amc.killashandra-第21节

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　On　her　voyage　to　the　fifth　island；　a　fair　sized　one；　she　had　her　worst　fright。　Despite　the　sun's　being　at　high　noon；　she　found　herself　in　the　midst　of　a　school　of　tiny　fish　that　was　being　harvested　by　several　mammoth　denizens。　At　one　point　she　was　briefly　stranded　on　a　creature's　flank　when　it　unexpectedly　surfaced　under　her。　She　didn't　know　whether　to　swim　furiously　for　the　distant　shore　or　lie　motionless；　but　before　she　could　make　a　decision　the　immense　body　swirled　its　torpedo　tail　in　the　air　and　sounded。　Killashandra　was　pulled　under　by　the　fierce　turbulence　of　its　passage；　and　she　swallowed　a　good　deal　more　water　than　she　liked　before　she　returned　to　the　surface。
　As　soon　as　she　clambered　up　on　the　fifth　island；　she　headed　for　the　nearest　ripe　polly　fruit　only　to　discover　that　she　had　lost　her　hatchet；　the　last　packets　of　emergency　rations；　and　the　fish　hooks。　She　slaked　her　thirst　on　overripe　polly　fruit；　ignoring　the　rank　taste　for　the　sake　of　the　moisture。　That　need　attended　to；　she　gathered　up　enough　dry　fronds　to　cushion　her　body；　and　went　to　sleep。
　She　woke　sometime　in　the　night；　thirsting　for　more　of　the　overripe　fruit　which　she　hunted　in　the　dark；　cursing　as　she　tripped　over　debris　and　fell　into　bushes；　staggering　about　in　her　search　until　she　had　to　admit　to　herself　that　her　behavior　was　somewhat　bizarre。　About　the　same　time　she　realized　that　she　was　drunk！　The　innocent　polly　fruit　had　been　fermenting！　Given　her　Ballybran　adaptation；　the　state　could　only　have　been　allowed　by　her　weakened　constitution。　Giggling；　she　lay　down　on　the　ground；　impervious　to　sand　or　disfort　and　fell　into　a　second　drunken　sleep。
　Much　the　worse　for　her　various　excesses；　Killashandra　awoke　with　a　ghastly　headache　and　a　terrible　need　for　water。　Number　five　was　a　much　larger　island　than　her　other　way　stops　and　she　was　searching　so　diligently　to　relieve　her　thirst　that　she　almost　passed　the　little　canoe　without　its　registering　on　her　consciousness。
　It　was　only　a　small　canoe；　pulled　up　beyond　the　high　tide　mark；　a　paddle　angling　from　the　narrow　prow。　At　another　time　and　without　her　urgent　need；　Killashandra　would　not　have　ventured　out　on　the　open　sea　in　such　a　flimsy　craft。　But　someone　had　already　brought　it　from　wherever　they　came　so　it　could　as　easily　convey　her　elsewhere；　too。　Her　need　for　water　diminished　by　this　happy　discovery；　Killashandra　climbed　the　nearest　polly　tree　and；　hanging　precariously　to　the　ridged　trunk；　managed　to　saw　through　several　stems　with　her　short　knife　blade。
　She　didn't　waste　time　then；　but　threw　the　fruit　into　the　small　craft；　slid　it　into　the　gentle　waves；　and　paddled　down　the　coast　as　fast　as　she　could；　just　in　case　the　owner　should　return　and　demand　the　return　of　his　canoe。
　While　she　no　longer　needed　to　wait　until　noon　to　cross　to　the　next　island　in　her　northern　course；　Killashandra's　previous　day's　fright　made　her　cautious。　She　keenly　felt　the　loss　of　her　hatchet。　But　good　fortune　continued　to　surprise　her　for；　as　she　paddled　around　a　narrow　headland；　she　spotted　the　unmistakable　sign　of　a　small　stream　draining　into　the　sea。　She　could　even　paddle　a　short　way　up　its　mouth　and　did　so；　pausing　to　scoop　up　a　handful　of　sweet　water　before　she　jumped　out　of　the　canoe　and　pulled　it　out　of　sight　under　the　bushes。　Then　she　lay　down　by　the　water　and　drank　until　she　was　pletely　sated。
　By　evening；　just　before　the　sun　suddenly　settled　below　the　horizon　in　the　manner　characteristic　of　tropical　latitudes；　she　stood　out　on　the　headland；　deciding　which　of　the　island　masses　she　would　attempt　to　reach　the　next　day。　The　nearest　ones　were　large；　by　parison；　but　the　distant　smudge　lay　long　against　the　horizon。　The　water　lapped　seductively　over　her　toes　and　she　decided　that　she　had　fooled　around　with　the　minor　stuff　long　enough。　With　the　canoe；　a　fair　start　in　the　morning；　and　plenty　of　fruit　in　her　little　craft；　she　could　certainly　make　the　big　island；　however　distant。
　She　had　the　foresight　to　weave　herself　a　sun　hat；　with　a　fishtail　down　her　back　to　prevent　sunstroke；　for　she　wouldn't　have　the　cooling　water　about　her　as　she　had　while　swimming。　She　had　no　experience　with　currents　or　riptides；　nor　had　she　considered　the　possibility　of　sudden　squalls　interrupting　her　journey。　Those　she　encountered　halfway　across　the　deep　blue　stretch　of　sea　to　the　large　island。
　She　was　so　busy　trying　to　correct　her　course　while　the　current　pulled　her　steadily　south　that　she　was　unaware　of　the　squall　until　it　pelted　against　her　sunburned　back。　The　next　thing　she　knew　she　was　waist　deep　in　water。　How　the　canoe　stayed　afloat　at　all；　she　didn't　know。　Bailing　was　a　futile　exercise　but　it　was　the　only　remedy　she　had。　Then　suddenly　she　felt　the　canoe　sinking　with　her　and；　in　a　panic　lest　she　be　pulled　down；　she　swam　clear；　and　had　no　way　to　resist　the　insidious　pull　of　the　current。
