“Not all that big, as oceans go.” Clothahump strove to
sound reassuring. “It can be crossed in a few weeks. All
you have to do is book passage on one of the many ships
that trade between the mouth of the Glittergeist and distant
Snarken.”
“I’ve heard of Snarken. Big place?”
THE DAY OF THE DISSONANCE
11
“A most magnificent city. So I have been told, never
having visited there myself. Grander than Polastrindu.
You’d find it fascinating.”
“And dangerous.”
“No journey is worthwhile unless it is dangerous, but
we romanticize. I do not see any reason for anticipating
trouble. You are a tourist, nothing more, embarked on a
voyage of rest, relaxation, and discovery.”
“Sure. From what I’ve seen of this world it doesn’t treat
tourists real well.”
“That should not trouble an accomplished spellsinger
like you.”
The wizard was interrupted by the sound of another
crash from the nearby storeroom, followed by a few
snatches of drunken song.
“You also have your ramwood staff for protection, and
you no longer are a stranger to our ways. Think of it as a
holiday, a vacation.”
“Why do I have this persistent feeling you’re not telling
me everything?”
“Because you are a pessimist, my boy. I do not criti-
cize. That is a healthy attitude for one embarked on a
career in magic. I am not sending you after trouble this
time. We do not go to battle powerful invaders from the
east. I am asking you only to go and fetch a handful of
powder, a little medicine. That is all. No war awaits. True,
it is a long journey, but there is no reason why it should