Read Online Demons of the Dancing Gods by Jack L. Chalker - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Jack L. Chalker
Ads: Link
was just a few glowing embers, and both the big man
and the horses were fast asleep. It was easy to find him, though—
the iron in the sword, deadly to her even in the early stages of
her transformation here, was now a tangible and terrible, cold
darkness that she would simply have to adjust to. She knew
that it gave these sensations to all fairies, save only the dwarfs,
whose special power it was to handle iron and its deadly magic,
and in that alone was there some comfort. Although all iron
threatened her, this was as close as she could come to "friendly
iron," and she knew Joe had been well trained and was accustomed
to shielding the fairies on his side from its power.
She flittered down near the fire, just across from him, with
the unnatural silence that only a fairy could have, and stood
there a moment, looking at the sleeping man.
The sword began to hum softly but irritatingly. She took a
single step forward and the noise became a terrible, grating
sound. In that same instant Joe rolled, grabbed the sword, and
was on his feet, at the ready. As with all dwarf things, Irving
was far more than a mere sword of iron alloy. Now, unsheathed,
it seemed almost to bum her with a cold, deadly radiation all
its own, a flow that ebbed and pulsed with the humming sound.
"Who are you?" the big man challenged menacingly.
"Put the sword away, Joe," she almost pleaded with him.
"It's hurting me."
He made no move to do so. "How do you know my name?"
"It's Marge, Joe. This is the way I look now. All the Kauri
look like this."
He frowned a moment. The creature was incredibly, vo-
42
DEMONS OF THE DANCING GODS
luptuously beautiful, but it was not reminiscent of Marge in
any definitive physical feature. "Can you prove it? I've had
some bad experience with good-looking nymphs and sprites
that didn't mean me any good." He thought a moment. "What's
the capital of Pennsylvania?"
"Oh, good grief." She sighed. "I don't know. Philadelphia?"
"I was thinking Philadelphia, but it's really Hamsburg," he
snapped back. "You're just reading my mind!"
She could feel his anger and suspicion flowing out of him
and into her, and it was an ugly feeling indeed. She could
counter it, of course, even bring him down, but the empathic
projection might not have much power over that damned sword,
which had a mind of its own and could protect against some
Page 34
Chalker, Jack L - Demons of the Dancing Gods
spells as well. Instead she countered, "Joe—what's the capital
city of Missouri?"
He was startled. "Huh? St. Louis?" She shook her head.
"Columbia? Kansas City?"
"Jefferson City," she told him. "See all that proves? But
I'll describe every inch of every truck stop in Ozona, Texas,
for you and even describe all the damned tacky sculptures I
can remember being in Ruddygore's basement."
He relaxed, and so did the sword, as his face reflected an
unthreatened but incredulous feeling. "Marge? Is it really you?"
She nodded. "Now put that damned pig-sticker away. Feed
it a bone and tell it to be a good dog or something."
He sheathed the weapon, which lapsed back into silence,
reading his conviction, but he still could hardly believe it. He
walked over to her and examined her closely, dwelling, she
noted, on some rather interesting parts. "Damn!" he swore.
"This is like coming out of Ruddygore's lab, way back when,
all over again. You're—smaller."
That was true enough. Not only was she the four-foot-ten
that was the height of all adult Kauri, but her exaggerated
shapes and curves gave her an even more elfin appearance.
"But I've grown my wings," she pointed out.
He cleared his throat. "Yeah—and other things, too."
"You called me a nymph, and that's right. In fact, we're
the prototype for all nymphs. They say this is my true nature
coming through." She chuckled. "No wonder I kind of fell into
prostitution back in Texas for a while. But back there I had so
JACK L. CHALKER
43
many problems and
and the horses were fast asleep. It was easy to find him, though—
the iron in the sword, deadly to her even in the early stages of
her transformation here, was now a tangible and terrible, cold
darkness that she would simply have to adjust to. She knew
that it gave these sensations to all fairies, save only the dwarfs,
whose special power it was to handle iron and its deadly magic,
and in that alone was there some comfort. Although all iron
threatened her, this was as close as she could come to "friendly
iron," and she knew Joe had been well trained and was accustomed
to shielding the fairies on his side from its power.
She flittered down near the fire, just across from him, with
the unnatural silence that only a fairy could have, and stood
there a moment, looking at the sleeping man.
The sword began to hum softly but irritatingly. She took a
single step forward and the noise became a terrible, grating
sound. In that same instant Joe rolled, grabbed the sword, and
was on his feet, at the ready. As with all dwarf things, Irving
was far more than a mere sword of iron alloy. Now, unsheathed,
it seemed almost to bum her with a cold, deadly radiation all
its own, a flow that ebbed and pulsed with the humming sound.
"Who are you?" the big man challenged menacingly.
"Put the sword away, Joe," she almost pleaded with him.
"It's hurting me."
He made no move to do so. "How do you know my name?"
"It's Marge, Joe. This is the way I look now. All the Kauri
look like this."
He frowned a moment. The creature was incredibly, vo-
42
DEMONS OF THE DANCING GODS
luptuously beautiful, but it was not reminiscent of Marge in
any definitive physical feature. "Can you prove it? I've had
some bad experience with good-looking nymphs and sprites
that didn't mean me any good." He thought a moment. "What's
the capital of Pennsylvania?"
"Oh, good grief." She sighed. "I don't know. Philadelphia?"
"I was thinking Philadelphia, but it's really Hamsburg," he
snapped back. "You're just reading my mind!"
She could feel his anger and suspicion flowing out of him
and into her, and it was an ugly feeling indeed. She could
counter it, of course, even bring him down, but the empathic
projection might not have much power over that damned sword,
which had a mind of its own and could protect against some
Page 34
Chalker, Jack L - Demons of the Dancing Gods
spells as well. Instead she countered, "Joe—what's the capital
city of Missouri?"
He was startled. "Huh? St. Louis?" She shook her head.
"Columbia? Kansas City?"
"Jefferson City," she told him. "See all that proves? But
I'll describe every inch of every truck stop in Ozona, Texas,
for you and even describe all the damned tacky sculptures I
can remember being in Ruddygore's basement."
He relaxed, and so did the sword, as his face reflected an
unthreatened but incredulous feeling. "Marge? Is it really you?"
She nodded. "Now put that damned pig-sticker away. Feed
it a bone and tell it to be a good dog or something."
He sheathed the weapon, which lapsed back into silence,
reading his conviction, but he still could hardly believe it. He
walked over to her and examined her closely, dwelling, she
noted, on some rather interesting parts. "Damn!" he swore.
"This is like coming out of Ruddygore's lab, way back when,
all over again. You're—smaller."
That was true enough. Not only was she the four-foot-ten
that was the height of all adult Kauri, but her exaggerated
shapes and curves gave her an even more elfin appearance.
"But I've grown my wings," she pointed out.
He cleared his throat. "Yeah—and other things, too."
"You called me a nymph, and that's right. In fact, we're
the prototype for all nymphs. They say this is my true nature
coming through." She chuckled. "No wonder I kind of fell into
prostitution back in Texas for a while. But back there I had so
JACK L. CHALKER
43
many problems and
Similar Books