　Once　again　the　stubborn　survival　instinct　came　to　Killashandra's　aid；　and　wisely　she　ceased　struggling　against　the　current　and　the　run　of　the　waves；　and　concentrated　on　keeping　her　head　above　water。　She　was　still　thrashing　her　arms　when　her　legs　grated　against　a　hard　surface。　She　crawled　out　of　the　water　and　a　few　more　meters　from　the　pounding　surf　before　oblivion　overcame　her。
　Familiar　sounds　and　familiar　smells　penetrated　her　fatigue　and　allowed　her　to　enjoy　the　pangs　of　thirst　and　hunger　once　again。　Awareness　of　her　surroundings　gradually　increased　and　she　roused　to　the　sound　of　human　voices　raised　in　a　happy　clamor　somewhere　nearby。　She　sat　up　and　found　herself　on　one　end　of　a　wide　curving　beach　of　incredible　beauty；　on　a　harbor　sheltering　a　variety　of　shipping。　A　large　settlement　dominated　the　center　of　the　harbor；　with　mercial　buildings　at　the　center　gradually　giving　way　to　residences　and　a　broad　promenade　that　paralleled　the　beach　before　retreating　into　the　polly　plantations。
　For　a　long　time　Killashandra　could　only　sit　and　stare　at　the　scene；　rendered　witless　by　her　great　good　fortune。　And　then　not　at　all　sure　what　her　next　step　should　be。　To　arrive；　announcing　her　rank　and　title；　demanding　transport　back　to　the　City？　How　many　people　had　been　privy　to　her　abduction？　An　island　weapon　had　made　the　first　assault　against　her。　She　had　better　go　cautiously。　She　had　better　act　circumspectly。
　Yes；　indeed　she　should；　she　realized　as　she　stood　up　and　found　herself　without　a　shred　of　clothing　on　her　body。　Nudity　might　not　be　appreciated　here。　She　was　too　far　away　to　notice　how　much　or　how　little　clothing　the　happy　group　on　her　side　of　the　bay　was　wearing。　So　she　would　get　close　enough　to　discover。
　She　did　that　with　little　trouble；　and　also　discovered　abandoned　clothing；　shirts　and　long；　full　skirts　of　decoratively　painted　polly　fiber　as　well　as　undecorated　underskirts。　So　she　took　several　of　those；　picking　from　different　piles；　and　a　conservatively　marked　shirt　and　dressed　herself。　She　also　filched　several　packets　of　food；　spoiling　someone's　picnic　lunch　but　filling　the　void　in　her　belly。　No　footwear　had　been　left　on　the　beach；　so　she　concluded　that　bare　feet　would　not　be　distinctive　and　her　soles　were　sufficiently　callused　now　not　to　trouble　her。　The　off…white　of　her　underskirts　set　off　the　fine　brown　of　her　tanned　skin。
　She　tucked　her　knife　under　the　waistband；　then　set　off　on　the　well…marked　path　toward　the　main　settlement。
　Chapter　9
　What　Killashandra　required　most　was　a　credit　outlet。　She　would　need　more　clothing　…　a　proper；　decorated　overdress　…　if　she　was　to　blend　in　with　the　islanders。　As　well；　she　needed　some　sort　of　acmodation　and　enough　credit　to　get　her　back　to　the　mainland　or　wherever　the　City　was　located。
　None　of　the　mercial　buildings　facing　the　harbor　appeared　to　have　credit　outlets；　though　all　had　intake　units。　One　of　them　had　to；　or　this　planet　was　more　backward　than　she'd　previously　thought。　Every　inhabited　planet　utilized　the　standard　credit　facilities。
　She　had　a　bit　of　a　fright；　too；　while　she　was　making　her　initial　reconnaissance　…　the　sight　of　herself　in　a　reflective　surface。　Sun　had　streaked　the　top　layer　of　her　dark　hair　almost　blonde；　had　bleached　her　eyebrows　to　nonexistence。　This；　plus　the　deep　brown　of　her　tan；　altered　her　appearance　so　that　she　had　almost　not　recognized　herself。　The　whites　and　the　intense　green　of　her　eyes　with　the　filtering　lenses　were　emphasized　by　the　tan　and　dominated　her　face。　The　exertions　of　the　last　few　days　had　thinned　all　the　flesh　which　she　had　acquired　with　easy　living　on　the　voyage。　She　was　as　gaunt　as　if　she'd　been　in　the　Crystal　Ranges　for　weeks。　Furthermore　she　felt　like　she　had。　Why　was　it；　when　she　was　tired；　she　still　felt　the　crystal　surging　through　her　bones？
　There　was　only　one　other　building　on　the　waterfront；　set　off　a　little　from　the　others；　looking　rather　more　prosperous。　A　factor's　residence？　She　made　for　it；　having　little　choice；　ignoring　the　covert　glances　of　the　few　pedestrians。　Was　the　munity　so　small　that　any　stranger　was　remarkable？　Or　was　it　indeed　her　lack　of　the　proper　attire　that　occasioned　their　scrutiny？
　She　recognized　the　building's　function　as　soon　as　she　climbed　the　short　flight　of　stairs　to　the　wide　verandah　which　surrounded　all　four　sides。　The　smell　of　stale　beer　and　spirits　was　manifest；　as　well　as　a　burned…vegetable　odor；　pungent　and　not　altoge