16 The Wine-Dark Sea - Libro della tutto

Patrick O'Brian The Wine-Dark Sea
the court went through the motions of a formal
dance, joining hands, making a circle
and moving two steps forward, then one back,
thus drawing closer and closer until they were
at a proper distance for making their obeisance.
The Inca however disapproved of this
holding of hands; he thought it too familiar,
quite improper, and he gave orders for a
chain to be made, a chain which the dancers
could hold, thus keeping their formation but
avoiding direct physical contact, which might
lead to irregularities. Naturally the chain was
made of gold. The links were as thick as a
man's wrist; the length twice that of the great
square at Cuzco, which makes upwards of
seven hundred feet; and its weight was such
that two hundred Indians could only just lift it
from the ground.'
'Oh!' cried his listeners, who naturally enough
included Killick and his mate Grimshaw: and