The River of Dancing Gods (13 page)

The source of that was revealed rather quickly as a deer wandered out from the edge of a wood. The unicorn herd, 73 JACK L. CHALKER perhaps ten or eleven, took off after the deer, cut it off from Page 62 Chalker, Jack L - The River of the Dancing Gods retreat, surrounded it, and began a cruel game of torture for the poor deer.

Tiring, finally, of running the deer almost into exhaustion, sticking it with their horns, and allowing it an escape route only to block it and trip it up, the unicorns moved in—and began eating the deer alive.

"How disgusting!" Marge exclaimed. "Those magnificent animals!.

"The way of the world, as it must be to balance nature. The unicorns are a relative to the horses, but they took a far different path. Their teeth are many and are sharp and pointed, as are the wolf's. They play with the cruelty that children exhibit, for that is what they always are, but then they eat. They did not choose their way, nor did the wolf choose his; they just are. But, unlike their brethren, there is great magic within them. Shall we go down and see?.

Marge hesitated. "Considering their eating habits, is it safe?.

"For thee, perfectly. The virgin alone is one with the unicorn.

All others they will flee from or, if need be, destroy..

They walked down to the herd, which had finished its grisly feeding and was now relaxing, some standing, some lying down as horses never did. The unicorns eyed the two women warily but did not flee.

"Call one," Huspeth prompted. "Go ahead..

Marge shrugged. "Ah, here, unicorn. Come here, unicorn..

"Not exactly the approved way of summoning, but it works,.

the witch noted as the nearest unicorn glanced up at the call, looked at both of them, and then trotted right over to Marge.

Hesitantly, Marge put out her hand and petted the unicorn on the neck, as she would a horse. The skin was quite different from what she expected, with the feel and texture of velvet. The unicorn seemed to like her touch, though, and the skin certainly felt nice to her.

"Mount him," Huspeth told her. "Let him take you for a ride..

With her tremendous muscle tone and practiced athletic ability, she had no trouble jumping to the back of the beast, although there was nothing to hold onto but mane.

Still, the beast started off at a trot and quickly accelerated.

Marge found that, far from being uncomfortable or badly /4 THE RIVER OF DANCING GODS mounted, she seemed to merge with the unicorn, to become one with the creature, more and more so as it increased speed and sped around the great meadow.

It was a magical and most wonderful transformation, with all of the unicorn's enormous vitality and, yes, sexual energy flowing into and through every fiber of her being. It was a tremendously pleasurable, orgasmic experience that the unicom Page 63 Chalker, Jack L - The River of the Dancing Gods gave, and so wonderful that it was Huspeth who had to bring it to an end.

"Thou seest now why the unicom and the virgin always go hand in hand in legend," she said. "But beware, for just as thou dost take from it, so it takes from thee, and the energy it removes from thee takes many days to replenish, longer if thou hast not the will to stop it in time..

"I'll remember," Marge assured her teacher, still feeling as if she had received a lot more than she had given.

"Now that the two of you are chosen, the unicom Koriku is wed to thee so long as thou shall take no man. He will come upon the call of his name by your lips, no matter where thou art, to give pleasure or to rout thine enemies. His strength should be used sparingly, for there is always a cost, but it is there when needed. Beware, too, that Koriku, like thyself, is a mortal creature, and should he die while in thy service, thou, too, wilt die..

Marge shivered slightly at that. "I will remember..

The time flew by. In many ways Marge hoped it would never end. Huspeth was the wisest and most wonderful person she'd ever known, and she loved the witch who was the key to all things wonderful and magical as she had loved no other.

But one day there was a cloud in Huspeth's soul as she emerged from her hut, and a great foreboding filled Marge as she saw it.

"It has come time for the trivial that now becomes the paramount," the witch said enigmatically. "Come, sit beside me, and I will tell thee of this world and its enemies..

"Something's wrong," Marge said nervously.

"The forces of Hell are again on the march. Great battles are taking shape as we speak, and the war advances. The bulk of Marquewood between the River of Sorrows and the Rossignol itself is at stake. If it goes, then the enemy is at our JACK L. CHALKER 75 front door, demanding entrance, and there will be few to stop them..

"Who is the enemy, my mother?.

"The same who defiled lost Eden. This time he works, as always, through others, in the guise of armies and wars and philosophies and great promises. Many who march to his tune are willing, many more arc unknowing servants, but it makes no difference to him. The Dark Baron himself may be deluded, although he certainly knows for whom he fights, since the gates of Hell must be unlocked to create such a force. All the wizards and sorcerers of Husaquahr traffic to some degree with the demons of Hell, as thou well knowest. But such traffic, which I abhor in all cases, for it involves compromise with the ultimate evil, is the temptation to greater and greater evil. If Hell can wield such powers to the wizard's tune, it can corrupt a wizard's heart as well, and they have got themselves a master wizard totally on their side, self-deluded and thoroughly corrupted by Page 64 Chalker, Jack L - The River of the Dancing Gods the enemy..

"Who, my mother? Which wizard is it?.

Huspeth shook her head. "I know not at this time. Many of the chief demons of Hell were once the angelic agents charged with the making of our own world. Their power here is as great as in thine own world, and they know all the counters for our magic. The Baron's identity is hidden from all of us, until discovered by other than magical means. But this continual cancer is nothing new to our world. It is an incurable disease that worms its way into every comer and must be continually fought. When it grows too large to control, as it seems it has now, it must be beaten down. The enemy can afford ten thousand defeats, but we can not have one..

"This is not the first time, then?.

"Not even the first time in Husaquahr. But this is a big world, much larger than the one from which thou comest. There are many other continents and many other lands. One, called simply The Land, is so fouled up no one from thy world will believe it's real, even though he be there. Another once put down a dark force under a great wizard, and now that wizard's son, Alateen, refights his father's battles. From Lan Kemar to Lemoria, all the lands that make up our world are continually threatened. Now it is Husaquahr's turn..

