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complacently.
"Nonsense," Lafayette contradicted. "If you just made a little effort, you could be as
good as anyone or better!"
"You think if I dress fancy and tiptoe around not getting my hands dirty, that'll make
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me any better than what I am?"
"That's not what I meant. I just meant "
"Never mind, Lafe. The conversation is getting too deep. I got a nice little body on me,
and I'm strong and willing. If I can't get by on that, to perdition with the lace pants, get
me?"
"I'll tell you what: when we get to the capital, we'll go and have your hair done, and
"
"My hair's Jake with me like it is. Skip it, Lafe. Let's get moving. We still got a long
way to go before we can flop and getting across that lake won't be no picnic."
The lake shore in the lee of the rocky headland was marshy, odiferous of mud and
rotted vegetation and expired fish. Lafayette and Swinehild stood shivering in ankle-deep
muck, scanning the dark-curving strand for signs of commercial transportation facilities
to ferry them out to the island city, the lights of which winked and sparkled cheerfully
across the black waters.
"I guess the old tub sank," Swinehild said. "Used to be it ran out to the city every hour
on the hour, a buck-fifty one way."
"It looks like we'll have to find an alternate mode of travel," O'Leary commented.
"Come on. These huts along the shore are probably fishermen's shacks. We ought to be
able to hire a man to row us out."
"I ought to warn you, Lafe, these fishermen got a kind of unsavory rep. Like as not
they'd tap you over the head and clean out your pockets, and throw the remains in the
lake."
"That's a chance we'll have to take. We can't stay here freezing to death."
"Listen, Lafe " She caught at his arm. "Let's just scout along the shore and find us a
rowboat that ain't tied down too good, and "
"You mean steal some poor fellow's means of livelihood? Swinehild, I'm ashamed of
you!"
"O.K., you wait here and I'll take care of getting the boat."
"Your attitude does you no credit, Swinehild," Lafayette said sternly. "We'll go about
this in a straightforward, aboveboard manner. Honesty is the best policy, remember that."
"You sure got some funny ideas, Lafe. But it's your neck."
He led the way across the mud to the nearest shack, a falling-down structure of water-
rotted boards with a rusted stovepipe poking out the side, from which a meager coil of
smoke shredded into the brisk, icy wind. A faint gleam of light shone under the single
boarded-up window. Lafayette rapped at the door. After a pause, bedsprings creaked
inside.
"Yeah?" a hoarse voice responded without enthusiasm.
"Ah we're a couple of travelers," Lafayette called. "We need transportation out to the
capital. We're prepared to pay well " he oof!ed as Swinehild's elbow drove into his side.
"As well as we can, that is."
Muttering was audible, accompanied by the sound of a bolt being withdrawn. The
door opened six inches, and a bleary, red-rimmed eye under a shaggy eyebrow peered
forth at shoulder level.
"What are youse?" the voice that went with the eye said. "Nuts or something?"
"Mind your tone," Lafayette said sharply. "There's a lady present."
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The bleary eye probed past O'Leary at Swinehild. The wide mouth visible below the
eye stretched in a grin that revealed a surprising number of large, carious teeth.
"Whyncha say so, sport? That's different." The eye tracked appreciatively down,
paused, up again. "Yeah, not bad at all. What did you say youse wanted, squire?"
"We have to get to Port Miasma," Lafayette said, sidling over to block the cabin
dweller's view of Swinehild. "It's a matter of vast importance."
"Yeah. Well, in the morning "
"We can't wait until morning," Lafayette cut in. "Aside from the fact that we have no
intention of spending the night on this mud flat, it's essential that we get away I mean
reach the capital without delay."
"Well I'll tell you what I'll do; outa the goodness of my heart I'll let the little lady
spend the night inside. I'll throw you out a tarp, cap'n, to keep the wind off, and in the
A.M. "
"You don't seem to understand!" O'Leary cut in. "We want to go now at once
immediately."
"Uh-huh," the native said, covering a cavernous yawn with a large-knuckled hand
matted on the back with dense black hairs. "Well, Cull, what youse need is a boat "
"Look here," O'Leary snapped. "I'm standing out here in the cold wind offering you
this" he reached in his pocket and produced a second Artesian fifty-cent piece "to
ferry us out there! Are you interested, or aren't you?"
"Hey!" the man said. "That looks like solid silver."
"Naturally," Lafayette said. "Do you want it or don't you?"
"Geeze, thanks, bub " The knuckly hand reached, but Lafayette snatched the coin
back.
"Ah-ah," he reproved. "First you have to row us out to the city."
"Yeah." The hand went up to scratch at a rumpled head of coarse black hair with a
sound like a carpenter filing a knot. "There's just one small problem area there, yer
lordship. But maybe I got a solution," he added more briskly. "But the price will be the
silver piece plus a sample o' the little lady's favors. I'll take a little o' that last on account."
The hand poked at O'Leary as if to brush him aside. He gave it a sharp rap on the
knuckles, at which the owner jerked it back and popped the wounded members into his
mouth.
"Ouch!" he said, looking up at O'Leary reproachfully. "That hurt, guy!"
"It was meant to," Lafayette said coldly. "If I weren't in such a hurry, I'd haul you out
of there and give you a sound thrashing!"
"Yeah? Well, you might run into a little trouble there, chief. I'm kind of a heavy guy to
haul around." There was a stir, and the head thrust through the door, followed by a pair of
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