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Authors: Jack L. Chalker
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acceptance of her by the native Kauri; like her, they could see
and feel inside one another, and she was one with them. This
time they ranged far, almost to the Firehills, great ridges in
the earth that seemed to hiss and glow from long fissures in
their sides—mountains that were at once solid and yet continually
on fire.
She did wonder that they never ventured forth by day, but
she was told that the brightness of the sun hurt their eyes and
could actually blind them for a while. Paradoxically, the Kauri
were attracted to light, or, at least, to open flames, and great
fires could have a near-hypnotic effect on them. While it could
not harm them, it induced an odd sort of catatonia of mind and
body, and this, in turn, left them defenseless. It was a hard
thing to explain, being more related to brightness than to the
size or shape of the light; but, they assured her, she would
40
DEMONS OF THE DANCING GODS
JACK L. CHALKER
Page 32
Chalker, Jack L - Demons of the Dancing Gods
41
know the first time she left the protection of Mohr Jerahl. That
comment for the first time brought her thoughts back to Joe,
who would be waiting for her only this one more night. Tomorrow
he would enter Mohr Jerahl in search of her, committing
the ultimate sacrilege of bringing iron into the enchanted
land.
"I must go to him while the dark still holds," she told them
with much sadness and regret. "He must not be allowed to
enter here."
"But you'll get rid of him and return soon enough," Coasu,
one of her new friends, responded.
She thought about it. "No, not right away. I think I must
leave for a time, my sisters. Something pulls me that I can not
explain, something that is still important. I am Kauri for a
reason, and that reason pulls me away, but only for a time."
They could read her sincerity, but they could not understand
it. "Then we will go with you, too," Coasu said. "Aislee, me,
and perhaps others. If this matter is so important, then if one
Kauri can help, perhaps many can help more. You are sad to
leave, and one must never leave Mohr Jerahl in sadness."
Her deep affection for them and their offer reached out to
them, so that no words were needed, but she shook her head.
"No, I am sad to leave only because I love this place and you
all so much. But once I looked in the face of Hell, and I know
that somehow I must help defeat it here and now. They ail
knew this—the Earth Mother, Ruddygore, Huspeth."
"This is getting heavy," Aislee noted, grumbling. "We have
nothing to do with that kind of thing."
The thought came, unbidden and from elsewhere, into
Marge's mind. "The Earth Mother knows. We have no dealings
with the affairs of politics, but this is beyond that. All of faerie
is involved in this. Ask the Earth Mother."
They knew instantly that it was not Marge who had spoken,
and they became quiet and almost reverential. Marge smiled
and kissed them all in turn. "I'll be back," she promised them.
"I am a Kauri now, and a Kauri forever, until the end of time.
Besides," she added, part seriously, "it could be a lot of fun
being a Kauri out there." She laughed. "And I'll bring back a
new present and let you drool all over it."
That broke the mood. "Yes! Something really good!" one
cried in anticipation. "Make them pay well for your services!
It is a Kauri tradition."
Visions of tacky plaster sculptures came into her mind and
gave her a mild case of the giggles, but, she promised herself,
there would be none of that here.
It was an emotional farewell, a party of sorts that got enough
out of hand in the Kauri's usual anarchistic way so that she
finally just slipped out on it and flew to the Bird's Breath.
Page 33
Chalker, Jack L - Demons of the Dancing Gods
Crossing the little creek and leaving Mohr Jerahl gave her
a cold, eerie feeling—a feeling of being somehow cut off from
a warm and friendly glow.
She flew down the river a bit, until she saw Joe's camp.
Its fire
acceptance of her by the native Kauri; like her, they could see
and feel inside one another, and she was one with them. This
time they ranged far, almost to the Firehills, great ridges in
the earth that seemed to hiss and glow from long fissures in
their sides—mountains that were at once solid and yet continually
on fire.
She did wonder that they never ventured forth by day, but
she was told that the brightness of the sun hurt their eyes and
could actually blind them for a while. Paradoxically, the Kauri
were attracted to light, or, at least, to open flames, and great
fires could have a near-hypnotic effect on them. While it could
not harm them, it induced an odd sort of catatonia of mind and
body, and this, in turn, left them defenseless. It was a hard
thing to explain, being more related to brightness than to the
size or shape of the light; but, they assured her, she would
40
DEMONS OF THE DANCING GODS
JACK L. CHALKER
Page 32
Chalker, Jack L - Demons of the Dancing Gods
41
know the first time she left the protection of Mohr Jerahl. That
comment for the first time brought her thoughts back to Joe,
who would be waiting for her only this one more night. Tomorrow
he would enter Mohr Jerahl in search of her, committing
the ultimate sacrilege of bringing iron into the enchanted
land.
"I must go to him while the dark still holds," she told them
with much sadness and regret. "He must not be allowed to
enter here."
"But you'll get rid of him and return soon enough," Coasu,
one of her new friends, responded.
She thought about it. "No, not right away. I think I must
leave for a time, my sisters. Something pulls me that I can not
explain, something that is still important. I am Kauri for a
reason, and that reason pulls me away, but only for a time."
They could read her sincerity, but they could not understand
it. "Then we will go with you, too," Coasu said. "Aislee, me,
and perhaps others. If this matter is so important, then if one
Kauri can help, perhaps many can help more. You are sad to
leave, and one must never leave Mohr Jerahl in sadness."
Her deep affection for them and their offer reached out to
them, so that no words were needed, but she shook her head.
"No, I am sad to leave only because I love this place and you
all so much. But once I looked in the face of Hell, and I know
that somehow I must help defeat it here and now. They ail
knew this—the Earth Mother, Ruddygore, Huspeth."
"This is getting heavy," Aislee noted, grumbling. "We have
nothing to do with that kind of thing."
The thought came, unbidden and from elsewhere, into
Marge's mind. "The Earth Mother knows. We have no dealings
with the affairs of politics, but this is beyond that. All of faerie
is involved in this. Ask the Earth Mother."
They knew instantly that it was not Marge who had spoken,
and they became quiet and almost reverential. Marge smiled
and kissed them all in turn. "I'll be back," she promised them.
"I am a Kauri now, and a Kauri forever, until the end of time.
Besides," she added, part seriously, "it could be a lot of fun
being a Kauri out there." She laughed. "And I'll bring back a
new present and let you drool all over it."
That broke the mood. "Yes! Something really good!" one
cried in anticipation. "Make them pay well for your services!
It is a Kauri tradition."
Visions of tacky plaster sculptures came into her mind and
gave her a mild case of the giggles, but, she promised herself,
there would be none of that here.
It was an emotional farewell, a party of sorts that got enough
out of hand in the Kauri's usual anarchistic way so that she
finally just slipped out on it and flew to the Bird's Breath.
Page 33
Chalker, Jack L - Demons of the Dancing Gods
Crossing the little creek and leaving Mohr Jerahl gave her
a cold, eerie feeling—a feeling of being somehow cut off from
a warm and friendly glow.
She flew down the river a bit, until she saw Joe's camp.
Its fire
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