The River of Dancing Gods (10 page)

"Pair enough. And her?.

Ruddygore turned to Marge. "You realize, of course, that you're almost more in a state of undress than dress. That's what Joe was talking about..

Page 46 Chalker, Jack L - The River of the Dancing Gods "Well, yeah, but... Oh, those books again..

Ruddygore nodded. "Volume 46 is mostly concerned with appearances. Page 119, section 34(a)—'Weather and climate permitting, all beautiful young women will be scantily clad.' It's as simple as that..

She just stared at him.

"Don't blame me," the sorcerer responded, reaching for another pastry. "I told you they were petty—and in great detail.

The current Council is overdoing it quite a bit, I admit, but the basics have been here for thousands of years. They lend stability to the land. In a way, you have to sympathize with the Councils of the past. They were faced with imposing sanity on a world based upon magic. And, truthfully, does your current garb bother you?.

She thought for a moment. "Well....

"Truthfully, now. You didn't even realize it until it was pointed out to you, did you?.

"No, I didn't," she admitted. "It's just that, spelled out like that, there's something that offends me, deep down..

"Both of you may find yourselves compromising some of your principles from your old world, but you have to accept the Rules. It isn't like changing the mind of a legislature or something. In a way, it's close to repealing the law of gravity to change the Rules in any substantive manner. And, by the way, gravity isn't locked in concrete here, either. The universe still operates in pretty standard ways, but don't assume that local conditions do. They most assuredly do not..

She got up and walked over to the wall of red books, pulled one out, and opened it at random. She found it a mess of black, blue, and red squiggles and she couldn't read a word of it. She shook her head and put it back. "I guess we're both back to being illiterate here. That brings up a point, by the way. Just as these books are in some other language, people around here aren't going to speak English, either. Do we have to take language lessons?.

Ruddygore chuckled. "Oh, my, no! That was part of the acclimatization process. You remember just after it was all done I yelled something at you? Something neither of you could understand?.

56 THE RIVER OF DANCING GODS They both nodded.

"I was yelling in English. Look." He proceeded to give off what sounded like a strange and inhuman series of sounds, then smiled. "That was English. Neither of you speaks it any more, nor understands it, either. We are right now conversing in a language called Makti. It's the trading language of the river.

Although there are dozens of tongues spoken just on and around Page 47 Chalker, Jack L - The River of the Dancing Gods the river, there is one—a sort of simplified amalgam of them all with its own grammar and syntax—that developed because of the need for it. It's locked in the Rules—Volume 306 is a dictionary, 305 gives the Rules governing it. No matter where you are in Husaquahr, there will be those who understand it and speak it fluently..

"Yeah, but what about words not in the language?" Marge asked him. "I mean, I still am a Texan, and that's not a likely word..

"Nor is it one," the sorcerer agreed. "But that word, and similar words, are provided for. They remain in a mental secondary vocabulary, still as they were in English, and understandable to a speaker of English. Makti is a very flexible tongue, you see, and accommodates local idiom. Otherwise it would be of little use as a trading language. However, with its six tones and shorthand basics, it's not transliteratable into English at all. The language as written is also ideographic, I fear, with a basic alphabet of more than two thousand characters and sixteen accent and tone marks. It takes years to leam if you weren't raised with it, and a full vocabulary, capable of complex writing and reading, say, the Rules, is tens of thousands of symbols. The bottom line is that, yes, you're illiterate —like the vast majority of mis world—and probably going to stay that way..

"It sounds pretty complicated to me," she told him. "You mean the other languages are even more complicated?.

"Vastly so," the sorcerer assured her. "So much so that Corabun, for example," spoken in the area of the Fire Hills and Lake Zahias far to the west of here, has never had a successful written language. Or Hruja, spoken in parts of Leander, which is so ridiculous that you have to know some ideograms because you have to draw in the air just to talk unambiguously to one another..

57 JACK L. CHALKER "Ideograms," Joe put in. "That's picture writing? Like the Chinese and Japanese back home?.

"Something like that," Ruddygore replied. "But it's not the same language by far..

"It seems this would lock in the hierarchy," Marge noted.

"I mean, if you can't read or write, you can't be a trader or businessman, or get a top spot in government. So most of the people can't read those Rules, either, which leaves the magic up to those who can..

"I'll admit to that, in a general way," Ruddygore responded, "but not totally. Remember, here most trades, skills, and positions are passed down from one generation to the next. And whatever literacy is required gets passed along, too. Occasionally somebody with a real knack for it comes along who is, say, a peasant fanner, and then he—or she—rises in society and power if he wants..

"So the farmer's kid can be king—if he's somehow able to leam the language on his own, with nobody to teach him, Page 48 Chalker, Jack L - The River of the Dancing Gods and then get access to all the books he needs. Clever. You hold open the hope to the lowest that their kids might rise all the way, while conditions make it just about impossible for them really to do so. It's neat," Marge said sourly.

Ruddygore shrugged. "It works. What can I say? And everybody knows some example somewhere. However, whatever gave you the idea that a king has to be skilled or literate? Most of them are blithering idiots, really. Figureheads for their advisors, councilors, and bureaucracy..

"Pretty cynical, aren't you?" Marge retorted. "But since we can't read or write this stuff, we're stuck on the low rung.

Some new world!.

"Oh, my, no!" The sorcerer chuckled. "Barbarians can rarely read—but one or two have seized and held kingdoms. Your wits are your best assets, I assure you. That and training and working at needed skills—and keeping those bodies of yours in peak physical shape. I have a great deal of hope for the two of you and a great set of missions. You are very important to me. You see, right now I have remade you to this world and its laws and rules. Almost all of you. But your souls are still of your native world, and that is important. The forces of Hell must work through agents here, but their magic is far different from any here. They attune themselves to the souls of our 58 JACK L. CHALKER THE RIVER OF DANCING GODS 59 world. You are totally vulnerable to the considerable magic of this world and this land—but you will find yourselves invulnerable to the direct sorcery of Hell. It may be of small difference to you, but it may be of great consequence to me..

