16 The Wine-Dark Sea - Libro della tutto

Patrick O'Brian The Wine-Dark Sea
guns we may be spared guinea-pig for a great
while: viscachas are capital eating. But Doctor,
I am afraid you are sad. I am so sorry to
have disappointed you of our altiplano rheas.'
'I am not at all disappointed, friend. I have
seen a little flock of white-winged finches and
a bird I took to be a mountain caracara.'
Eduardo was unconvinced. He looked into
Stephen's face and said, 'Still, if only this
weather holds' – glancing anxiously at the
pure sky overhead – 'we should reach the pass
in three days, and we will surely find wonders
on my lake.'
On the morning of the second day the pass
was clearly to be seen, a little above the snowline
between two matching peaks that soared
another five thousand feet, brilliant white in
the almost horizontal sun.