So the night passed. The star Achernar moved up the eastern quadrant and declined into the west. The farlocks grunted and snuffled as they slept. Far out on the waste a blue light flickered into existence for a few seconds, then died and was seen no more. The rim of the east flushed first purple, then the red of dark blood. After several vain attempts, the sun broke free of the horizon and floated into the sky.
With the rebuilding of the fire the caravan came to life. Breakfast was set out; farlocks were brought to their traces and preparations were made for departure.
Aboard the Avventura the passengers made their appearance. Each in turn looked from face to face as if half-expecting another disappearance. Porraig the steward served breakfast to all hands, and carried a tray to the aft cabin. He knocked. “Madame Nissifer, I have brought your breakfast. We are worried as to your health.”
“I am well,” came the whisper. “I wish nothing. You may go away.”
After breakfast Cugel took Doctor Lalanke aside. “I have taken counsel with Varmous,” said Cugel. “He assures me that, as master of the Avventura, I may make a demand on you for damages suffered as a result of your negligence. Here is the bill of account. You must pay over this sum at once.”
Doctor Lalanke gave the bill a brief inspection. His black eyebrows peaked even higher than ever. “This item: amazing! ‘Boot dressing, one pot. Value: one thousand terces.’ Are you serious?”
“Naturally! The boot dressing contained a rare wax.”
Doctor Lalanke returned the bill. “You must present this bill to the persons at fault: namely, Sush, Skasja and Rlys.”
“What good will that do?”
Doctor Lalanke shrugged. “I could not hazard a guess. Still, I disassociate myself from the entire affair.” He bowed and strolled off to join Clissum, in whom he found qualities compatible with his own.
Cugel went forward to the bow, where Shilko was already on duty. Shilko again showed a voluble tendency. Cugel, as before, replied in terse terms, and Shilko at last fell silent. The caravan meanwhile had moved into a region where hills rose to either side, with the road following the course of the valley between.
Shilko looked along the barren hillsides. “I see nothing in these parts to worry us. What of you, Cugel?”
“At the moment, I see nothing.”
Shilko took a last look around the landscape. “Excuse me a moment; I have a message for Porraig.” He departed and soon, from the galley, Cugel heard sounds of conviviality.
Somewhat later, Shilko returned, lurching to the wine he had consumed. He called out in a hearty voice: “Ahoy there, Captain Cugel! How go the hallucinations?”
“I do not understand your allusion,” said Cugel frigidly.
“No matter! Such things can happen to anyone.” Shilko scanned the hillsides. “Have you anything to report?”
“Nothing.”
“Very good! That’s the way to handle this job! A quick look here and a sharp glance there, then down to the galley for a taste of wine.”
Cugel made no comment and Shilko, from boredom, took to cracking his knuckles.
At the noon meal Shilko again consumed more than was perhaps advisable, and during the afternoon became drowsy. “I will just catch forty winks to calm my nerves,” he told Cugel. “Keep a close watch on the lizards and call me if anything more important appears.” He crawled into Cugel’s tent and presently began to snore.
Cugel leaned on the gunwale, formulating schemes to repair his fortunes. None seemed feasible, especially since Doctor Lalanke knew a few spells of elementary magic … Peculiar, those dark shapes along the ridge! What could cause them to jerk and jump in such a fashion? As if tall black shadows were thrusting quickly high to peer down at the caravan, then dodging back down out of sight.
Cugel reached down and pulled at Shilko’s leg. “Rouse yourself!”
Shilko emerged from the tent blinking and scratching his head. “What now? Has Porraig brought my afternoon wine?”
Cugel indicated the ridge. “What do you see?”
Shilko looked with red-rimmed eyes along the sky-line, but the shadows were now crouched behind the hills. He turned a quizzical gaze upon Cugel. “What do you perceive? Goblins disguised as pink rats? Or centipedes dancing the kazatska?”
“Neither,” said Cugel shortly. “I saw what I believe to be a band of wind-stick devils. They are now in hiding on the far side of the hill.”
Shilko peered cautiously at Cugel and moved a step away. “Most interesting! How many did you see?”
“I could make no count, but we had best call out the alarm to Varmous.”
Shilko looked again along the sky-line. “I see nothing. Might your nerves once more be playing you tricks?”
“Absolutely not!”
“Well, please make certain before you call me again.” Shilko dropped to his hands and knees and crawled into the tent. Cugel looked down to Varmous, riding placidly on the lead carriage. He opened his mouth to call down the alarm, then gloomily thought better of it and resumed his vigil.
Minutes passed, and Cugel himself began to doubt the sightings.
The road passed beside a long narrow pond of alkali-green water which nourished several thickets of bristling salt-bush. Cugel leaned forward and focused his gaze upon the bushes, but their spindly stalks provided no cover. What of the lake itself? It seemed too shallow to hide any consequential danger.
Cugel straightened himself with a sense of work well done. He glanced up to the ridge, to discover that the wind-stick devils had reappeared in greater number than before, craning high to peer down at the caravan, then ducking quickly from view.
Cugel pulled at Shilko’s leg. “The wind-stick devils have returned in force!”
Shilko backed from the tent and heaved himself erect. “What is it this time?”
Cugel indicated the ridge. “Look for yourself!”
The wind-stick devils, however, had completed their survey, and Shilko saw nothing. This time he merely shrugged wearily and prepared to resume his rest. Cugel however went to the gunwale and shouted down to Varmous: “Wind-stick devils, by the dozen! They gather on the other side of the ridge!”
Varmous halted his carriage. “Wind-stick devils? Where is Shilko?”