"I'm not sure I understand anything you just said, but it doesn't sound like either of us is gonna have a long and happy life," Joe grumped. "Seems to me like a pretty high price just to get out of alimony and child support..

Ruddy gore smiled. "Long or short? Who knows? You were minutes from death when I pulled you away, Joe..

"So you say. I ain't real sure I believe all that stuff..

"Believe it or not as you will, it is true. But it is also beside the point now, anyway, and that's the way you should think of it. You are here. You can't get back. Even if I were to let you, you are so changed from who you were that you'd be a strange barbarian in your old world speaking a language nobody could understand. They'd lock you up in a little room and throw the key away. Walk out of here now and you will be in a world you know nothing of and are ill-prepared to live in.

Stick it out, Joe. Remember, I said I needed a hero, not a martyr. You're no good to me dead, and I'm going to spend a lot of time and effort to keep you alive. Take it like that. I need you, and, at least for now, you need me. Fair?.

Joe considered it. "Yeah, I guess so. For now, anyway. But what comes next?.

Page 49 Chalker, Jack L - The River of the Dancing Gods "I've been wondering that, too," Marge put in.

"Time is not on my side," the sorcerer told them. "Right now the enemy is slowing to a halt far south of here because it is flood season, and the lower river is one vast flood plain.

After that will come the monsoons, which make movements unpredictable. Still, the enemy will be fully on the march again in three or four months, and that means we have six months at best before we either act or fight him at our gates. Not a lot of time, but with a bit of magical help and a lot of experience— and the cooperation of you both—I think we can use that time to good advantage. You'll be seeing little of each other from this point until you are ready. Each of you is now going to school. A most unusual school. One pupil each. If and when you finish, you will be well prepared for the hardships and challenges you might face—and more than able to exist in Husaquahr or anywhere else on our world." He turned to the Imir, who stood nearby as always. "Poquah, show them to their quarters and notify Huspeth and Gorodo..

"When do you wish them to begin?" the Imir asked him.

"As soon as possible. This evening, if practical or convenient.

We have no time to spare..

CHAPTER 5 ANSWERING THE MUNCHK1NS' QUESTION A witch is the term given to any practitioner of potion magic and/ or spells whose practice is based upon a system of religious beliefs.

—IX, 318, 201(a) LATE THAT AFTERNOON POQUAH CALLED ON MARGE, WHO HAD been relaxing on a feather bed in the small room the Imir had brought her to earlier. She had mostly been just lying there, thinking of how good it was to be alive and anticipating, perhaps, romantic adventures to come. That and examining her new body in minute detail.

I was dead inside, she realized, and now through an impossible miracle I'm more alive than ever. Having come so close to death, she wasn't bothered by risk. In a sense, she was already living on borrowed time—and each precious minute was wonderful. The only thing she truly feared and could not entirely shake from her thoughts was that this new life, still so dreamlike and unreal to her practical mind, might end as suddenly as it began. True, total insanity might be like this— and, certainly, she was now living in her fantasies and dreams.

What if I'm somewhere inside a rubber roomi Somehow, deep down, she wondered if she would ever really be rid of that one fear, if she would ever really know. And, even more of a question, did she fear knowing.

"You will come with me now," the Imir told her. "It is time for you to begin your instruction..

She arose and nodded to him. "Where are we going?.

Page 50 Chalker, Jack L - The River of the Dancing Gods 60 THE RIVER OF DANCING GODS "It was decided that your best potential would be realized by Huspeth in the Glen Dinig," Poquah replied, explaining nothing. "As you know, we were expecting only the man.

Huspeth, however, is willing, and is better equipped than we.

Can you ride a horse?.

"Yes, I've ridden horses. At least I can manage. Why? Is this Glen Whatsis far?.

"Not far," he said. "But too far to walk. Come with me.

We should make haste to get you there before dark." With that he turned and walked out of the room and down the hall. She followed, hurrying to catch up.

They went back down, across the drawbridge, and through the outer ring. Just at the start of the road, two beautiful horses, one coal black and the other snow white, waited, being held by an elf groom.

She approached the horses excitedly. "How perfect they are! But—no saddles, huh?" It was true. The horses were fitted only with bridles and a smooth blanket tied about their midsections.

"Saddles are a luxury. It is best you leam horsemanship without them. Then a saddle will be a convenience, not a necessity..

She looked dubious. "Well, okay, but I hope I can hold on..

With the Imir's aid, she boosted herself up on the white horse, grabbed the reins, and tried to get as comfortable as she could. It felt a little strange being up, and she felt some muscles being stretched in unaccustomed places.

The Imir mounted the black horse effortlessly and looked over at her. "Shall we ride?.

She nodded. "Take it easy, though, at thestart, will you.

I'm a little wobbly..

"Slow and easy," Poquah assured her. Giving his mount a light nudge with his foot, he started off. Her horse, apparently very well trained, followed the black one at a slow, comfortable pace.

Page 51 Chalker, Jack L - The River of the Dancing Gods Riding down the slope from the castle was fairly easy, although they were following no trail. Still, Marge's horse swayed and twisted with the land, and it took her several minutes and a few near spills to get anything approaching steadiness without saddle or stirrups.

61 JACK L. CHALKER "Who is this Huspeth?" she called to Poquah when they closed ranks.

"She is a witch who lives in the Glen Dinig," the Imir told her. "She is very old and very wise and very powerful. She is a great one, but she never leaves her forest glades these days..