Talbot Mundy

“ Our British gods are of field and river, whereas these Northmen are sailors and their gods are—"
"Cripples!" Tros exploded. "Rot me such a god as likes to see good seamen on their knees! There are gods in Gades, Orwic, but they'll go their own gait, and it's for the man who does my work tonight to suit their whimsies, not they his." ”

“ With a spear we slay them. It is easy. We will slay two. You may tow them into Gades, making haste because the sharks will follow, eating at their undersides. The dead whales float, I promise you, and they are worth much money. Romans buy the meat; the traders buy the bone; the Spaniards buy the skin for sandals, shields, mule-harness—"
"Let live," Tros answered. "I hunt bigger fish."
"Aye, but you pay us nothing. Give us a chance to turn the whale meat into money, that we may drink in Gades. I tell you. Lord Tros, we haven't tasted red wine since the sour, thin stuff that Cæsar fed to us. ”

“ Simon is a rich Jew with the privilege of armed slaves—quite a few of them. There will be dozens of dogs in the street and the Gades dogs are bad, I warn you. There used to hang a lantern on a chain from the front of Simon's house to the wall opposite. The citizenry have used that chain a time or two to hang night prowlers. None can approach the house unseen because the lamp has several wicks and casts a bright light."
"I will walk up brazenly," said Orwic. ”