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was voiced by
Skua September and not Williams.
"It's pretty damn clear to me that since we can't go through this stuff we
have to go over it."
Ethan added his own expression to the sea of astonishment that greeted this
blithe observation.
VII
"Are you proposing," Williams said finally, "to turn the
Slanderscree into an
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deluge aircraft?"
September didn't bat an eye. "Something like that."
Since September was considering it semiseriously, the teacher did likewise.
"Even if we could pack on sufficient sail the wind isn't strong enough."
"Funny, that is." September looked thoughtful. "Though with a rifs behind us
and enough sail I wouldn't be surprised if we could get the oF scow airborne.
Controlling her would be something else again." He glanced past Williams until
he found Snyek. "Going to need those coring drills you mentioned. Have to melt
some ice and then let it refreeze."
"What in heaven's name for?" Hwang demanded to know.
September grinned at her. "Your corers aren't big enough or powerful enough to
melt half a path through that ridge, but we can use them to take the sharp
edges off, if you know what I mean. Some of those ancient ice blocks that form
the ridge are pretty big and pretty solid. If we could just sort of melt them
together and even them out, doing the fine work with ice picks and axes, why,
we might end up with something."
"Like what?"
His eyes twinkled and he turned his grin back on Williams. "Like a ramp." He
let them mull that thought over, then continued. "See, we form and shape this
big ramp out of ice using the coring drills and hand tools, run it right to
the crest of the pressure ridge. Then we back the
Slander-scree off a fair ways" he illustrated the necessary maneuvers with
great sweeps and twists of his long arms "as far to the west as required, put
on all sail, and bring her in to the ridge at an angle with the wind strong
behind us.
"We go up that ramp," he said as he slid one palm sharply against the other,
"and over the top. That's it, we're through. We don't have to cut through the
damn ridge, all we have to do is go over it." He coughed into a closed palm.
"And make a respectable landing on the other side, of course. One thing about
ice: It may be sharp-edged and cold and uncomfortable, but as long as you've
got some tools, good cold weather, and a heat source or two you can sculpture
it as easy as you would a bar of soap."
His companions' response was underwhelming. "I would prefer to transit the
ridge another way," Williams said finally.
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deluge
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"So would I." This from a doubtful Ta-hoding. "I find your thoughts intriguing
but impractical, friend Skua. As you have said, the critical problem is one of
velocity."
"Are you kidding? The
Slander scree's only put on all her sail once or twice. You know how fast she
could go."
"On the level ice, yes," the captain admitted, "but uphill? Such a thing has
never been done in a large ship. It is a maneuver left for sport, on chiv or
in a very small light craft."
September looked at Hwang. "Run some calculations. Mass and velocity, wind
speed let's find out if it's theoretically possible, at least. We can make the
ramp as graduated, as long as necessary."
"Not too long." Ta-hoding the sailor had an excellent grasp of elementary
geometry, not to mention the physical capabilities of his crew. "We have only
so much time."
"We'll manage," said September impatiently. "We'll do whatever we have to do.
I'm sure we can gain the necessary speed and hold the ramp."
'That is not what troubles me." All eyes turned to Hun-nar Redbeard. "Let me
see if
I understand this novel sky-people notion." He employed his arms and paws in
rough imitation of September's aerodynamic gestures. "We retreat a certain
distance, put on all sail, and catch the wind full behind us."
"That's it, that's right," said September excitedly.
"We sail up this ramp you propose to construct" he raised one paw skyward "and
launch ourselves over the top of the bent ocean with enough force to carry us
across the far side of the barrier and onto the navigable ice on the southern
side."
September looked pleased. "You've got it, Hunnar."
"I have no doubt we can attain the required speed, and I believe it may be
possible to maintain enough control at that speed to sail up this ramp. Yet I
worry still."
"About what?"
"The
Slanderscree is a large, heavy ship. It was designed to chiv" and he made a
shoving gesture with his right paw "across solid ice. It is a strong vessel
and many times have we learned the strength of the wondrous metal we cut from
your
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deluge small ship to fashion the great runners and their braces. Still, for
all it has accomplished and all it has survived, it was not designed to be
dropped from a considerable height." He stared at September.
"If all goes as you plan and we overfly the Bent Ocean, what will happen to us
when we strike the unyielding ice on the far side? The ocean will not break.
That is something that cannot be said of the
Slanderscree
. What would it profit us to cross the barrier if we destroy our ship in the
process?"
"That's one thing I don't have any way of predicting," September replied
somberly, "and despite all their instruments and learning, I don't think
Williams and his friends do either."
"The ship's whole weight will come down on the bow runners, then the stern and
the rudder," Ethan murmured. "If we try this, and I don't have any better
idea, we need to pull everything out of storage that can be used for padding.
Spare clothing, extra pika-pina rigging, everything we've got. If we cram it
all between the runners and their braces, it'll help absorb the shock."
"That's the spirit, feller-me-lad!"
"Those braces can only cope with a certain amount of shock," Ta-hoding
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reminded them.
"They're duralloy from the skin and guts of a lifeboat," September said. "So
are the bolts and sheet bracing. The woodwork's the product of Wannome's
finest carpenters and shipwrights. Even if we do bust a brace or two we can
still rig something temporary to hold the runners in place until we can get
the ship back to a repair yard."
"If only it were that simple." Ta-hoding gestured toward the bow. "If we break
off more than one runner, we will have to anchor the ship so that we can make
these temporary repairs you speak of so casually. Remember that the rifs can
catch us as easily on the southern ocean as on this side, should we become
trapped in this place. With damaged runners we could not even run before the
wind. The ship could be torn to pieces."
For a moment or so only the wind talked. Then Ethan spoke up quietly. "Doesn't
look like we have much choice. We're much too far from Poyolavomaar or any
other known shelter to try to make it to safety before the storm hits. If we
sit around and wait for it, we'll be in real trou-
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deluge inc. UtLLUIjC. UK1VC.K3
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ble. If we try and outrun it and it overtakes us, it'll blow us so far off
course we might as well go back to Poyo and start over again."
"Might we not find shelter in the lee of an island?" Elfa wondered.
Ta-hoding shook his head. "We've seen none that would be suitable."
"Then Ethan and Skua are right. We must try this."
Hunnar looked sharply at his new mate. "I always knew you to be conservative.
Have we spent too much time among the skypeople?"
She put two fingers to his lips, letting him feel the claws. "Not that. In
your company I would dare anything, lifemate."
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