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‘That’s assuet everybody up there all at the saht have tovery scarce here in Castano, for some reason’

‘Do the best you can, old friend,’ Gunda said ‘I’ll see you in a couple weeks anyway’

‘You don’t have to rush onpaid no ht the next , and when the Albatross moved out of the choppy water in the harbor and reached the open sea, she opened many new doors for him He found that once he’d adjusted the set of the sail just right, she’d cut through the waves like a well-sharpened knife The ropes creaked pleasantly, and the sharp bow seemed to hiss as the Albatross raced north After an hour or so, Gunda realized that he could actually feel her reaction to the waves as she sliced through the dohen Gunda decided to put out a sea anchor to hold the Albatross in , and then he bailed outthe day She was a nice enough boat, but it seemed that she had a few leaks that really needed so and by late afternoon the southern edge of the ice-zone caht The Albatross obviously ite merchant ships that had carried the advance ar?’ he said to her quite fondly

As the sun was going down, Gunda entered the southern end of the channel through the ice zone and prudentlyice floe This wouldn’t be a good tiht as the Albatross rocked in the gentle waves alht, raised his sail again and cautiously reet him

It was about noon on the following day when the Albatross reached the northern end of the channel, and Gunda relaxed a bit as he ca up through the channel, but the towering ice floes had ood following breeze came up, and the Albatross leaped ahead with unbridled enthusiasm Gunda tried to shake off all of his als that he was fairly certain most sailors had learned to take in their stride, but he finally gave up ‘Oh, well,’ heourselves, what difference does it make?’

It took him almost two days to reach the south coast of Veltan’s Domain, and another day to reach the eastern-most peninsula The south coast, he noticed, was pri the coast seemed neat and orderly Now that summer had arrived, the farmland that lay inland froreen with newly sprouted wheat, and the blue summer sky was dotted with fleecy white clouds

As he turned north to sail the Albatross up along the east coast of Veltan’s Domain, Gunda caly He was ruefully forced to admit that in colorious Trogite Empire was cramped and dirty, and it reeked like an open sewer

It wasday when he saw the peculiarly ships anchored just off a white sandy beach He approached the Victory, the ship of his cousin, Pantal, and he saw that his friend Padan atching him very closely

‘Ho, Padan,’ Gunda called

‘Is that you, Gunda?’ Padan de just a little surprised ‘Where’s the rest of the ar soh ships to carry all the ht have to et them all up here’ Gunda tied the bow of the Albatross to the anchor-chain of the Victory ‘I need to talk with Narasan If he’s found out where we’ll encounter the enemy, I’ll need to know the exact location so that I can put the army ashore there’

‘Not a bad idea,’ Padan ads you should know’