watch yourself."
Flor looked up, then stood. She shaded the comparatively diminutive Talea.
"Thanks for the advice, but I'm a big girl now. I can take care of myself.
Comprende?"
"Size and wise don't necessarily go together," the redhead said. "I was just
giving you fair warning."
"Thanks for your concern."
"Just remember one thing about him." Talea nodded toward the chattering Caz.
"He'll probably screw anything that walks and likely a few things that don't.
Old Mudge is a talker, but this one's a doer. You can tell."
"I'm sure I can rely on your experienced judgment," replied Flor evenly. She
moved away before Talea could ask exactly what the last comment meant.
"That is my recent history," the rabbit was saying. He examined the otter's
companions. "What then are you bound to, old friend? This does not appear to me
to be a typical robber band, though if such is their wont I daresay they would
be efficient at it. Those are two of the biggest humans I've ever seen. And the
turtle called the man an 'otherworldly' wizard."
"I don't wonder at your wonderin', mate," said Mudge. " 'Tis all part o' the
strangest tale ever a 'alf-senile wizard wove. I'd give me left incisor if I'd
never o' become involved with this bunch." His voice had dropped to a whisper.
"Now don't you go botherin' yourself about it. You can't 'elp me. You get on
your way afore 'is 'ard-shelled and 'ard-'eaded wizardship there conscripts you
also. 'E's a no-nonsense sorcerer 'e is, and 'e's dragged us all off on some
bloody crusade to save the world. Don't think o' doubtin' 'is magic, for 'e's
the real article, 'e is, not some carnival fakir. The tall 'uman man with the
slightly stupid expression, 'im I still ain't figured out. 'E seems as naive
sometimes as a squallin' cub, but I've seen with me own eyes the magic 'e can
work. 'E's a spellsinger."
"What about the tall human woman. Is she a sorceress?"
"Not that she's shown so far," said Mudge thoughtfully. "I don't think she is.
Sure is built, though."
"Ah, my friend, you have no appreciation for the arts of higher learning. Even
in our brief exchange I could tell that she is of a noble order of initiates on
whom high intellectual honors are bestowed."
"Like I said," reiterated the otter, "she sure is built."
Caz shook his head dolefully. "Will you never lift your thoughts from the
gutter, friend Mudge?"
"I like it in the gutter," was the response. " 'Tis warm and friendly down
there, and you meet up with all manner o' interestin' folk. What's 'appened t'
me since I made the mistake o' temporarily comin' out o' the gutter is that I
was stuck as wet-nurse t' the lad, and now I've got meself sort o' swept along a
course I can't change or swim out of. As I've said afore, mate, the company is
nice but the situation sucks. Shssh, be quiet, an' watch your words. 'Ere 'e
comes now."
Clothahump had waddled over to them. Now he looked sorrow-ingly down at Mudge.
"My dear otter," he said, peering over his spectacles, "do you never stop to
consider that one who is capable of calling up elemental forces from halfway
across the universe is also quite able to hear what is being said only a few
yards behind him?"
Mudge looked startled. "You 'eard everythin', then?"
"Most everything. Oh, don't look like a frightened infant. I'm not going to
punish you for expressing in private an opinion you've made no secret of in
public." The otter relaxed slightly.
"I didn't imagine you might 'ave a 'earin' spell set on yourself, Your
Niceness."
"I didn't," explained the wizard. "I simply have very good hearing. A
compensation perhaps for my weak eyesight." He regarded the watchful Caz. "You,
sir, you have heard what our mutual friend thinks. Allow me to explain further,
and then see if you think our 'crusade' is so insane."
He proceeded to give the rabbit a rundown on both their purpose and progress.
When he'd finished, Caz looked genuinely concerned. "But of course if what you
say is imminent, then I must join your company."
"Wot?" Mudge looked stunned, and his whiskers twitched uncontrollably.
"That's damn decent of you," said Jon-Tom. "We can use all the help we can get."
"It simply seems to me," said the rabbit slowly, "that if the sorcerer here is
correct, and I have no reason to doubt him, then the world as we know it will be
destroyed unless we do our best to help prevent the coming catastrophe. That
strikes me as quite an excellent cause to commit oneself to. Yes, I shall be
honored to join your little expedition and give what assistance I may."
"You're daft!" Mudge shook his head in despair. "Downright balmy. The water's
seeped into your brain."
"Idiot," was all Pog said, confirming Mudge's assessment of Caz's action. But
there were congratulations and thanks from Clothahump and the two otherworldly
humans.
Even Talea ventured a grudging kind of admiration. "Not many people around
who'll do the honorable thing these days."
"That's true of at least one other world, too," added Flor tentatively.
"It is sad, but honor is a dying attribute." Caz put a paw over his heart. "I
can but do my slight best to help restore it."
"We're certainly glad to have you with us." Clothahump was clearly overwhelmed
by this first voluntary offer to help. "Do you have a sword or something?"
"Alas," said the rabbit, spreading his paws, "I have nothing but what you see.
If I can procure a weapon I will naturally carry it, though I have found that my
most efficient methods of disarming an opponent involve the employment of facile
words and not sharp points."
"We need sword arms, not big mouths," grumbled Talea.
"There are times, head and heart of fire, when a large mouth can smother the
best attack an antagonist can mount. Do not be so quick to disparage that which
you do not possess."
"Now look here, are you calling me dumb, you fuzz-faced son of... !"
Clothahump stepped between them. "I will not tolerate fighting among allies.
Save your fury for the Plated Folk, who will absorb all you can muster." He
suddenly looked very tired.
"Please, no more insult-mongering. Not direct," and he glared at Talea, "or
veiled," and he gianced over his shell at Caz.
"I shall endeavor to control an acid tongue," said the rabbit dutifully.
"I'll keep my mouth shut if he does the same," Talea muttered.
"Good. Now I suggest we all relax and enjoy the midday meal. Have you eaten
recently, sir?"
The rabbit shook his head. "I fear I had to depart before lunch. This has not
been my day for timing."
"Then we will eat, and wait...."
XVI
But no other vessel appeared while they ate. Nor all the rest of that day or the
morning of the next.
"In truth, we passed much commerce moving downstream toward the Glittergeist,"
Caz informed them, "but practically none save ourselves moving in the other
direction. The winds are capricious this time of year. Not many shipowners are
willing to pay the expense of poling a cargo all the way up the Tailaroam. Good
polers are too expensive. They make profit most uncertain.
"We shall be fortunate to see another ship moving upstream, and even if we
should, there's no guarantee they'd have room aboard for so many passengers. My
vessel was quite crowded and I was the only noncrewmember aboard." He spat
delicately at the sand. "A distinction I should have avoided."
Clothahump sighed. He struggled to his feet and trundled to the water's edge.
After a long stare at the surface, he nodded and told them, "This part of the