Vengeance of the Dancing Gods (15 page)

It was. Marge understood, something like unknitting a complex quilt with little bomb triggers set to go off if you lost the thread. Soon, though, there remained only the simple binding spell connecting the pair, and both Tiana and Macore grew confident and more relaxed. They were almost done when suddenly a snakelike coil of pure energy leaped out and engulfed everyone in the room.

"We really blew that one," Tiana sang, in a lusty operatic soprano.

Macore and Marge both looked at her and then at each other.

"We have a real comedian here," Macore sang, in a low tenor that was slightly off-key.

"It sounds like grand opera," Marge sang to them.

Audra suddenly came through the door singing, "Would anyone like some wine—and cheese?.

"Oh, this is terrible, terrible, terrible!" Tiana sang.

The others chorused back, "Terrible, terrible, terrible!.

The spell's simple bands were still connecting them and clearly visible, and Tiana, putting a finger to her lips for silence, proceeded to unravel each of them in turn and roll the thing back to the two unconscious forms. It was not much of a spell as these traps went; more a thumbing of the nose at the one who sought to undo the Master's work.

Being careful not to make the same mistake twice, since a trap sprung more than once became more and 100 Page 77 Chalker, Jack L - Vengeance of the Dancing Gods VENGEANCE OF THE DANCING GODS more complex and, after a while, became impossible to unravel, she removed the last of the spell.

Macore let out a deep breath and turned to Audra. "I'll have that drink now, lass." He beamed. "Ah! No more singing!.

"I thought you had a lovely voice," the wood nymph told him.

Macore beamed. "We'll have to talk this over later, my dear. Business first." He turned back to Tiana. "Now we've still got that stupid potion to deal with..

She nodded, but, before she could say anything else, Marge put in, "The alchemist said that the sword might help, and that each should get an equal dose of the antidote..

"Let us try it," the big woman said. "Can you get the sword?.

"I can't touch it. You know that. Macore? It's next door in my cabin..

Macore nodded, smiled, and blew a kiss to Audra, then went out and was quickly back with the sword. It had begun to hum discordantly when Macore had picked it up, but now, in the room with Joe, it seemed to give off a small but pleasant electronic sort of whine. Tiana took it, placed it in Joe's hand, and closed his hand around the hilt. The sword began to hum a strange tune, which startled them. Marge frowned, then said, "I think it's something by Ferlin Husky..

"Huh?" Tiana asked her, looking confused.

"Don't worry about it. It knows it's home..

Macore looked at them. "Can we force that vile brew down them while they're out without choking them or losing it?.

"We will see. Bring it here," Tiana commanded. Audra exited and returned with the bottle, which was still smoking slightly. With Macore's help, they propped up Joe's upper torso enough to get his head only slightly leaned back. His mouth, fortunately, was somewhat open. Holding the head and mouth, Tiana poured just a little from JACK L. CHALKER 101 the bottle into his mouth and held it closed. Joe coughed, but didn't otherwise react.

The glow around his body diminished slightly.

It was a slow and somewhat messy business, using it bit by bit until the glow seemed to vanish completely. The rest they tried with Tura, whose mouth was closed and had to be pried open, but eventually it worked. It was, however, a good thing that Tiana was so big and strong Page 78 Chalker, Jack L - Vengeance of the Dancing Gods herself. Marge reflected.

At last, the potion was gone, and they stood back.

"Time now to wake them up." Tiana sighed, sounding tired. She removed her spell quickly, and they waited.

When nothing happened after a little while, the big woman said, in a loud voice, "Joe! Wake up!.

Joe's eyes opened, but they were vacant and staring.

It was the same with Tura. No matter what, they could get no reactions out of them at all.

"What's wrong with them?" Macore asked, irritably.

"Did we blow something or what?.

"I don't think so," Marge responded. "But, you see, I can feel and see emotions. They are tangible things to me. There's nothing there. No feeling at all..

"Joe—sit up in bed!" Tiana commanded, and the big man did as instructed, staring vacantly ahead.

"I was afraid of this," the big woman said hesitantly.

"When I saw the reactions, I knew. We have been wasting our time, my friends. Now we know what the Master of the Dead took away in those two little potion bottles..

"You mean—he took their essences? Their souls?.

Marge breathed, shocked.

Tiana nodded. "I fear so..

"But—they were animated lovers, playful innocents today!.

