Part 3
There passed a weary time. Each throat
Was parched, and sore each bye
A weary time! a weary time!
They swore of mast one eye,
When looking westward,I beheld
A thing sensors did spy.
At first it seemed a little speck,
And then it seemed a mist;
It moved and moved, and took at last
A certain shape, I wist.
A speck, a mist, a shape, I wist!
And still it neared and neared:
As if it dodged a whine-o's spite,
It plunged and tacked and veered.
With thoughts half-baked, with beer mugs caked,
We could nor laugh nor wail;
Through utter drought all dumb we stood!
I grabbed a pop, I chugged the crud,
And sent, A hail! a hail!
With thoughts half-baked, with beer mugs caked,
Agape they heard me call:
Gramercy! for joy they're Lyran,
And all at once their breath drew in,
As they were drinking all.
See! see! (I cried) she tacks no more!
Hither to work us weal;
Without warp drive, soon to collide,
She steadies with upright keel!
Communication gave was all of blame,
for reasoning we'd done!
"To unsound arguments you're slave
Time to teach a lesson;"
When that strange ship drove suddenly
Betwixt us and the sun.
And straight the sun was flecked with bars
(Mother of a drinking place!),
As if through a dungeon-grate he peered
With broad and burning face.
Alas!(thought I, and my heart beat loud)
How fast she nears and nears!
Are those nacelle that glance in the sun,
Like restless gossameres?
Are those her ribs through which the sun
Did peer, as through a grate?
And is that likkerpig her crew?
Is that a Hexx? and are there two?
Is Hexx likkerpig's mate?
His quips were Sade philosophy,
His talks about posters bold:
Who argue their plight with fallacy,
The Nightmare Life-in-Bondage he,
Who packs one's crud 'stead scold.
The naked hulk alongside came,
And the twain were casting dice;
"The game is done! I've won, I've won!"
Quoth he, and guzzles thrice.
Life support slips; the lights go out:
Emerg lights stay the Dark;
With far-heard drunk slur, as he pee,
Off shot the likker-barque.
We listened and STFU!
Fear at my heart, as at a cup,
My life-blood seemed to sip!
Intruder alert did blip!
The lights were dim, but still like night,
The helmsman's face by his lamp gleamed white;
To the rails the crew did grip-
Intruder stocked the mess hall bar
Beer called "Horned moon", with one star
Within the nether tip.
One after one, drank the star-dogged Moon,
Too quick for groan or sigh,
Each turned his face with a ghastly pang,
And hexxed me with his eye.
Four times fifty living men
(and I heard nor sigh nor groan),
With heavy thump, a lifeless lump,
They dropped down one by one.
The souls did from their bodies fly-
Forever to wing Nail, woe!
And every soul it passed me by,
Took a whiz on my ego!
To be continued in part 4.
Take care
drb