Read Watson, Ian - Black Current 03 for Free Online

enchanting! A once in a lifetime experience. I think that solves the problem.
     
                 Balloons! There'd been some talk of
military balloons, but I thought nothing had come of it. . . .
                 Well
I never did, I said.
     
                 Somebody
else did. But she fell out—from a few hundred spans high. It's a really neat
death. Elegant and graceful; bar the final splat. At
the time she rather spoiled the effect by being so scared but in retrospect she
can appreciate it better. If you want to die and join me and
don't fancy drowning yourself. I'd seriously recommend leaping from a
balloon. I assure you the last instant, when you get broken, is hardly
noticeable.
     
                 Thanks
for the tip. I was planning on surviving a while longer. In fact, I was
planning on everybody, everywhere, surviving.
     
                 Thus
totally trouncing the Godmind?
     
                 That's
the general idea.
     
                 I
need a fresh perspective on that, Yaleen. I've been trying to feel my way along
the psylink to Earth, then out again in another direction.
I need to find another Worm like me. Strength in numbers! Two eyes see deeper
than one! Frankly I’m not having much luck on my own, so if you'd care to jump
out of a balloon. . . .
     
                 So that was it. The Worm wanted to
project me through Ka- space once
again.
                 Since
I didn't answer, the Worm continued. Meanwhile, that’s the offer Your men gain access to my Ka -store—and lose the river
entirely.
     
                 All for a few
barrels of clay. . . .
                 No, not just for
that. For the sake of every man alive. Actually,
the Worm's offer ought to delight the river guild. They would continue to
control the waterway.
                 Does
my priestess so pledge, for her people?
     
                 Okay,
agreed.
     
                 So
be it. Now you carry on dreaming, and I’ll show you the precise sites of those
clay deposits.
     
                 At first Chanoose was incensed.
     
                 "You want to make mud pies? What
is this, a complete reversion to childhood?"
                 "I intend to help my friend and
companion get the materials he needs for his art. I insist. You yourself said we could do with some decent plates and
vases in the temple."
                 "I did?"
                "Didn't
you?" I asked innocently.
                 "So now you want a gang of
riverwomen to dam and drain two stretches of river!"
                 "Ah, there's more to this,
Quaymistress. And if I don't get my way, you won't get yours. What I've
arranged with the Worm is as follows. . . ." And I explained.
                 When I'd done, Chanoose said quietly,
"You impulsive imbecile. You really are incredible." She spoke for
form's sake only; I could see that her brain was pumping away nineteen to the
dozen.
                 All of a sudden her eyes shone and
she almost did a dance, there before my throne. "Got it! Oh yes, I've got it! We time the work on these wretched dikes just long enough
to sail all the captured Sons up
north and ferry them over. That way, we shan't need half a 'jack army to escort
them. We can keep the Sons chained up. We can take on local militia guards at
each town. And while that's going on,
we'll sail the whole 'jack army back home to Jangali—before they get too
accustomed to foreign parts, or too restive.
                 "All those repatriated captives
ought to mess up the west bank nicely. I shouldn't be surprised if half of them
turn bandit, or try to overthrow their government. Then when everyone's well
and truly back where they belong, hey presto, the dikes get finished. Your Worm
opens its jaws again. Immediate embargo on the river! Brilliant,
brilliant." You'd