The Jewels of Aptor Read online

  CHAPTER IV

  "That dream," Geo said to Urson a moment after the mate left. Ursonlooked down from his bunk.

  "You had it too?"

  Both turned to Snake.

  "I guess that was your doing, eh?" Urson said.

  Snake scrambled down from the upper bunk.

  "Did you go wandering around the deck last night and do some spying?"Geo asked.

  By now most of the other sailors had risen, and one suddenly steppedbetween Urson and Geo. "'Scuse me, mate," he said and shook the figurein the second berth. "Hey, Whitey, come on. You can't be that sousedfrom last night. Get up or you'll miss mess." The young sailor shook thefigure again. "Hey, Whitey." The figure in the blankets wasunresponsive. The sailor gave him one more good shake, and as he rolledover, the blanket fell away from the blond head. The eyes were wide anddull, the mouth half open. "Hey, Whitey," the black sailor said again,and then he stepped back, slowly.

  * * * * *

  Mist enveloped the ship three hours out from port. Urson was called forduty right after breakfast, but no one bothered either Snake or Geo thatfirst morning. Snake would slip off somewhere and Geo would be left towander the ship alone. He was walking beneath the dories when the heavyslap of bare feet on the wet deck materialized in Urson. "Hey," greetedhis friend. "What are you doing under here?"

  "Nothing much," Geo said.

  Urson was carrying a coil of rope about his shoulder. Now he slung itdown into his hand and leaned against the support shaft and looked outtoward the fog. "It's a bad beginning this trip has had," he said. "Whatfew sailors I've talked to don't like it at all."

  "Urson," said Geo, "have you any idea what actually happened thismorning?"

  "Maybe I have and maybe I haven't," Urson said. "What ones have you?"

  "Do you remember the dream?" he asked.

  Urson scrunched his shoulders as if suddenly cold. "I do," he said.

  "It was like we were seeing through somebody else's eyes, almost."

  "Our little four-armed friend sees things in a strange way if that's thecase."

  "Urson, that wasn't Snake's eyes we saw through. I asked him, justbefore he went off exploring the ship. It was somebody else. All he didwas get the pictures and relay them into our minds. And what was thelast thing you saw?"

  "As a matter of fact," Urson said, turning, "I think he was looking atpoor Whitey's bunk."

  "And who was supposed to be sleeping in poor Whitey's bunk?"

  "Snake?"

  "Exactly. Do you think perhaps White was killed?"

  "Could be, I guess. But how, and why, and who?"

  "Somebody who wanted Snake killed. Maybe the same person who cut histongue out a year and a half ago."

  "I thought we decided that we didn't know who that was."

  "A man you know, Urson," Geo said. "What man on this ship have yousailed with before?"

  "Don't you think I've been looking?" Urson asked. "There's not afamiliar face on deck, other than maybe one I've seen in a dockside bar,but never one whose name I've known."

  "Think, Urson, who on this ship you've sailed with before," Geo askedagain, more intently.

  Suddenly Urson turned. "You mean the mate?"

  "That's just who I mean," said Geo.

  "And you think he tried to kill Snake. Why didn't Snake tell us?"

  "Because he thought if we knew, we'd get in trouble with it. And he maybe right."

  "How come?" asked Urson.

  "Look, we know something is fishy about Argo. The more I think about it,the less I can put my hands on it. But if something is fishy about themate too, then perhaps he's in cahoots with her. What about when he cameinto Argo's cabin last night when we were there?"

  "Maybe he was just doing what we said we were; walking by when he hearda noise. If it was his eyes we were seeing through, then he sees thingsawfully funny, then."

  "Maybe he's a strange one too, like Snake who 'hears' things funny. Notall strangeness shows," Geo reminded him.

  "You could be right," said Urson. "You could be right." He stood up fromwhere he had leaned against a lifeboat support. "Well, you think somemore friend, and I'll listen. I'll see you later." He hauled up his ropeagain and started off in the mist.

