Read Online The White Wolf's Son by Michael Moorcock - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Michael Moorcock
Tags: Fantasy
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difficult
to escape from such a universe once you had fallen into one, and I remained concerned for my worried parents, feeling somewhat
guilty that the fascinating underground world kept distracting my attention.
The Off-Moo had few natural enemies and were peaceful, Lord Renyard told me. The cats I had seen often visited them and communicated
between them and certain humans. “Felines often come and go from that city. They have a special fondness for it. I know not
why.”
Lord Renyard said he found the intellectual stimulus he craved by visiting the Off-Moo. Most of his colleagues in Mirenburg
were positively anti-intellectual, he said. “Many are outrageously superstitious. But if they were not, I should probably
not rule them.”
“You are Mirenburg’s ruler?”
“Not the whole city, dear young lady.” As we strolled along he told me that he had enjoyed the company of my great-great-great-umpteenth-grandfather
and that of another adventurer, his friend the famous aerial navigator, the Chevalier St. Odhran.
“You know the Chevalier St. Odhran? I met him yesterday!” I was excited to have a friend in common with him.
“Indeed? Not his descendant?”
“Only if his descendant is also a balloonist.”
He described his friend who often visited Mirenburg. It was my St. Odhran to the letter. And sometimes, I heard, he came here
with two friends who
had
to be Lobkowitz and Fromental. This gave me more hope. If the Scot had been able to fly his balloon to Ingleton, then it
suggested there was a way I could easily be reunitedwith my parents and that the Chevalier St. Odhran might also know where to look for me. In that way kids can do, I made up
my mind not to worry and to enjoy the experience as much as possible. If a minor earth tremor had opened the world to me,
there was a good chance that a similar tremor would get me out.
Lord Renyard had a taste, it emerged, for abstraction. He reminded me a bit of my dad, who was always inclined to wander off
the practical point into speculation. I began to lose the thread of the fox’s arguments and was glad whenever he paused to
point out a spectacular view or describe some flora or fauna of the surrounding world.
I was beginning to get tired and hungry by the time the tottering towers of the City in the Autumn Stars came in sight: a
sprawl of tall tenements and chimneys, spires and domes. High overhead I could see pale, bright spots of faded color, rusty
reds and dark yellows, which might indeed have been ancient stars. I wondered if I would find my other protector, Monsieur
Zodiac, there in the city.
Lord Renyard told me to be careful where I put my feet. “We shall be at my home soon, but the path can still be treacherous.”
He pointed to the skyline of Mirenburg. “What you observe,” he explained, “is a mirror of the city you will find on the surface.
Do not ask me how this phenomenon can be. I lack the intellect to explain it. But in a certain place the upper city and the
lower city connect and allow us to move from one into the other. I think you will find that upper city more familiar. I cannot
be sure, but it might even exist on the same plane as your own.”
“In which case they’d have long-distance telephones,” I said. “And I’ll be able to get in touch with my parents.”
He hesitated, doubtful. “Our Mirenburg—
my
Mirenburg—is not an especially progressive city, though she has lately accepted some modest manufacturing reforms.”
As we descended towards the city walls, the silence of the huge caverns was broken by a rapid drumming sound. Looking around
him, Lord Renyard drew me back into the shadow of a slab of granite. He put his paw to his muzzle, indicating to me that I
shouldn’t talk. Far away across the ridge, under the dim light of the “autumn stars,” I saw two men on horseback. I couldn’t
make out their features until they rode quite close. I would have called to them if I
to escape from such a universe once you had fallen into one, and I remained concerned for my worried parents, feeling somewhat
guilty that the fascinating underground world kept distracting my attention.
The Off-Moo had few natural enemies and were peaceful, Lord Renyard told me. The cats I had seen often visited them and communicated
between them and certain humans. “Felines often come and go from that city. They have a special fondness for it. I know not
why.”
Lord Renyard said he found the intellectual stimulus he craved by visiting the Off-Moo. Most of his colleagues in Mirenburg
were positively anti-intellectual, he said. “Many are outrageously superstitious. But if they were not, I should probably
not rule them.”
“You are Mirenburg’s ruler?”
“Not the whole city, dear young lady.” As we strolled along he told me that he had enjoyed the company of my great-great-great-umpteenth-grandfather
and that of another adventurer, his friend the famous aerial navigator, the Chevalier St. Odhran.
“You know the Chevalier St. Odhran? I met him yesterday!” I was excited to have a friend in common with him.
“Indeed? Not his descendant?”
“Only if his descendant is also a balloonist.”
He described his friend who often visited Mirenburg. It was my St. Odhran to the letter. And sometimes, I heard, he came here
with two friends who
had
to be Lobkowitz and Fromental. This gave me more hope. If the Scot had been able to fly his balloon to Ingleton, then it
suggested there was a way I could easily be reunitedwith my parents and that the Chevalier St. Odhran might also know where to look for me. In that way kids can do, I made up
my mind not to worry and to enjoy the experience as much as possible. If a minor earth tremor had opened the world to me,
there was a good chance that a similar tremor would get me out.
Lord Renyard had a taste, it emerged, for abstraction. He reminded me a bit of my dad, who was always inclined to wander off
the practical point into speculation. I began to lose the thread of the fox’s arguments and was glad whenever he paused to
point out a spectacular view or describe some flora or fauna of the surrounding world.
I was beginning to get tired and hungry by the time the tottering towers of the City in the Autumn Stars came in sight: a
sprawl of tall tenements and chimneys, spires and domes. High overhead I could see pale, bright spots of faded color, rusty
reds and dark yellows, which might indeed have been ancient stars. I wondered if I would find my other protector, Monsieur
Zodiac, there in the city.
Lord Renyard told me to be careful where I put my feet. “We shall be at my home soon, but the path can still be treacherous.”
He pointed to the skyline of Mirenburg. “What you observe,” he explained, “is a mirror of the city you will find on the surface.
Do not ask me how this phenomenon can be. I lack the intellect to explain it. But in a certain place the upper city and the
lower city connect and allow us to move from one into the other. I think you will find that upper city more familiar. I cannot
be sure, but it might even exist on the same plane as your own.”
“In which case they’d have long-distance telephones,” I said. “And I’ll be able to get in touch with my parents.”
He hesitated, doubtful. “Our Mirenburg—
my
Mirenburg—is not an especially progressive city, though she has lately accepted some modest manufacturing reforms.”
As we descended towards the city walls, the silence of the huge caverns was broken by a rapid drumming sound. Looking around
him, Lord Renyard drew me back into the shadow of a slab of granite. He put his paw to his muzzle, indicating to me that I
shouldn’t talk. Far away across the ridge, under the dim light of the “autumn stars,” I saw two men on horseback. I couldn’t
make out their features until they rode quite close. I would have called to them if I
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