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‘He’s probably still in Veltan’s castle - in the map-room, most likely’ Padan paused ‘I don’t suppose I could persuade you to keep what I just told you to yourself, could I?’

‘That wouldn’t be at all proper, Padan,’ Gunda replied, ‘and I’ve always been big on propriety’

Commander Narasan was seriously discontented when Gunda told hiuards on that slimy little rascal?’ he demanded

‘You’ll have to ask Padan about that, Narasan,’ Gunda replied ‘Right now, I need to know just exactly where ant Andar to put the army on shore They’ve probably left Castano by now, so it’s likely that I’ll h the ice-zone’

‘Let’s go to Veltan’s ested ‘There’s a sizeable river mouth a few days to the north of here, and we’ll want the army to come ashore quite a ways up that river’ He paused ‘How did you et so far ahead of the ed ‘I picked up a nice little fishing yan in Castano,’ he replied ‘Her nao alite ship I’ve ever seen’

Narasan winced ‘How much did you pay for her?’

‘Couldn’t really say, old boy,’ Gunda replied in an offensively lofty tone ‘Andar’s got the key to the ar to him, while I went down to the harbor to persuade the Albatross that she was supposed to sail along in the water and not try to get up and fly’

‘Very funny, Gunda’

‘I’ot a bit of a proble when Gunda rowed out to the Victory

‘Oh?’

‘I hope you weren’t planning to leave here this ’

‘That’s sort of what I had inthat’s keeping your yawl off the bottom of the harbor is that rope you tied to the Victory’s anchor chain’

‘What are you talking about?’

‘Co a rope ladder over the side of his ship

Gunda climbed up the ladder and followed his cousin over to the other side of the Victory

He stopped and stared in utter disbelief at the Victory’s anchor-chain As Pantal had said, the rope froht down, and Gunda could see the hazy outline of his yawl under the water

‘What happened to her?’ he exclaimed

‘I think the word most people use is "sank",’ Pantal replied

‘Did some rascal sneak out here and chop a hole in her bottoht Nobody came near the Victory Who sold that tub to you?’