  Geo decided to search for Snake. A ladder led to the upper deck, andclimbing it, he saw across the deck a tall, fog-shrouded figure. Hepaused, and then started forward. "Hello," he said.

  The captain turned from the railing and looked at him.

  "Good morning sir," Geo said. "I thought you might be the mate."

  The captain was silent for a while, and then said, "Good morning. Whatdo you want?"

  "I didn't mean to disturb you if you were ..."

  "No disturbance," said the captain.

  "How long will it take us to get to Aptor?"

  "Another three weeks. Shorter if this wind keeps up."

  "I see," said Geo. "Have you any idea of the geography of Aptor?"

  "The mate is the only one on board that has ever set foot on Aptor andcome off it alive. Except Priestess Argo."

  "The mate, sir? When?"

  "On a previous voyage he was wrecked there. He made a raft and driftedinto the open sea where he had the good fortune to be picked up by aship."

  "Then he will lead whatever party goes to the place?"

  "Not him," said the captain. "He's sworn never to set foot on the placeagain. Don't even ask him to talk about it. Imagine what sort of a placeit must be if probable death on the open sea is better than strugglingon its land. No, he'll pilot us through the bay to the river's estuary,but other than that, he will have nothing to do with the place.

  "Two other men we had on board who'd been there and returned. They wentwith the Priestess Argo in a boat of thirteen. Ten were dismembered andthe pieces of their bodies were thrown in the water. Two survived to rowthe Priestess back to the boat. One was the sailor who died in theforecastle this morning. Not half an hour ago, I received news that theother one went overboard from the rigging and was lost in the sea. Thisis not a good trip. Men are not to be lost like coins in a game. Life istoo valuable."

  "I see," said Geo. "Thank you for your information and time, sir."

  "You are welcome," the captain said. Then he turned away.

  Geo descended the ladder again and walked slowly forward. Somethingtouched him on the shoulder and he whirled.

  "Snake, God damn it, don't do that!"

  The boy looked embarrassed.

  "I didn't mean to yell," Geo said, putting his arm around the boy'sshoulder. "Come on, though. What did you find? I'll trade you what Iknow for what you do."

  _You ... sleep_, came from Snake.

  "I'm sorry, friend," laughed Geo. "But I couldn't take a nap now if youpaid me. Now tell me, whose eyes were we seeing through last night? Thecaptain's?"

  Snake shook his head.

  "The mate's?"

  Snake nodded.

  "I thought so. Now, did he want to kill ... wait a minute," said Geo."Can the mate read minds, too? Is that why you're keeping things fromus?"

  Snake shrugged.

  "Come on now," Geo said. "Do a little yelling and explain."

  _Don't ... know_, Snake thought out loud. _Can ... see ... what ...he ... sees ... hear ... what ... he ... hears. But ... no ... hear ...thoughts ..._

  "I see. Look, take a chance that he can't read minds and tell me, did hekill the man in the bed you should have been in."

  Snake paused for a minute. Then nodded.

  "Do you think he was trying to kill you?"

  Snake nodded again.

  "Did you know that the man killed this morning in your place was one ofthe two men who came back from Aptor with the Priestess?"

  Snake looked surprised.

  "And that the other one drowned this morning, fell overboard, and waslost?"

  Snake nearly jumped.

  "What is it?"

  _Look ... for ... him ... all ... morning. He ... not ... dead ...hea
r ... thoughts ... dim ... low._

  "Who's not dead?" Geo asked. "Which one?"

  _Second ... man._

  "Did you find him?" Geo asked.

  _Can't ... find_, Snake said. _But ... alive ... I ... know._

  "One other question," Geo raised the jewel from where it hung againsthis chest. "How do you work this silly thing?"

  _Think ... through ... it_, said Snake.

  Geo frowned. "What do you mean? Can you tell me how it works?"

