Just Like You

Chapter 11: The old man

I was washed up on a shore near the southern end of the Great Land many years ago (said Ianthola in a more formal tone than he had used before, as if he had rehearsed this tale in his mind many times and was telling it to a large audience rather than just two people). No, Perens, I will explain later how I got there. Forgive me, but I must tell this story in the wrong order. I must have breathed in water, because I lay there choking for a long time. This would have been unpleasant on its own due to the burning in my throat and the revoltingly intense taste of salt, but it was also very painful because I had been thrown with great force on to a large rock and hurt my head, my stomach, my right arm and both legs.

I wanted to stay completely still to ease the pain, but the choking made this impossible. It seemed to last the whole afternoon – if so, exactly the worst afternoon of my life – and by then I was so exhausted that I wanted nothing more than to fall asleep. However, I had to cling to the top edge of the rock with my undamaged left hand to save myself from slipping off the rock, and I knew I would not be able to maintain my grip while unconscious. If I fell, I would surely land in the water and be dragged out into the sea by the fierce tide, and that would be the end of me.