peaceful Babylon? Captain Firebrand, we are doomed!”
“Don’t drown yourself!” Theseus laughed, just a little uneasily. “That gleam was far off. Perhapsit was only the sun on some housewife’s well-scoured pot.”
Snish clung trembling to the ropes.
“I am wizard enough to know the sight of Talos,” he croaked anxiously. “The brass man is fleet enough to patrol all the coasts of Crete from sunrise to sunset. And wizardry guides his eyes, so no intruders can escape him.
“Oh, if I had stayed a cobbler in far Babylon!”
He pulled himself up besidethe spar, and his popping yellow eyes peered over it for a moment toward the shore. But nothing moved there, and he slipped back into the sea.
“I was a cobbler in Babylon,” he wheezed. “But Babylon is an old city. Its empire has crumbled, and all its greatness isbut a haunting memory. The caravans pass it by. And business is terrible.”
He sighed. “Even the wizards in Babylon are poor, for theyhave no such power as the warlocks of Crete. There was one whose boots I patched for seven years, and he was never rich enough to pay even a copper bit upon his bill.
“It was he who taught me the small arts of wizardry that I know. One day when he brought his boots to be soled, I told him I had no leather and no money. He offered to teach me all his sorcery, if I would only sole the boots. AndI did. But I had better remained a cobbler!” His hand quivered on the ropes. “For wizardry made me an exile from my own Babylon.” His voice was a nasal sob. “It cursed me with this perversity of the elements. And now it is bringing the monster Talos down upon me!”
“But you are still a wizard!” Theseus was intently watching the dark shoreline, shading his eyes for another warning glint of brass.“And now I am going to call upon your wizardry. The Cretans have been warned that Captain Firebrand is destined to victory in the games, and all the fleet is hunting for him. But they know nothing of Gothung the Northman, who is the Gamecock’s steersman. You saw him—a square-headed giant, with long yellow hair.
“Snish, give me Gothung’s likeness!”
Waiting for the change, Theseus looked downat the little brown man shivering in the water. His sword belt began to feel uncomfortable, and he automatically let it out. A heavy strand of hair fell across his face. He saw that it was straw-yellow.
“It is done, Captain Firebrand,” the little wizard wheezed. “But remember—the spell is feeble. A close touch—even a kiss—will make you the hunted pirate again.”
Theseus was staring at his hands.They were not the lean hands he knew, but huge as hams, sun-reddened, freckle-splotched, covered with white-bleached hair.
“Forget Captain Firebrand,” he whispered. “I am Gothung the Northman—a simple mariner, wrecked on the coast of Crete.” He looked down at Snish. “But what of your own guise?”
The little wizard sank lower in the water.
“Not in Crete!” he croaked. “The warlocks of Knossosare too many and too jealous. The peculiar welcome they reserve for visiting wizards is famous, even to Babylon.” His teethchattered. “And it is a ghastly thing! No, I am just the poor cobbler, Snish. And I shall attempt no sorcery, master, save what you demand of me.”
The wind had carried them on toward the shore. The beach was no more than an arrow-flight ahead, when Snish pulled himself upbeside the yard again, and his yellow face went lax with dread.
“Captain Gothung!” he wheezed faintly. “It is Talos—coming around the headland!”
The little wizard had professed an inability to swim. But now he caught his breath and released the ropes and dived with the skill of an otter. The spar drifted on. Theseus watched the wooded point. And a gleaming metal giant came stalking into view,and waded out through the breakers.
Talos stood twice the height of a man. The metal of his huge body seemed pliant, living; the bright skin flexed as he moved. And
“Don’t drown yourself!” Theseus laughed, just a little uneasily. “That gleam was far off. Perhapsit was only the sun on some housewife’s well-scoured pot.”
Snish clung trembling to the ropes.
“I am wizard enough to know the sight of Talos,” he croaked anxiously. “The brass man is fleet enough to patrol all the coasts of Crete from sunrise to sunset. And wizardry guides his eyes, so no intruders can escape him.
“Oh, if I had stayed a cobbler in far Babylon!”
He pulled himself up besidethe spar, and his popping yellow eyes peered over it for a moment toward the shore. But nothing moved there, and he slipped back into the sea.
“I was a cobbler in Babylon,” he wheezed. “But Babylon is an old city. Its empire has crumbled, and all its greatness isbut a haunting memory. The caravans pass it by. And business is terrible.”
He sighed. “Even the wizards in Babylon are poor, for theyhave no such power as the warlocks of Crete. There was one whose boots I patched for seven years, and he was never rich enough to pay even a copper bit upon his bill.
“It was he who taught me the small arts of wizardry that I know. One day when he brought his boots to be soled, I told him I had no leather and no money. He offered to teach me all his sorcery, if I would only sole the boots. AndI did. But I had better remained a cobbler!” His hand quivered on the ropes. “For wizardry made me an exile from my own Babylon.” His voice was a nasal sob. “It cursed me with this perversity of the elements. And now it is bringing the monster Talos down upon me!”
“But you are still a wizard!” Theseus was intently watching the dark shoreline, shading his eyes for another warning glint of brass.“And now I am going to call upon your wizardry. The Cretans have been warned that Captain Firebrand is destined to victory in the games, and all the fleet is hunting for him. But they know nothing of Gothung the Northman, who is the Gamecock’s steersman. You saw him—a square-headed giant, with long yellow hair.
“Snish, give me Gothung’s likeness!”
Waiting for the change, Theseus looked downat the little brown man shivering in the water. His sword belt began to feel uncomfortable, and he automatically let it out. A heavy strand of hair fell across his face. He saw that it was straw-yellow.
“It is done, Captain Firebrand,” the little wizard wheezed. “But remember—the spell is feeble. A close touch—even a kiss—will make you the hunted pirate again.”
Theseus was staring at his hands.They were not the lean hands he knew, but huge as hams, sun-reddened, freckle-splotched, covered with white-bleached hair.
“Forget Captain Firebrand,” he whispered. “I am Gothung the Northman—a simple mariner, wrecked on the coast of Crete.” He looked down at Snish. “But what of your own guise?”
The little wizard sank lower in the water.
“Not in Crete!” he croaked. “The warlocks of Knossosare too many and too jealous. The peculiar welcome they reserve for visiting wizards is famous, even to Babylon.” His teethchattered. “And it is a ghastly thing! No, I am just the poor cobbler, Snish. And I shall attempt no sorcery, master, save what you demand of me.”
The wind had carried them on toward the shore. The beach was no more than an arrow-flight ahead, when Snish pulled himself upbeside the yard again, and his yellow face went lax with dread.
“Captain Gothung!” he wheezed faintly. “It is Talos—coming around the headland!”
The little wizard had professed an inability to swim. But now he caught his breath and released the ropes and dived with the skill of an otter. The spar drifted on. Theseus watched the wooded point. And a gleaming metal giant came stalking into view,and waded out through the breakers.
Talos stood twice the height of a man. The metal of his huge body seemed pliant, living; the bright skin flexed as he moved. And
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