  _You ... have ... no ... words_, Snake said. _Radio ... electricity ...diode ..._

  "Radio, electricity, diode?" repeated Geo, the sounds comingunfamiliarly to his tongue. "What are they?"

  Snake shrugged.

  * * * * *

  Geo got a chance to report his findings to Urson that evening and thebig man was puzzled.

  "Can you add anything?" Geo asked.

  "All I've had a chance to do is work," grumbled Urson. They werestanding by the edge of the rail beyond which the mist steeped thickly,making sky and water indistinguishable and grave. "Hey, Four-arms,"Urson suddenly asked. "What are you looking at?"

  Snake stared at the water but said nothing.

  "Maybe he's listening to something," suggested Geo.

  "You'd think there were better things to eavesdrop on than fishes," saidUrson. "I guess Argo's given special orders that you two get no work.Some people! Let's go eat." As they started toward the convergence ofsailors at the entrance of the mess hall, Urson said, "Oh, guess what?"He turned to Geo and picked up the jewel from the boy's chest. "All youpeople are going around with such finery, I took my coins to the smithyand had him put chains on them. Now I'll strut with the best of you." Helaughed, and then went through the narrow way, crowding with the othersailors into the wide hall.

  * * * * *

  For two weeks, nights without dreams left them early, and the boatrolled from beneath the fog. Dawn was gray, but clear; then, by onebreakfast time the ragged slip of Aptor's beach hemmed the horizon.

  On the wheel deck the sailors clustered to the rail, and before themrocks struck like broken teeth from the water. Urson, in his new, tripleneckchain, joined Snake and Geo at the rail. "Whew," he said. "Gettingthrough them is going to be fun."

  Suddenly heads turned. Behind them now, Argo's dark veils, bloated withthe breeze, filled about her as she mounted the steps to the wheeldeck. The sailors moved away from her. Then, one hand on a stay rope,she stared across the gray water to the dark tongue of land.

  From the wheel the captain spoke, "Jordde, disperse the men and takeover the wheel."

  "Aye, sir," said the mate. "You, you, and you to the tops." He pointedamong the men. "You also, and you. Hey, didn't you hear me?"

  "Me, sir?" Geo turned around.

  "Yes, you, up to the top spar there."

  "You can't send him up," Urson called out. "He's never been topside atall before. It's too choppy for any lad's first time up. He doesn't evenknow ..."

  "And who asked you?" demanded the mate.

  "Nobody asked me, sir," said Urson, "but--"

  "Then you get below before I have you brigged for insubordination andfine you your three gold baubles. Don't you think I recognize dead man'sgold?"

  "Now look here," Urson roared.

  Geo glanced from Argo to the captain. The bewilderment that flooded theface of the Priestess shocked him.

  Jordde suddenly seized up a marlin pin, raised it, and shouted at Urson,"Get down below before I break your skull open."

  Urson's fists sprang up.

  "Calmly, brother bear," Geo began.

  "In a bitch's ass," snarled Urson and swung his huge arm forward.Something leaped on Jordde from behind--Snake! The marlin pin veeredinches away from Urson's shoulder. The flung fist sunk into the mate'sstomach and he reeled forward, passing Urson, with Snake still clawingat his back. He reached the rail, bent double over it, and Snake's legsflipped up. When Jordde rose, he was free of encumbrance.

  Geo rushed to the edge and saw Snake's head emerge in the churningwater. Behind him, Urson yelled, "Look out!" Jordde's marlin made aninch of splinters in the length of wood against which he had beenleaning.

  "Not him!" cried Argo. "No, no! Not him!"

  But Jordde had seized Geo's shoulder and whirled him back against therail. Geo saw Urson grab a loose rope behind them and suddenly swingforward, intending to knock Jordde away with his feet. But suddenly Argomoved in the way of his flying body, turned, saw him, and raised herhands to push him aside so that he swung wide of them and landed on therailing a yard from where they struggled.

