Captain Baunt cried out: “That is unreasonable! If he felt dejection, why not simply jump into the sea? Why suborn our valuable worm to his personal and private uses?”
Cugel reflected a moment. “I suppose that he wanted to make a ceremony of the occasion.”
Soldinck blew out his cheeks. “All this to the side, Lankwiler’s act is a great inconvenience. Drofo, how will we fare with only three worms?”
“We shall have no great difficulty. Cugel can readily manage both sponsons. To ease the helmsman we will use double bait to starboard and half-bait to port, and so without difficulty we will arrive at Lausicaa, and there make adjustments.”
Captain Baunt had already altered course toward Lausicaa, so that Madame Soldinck might bathe in the Paphnissian Springs. Baunt, who had hoped to make a quick passage, was not happy with the delay, and watched Cugel closely, to make sure that the worms were used to the maximum efficiency. “Cugel!” called Captain Baunt. “Adjust the lead on that off-worm; it is pulling us broadside!”
“Aye, sir.”
And presently: “Cugel! Your starboard worm is listless; it merely slaps the water. Freshen its bait!”
“I am already at double-bait,” grumbled Cugel. “It was fresh an hour ago.”
“Then use half a gill of Heidinger’s Allure, and be quick about it! I wish to make Pompodouros before sunset tomorrow!”
During the night the starboard worm, becoming fretful, began to slap at the water with its flukes. Drofo, aroused by the splashing, came up from his cabin. Leaning on the rail he watched as Cugel ran back and forth along the sponson, trying to throw a check-line over the mischievous worm’s flukes.
After a few moments observation, Drofo diagnosed the problem. He called out in a nasal voice: “Always lift the bait before throwing a check-line … Now then, what is happening down there?”
Cugel responded sullenly: “The worm wants to swim up, down and sideways.”
“What did you feed?”
“The usual: half Chalcorex and half Illem’s Best.”
“You might use a bit less Chalcorex for the next day or so. That lump of tissue behind the turret is usually a dependable signal. How did you bait?”
“Double-bait, as I was instructed. The captain ordered a further half-gill of Heidinger’s Allure.”
“There is your problem. You have over-baited, which is an act of folly.”
“At Captain Baunt’s orders!”
“That excuse is worse than none. Who is the worminger, you or Captain Baunt? You know your worms; you must work them by the dictates of your experience and good judgment. If Baunt interferes, ask him to come down and advise you in regard to an infestation of gangue. That is the way of the worminger! Change bait at once and drench the worm with a seep of Blagin’s Mulcent.”
“Very good, sir,” said Cugel between his teeth.
Drofo made a brief survey of sky and horizon, then returned to his cabin and Cugel busied himself with the drench.
Captain Baunt had ordered the sail set, hoping to catch a waft of favorable air. Two hours after midnight a cross-wind arose, causing the sail to flap against the mast, creating a dismal sound which aroused Captain Baunt from his slumber. Baunt lurched out on deck. “Where is the watch? Hoy! Worminger! You there! Is no one about?”
Cugel, clambering up to the deck from the sponson, replied: “Only the lookout, who is asleep under the lantern.”
“Well then, what of you? Why have you not silenced that sail? Are you deaf?”
“No sir. I have been under-water, drenching with Blagin’s Mulcent.”
“Well then, heave aft on the leach-line, and abate that cursed slatting!”
Cugel hastened to obey, while Captain Baunt went to the starboard rail. Here he discovered new cause for dissatisfaction. “Worminger, where is your bait? I ordered double-bait, with aroma of Allure!”
“Sir, one cannot drench while the worm exerts itself for bait.”
“Why then did you drench? I ordered no Mulcent!”
Cugel drew himself up. “Sir, I drenched that worm according to the dictates of my best judgment and experience.”
Captain Baunt stared blankly, threw his arms in the air, turned and went back to his bed.
2
Lausicaa
The sun, dropping down the sky, passed behind a ledge of low clouds and twilight came early. The air was still; the ocean lay flat, with a surface like heavy satin, exactly reflecting the sky, so that the Galante seemed to float through a void of marvellous lavender luminosity. Only the bow waves, spreading away at V-angles in rolling black and lavender ripples, defined the surface of the sea.
An hour before sunset Lausicaa appeared on the horizon: a shadow almost lost in the plum-colored murk.
As darkness fell, a dozen lights flickered from the town Pompodouros, reflecting across the opening into the harbor and easing the approach for Captain Baunt.
A wharf fronting the town showed as a heavy mark, blacker than black, across the reflections. In unfamiliar waters and in the dark, Captain Baunt prudently elected to drop anchor rather than attempt mooring at the dock.
From the quarter-deck Captain Baunt called forward: “Drofo! Bring up your baits!”
“Up baits!” came back Drofo’s acknowledgment, then, in a different voice: “Cugel! Debait all worms!”
