Roger Zelazny - And I Only Am Escaped to Tell Thee.pdf - Roger Zelazny - margozap

Roger Zelazny. And I Only Am Escaped to Tell Thee

Preface from Unicorn Variations: Here is another of those

short shorts I dearly enjoy doing when the opportunity and the

idea come together. I tend to see things like this as

single-panel, briefly captioned cartoons--and I work backward a

little from there.

It was with them constantly--the black patch directly

overhead from whence proceeded the lightnings, the

near-blinding downpour, the explosions like artillery fire.

Van Berkum staggered as the ship shifted again, almost

dropping the carton he carried. The winds howled about him,

tearing at his soaked garments; the water splashed and swirled

about his ankles--retreating, returning, retreating. High waves

crashed constantly against the ship. The eerie, green light of

St. Elmo's fire danced along the spars.

Above the wind and over even the thunder, he heard the

sudden shriek of a fellow seaman, random object of attention

from one of their drifting demonic tormentors.

Trapped high in the rigging was a dead man, flensed of all

flesh by the elements, his bony frame infected now by the

moving green glow, right arm flapping as if waving--or

beckoning.

Van Berkum crossed the deck to the new cargo site, began

lashing his carton into place. How many times had they shifted

these cartons, crates and barrels about? He had lost count long

ago. It seemed that every time the job was done a new move was

immediately ordered.

He looked out over the railing. Whenever he was near,

whenever the opportunity presented itself, he scanned the

distant horizon, dim through the curtain of rain. And he hoped.

In this, he was different. Unlike any of the others, he

had a hope--albeit a small one--for he had a plan.

A mighty peal of laughter shook the ship. Van Berkum shuddered.

The captain stayed in his cabin almost constantly now, with a keg

of rum. It was said that he was playing cards with the Devil.

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Roger Zelazny. And I Only Am Escaped to Tell Thee

It sounded as if the Devil had just won another hand.

Pretending to inspect the cargo's fastenings, Van Berkum

located his barrel again, mixed in with all the others. He

could tell it by the small dab of blue paint. Unlike the others

it was empty, and caulked on the inside.

Turning, he made his way across the deck again. Something

huge and bat-winged flitted past him. He hunched his shoulders

and hurried.

Four more loads, and each time a quick look into the

distance. Then--Then . . . ?

Then!

He saw it. There was a ship off the port bow! He looked

about frantically. There was no one near him. This was it. If

he hurried. If he was not seen.

He approached his barrel, undid the fastenings, looked

about again. Still no one nearby. The other vessel definitely

appeared to be approaching. There was neither time nor means to

calculate courses, judge winds or currents. There was only the

gamble and the hope.

He took the former and held to the latter as he rolled the

barrel to the railing, raised it, and cast it overboard. A

moment later he followed it.

The water was icy, turbulent, dark. He was sucked

downward. Frantically he clawed at it, striving to drag himself

to the surface.

Finally there was a glimpse of light. He was buffeted by

waves, tossed about, submerged a dozen times. Each time, he

fought his way back to the top.

He was on the verge of giving up when the sea suddenly

grew calm. The sounds of the storm softened. The day began to

grow brighter about him. Treading water, he saw the vessel he

had just quitted receding in the distance, carrying its private

hell along with it. And there, off to his left, bobbed the

barrel with the blue marking. He struck out after it.

When he finally reached it, he caught hold. He was able to

draw himself partly out of the water. He clung there and

panted. He shivered. Although the sea was calmer here, it was

still very cold. When some of his strength returned, he raised

his head, scanned the horizon.

There!

The vessel he had sighted was even nearer now. He raised

an arm and waved it. He tore off his shirt and held it high,

rippling in the wind like a banner.

He did this until his arm grew numb. When he looked again

the ship was nearer still, though there was no indication that

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Roger Zelazny. And I Only Am Escaped to Tell Thee

he had been sighted. From what appeared to be their relative

movements, it seemed that he might well drift past it in a

matter of minutes. He transferred the shirt to his other hand,

began waving it again.

When next he looked, he saw that the vessel was changing

course, coming toward him. Had he been stronger and less

emotionally drained, he might have wept. As it was, he became

almost immediately aware of a mighty fatigue and a great

coldness. His eyes stung from the salt, yet they wanted to

close. He had to keep looking at his numbed hands to be certain

that they maintained their hold upon the barrel.

"Hurry!" he breathed. "Hurry. . . ."

He was barely conscious when they took him into the

lifeboat and wrapped him in blankets. By the time they came

alongside the ship, he was asleep.

He slept the rest of that day and all that night,

awakening only long enough to sip hot grog and broth. When he

did try to speak, he was not understood.

It was not until the following afternoon that they brought

in a seaman who spoke Dutch. He told the man his entire story,

from the time he had signed aboard until the time he had jumped

into the sea.

"Incredible!" the seaman observed, pausing after a long

spell of translation for the officers. "Then that storm-tossed

apparition we saw yesterday was really the _Flying Dutchman!_

There truly _is_ such a thing--and you, you are the only man to

have escaped from it!"

Van Berkum smiled weakly, drained his mug, and set it

aside, hands still shaking.

The seaman clapped him on the shoulder.

"Rest easy now, my friend. You are safe at last," he said,

"free of the demon ship. You are aboard a vessel with a fine

safety record and excellent officers and crew--and just a few

days away from her port. Recover your strength and rid your

mind of past afflictions. We welcome you aboard the _Marie

Celeste_."

Last-modified: Mon, 31-Aug-98 05:44:13 GMT

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Roger Zelazny - And I Only Am Escaped to Tell Thee.pdf

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