  Geo's feet slipped on the wet boards, and he felt his body suddenlyhurled backwards onto the air. Then his back slapped water. As he brokesurface, Urson, still on the rail called to him, "Hang on, friend Geo,I'm coming!" Urson's arms swung back, and then forward as he dove intothe sea.

  Now Geo could see only Argo and Jordde at the rail. But they werestruggling. Urson and Snake were near him in the water. The last thinghe saw was Jordde suddenly wrest something from Argo's neck and thenfling it out into the sea. The Priestess' hands reached for the flyingjewel, followed its arc as she screamed toward the water.

  Then hands were at his body. Geo turned in the water as Snakedisappeared from beside him and Urson suddenly cried out. Hands werepulling him down.

  Roughness of sand beneath one of his sides and the flare of sun on theother. His eyes were hot and his lids were orange over them. Then therewas a breeze. He opened his eyes, and shut them quick, because of thelight. Then he turned over, thought about pillows and stiff new sheets.Reaching out, he grabbed sand.

  He opened his eyes and pushed himself up from the beach with both handsspread in warm, soft crumblings. Over there were rocks, and thickvegetation behind them. He swayed to his knees, the sand grating underhis kneecaps. He looked at his arm in the sun, flecked with grains. Thenhe touched his chest.

  His hand came to one bead, moved on, and came to another! He lookeddown. Both the chain with the platinum claw and the thong with the wirecage hung around his neck. Bewildered, he heaved to his feet, andimmediately sat down again as the beach went red with the wash of bloodbehind his eyeballs. He got up again, slowly.

  Carefully Geo started down the beach, looking toward the land. When heturned to look at the water, he stopped.

  At the horizon, beyond the rocks, was a boat with lowered sails. So theyhadn't left yet. He swung his eyes back to the beach: fifty feet awaywas another figure lying in the sun.

  He ran forward, now, the sand splashing around his feet, sinking underhis toes, so that it was like the slow motion running of dreams. Tenfeet from the figure he stopped.

  It was a young black, very dark, skin the color of richly humused soil.The long skull was shaved. Like Geo, he was almost naked. There was aclot of seaweed at his wrist, and the soles of his feet and oneup-turned palm were grayish and shriveled.

  Geo frowned and stood for a full minute. He looked up and down the beachonce more. There was no one else. Just then the man's arm shifted acrossthe sand.

  Immediately Geo fell to his knees beside the figure, rolled him over andlifted his head. The eyes opened, squinted in the light, and the mansaid, "Who are you?"

  "My name is Geo."

  The man sat up, and caught himself from falling forward by jamming hishands into the sand. He shook his head, and then looked up at Geo again."Yes," he said. "I remember you. What happened? Did we founder? Did theship go down?"

  "Remember me from where?" Geo asked.

  "From the ship. You were on the ship, weren't you?"

  "I was on the ship," Geo said. "And I got thrown overboard by thatdamned first mate in a fight. But nothing happened to the ship. It'sstill out there, you can see it." Suddenly Geo stopped. Then he said,"You're the guy who discovered Whitey's body that morning!"

  "That's right." He shook his head again. "My name is Iimmi." Now helooked out to the horizon. "I see them," he said. "There's
the ship. Butwhere are we?"

  "On the beach of Aptor," Geo told him.

  Iimmi screwed his face up into a mask of dark horror. "No," he saidsoftly. "We couldn't be. We were days away from her...."

  "How did you fall in?"

  "It was blowing up a little," Iimmi explained. "I was in the rig whensuddenly something struck me from behind and I went toppling. In all themist, they didn't see me, and the current was too strong for me,and ..." He looked around.

  "You've been on this beach once before, haven't you?" Geo asked.

  "Once," said Iimmi. "Yes, once."

  "Do you realize how long you've been in the water?" Geo asked.

  Iimmi looked up.

