disingenuously, “If I weren’t a minstrel, what would I be
doing carrying a musical instrument about?”
‘ ‘As a master practitioner of diverse perversions I might
suggest any number of things, har, but I can see you
haven’t the necessary imagination.” He turned and shouted.
“Kaskrel!” A squirrel with a ragged tail hurried to obey.
“Get belowdecks and fetch the instrument from my cabin.
The one we took from this man’s prize.”
126
Alan Dean Poster
THE DAY or THE DISSONANCE
127
“Aye sir!” the squirrel squeaked, disappearing down a
hatch.
“Come with me, tall man.” Jon-Tom followed Corroboc
up onto the poop deck. There the captain settled himself
into a wicker chair that hung from a crossbeam. The top of
the basket chair doubled as a perch, offering the captain a
choice of resting positions. This time he chose to sit inside
the basket.
The squirrel appeared momentarily, carrying Jon-Tom’s
duar. He tried not to look at the instrument with the
longing he felt, particularly since a curious Sasheem had
followed the sailor up the ladder. The squirrel handed it
over and Jon-Tom caressed it lovingly. It was undamaged.
He was about to begin playing when a new voice
interrupted him.
At first he thought both of the dog’s ears had been
cropped. Then he saw that they were torn and uneven,
evidence of less refined surgery. The dog limped and
leaned on a crutch. Unlike Corroboc he still had the use of
both legs. It was just that one was a good foot shorter than
the other. Jowls hung loosely from the canine face.
“Don’t do it, Cap’n.”