Adventure Magazine Cover, March 20, 1925 — page 40: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

22 “These are other days,” the armiger reminded him patiently. ‘“‘Alack, you have sent one Spanish noble to his long home, and mayhap others. So great a lord as Renard will harry you from the kingdom, lad. These be hard tidings, hard tidings. But you must abide in the cottage, Ralph, and I will betake me to London. They will have a welcome for Robert Thorne. His grace of Northumber- land and Sir John will hear me out and bear a petition to the king.” “No, father, the twain great lords are dead long since, and the fortunes of the Thornes are low.”’ “So you say, Ralph, and so it is.” The cosmographer sighed profoundly. ‘ ’Tis cold of nights, and no one to sit by the fire.”’ ‘“‘We have tasks to perform, sir, and may not sit at ease. Can you not understand? Renard is chancellor in all but name, now that Mary is to be chosen queen. Faith, we may have Philip coming out of Spain to woo her with a fleet of galleons.’’* “A Spanish king!” breathed Master Thorne, a little aroused. ‘‘Nay then I must fare to court—did you not say it, Ralphe— with my charts and present them to Edward, my completéd work, the magnum opus.” “Do so,” cried his son, “and relate my Story as you have heard it. Nay, hold! You said Durforth came here to solve a certain riddle of navigation. What was it?” Here Master Thorne was on familiar ground, his memory stanch and quick. “This Durforth, it comes to me now, is a Burgundian, and a man who loves the bawbees. He has an itch for gold in his fingers, and my lord Renard hath paid out to him some round sums. Aye, I mind he bought a pinnace with a dragon figure- head, to sail around like a lord in the northern seas. He did bespeak my aid in charting a course.” Master Thorne pondered a moment. “The man is bold and a skilled navigant. He has coasted the shores of Norway to the north point where begins the Ice Sea. From there, the course he had in mind ran ran thus: ~~ °A year after Sir ig set out, Philip of Spain came into escorted by ta Thames a hundred ships, to marry Mary There ensued the short and calamitous reign known a that of “Bloody Mary,’”’ when the queen to satisfy her husband caused to be put to death the innocent Lady Jane Grey and her husband. Elizabeth, though im- pesones. was ealray dh circumstance that the Spaniards ad reason to regret late Adventure “From the Wardhouse a hundred and twenty leagues to the arm of the inland sea,’south by east. A hundred leagues across the sea to the Town of ee Walls. From there the road lieth due south.” The armiger pondered this and shook his head. “Tt hath the seeming of a cipher of words.” “Tis no cipher but plain speech.” “How, then?” “Why the Wardhouse or Guardhouse lieth—so I have heard, for no Christian voyager hath set foot upon it—at the north point. ’Tis there in a tower or castle the Easterlings keep watch and ward upon the Ice Sea. folk.” ‘‘And what is the sea?”’ “Aye, lad, there’s the rub. South and east of the Wardhouse there standeth no sea upon my charts. know of any.” ‘He spoke of a town and a road. Surely here is a journey over land. Whither?” “Why, you should steer north of east from the Wardhouse, if there is a passage open to Cathay. But, turning south and east, you would e’en come to the limbo between Christian lands and Cathay.” ‘“‘And what is that?” Master Thorne smiled unseen, and stifled a chuckle. “Why, lad, do you seek the mysteries of cosmography? Some do say the elf king rules this region; others, a Christian king, Ivan the Terrible rules over Easterlings, Tartarians and Muscovites.”’ ‘‘What more?” “Tis related that this monarch hath a great treasure of gold and silver, but that is hearsay.” Thorne, sitting by the dark hearth, his head in his hands, could make little of this. He sensed, rather than understood, a scheme afoot to betray Sir Hugh. Dur- forth, who was to lead the fleet around Norway, had another course in his mind, had counted so much upon it that he risked going to see the cosmographer and his charts. Yet, even while he pondered, he was conscious that his father was moving about cheerfully; he heard a tankard clink and something gurgle into it. “Ralph,” quoth his father, “be the times what they may, I drink to your seafaring, with the good Sir Hugh. "Tis a proud day and a glad day.” Aye, and the Laps and reindeer GOMIGIOO Nor did Durforth (C©