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Authors: Martin Ash
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does not work!' Urch-Malmain stamped his twisted foot.
'It works! It works! It is the Great Sow that has influenced its operation, not us!'
'Yes! Yes! The Sow! The monstrous Sow!'
A voice somewhat calmer than the others, spoke out in a brief moment of silence. 'Who is this, Urch-Malmain? I see you have brought a visitor.'
'Ah, at last! One of you has perceived something beyond his own whining.' Urch-Malmain, stepping aside, beckoned to Leth. 'Come forward, Swordbearer. Here, irritating wisps, be silent and let me introduce Leth, the Swordbearer.'
'Is this another of your experiments, Urch-Malmain?' cried an entity. 'Is he to be sent through the portal? It will not work, you know. The result will be as before as long as the dreadful harridan exerts her influence.'
'No!' shouted Urch-Malmain. 'Just listen! Cease your ululations and woeful gnashings and listen! The Swordbearer is here to serve our ends.'
'How?' called an unseen entity.
'What is his power?' queried another.
'He will suffer the fate of the others. The Great Sow cannot be vanquished,' yet another brayed.
Incensed, Urch-Malmain drew his warped form to its fullest height, and filled his cramped lungs with a great draught of air that he might deliver a roared command: 'OH, SHUSH!! '
All fell obediently quiet. He continued in a more moderate tone, addressing the entity who had first perceived Leth's presence, 'You, Aztin, you are a little less prone to foolishness than your companions. Explain all to the Swordbearer, that he might be in no doubt as to the cause of your malfunction.'
'It is not a malfunction--'
'Just explain!'
'Very well. Swordbearer, something is happening to impair our perfect function. For long ages we have striven to establish the portal between this sorry world and that of our gracious master, the here-standing Urch-Malmain, in accordance with his instructions. And yet, through no fault of ours, those who Urch-Malmain has had pass through via our agency have travelled not quite as they should. We had no explanation for that, for we had merged precisely to form this perfect artefact. We take great pride in our work and were sorely addled at this inexplicable failure. So we passed psychic eyes through the portal, and had them rest unseen in the inter-world drift, to monitor what went on. At first they detected nothing. But then, more recently, we discovered the subtlest waves of disturbance. A flux of instability! Further investigation revealed the source. The flux has been deliberately introduced. It is the Sow, the monstrous Kancanitrix, Ascaria. And nothing we can do will deter her or expunge her baleful influence.'
'Ascaria!' The name was not new to Leth.
'But of course, you know of her, don't you,' said Urch-Malmain with a sly narrowing of the eyes.
'I have heard her mentioned.'
'Does she not hold captive your beloved children?'
'So I was told. Though in this world I am unsure what to believe.'
'Still and all, it is a fortuitous coincidence.'
Leth scowled. 'How so?'
'Why, you are on your way to find Ascaria and slay her with your magic blade, and lo and behold, you pass through here and learn that we too wish her slain.'
'What is this?' cried the entity, Aztin. 'A magic blade?'
'The Swordbearer is a mighty warrior who bears a fabulous pink sword,' said Urch-Malmain with lofty sarcasm. 'It is the only known instrument capable of taking the Great Sow's life, and he alone can wield it.'
'That is indeed excellent news,' Aztin said, and in the fume the others set up an approving chorus:
'He has come to release us!'
'Oh what marvels! We will be free again!'
'At last, we can perform our function as we always intended to do. . .'
'. . . and take leave of this drab and miserable world!'
'And good riddance!'
'Fortune and the good will of the Unity of All
'It works! It works! It is the Great Sow that has influenced its operation, not us!'
'Yes! Yes! The Sow! The monstrous Sow!'
A voice somewhat calmer than the others, spoke out in a brief moment of silence. 'Who is this, Urch-Malmain? I see you have brought a visitor.'
'Ah, at last! One of you has perceived something beyond his own whining.' Urch-Malmain, stepping aside, beckoned to Leth. 'Come forward, Swordbearer. Here, irritating wisps, be silent and let me introduce Leth, the Swordbearer.'
'Is this another of your experiments, Urch-Malmain?' cried an entity. 'Is he to be sent through the portal? It will not work, you know. The result will be as before as long as the dreadful harridan exerts her influence.'
'No!' shouted Urch-Malmain. 'Just listen! Cease your ululations and woeful gnashings and listen! The Swordbearer is here to serve our ends.'
'How?' called an unseen entity.
'What is his power?' queried another.
'He will suffer the fate of the others. The Great Sow cannot be vanquished,' yet another brayed.
Incensed, Urch-Malmain drew his warped form to its fullest height, and filled his cramped lungs with a great draught of air that he might deliver a roared command: 'OH, SHUSH!! '
All fell obediently quiet. He continued in a more moderate tone, addressing the entity who had first perceived Leth's presence, 'You, Aztin, you are a little less prone to foolishness than your companions. Explain all to the Swordbearer, that he might be in no doubt as to the cause of your malfunction.'
'It is not a malfunction--'
'Just explain!'
'Very well. Swordbearer, something is happening to impair our perfect function. For long ages we have striven to establish the portal between this sorry world and that of our gracious master, the here-standing Urch-Malmain, in accordance with his instructions. And yet, through no fault of ours, those who Urch-Malmain has had pass through via our agency have travelled not quite as they should. We had no explanation for that, for we had merged precisely to form this perfect artefact. We take great pride in our work and were sorely addled at this inexplicable failure. So we passed psychic eyes through the portal, and had them rest unseen in the inter-world drift, to monitor what went on. At first they detected nothing. But then, more recently, we discovered the subtlest waves of disturbance. A flux of instability! Further investigation revealed the source. The flux has been deliberately introduced. It is the Sow, the monstrous Kancanitrix, Ascaria. And nothing we can do will deter her or expunge her baleful influence.'
'Ascaria!' The name was not new to Leth.
'But of course, you know of her, don't you,' said Urch-Malmain with a sly narrowing of the eyes.
'I have heard her mentioned.'
'Does she not hold captive your beloved children?'
'So I was told. Though in this world I am unsure what to believe.'
'Still and all, it is a fortuitous coincidence.'
Leth scowled. 'How so?'
'Why, you are on your way to find Ascaria and slay her with your magic blade, and lo and behold, you pass through here and learn that we too wish her slain.'
'What is this?' cried the entity, Aztin. 'A magic blade?'
'The Swordbearer is a mighty warrior who bears a fabulous pink sword,' said Urch-Malmain with lofty sarcasm. 'It is the only known instrument capable of taking the Great Sow's life, and he alone can wield it.'
'That is indeed excellent news,' Aztin said, and in the fume the others set up an approving chorus:
'He has come to release us!'
'Oh what marvels! We will be free again!'
'At last, we can perform our function as we always intended to do. . .'
'. . . and take leave of this drab and miserable world!'
'And good riddance!'
'Fortune and the good will of the Unity of All
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