Free Songs of the Dancing Gods by Jack L. Chalker Page A

didn’t have any labels on them. We wound up being poured back into the wrong bodies, and the one I drew was one I don’t want to have to detail.”
    He worried about Tiana being out of sight ahead, but just before sunset she came back to them down the trail, breathing hard but not looking out of sorts at all. They took the next turnout to the river, and set up camp for the night. While doing so, Joe gave Tiana the news from the traveler.
    “Well, then, we must take this ferry,” she told them. “We don’t dare get near his territory right now, particularly if somebody recognizes us, and we must assume he’s got a pretty good intelligence service.”
    Joe sighed. “Well, converting the silver and the copper, we’ve got maybe four gold pieces. We’re two short, and if those traders at the landing are the kind that usually are at places like that, we’ll get no more than one for a horse, bur pay three on the other side to get somebody else’s horse, and it’s another sixty or seventy miles easy to Terindell once we get over.”
    She thought about it. “Well, if we sell them one of the horses, and with the silver converted, we should make it. I can run part way and double up with Irving, here, for the distance. Of course, there’s usually a bar or cafe at these landings, too. Maybe I could dance.”
    “Uh-uh. Not on this side, anyway,” Joe responded quickly. “No chance of a getaway if things get wild. We might take our chances over there, but not here.”
    She shrugged. “Well, we’ll see what the situation is when we get there.”
    They built a small fire and had some of the provisions, and Joe was already yawning. “Damn! Too big a night last night and not enough sleep after. I’m ready to fall over right now!”
    “You go ahead, then,” she told him. “I want to wind down a little more yet, then I’ll join you.”
    By this time the entire region was in pitch darkness; there was no moon, and the stars provided very little decent illumination.
    Joe was soon snoring away as usual, but Irving was having problems getting to sleep. He was just starting to drift off when he heard something and came awake. Dimly, by the thin light the dying fire gave, he could see Tiana putting a bridle on her horse. He got up and went over to her.
    “What’s up?”
    “Shhh … Don’t wake Joe. If I’m lucky he’ll never know I’ve gone and I’ll be back long before he wakes up.”
    “But where are you going?” he whispered.
    “Up to the landing. It’s only about a half-hour by horse. I know—I saw the boat leave before I came back from the bluff just ahead.”
    “You want me to come with you?”
    “No. Stay here. Get some rest, and watch over the provisions.”
    “But—what you gonna do?”
    “Never mind. I‘11 make a deal with you. I didn’t go anywhere but to sleep tonight, and you came straight back to camp last night. Period. Okay?”
    She had him there.
    “But—”
    “No buts. I want to get a move on. I’ve just been waiting until he was out. Don’t worry. This is my turf, as you say.”
    Irving watched her ride off, not quite knowing what to do. The fact was, this wasn’t her turf; she didn’t know that place ahead, but he knew the kind of people most likely to be around there at night. They’d run from them last night. She was off doin’ some fool thing with nobody to protect her at all.
    It felt, well, dishonest, somehow. Sure, he’d had his little thing last night, but it wasn’t the same. He was a guy, and she was, well, married.
    Now he had three choices: follow her on the quiet and see what was what and be there to bail her out if she needed it, do as she said, or wake Dad and betray her—and himself. He’d rather not face his father on that, even if he was an adult by Husaquahrian standards at thirteen, so the last one was out. Besides, he might be pissed off at her, too. But he couldn’t just, well, sit here, even if he didn’t like the idea of riding this road in the dark.
    He