Free The River of Dancing Gods by Jack L. Chalker Page A
Authors: Jack L. Chalker
mixed with Seminole Page 38 Chalker, Jack L - The River of the Dancing Gods 46 THE RIVER OF DANCING GODS and whatever part of Puerto Rican is from the old days. I used to like to hear the old folks' stories about how it was before the white man. You know, the great civilizations of the past.
A lot of times I saw myself as the great warrior chief, riding down with super power and wisdom, turning back the white man and saving the old ways. Kind of silly for a kid from South Philly, I guess, whose idea of wilderness was Fairmont Park, but it does something to a kid when all the other kids are playing cowboys and yeu know what you are..
Ruddygore nodded thoughtfully. "I can see that. Can you think back to it clearly? I mean, can you visualize that warrior chief? What he looked like?.
Joe considered. "Yeah. I think I can. Sort of..
"Okay, then. Just hold that vision and don't let go." The sorcerer turned to Marge. "And you? Any super cowgiris.
Beautiful princesses? Amazonian warriors?.
She smiled wistfully. "Yeah..
"Which one?.
"All of 'em..
The sorcerer chuckled. "Well, if you had to pick one, some vision of yourself—perhaps as the warrior queen, gutsily defending her splendid golden castle....
She thought it over and closed her eyes for a moment.
"Yeah. I can think of a dozen novels I've practically lived again and again..
"All right. Just keep that vision in mind." He looked over at the floor. "I see it's dry now. Let me make my preparations..
He reached inside the mouth of a hideous bronze idol set in the wall and took out what proved to be a piece of thick, soft chalk. Working rapidly, he positioned first Joe, then Marge, about eight feet apart in the clear area, then started drawing around each of them on the smooth slate floor with the chalk.
The designs were identical. Pentagrams, clearly and solidly drawn, and outside each pentagram a six-pointed star. He got up from the floor and said, "Now, neither of you move. Not an inch outside those pentagrams—not until I tell you. Understand?.
Joe looked nervous and uncomfortable. 'The real conjure stuff," he murmured uneasily.
The sorcerer nodded. "The real stuff, Joe. You in particular should understand that you stay where you are at all costs.
JACK L. CHALKER 47 Marge, you take it seriously, too." He backed up a distance from both of them, then drew a new, larger pentagram around the two recruits, this time with Ruddygore inside. From a small Page 39 Chalker, Jack L - The River of the Dancing Gods valise also inside the outer design he removed candles and long candlesticks, which he proceeded to set at each of the five points of the outer pentagram. He lighted each candle in turn with a long stick which was burning at one end, being careful at no time to cross the outer pentagram. Then, stepping back, he proceeded to draw the same design around himself as around the other two, so that he was equidistant from them and facing them. He checked everything visually to make sure it was all to his satisfaction, nodded, and took a deep breath.
"It is a simple spell. Child's play, really. But you get to be an old sorcerer not only from long study but also because you never take even the easy ones for granted. Now, don't be startled by anything that happens from now on. Take it as a show, a magic trick, but for the sake of your souls, do not break your own pentagrams!.
"You gonna conjure a demon?" Joe asked uneasily.
"That's about it," Ruddygore agreed. "A very minor one of little importance, but it owes me. It will appear between us, so I warn you about that right now. It may look fearsome; but as long as you remain totally within your pentagrams, it can not touch you, let alone harm you. It may also sound very decent and civilized, but don't let that fool you, either. At this level, the demons are more raw emotion than intellect and have just about no self-control. If you break your
A lot of times I saw myself as the great warrior chief, riding down with super power and wisdom, turning back the white man and saving the old ways. Kind of silly for a kid from South Philly, I guess, whose idea of wilderness was Fairmont Park, but it does something to a kid when all the other kids are playing cowboys and yeu know what you are..
Ruddygore nodded thoughtfully. "I can see that. Can you think back to it clearly? I mean, can you visualize that warrior chief? What he looked like?.
Joe considered. "Yeah. I think I can. Sort of..
"Okay, then. Just hold that vision and don't let go." The sorcerer turned to Marge. "And you? Any super cowgiris.
Beautiful princesses? Amazonian warriors?.
She smiled wistfully. "Yeah..
"Which one?.
"All of 'em..
The sorcerer chuckled. "Well, if you had to pick one, some vision of yourself—perhaps as the warrior queen, gutsily defending her splendid golden castle....
She thought it over and closed her eyes for a moment.
"Yeah. I can think of a dozen novels I've practically lived again and again..
"All right. Just keep that vision in mind." He looked over at the floor. "I see it's dry now. Let me make my preparations..
He reached inside the mouth of a hideous bronze idol set in the wall and took out what proved to be a piece of thick, soft chalk. Working rapidly, he positioned first Joe, then Marge, about eight feet apart in the clear area, then started drawing around each of them on the smooth slate floor with the chalk.
The designs were identical. Pentagrams, clearly and solidly drawn, and outside each pentagram a six-pointed star. He got up from the floor and said, "Now, neither of you move. Not an inch outside those pentagrams—not until I tell you. Understand?.
Joe looked nervous and uncomfortable. 'The real conjure stuff," he murmured uneasily.
The sorcerer nodded. "The real stuff, Joe. You in particular should understand that you stay where you are at all costs.
JACK L. CHALKER 47 Marge, you take it seriously, too." He backed up a distance from both of them, then drew a new, larger pentagram around the two recruits, this time with Ruddygore inside. From a small Page 39 Chalker, Jack L - The River of the Dancing Gods valise also inside the outer design he removed candles and long candlesticks, which he proceeded to set at each of the five points of the outer pentagram. He lighted each candle in turn with a long stick which was burning at one end, being careful at no time to cross the outer pentagram. Then, stepping back, he proceeded to draw the same design around himself as around the other two, so that he was equidistant from them and facing them. He checked everything visually to make sure it was all to his satisfaction, nodded, and took a deep breath.
"It is a simple spell. Child's play, really. But you get to be an old sorcerer not only from long study but also because you never take even the easy ones for granted. Now, don't be startled by anything that happens from now on. Take it as a show, a magic trick, but for the sake of your souls, do not break your own pentagrams!.
"You gonna conjure a demon?" Joe asked uneasily.
"That's about it," Ruddygore agreed. "A very minor one of little importance, but it owes me. It will appear between us, so I warn you about that right now. It may look fearsome; but as long as you remain totally within your pentagrams, it can not touch you, let alone harm you. It may also sound very decent and civilized, but don't let that fool you, either. At this level, the demons are more raw emotion than intellect and have just about no self-control. If you break your
Similar Books
Behind Our Walls
Chad A. Clark
Ancient Chinese Warfare
Ralph D. Sawyer
Cat's Cradle
Julia Golding
4 Rainy Days and Monday
Robert Michael
Claiming His Need
Ellis Leigh
Pledges: Gay Erotic Stories
Shane Allison
Just Your Average Princess
Kristina Springer
Tempting His Mate
Savannah Stuart
Me, My Hair, and I
editor Elizabeth Benedict