With Captain Baunt on the quarter-deck, Drofo alert at the bow and Cugel tending worms to port and starboard, the Galante eased across the harbor to the dock. Longshoremen, wearing long black gowns, tall hats with veils shrouding their faces, took mooring-lines and made the ship fast to bollards. Cugel muffled the worms, eased cinctures and fed victual all around.
Captain Baunt assigned Cugel and the deck-boy to gangplank watch; every one else, suitably dressed and veiled, went ashore. Cugel immediately concealed his features behind a makeshift veil, donned a cloak and likewise went ashore, followed in short order by Codnicks the deck-boy.
Many years before, Cugel had passed through the old city Kaiin in Ascolais, north of Almery. In the decayed grandeur of Pompodouros he discovered haunting recollections of Kaiin, conveyed principally by the fallen and ruined palaces along the hillside, now overgrown with foxglove and stone-weed and a few small pencil cypresses.
Pompodouros occupied a barren hollow surrounded by low hills. The present inhabitants had put the mouldering stones from the ruins to their own purposes: huts, the men’s clubhouse, the marketdome, a sickhouse for men and another for women, one slaughter-house, two schools, four taverns, six temples, a number of small work-shops and the brewery. In the plaza a dozen white dolomite statues, now more or less dilapidated, cast stark black shadows away from the wan red sunlight.
There seemed no streets to Pompodouros, only open areas and cleared spaces through the rubble which served as avenues. Along these by-ways the men and women of the town moved about their business. The men, by virtue of their long gowns and black veils hanging below their hats, seemed tall and spare. The women wore skirts of furze dyed dark green, dark red, gray or violet-gray, tasseled shawls and beaded caps, into which the more coquettish inserted the plumes of sea-birds.
A number of small carriages, drawn by those squat heavy-legged creatures known as ‘droggers’, moved through the places of Pompodouros; others, awaiting hire, ranged in a line before the men’s club-house.
Bunderwal had been delegated to escort Madame Soldinck and her daughters on a tour of nearby places of interest; they hired a carriage and set off about their sightseeing. Captain Baunt and Soldinck were met by several local dignitaries and conducted into the men’s clubhouse.
With his face concealed behind the veil, Cugel also entered the club-house. At a counter he bought a pewter jug of beer and took it to a booth close beside that where Captain Baunt, Soldinck, and some others drank beer and discussed business of the voyage.
By pressing his ear against the back of the booth and listening with care, Cugel was able to capture the gist of the conversation. “— most extraordinary flavor to this beer,” came Soldinck’s voice. “It tastes of tar.”
“I believe that it is brewed from tarweed and other such constituents,” replied Captain Baunt. “It is said to be nutritious but it slides down the gullet as if it had claws … Aha! Here is Drofo.”
Soldinck lifted his veil to look. “How can you tell, with his face concealed?”
“Easily. He wears the yellow boots of a worminger.”
“That is clear enough. Who is the other person?”
“I suspect the gentleman to be his friend Pulk. Hoy, Drofo! Over here!”
The newcomers joined Captain Baunt and Soldinck. Drofo said: “I hereby introduce the worminger Pulk, of whom you have heard me speak. I have hinted of our needs and Pulk has been kind enough to give the matter his attention.”
“Good!” said Captain Baunt. “I hope that you also mentioned our need for a worm, preferably a ‘Motilator’ or a ‘Magna-fluke’?”
“Well, Pulk,” asked Drofo, “what of it?”
Pulk spoke in a measured voice. “I believe that a worm of the requisite quality might be available from my nephew Fuscule, especially if he were signed aboard the Galante as a worminger.”
Soldinck looked from one to the other. “Then we would have three wormingers aboard ship, in addition to Drofo. That is impractical.”
“Quite so,” said Drofo. “Ranked in order of indispensability, the wormingers would be first, myself, then Pulk, then Fuscule, and finally —” Drofo paused.
“Cugel?”
“Just so.”
“You are suggesting that we discharge Cugel upon this bleak and miserable island?”
“It is one of our options.”
“But how will Cugel return to the mainland?”
“No doubt some means will suggest itself.”
Pulk said: “Lausicaa, after all, is not the worst place in the world. The spraling is excellent.”
“Ah yes, the spraling!” Soldinck spoke with warmth in his voice. “How does one sample this delicacy?”
“Nothing could be easier,” said Pulk. “One merely walks along the streets of the female quarter until he sees a sign which meets his fancy. He thereupon reaches out, detaches the sign and carries it into the house.”
“Does he knock?” Soldinck inquired cautiously.
“Sometimes. Knocking is considered a mark of gentility.”
“Another matter. How does one discover the attributes of his hostess before he, let us say, commits himself?”
“Several tactics exist. The casual visitor, such as yourself, is well-advised to act upon local advice, since once the door opens and the visitor enters the house, he will find it difficult if not impossible to make a graceful exit. If you like, I will ask Fuscule to advise you.”
“Discreetly, of course. Madame Soldinck would not care to learn of my interest in the local cuisine.”
“You will find Fuscule accommodating in all respects.”
“Another matter: Madame Soldinck wants to visit the Paphnissian Baths, of which she has heard many remarkable reports.”
Pulk made a courteous gesture. “I myself would be happy to escort Madame Soldinck; unfortunately I will be more than busy during the next few days. I suggest that we assign Fuscule to this duty as well.”
“Madame Soldinck will be happy with this plan. Well, Drofo, shall we hazard another goblet of this phenolic seepage? It is at least not deficient in authority.”
“Sir, my tastes are austere.”
