ ignorant gawkers. O’ course, ’ad it not done so and ’ad you not been able to outswim your critics then I expect I would’ve returned ’ome sadder an’ richer to convey me regrets to your beloved, thence to continue on life’s merry way after sheddin’ a sorry tear or two for me lost friend. All o’ which is so much snakesnot, since you’re standin’ ’ere safe, sound and much better off than when you started singin’.”
“That’s a pretty cold assessment of what could have happened, Mudge.”
“’Tis a cold world, mate, as I’ve ’ad occasion to mention before. T’wasn’t so bad, now were it? I took the time to make sure there were none among your avid audience likely to outswim you. No otters.”
As the novelty of the fleeing human and his inflatable boat began to pale, the sailors and well-dressed promenaders on the upper deck started to disperse.
“Let’s ’ave no more talk o’ despair an’ disasters that weren’t.” Mudge encompassed sea and sky with a sweeping gesture. “See wot a luvely day it is. We’re off to this Stubborn Kit Mail place an’ we’re goin’ in style. Wait ’til you sees the cabin I’ve reserved for you. Ain’t this wot you wanted?”
Jon-Tom’s voice had fallen to whisper as he made the grudging confession. “I guess so.”
“Right! said the otter cheerfully. “An’ when we get to Orangel we can sell that inflatable doohickey you conjured up for a pretty piece, wot?”
Jon-Tom leaned close. “It would take several dozen individuals with steel lungs to inflate it properly.”
“Or one wizard,” the otter countered. “But why trouble yourself with details like that? Such things are for the buyer to contemplate. If your conscience is beginnin’ to bother you already, just let ol’ Mudge ’andle the sellin’.”
“What, and have us run out of another town?”
The otter was shaking his head sadly. “You may make a great spellsinger some day, mate, but you’ll never know ’ow to sing the proper tune to carry a business. Come on, the Captain wants to meet you. ’E’s never met a real life spellsinger before and I told ’im you were the best who ever picked up a duar. ’E’s invited us to dine at ’is table tonight.” Mudge winked lecherously. “I’ve taken the liberty o’ invitin’ a couple o’ ladies o’ compatible species to join us.”
“Those days are past, Mudge. I’m a married man now.”
The otter spat disgustedly over the railing. “A fine trip this is goin’ to turn out to be.”
V
CONTRARY TO THIS PREDICTION Mudge did not perish of terminal boredom as the voyage proceeded. After trying and failing repeatedly to interest his tall companion in a little shipboard rousting and jousting with members of the opposite sex, Mudge finally took to spending much of his time below decks among the second-class passengers. There he could gamble and drink unhindered by Jon-Tom’s admonitions to keep it clean because there was no place out in the middle of the ocean to run if he was caught cheating at cards or dice.
Actually Jon-Tom was enjoying himself. The sea was calm, the winds gentle but steady, the sun warm and relaxing as the graceful ship sailed steadily southward. The cuisine was new and intriguing, much spicier than he was used to. Every few days professional dancers and musicians entertained on the vast rear deck of the catamaran.
Jon-Tom guessed the number of paying passengers at forty, so there was plenty of room to move about on what was essentially a cargo vessel. The crew was helpful and unobtrusive. Only Talea’s absence prevented him from relaxing completely. As he was the only human on the ship, he missed her more than ever.
They were three-quarters of the way to Orangel when Mudge came trudging up to him. Jon-Tom was sprawled across two deck chairs, soaking up the sun, but he sat up fast when he got a look at his friend.
“Something wrong, Mudge?”
The otter responded with a gargling noise that sounded vaguely like “Yeh.”
“You don’t look so good.” He sat up and put a hand on the otter’s shoulder, gripping it hard. Mudge blinked, seeming to see him for the first time.
“Oh, ’tis you, mate. That’s good. Wot did you say? Oh, I’m fine, I am. That is, I think I am. Come to think of it, I guess I ain’t sure.”
“Something you ate?”
This set off a fit of coughing, followed by a smile, then a look of dazed amusement. “Come with me, lad. I’ve somethin’ to show you.”
Jon-Tom allowed himself to be led to the inner railing of the portside hull on which they were standing. Safety nets had been strung between the twin hulls and a number of passengers were cavorting in the shark-free pool thus created. As the catamaran skimmed the waves the current would push the swimmers into the back net, whereupon they would clamber out of the water and walk along a narrow catwalk until they could dive back into the upper end of the net pool, thus repeating the process.
“Don’t you see her?”
“Where?” Jon-Tom leaned over the rail. There were a dozen passengers in the nets. Then he saw one who was a blur in the water. As he watched she concluded her swim and climbed the stairs leading to the main deck. There she shook herself out, dried herself further with a towel, and snuggled down into an empty deck chair to allow the sun to finish the job. She wore some flimsy swimming costume which was more decoration than concealment.
Mudge had his elbows propped on the rail and his muzzle cupped in his paws. “Now I ask you straight, mate,” he said with a sigh, “did you ever see anything o’ flesh an’ blood on this world or in any other that were ’alf so beautiful as that?” As he spoke the object of his desire twisted in her chair, plucked a lace handkerchief from a small bag and used it to dry her whiskers one at a time.
Jon-Tom regarded the lady otter a moment longer before his attention was caught by Mudge’s expression. The bemusement he had noted before remained, now buffered by a peculiar intensity. It was not the standard gaze of unalloyed lechery he was familiar with. This was something different.
“’Er name’s Weegee.” Mudge’s voice was distant, unfocused. “She’s a typical forest products buyer on ’er way ‘ome from a shoppin’ trip up the Tailaroam. I believe the Earth rotates around ’er.”
The otter’s tone, his choice of words and his posture combined to make a statement Jon-Tom was not long in assessing. Only a natural disbelief caused him to hesitate before noting the obvious. It was as if a basic law of nature had been contravened, as though one of the great pyramids at Giza had crumbled to dust in a single day.
“Mudge, you’re in love.”
“So good o’ you to notice.” Not once did he take his eyes from the vision of sleek brown-furred loveliness sprawled on the deck chair not far away.
“No, I mean really in love, Mudge. As opposed to in lust. I can hear it in your voice and see it in your face.”
“Then I expect ’tis so, spellsinger. I’ve never felt like this before, I ’aven’t. Why, me insides ’ave turned all to crikleberry jelly.”
“You know her name, so obviously you’ve met. Why don’t you introduce me?”
“Wot, now?”
“Why not now?”
“Well, I don’t know—yes I do. Come on, mate.”
Jon-Tom allowed the otter to lead him onto the central deck. The lady was lying half asleep and Jon-Tom had to prod his companion to say something, as it seemed Mudge would have been quite content simply to stand there and stare until they docked in Orangel.
