Free The River of Dancing Gods by Jack L. Chalker Page B

pentagram, it will almost certainly eat you and carry your soul to Hell as its eternal slave. There would be nothing I could do about that—understand?.
     
    They both nodded, and Marge couldn't help thinking over and over, My god, this isn't a dream or a joke—it's real\ As for Joe, he'd had no doubts from the beginning.
     
    "All right," Ruddygore said, taking a deep breath. "Here we go..
     
    With that he closed his eyes and began chanting, softly, in a language neither of the other two could comprehend. It was an ancient tongue, though, seemingly of some race that far predated humanity, and it was not designed for the human vocal system.
     
    It's no wonder sorcerers also go in for all sorts of potions, 48 THE RIVER OF DANCING GODS Marge thought, hearing it. They all have to have chronic sore throats.
     
    For a while, nothing happened, and the newcomers began to think that nothing would occur. Then, quite slowly, they both realized that the light level was sinking ever so gradually, the torches and lamp flames shrinking in intensity. It was growing, abruptly, quite dark; within four or five minutes, all light sources in the lab were out, except the five candles at the outer pentagram points. Again a minute or two passed with nothing else happening, but the air grew thick with expectancy.
     
    Suddenly, in the space between Ruddy gore and themselves, there was a disturbance in the air. It began as a few silver and gold sparkles, but slowly, about three feet from the floor, the sparkles increased in number and intensity and started to swirl, Page 40 Chalker, Jack L - The River of the Dancing Gods forming after a time a sparkling whirlpool or galaxy shape which quickly widened, took a new shape, and outlined a grotesque figure in its tiny flashing pattern. The sparkles suddenly vanished, and the shape became solid and real before them.
     
    It was a terribly ugly creature, round and squat, in some ways resembling a toad but with a face that was more piglike than anything else, complete with two big, curved, boarlike tusks and lots and lots of teeth. It was hairless, naked, and stood on two birdlike feet. Its eyes were round and bright yellow with black dots in the center, like the eyes of a fish, and, like them, seemed lidless. The skin itself was mottled, gray and greenish, the color of death and mold—and it stank up the place to high heaven.
     
    It looked up at Ruddygore—being only three feet high— and gave a nasty grin. "You don't mind if I check you out?.
     
    it rasped in an unpleasant, grating voice. "Even the best slip up now and then..
     
    "Be my guest," the sorcerer responded.
     
    With that the creature waddled around, checking the designs around each of the three humans, then walking the length of the outer pentagram. Finally satisfied, it returned to the middle of the three and again looked at Ruddygore. "They're good enough to restrain me," the demon admitted without sounding in any way surprised. "Wouldn't hold an elemental or anything stronger, though. You're slipping in your old age..
     
    JACK li. CHALKER 49 Ruddygore smiled. "It doesn't need to hold anything stronger.
     
    You still owe me, Ratzfahr. You know that..
     
    "Yeah, yeah. Damn. Ask a little favor just one time and they never let you forget it," the demon grumped.
     
    "One! You want the list?.
     
    "Aw, okay, okay." Ratzfahr turned his head completely around without moving his body and looked at the other two, then swiveled back to Ruddygore. "They smell funny," the demon noted.
     
    "So do you," the sorcerer retorted, "but I've never let that come between us..
     
    "This is some nutty language you got us talkin', too," the demon went on. "Where'd you get these two, anyway?.
     
    "Earth Prime," Ruddygore told him. "Where else?.
     
    The head swiveled again. "Well, I'll be a cherub! Earth Prime! Been a long time. You figurin' on screwing up the neighborhood?.
     
    "No, but I have need of them," Ruddygore said. "So don't you try any