"But what can they win, even if they capture the land?.

76 THE RIVER OF DANCING GODS "Ah, once captured, it will never be freed. But, worse, the Dark Baron's plan is clearly diabolical. He hopes to seize or destroy the lands, castles, and, if possible, persons of a majority of the Council. If he accomplishes this, and he is already a quarter there, he will be able to rewrite, suspend, or even abolish the Books of Rules. Hell will rewrite the Rules and will then have a world of its very own to rule and dominate.

This will become Hell, and will provide, too, a second front for an assault on the Creator Himself. If Hell wins here, it can devote all its time to thine own world. Armageddon, then, will be fought by Hell from both worlds toward the Creator in the middle. None truly knows the outcome, since Hell rebelled once before and knows what it is up against, should it try again..

"You mean—God could loseT' "It is by no means certain. Sooner or later thou wilt find myself in the clutches of Hell, and thou wilt know a sample of what waits for all creation if we lose. That is why, now, thou must go..

"No! I mean, not yet. I still have so much to leam!.

"Time later for that, if victory is ours. If not, we all are better dead than what we will be. Thou must be a soldier in this battle. There is the adventure and challenge thou didst wish for and the important things to do. No woman of Husaquahr is better equipped than thou to do great things, but all thy studies and training will be for naught if not used. Thou must Page 65 Chalker, Jack L - The River of the Dancing Gods follow the direction of Ruddygore, who is far more worldly than I, in this matter. He traffics with Hell even as he fights it, and I find him powerful but unworthy of such power—but he is powerful, and he is fighting for his very life and so will not waste thee or thy companion..

"Companion..." She'd almost completely forgotten about Joe. After all, she'd known him such a short while.

"As for me, I have fought too many of these things. Yet should all fail, and Terindell be besieged. Glen Dinig will fight with Terindell against the common foe. I hope and pray it does not come to that, for it would be Bakadur and I against the Dark Baron and the demons of Hell itself. Thou mayest aid in preventing that from happening, my daughter, if thou keepest thyself as thou art now and if thou dost remember all I have taught. So long as thou dost remain as thou art, thy powers JACK L. CHALKER 77 will increase by the day, infinitely so, and new ones will develop as needs arise. Thy true trials and tests lie ahead of thee.

Remember well who thou art and what thou hast become..

Marge took Huspeth's hand and kissed it tenderly. "I will, my mother..

Huspeth got up, went into her hut, and emerged with her hands full of various items. "Some parting things, to aid thee . in thy future endeavors..

The first was a one-piece garment, both legless and sleeveless, of bright forest green, which had a stretchy clinginess to it yet gave breast support. It was woven out of an unknown soft material that nonetheless was almost silkenly comfortable.

Its tightness, though, left nothing to the imagination about the shape beneath, becoming almost a green second skin. It satisfied decency—and the Rules. Also, there was a headband much like a laurel wreath. It held firmly and smelted of forest pine.

"Both wreath and garment are of the forest, of living things magically transformed and transfixed. They will be a reminder of Glen Dinig and the daughters of Eve..

"As if I could ever forget. A part of me will be here forever..

Next came a small green belt that blended with the garment and hung on the hips, but was strong enough for a scabbard shaped like leaves. Into it Huspeth placed a small but ornate dagger.

"The dagger is of faerie metal," she told Marge. "It will penetrate all save iron, which is very scarce here. The blade is fused into the handle of pure dwarf jade. It is the truest and most balanced of all blades, and was once mine when I went forth as thou now goest. In the rear of the scabbard is a small pocket which can be useful..

Next was a little case made out of the purest dwarf jade.

Inside was what Huspeth called Marge's "kit"—basic herbs and hard-to-find materials for many potions, plus a small mortar and pestle more or less carved into it. It, too, was designed to be held by a thin belt and was not at all bulky. Finally came Page 66 Chalker, Jack L - The River of the Dancing Gods a small gourd, useful for all practical purposes and also designed for belt carry, leaving both hands free.

"With those thou canst travel the whole of this world and need no more, with thine own knowledge of the land and its bounty..

78 THE RIVER OF DANCING GODS JACK L.CHALKER 79 "I believe I can now, my mother," Marge responded, meaning it.

"Come. Let us see thee reflected in the pool..

They walked over to the small, mirror-smooth pond at the edge of the glen that had been their water supply. In it Marge saw a far different person—yet a third self. She was dark now; the sun and wind had weathered her and toughened her without in any way lessening her striking beauty. And, as she had discovered shortly after her initiation into the order, her new strawberry-blond hair had changed to a brilliant white, with the exception of a streak of reddish brown running straight down the center from forehead to back—the mark of the order.

She had trimmed the hair into something of a pageboy and, with the forest-green garment she wore, it was a perfect complement.

Her legs revealed that she now had the strength of the longdistance runner and more, and her arms, still smooth-looking, took on an almost bizarre quality when tensed, revealing their tremendous muscles. Her brows, of the same reddish brown as the streak, were long, thick, and sloping inward, setting off her large blue eyes; she looked less human than like some great warrior elf. Her appearance was unique and striking, yet her movements still contained the catlike grace and form of the woman she had been.

"All I need is a bow and a quiver of arrows to make it perfect," she mused, more to herself than to Huspeth, but the witch nodded.

"I agree, and thy skill with the bow warrants it." She left and returned with a small quiver made of some plant's green skin, and a bow of true professional beauty.

"Oh, no, I can't. You've given me so much already!" Marge protested.

"I insist, daughter of mine. And I expect that which has been given thee to be freely used in the fight against true evil..

"I promise I will not fail you, my mother!.