aic sanitation facilities, of which this
watery channel this ship is now entering seems to be the major cloaca.
There are islands on both sides, the smaller ones covered with hovels
so decrepit that in comparison the holes in the ground of the humblest
animals appear to be palaces, while the larger islands appear to be
forts, each one walled and barbicaned and presenting a warlike face to
the world. There couldn't be that many forts in a town this size so I
am led to believe that each one is undoubtedly the guarded stronghold
of one of the tribes, groups or clans that our friend Judas told us
about. Look on these monuments to ultimate selfishness and beware:
this is the end product of the system that begins with slave-holders
like the former Ch'aka with their tribes of _krenoj_ crackers, and
builds up through familiar hierarchies like the D'zertanoj and reaches
its zenith of depravity behind those strong walls. It is still
absolute power that rules absolutely, each man out for all that he can
get and the only way to climb being over the bodies of others, and all
physical discoveries and inventions being treated as private and
personal secrets to be hidden and used only for personal gain. Never
have I seen human greed and selfishness carried to such extremes and I
admire Homo sapiens' capacity to follow through on an idea, no matter
how it hurts."

The ship lost way as it backed its sails and Jason fell from his
precarious perch into the stinking bilge. "The descent of man," he
muttered and inched his way out.

Piles grated along the sides and with much shouting and cursed orders
the ship came to a halt. The hatch above was slid back and the three
captives were rushed to the deck. The ship was tied up to a dock in a
pool of water surrounded by buildings and high walls. Behind them a
large sea gate was just swinging shut, through which the ship had
entered from the canal. They could see no more because they were
pushed into a doorway and through halls and past guards until they
ended up in a large central room. It was unfurnished except for the
dais at the far end on which stood a large and rusty iron throne. The
man on the throne, undoubtedly the Hertug Persson, sported a
magnificent white beard and shoulder length hair, his nose was round
and red, his eyes blue and watery. He nibbled at a _krenoj_ impaled
delicately on a two-tined iron fork.

* * * * *

"Tell me," the Hertug shouted s