Read Online The Warlock Rock by Christopher Stasheff - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Christopher Stasheff
Tags: Fiction, General, Science-Fiction, Fantasy, Science Fiction - General, Fiction - Science Fiction, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Fantastic fiction, Rock Music, Gallowglass; Rod (Fictitious character)
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thee better, sister," Magnus assured her.
"Come," said Gwen, "let us be on our way, and quickly—I do not wish to give them time to think again."
Chapter Six
They hadn't gone far, though, when Cordelia stopped, staring down at the grass. "What things are these?"
"Let me see!" Geoffrey jumped over to her, and Gregory twisted his way in between them. Gwen looked up, interested, and stepped over.
An insect was toiling its way through the long grass, but with such intensity of purpose that Geoffrey said,
"Can it be a warrior bug?"
"Not properly a bug." Fess's great head hung over them. "It is truly a beetle, children. It is strange, though."
Rod looked up, alert. "In what way?"
"I had thought they were extinct."
"What?" asked Gregory.
"This particular variety of insect. It is a scarab, such as were represented in ancient Egyptian art." Page 42
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"Here is another," Magnus called, ten feet away. "It doth move… why, toward Papa!"
"Toward me?" Rod looked down—and saw another scarab struggling through the grass. "Hey, I've got one, too! Only it's heading toward you!"
"Toward me ?" Magnus stared.
Cordelia clapped her hands. "Belike they seek one another!"
"Nay," said Gwen. "They move toward the fairy ring." They all looked up and saw, midway between Rod and Magnus, a flattened circle of grass—and in the center of it, a larger-than-average rock, thrumming away.
Rod frowned. "What's this? Are the Wee Folk helping out on rock distribution now?"
"Oh, nay!" Gwen said, with a mock glare at him. "Thou dost know the Wee Folk dance in circles, and leave rings behind them—but here all is flattened, not the circumference only!"
"What hath made it?" Gregory wondered.
"Perhaps the rock itself," Fess said slowly. He moved closer, being careful not to step on the scarab, and lowered his head toward the circle. "Yes, it is a small depression, a sort of natural bowl. If the rock landed with enough momentum, it might have rolled around and around the circle until…" A scarab struggled out of the grass on the far side, teetered on the brink, and tumbled into the depression.
"Oh!" Cordelia clapped her hands. "There is a fourth!"
"Ours doth arrive now, too," Gregory noted.
Magnus came up to the bowl a step at a time, eyes on the ground. "Mine doth approach."
"Mine, too." Rod was only a step away from the rim. "They're all attracted to the rock."
"Even scarabs ?" Gwen exclaimed.
Gregory was peering closely. "They are oddly colored, Mama—a slate gray. One would almost think they were, themselves, stone to the core." ' ~tT_
Rod frowned. "Then the question arises, were the beetles attracted by rock, or made by rock?"
"It is immaterial—they only seek their own kind," Fess pointed out. "But the question is academic. What is pertinent is that they are all moving toward the rock."
The four scarabs converged on the stone, reached out with their antennae, and all touched rock at the same moment—then, frozen, they glittered, glimmered, and all changed color.
"Why, they have become silver!" Cordelia stared.
Page 43
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"Hath the rock transformed them, then?" Geoffrey asked.
"Or have they transformed the rock!" Gregory pointed. -"Hark!" The stone glistened, twinkled—and its music metamorphosed into lilting, soaring melody. At its bass, though, the beat went on.
"What wonder is this?" Gregory breathed.
Magnus frowned. "The stone is a thing of witch-moss— which is to say, it is imagination made concrete. Are these beetles also but things of whimsy?"
"Whatever their source, they have purpose!" Cordelia pointed. "See where they go!" The four scarabs had joined together and turned away. With determination, they struggled out to reach the world.
Gregory leaped up. "We must follow them. Do not ask me why I know, but I do!"
"They trend west by south." Geoffrey pursued
"Come," said Gwen, "let us be on our way, and quickly—I do not wish to give them time to think again."
Chapter Six
They hadn't gone far, though, when Cordelia stopped, staring down at the grass. "What things are these?"
"Let me see!" Geoffrey jumped over to her, and Gregory twisted his way in between them. Gwen looked up, interested, and stepped over.
An insect was toiling its way through the long grass, but with such intensity of purpose that Geoffrey said,
"Can it be a warrior bug?"
"Not properly a bug." Fess's great head hung over them. "It is truly a beetle, children. It is strange, though."
Rod looked up, alert. "In what way?"
"I had thought they were extinct."
"What?" asked Gregory.
"This particular variety of insect. It is a scarab, such as were represented in ancient Egyptian art." Page 42
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
"Here is another," Magnus called, ten feet away. "It doth move… why, toward Papa!"
"Toward me?" Rod looked down—and saw another scarab struggling through the grass. "Hey, I've got one, too! Only it's heading toward you!"
"Toward me ?" Magnus stared.
Cordelia clapped her hands. "Belike they seek one another!"
"Nay," said Gwen. "They move toward the fairy ring." They all looked up and saw, midway between Rod and Magnus, a flattened circle of grass—and in the center of it, a larger-than-average rock, thrumming away.
Rod frowned. "What's this? Are the Wee Folk helping out on rock distribution now?"
"Oh, nay!" Gwen said, with a mock glare at him. "Thou dost know the Wee Folk dance in circles, and leave rings behind them—but here all is flattened, not the circumference only!"
"What hath made it?" Gregory wondered.
"Perhaps the rock itself," Fess said slowly. He moved closer, being careful not to step on the scarab, and lowered his head toward the circle. "Yes, it is a small depression, a sort of natural bowl. If the rock landed with enough momentum, it might have rolled around and around the circle until…" A scarab struggled out of the grass on the far side, teetered on the brink, and tumbled into the depression.
"Oh!" Cordelia clapped her hands. "There is a fourth!"
"Ours doth arrive now, too," Gregory noted.
Magnus came up to the bowl a step at a time, eyes on the ground. "Mine doth approach."
"Mine, too." Rod was only a step away from the rim. "They're all attracted to the rock."
"Even scarabs ?" Gwen exclaimed.
Gregory was peering closely. "They are oddly colored, Mama—a slate gray. One would almost think they were, themselves, stone to the core." ' ~tT_
Rod frowned. "Then the question arises, were the beetles attracted by rock, or made by rock?"
"It is immaterial—they only seek their own kind," Fess pointed out. "But the question is academic. What is pertinent is that they are all moving toward the rock."
The four scarabs converged on the stone, reached out with their antennae, and all touched rock at the same moment—then, frozen, they glittered, glimmered, and all changed color.
"Why, they have become silver!" Cordelia stared.
Page 43
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
"Hath the rock transformed them, then?" Geoffrey asked.
"Or have they transformed the rock!" Gregory pointed. -"Hark!" The stone glistened, twinkled—and its music metamorphosed into lilting, soaring melody. At its bass, though, the beat went on.
"What wonder is this?" Gregory breathed.
Magnus frowned. "The stone is a thing of witch-moss— which is to say, it is imagination made concrete. Are these beetles also but things of whimsy?"
"Whatever their source, they have purpose!" Cordelia pointed. "See where they go!" The four scarabs had joined together and turned away. With determination, they struggled out to reach the world.
Gregory leaped up. "We must follow them. Do not ask me why I know, but I do!"
"They trend west by south." Geoffrey pursued
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