  "Over two weeks," Geo said. "Come on, see if you can walk. I've got alot of things to explain, if I can, and we've got some hunting to do."

  Iimmi steadied himself once more, and together they started up thebeach.

  "What are you looking for?" Iimmi asked.

  "Friends," Geo said.

  Two hundred feet up, the rocks and torpid vegetation came down to thewater, cutting off the beach. Scrambling over boulders and throughvines, they emerged on a rock embankment that dropped fifteen feet intothe wide estuary of a ribbon of water that wound back into the jungle.Twenty feet further, the bank dropped to the river's surface, and theyboth fell flat at the edge of a wet table of rock and sucked in coolliquid, watching blue stones and the white and red pebbles shivering sixfeet below clear ripples.

  There was a sound. Both sprang back from the water, turned, and crouchedon the rock.

  "Hey," Urson said, through leaves. "I was wondering when I'd find you."

  Light through branches lay on the gold coins hung against his hairychest. "Have you seen Snake?"

  "I was hoping he was with you," said Geo. "Oh, Urson, this is Iimmi, theother sailor who died two weeks ago."

  Both Iimmi and Urson looked puzzled. "Have a drink of water," Geo said,"and I'll explain as best I can."

  "Don't mind if I do," said Urson.

  While the bear man lay down to drink, Geo began the story of Aptor andLeptar for Iimmi. When he finished, Iimmi asked, "You mean those fishthings in the water carried us here? Whose side are they on?"

  "Apparently Argo isn't sure either," Geo said. "Perhaps they'reneutral."

  "And the mate?" asked Iimmi. "You think he pushed me overboard after hekilled Whitey?"

  "I thought you said he was trying to kill Snake," said Urson, who hadfinished drinking.

  "He was," explained Geo. "He wanted to get rid of all three. ProbablySnake first, and then Whitey and Iimmi. He wasn't counting on our fishyfriends, though. I think it was just luck that it was Whitey he gotrather than Snake. If he can't read minds, which I'm pretty sure hecan't, he probably overheard you assigning the bunks for us to sleep in,Urson. When he found out he had killed Whitey instead, it just urged himto get Iimmi out of the way more quickly."

  "I could easily have been pushed," Iimmi agreed. "But I still don't seewhy."

  "If there is a spy from Aptor on the ship, then Jordde is it," said Geo."The captain told me he had been to Aptor once before. It must have beenthen that he was enjoined into their forces. Iimmi, both you and Whiteyhad also been on Aptor's shore, if only for a few hours. There must besomething that Jordde learned from the island that he was afraid youmight learn, something you might see. Something dangerous, dangerous forAptor, something you might see just from being on the beach. Probably itwas something you wouldn't even recognize, something you'd maybe not seethe significance of until much later. But probably something veryobvious."

  Now Urson spoke. "What did happen when you were on Aptor? How were thoseten men killed?"

  Though the sun was warm, Iimmi shivered. He waited for a moment, andthen he began. "We took a skiff out from the ship and managed to getthrough the rocks somehow. It was evening when we started and the moon,I remember, had risen just above the horizon, though the sky was stilldeep blue. 'This light of the full moon is propitious to the WhiteGoddess Argo,' she said from her place at the bow of the boat. By thetime we landed, the sky was black behind her, and the beach was allsilvered by the light, up and down. Whitey and I were left to guard theskiff at the water's edge, and sitting on the gunwales, shouldershunched in the slight chill, we watched the others go up the beach, fiveand five, with Argo behind them.

  "Suddenly there was a scream, and the first man fell. They came from theair like vultures. The moon was overhead by now, and a cloud of themdarkened the white disk with their wings. They scurried after thefleeing men, over the sand. All we could really make out was a darkbattling against the silver. There were swords raised in the whitelight, screams, and howls that nearly sent us back into the ocean. ButArgo and a handful of those men left began to run toward the boat. Theyfollowed them down to the edge of the water, loping behind them, halfflying, half running, hacking one after another down with swords. I sawone man fall forward and his head roll from his body while bloodsquirted ten feet along the sand, crimson under the moon. One actuallycaught at her veils, but she screamed and slipped from it into the waternow, and climbed back into the boat, panting. You would think a womanwould collapse, but no. She stood in the bow while we rowed our armsoff. They would not come over the water, apparently, and somehow wemanaged to get the skiff back to the ship without foundering against therocks."

