The Adventures of Radisson. Back to the New World by Martin Fournier Page B

them made it a delicate operation. As soon as the sail and mast were lowered, the barge would slow down a little, but there was no time to lose: otherwise the boat threatened to slide off in the opposite direction and right into the bridge. Radisson carefully prepared the manoeuvre. If he didn’t manage it first go, Touchet would surely shower him with abuse, as was his wont.
    â€œLower the sail!” Touchet roared at him. “Lower the mast! Quick!”
    Radisson lowered the sail in a flash and kept the mast under control as it fell. They slowed to a crawl and crept in under the bridge’s central arch. They were almost through when the boat stopped moving forward and began to drift dangerously toward the nearest pillar. But Touchet skilfully corrected their course and narrowly managed to free the back of the boat.
    â€œRAISE THE SAIL!” he screamed. “Quick!”
    Radisson pulled on the mast and mainsail halyards with all his might. The captain caught a little wind, while Radisson deftly improved the sail’s angle of approach. For a long time the boat was balanced between the wind and the current, right up against the sharp, threatening pillars. At last, thanks to their combined efforts,
La Louve
started moving forward again. Radisson was pleased at himself for managing to pull off such a tricky manoeuvre, but Touchet blasted him with all the names under the sun.
    â€œYOU DIMWIT! When I tell you to get a move on, you get a move on, you hear! I don’t know why I don’t just throw you overboard.”
    Radisson bit his tongue. He had come to understand that the sailor he was replacing had left Touchet in the lurch because there was no putting up with the man. He would be only too happy to walk out on him too, but he would rather endure him and make it to Orléans more quickly. At any rate, his anger came and went like a storm: it was intense, but over in a flash. Radisson went back to his usual position up at the front of the boat to watch the channel and the sandbanks while Touchet steered. Peace had been restored. Radisson took in the scenery of the Loire around him. He loved the river, lined with huge fallow fields, thriving villages, and impressive buildings.
    Ahead of him, in the bright light of a day drawing to a close, a large castle caught his eye in the distance. Not only was its size impressive, it was incredibly elegant, too. Standing atop a hill, with its four high, square towers and breathtakingly high walls, the fortress dominated the whole region. Building a solid, impressive building like that had been no mean feat. Down below, the homes of Saumur formed a tight patchwork of red and black and sandstone and slate all around. Four or five impressive belltowers rose up from behind the homes like arrows moving skyward. The setting was superb.
    Radisson enjoyed watching the wharves bustle with activity despite the late hour. Workers rounded barrels up into high piles near a ramp that plunged down into the water. A small craft drew up to bring them aboard and on to other village folk in need of them. Trade could be so useful.
    The sun had set, but Touchet wanted to press on, keen to put off the hour when they would drop anchor in a quiet dock beside the river and spend the night there. Radisson had no complaints. But from where he was, he could no longer see how deep the water was. He couldn’t see a thing. As he admired the shapes the town and castle made out against the coloured sky, behind them an invisible hand tugged on the barge. The sail was swollen with the wind, but they were making no headway. They must have run aground on a sandbank Radisson hadn’t seen coming.
    â€œTHAT’S IT!” Touchet cried, leaving the helm to scoop something up.
    Radisson watched as he dashed toward him, his back to the light, thinking he was coming over to see what was going on. But when he reached him, Touchet hit him hard with a stick.
    â€œTake that, you incompetent