In the continuing story whereby Our Hero plans to get back to his Tarzan-fitness level, a new wrinkle: The climbing gloves arrived. Wonderful things -- well-stitched, nicely-padded, designed to last a long time ...
And totally useless for climbing a fat rope. . Be great for sliding out of a helicopter without frying your palms, but are simply too stiff for the task -- pardon the pun -- at hand -- unless one has the grip strength of somebody from Krypton, which, alas, Our Hero has not -- which was part of the point of getting the rope, to gain such strength.
So. On the morrow, Our Hero will truck on down to the sporting goods store and see can he find a pair of football player wide-receiver gloves. These are thinner, the palms tend to be a tacky leather, in the sticky sense of that word -- and should -- should, I say -- allow a tighter grip whist still keeping my pansy hands from terminal abrasion.
Where there is a will, there is a way. The Lokapalas are never defeated ...
(Two points for the source of that second quote, but only if you can do it without resorting to Google.)
Zelazny-- Lord of Light Shall I go on about the circumstances under which it was uttered? Or just say that any of your readers who haven't read this book need to beat their feet to the nearest bookstore ASAP?
ReplyDeleteTwo points to the short woman with the carving on her back!
ReplyDeleteHands down one of the best science fiction novels ever written, even to, and especially for the pun about the Shan of Ibek.