  "Our aquatic friends may have had something to do with that," said Geo."Iimmi, you say her veils were pulled off. Tell me, do you remember ifshe were wearing any jewelry or not?"

  "She certainly wasn't," Iimmi said. "She stood there in only her darkrobe, her throat as bare as ivory."

  "She wasn't going to bring the jewel to Aptor where those monsters couldget their hands on it again," said Urson. "But Geo, if Jordde's the spy,why did he throw the jewel in the sea?"

  "Whatever reason he had," said Geo, "our friends have given it to menow."

  "You said Argo didn't know whose side these sea creatures were on,Leptar's or Aptor's," said Iimmi. "But perhaps Jordde knows, and that'swhy he threw it to them." He paused for a moment. "Friend, I think youhave made an error; you tell me you are a poet, and it is a poet'serror. The hinge in your argument that Snake is no spy is that Argo musthave dubious motives to send you on such an impossible task, withoutprotection, saying that it would be meaningful only if all its goalswere accomplished. You reasoned, how could an honest woman place thelife of her sister below the value of a jewel ..."

  "Not just her sister," interrupted Geo, "but _the_ Goddess ArgoIncarnate."

  "Be patient," said Iimmi. "Only if she wished to make permanent hertemporary condition, you thought, could she set such an impossible task.There may be some truth in what you say. But she herself would not bringthe jewel to the shores of Aptor, though it was for her own protection.Thanks to you, all three jewels are now in Aptor, and if any part of herstory is true, Leptar is now in more danger than it has been in fivehundred years. You have the jewels, two of them, and you cannot usethem. Where is your friend Snake who can? Both Snake and Jordde couldeasily be spies and the enmity between them feigned, so that while youfocused on one, you could be misled by the other. You say he can moveinto men's minds? Perhaps he clouded yours."

  They sat silent for the lapsing of a minute.

  "Argo may be torn by many things," continued Iimmi. "But you, inwatching some, may have been deluded by others."

  Light from the river quivered on the undersides of leaves. Urson spokenow. "I think his story is better than yours, Geo."

  "Then what shall we do now?" asked Geo, softly.

  "Do what the Goddess requests as best we can," said Iimmi. "Find theTemple of Hama, secure the stone, rescue the young Goddess, and diebefore we let the jewels fall into hands of Aptor."

  "From the way you describe this place," muttered Urson, "that may not befar off."

  "Still," mused Geo, "there are things that don't mesh. Like why wereyou saved too, Iimmi? Why were we brought here at all? And why didJordde want to kill you and t
he other sailor?"

  "Perhaps," said Iimmi, "the god Hama has a strange sense of humor and weshall be allowed to carry the jewels up to the temple door before we areslaughtered, dropping them at his feet." He smiled. "Then again, perhapsyour theory is the correct one, Geo, and I am the spy, sent to sway yourreason."

  Urson and Geo glanced at each other.

  "There are an infinite number of theories for every set of facts," saidthe Negro. "Rule number one: assume the simplest; that includes all theknown conditions to be true until more conditions arise for which yourtheory no longer holds. Rule number two: then, and not until, changeit."

  "Then we go on into the jungle," Geo said.

  "I guess we do," said Urson.

  "Since we've got this job, we've got to trust ourselves and do it right.Let's see if we can put one more of those things around your neck beforewe're through." He pointed to the two jewels hanging at Geo's chest.Then he laughed. "One more and you'll be all the way up to me," and herattled his own triple necklace.