"It was the spell," Macore told her. "They were playful lovers, yes, but they were simpletons, too. It was a mask, an act, to deceive us while the Master made a clean getaway.

So much for Ruddygore's plotting. All we've got 102 VENGEANCE OF THE DANCING GODS here now are two animated corpses that will dance a jig if we tell 'em to but don't have a thought in their heads..

Marge threw up her hands in disgust. "Oh, great! Now what do we do?.

"We must track the bastard to his lair and reclaim them,.

Tiana said determinedly.

"Oh, sure," Macore agreed sarcastically. "That should be a snap..

CHAPTER 8 SOUL SURVIVORS All castle and fortification wells in disuse for more than three centuries are declared as homes for monsters.

Page 79 Chalker, Jack L - Vengeance of the Dancing Gods —Rules, LXXI, 207(c) A DETAILED MAP OF THE REGION AROUND THE TOWN WAS spread out on the galley table as they gathered around to try and figure out where their quarry might be. Macore was certain that this Master of the Dead had to have a base not far from the town itself, because the wizard was able to take some time to research the innkeeper and his personal life in order to get a hold on him; also the Master might have determined where they would stay, but would have no way of knowing what day or week they would set off on their journey. He also obviously had to have access to the local graveyards in order to pull his animated corpse routine, assuming it was, indeed, no illusion.

"I'd say south," Ely commented, looking at the map.

"And certainly on this side of the river. North of here are some rolling hills and plains that are good farm country JACK L. CHALKER 103 but not much on concealment. Old Harbottle has considerable power, and all the folks around here know and trust him, and he's seen no strangers with this kind of power. Now, look—about twenty miles south of here starts a swamp and marsh area that extends for the next sixty miles downriver and inland a good twenty-five..

"The Holimau Swamp," Macore said. "Everybody in these parts is scared stiff of it..

"Exactly," the captain agreed. "Makes it the perfect place to hide out if you've got real power and still want to be close enough to sneak into town, maybe transformed as a bird or animal as need be. I know the region pretty well. I have some relations from that part of the country..

It was the first time Marge realized just what kind of place somebody who resembled a giant bipedal rat would find most comfortable.

"Any ideas?" Tiana prompted him.

"Well, there are a lot of old structures and ancient ruins in there, mostly reclaimed by the swamp, but I'd guess he's using one of them. He's human, I think, and likes his comforts. He could have ravens or some other birds as his spotters, but he had to get into town from there, I'll bet, and fairly quickly. That limits it to just five possible spots where it's easy enough to get in and out quickly but far enough in to stay concealed. They'll have to be checked out, somehow, tomorrow, maybe by the eagles, if they're willing to do it..

Marge looked it over. "Why wait? Just mark the places on there. I can fly, and I have power and some advantage in the dark..

They all stared at her. Finally Tiana said, "All right— if you're certain. But be very cautious. He's bound to be expecting us sooner or later, and if he captures your soul, which is faerie in nature, your body will become nothing but stone, an ornament for his door, subject to damage, Page 80 Chalker, Jack L - Vengeance of the Dancing Gods wear, and breakage which would be permanent, even if you were sometime freed..

Marge's eyebrows rose. "I didn't know that—but I'll 104 VENGEANCE OF THE DANCING GODS be careful." And, with the marked map, she was off to the south.

Flying a thousand feet above the treetops and following the bends of the great river. Marge was struck, as always, by the great beauty of the night world.

Once over the swamp, she headed inland, descending and taking out the map, looking for whatever landmarks she could find and trying to judge distances from a height.

She found the first two—cold, forbidding places overgrown and almost invisible, if not looked for specifically —with little trouble, but quickly dismissed them as lost to everyone, even the Master of the Dead.

The swamp was alive, not only with plants but with a tremendous variety of animals and insects; but, while some seemed threatening and some downright scary, they really didn't bother her too much. Creatures of the night knew how to survive in the night.

The third place she did not find, in spite of being certain of her location. It had apparently been so reclaimed that it had ceased to exist. The fourth was in remarkably good repair, and gave off emanations of great power, but this power was not human nor was it faerie—it was something far stronger and older and, well, evil. Whatever it was, though, was wedded to the building and the swamp, and would not be likely to trouble itself with the affairs of their tiny ship, no matter what its mission.

The fifth, however, was another matter—an ancient keep of some kind, partially overgrown but showing signs of much recent activity. The short trails to and from it had clearly been recently cut and well maintained since, and it sat on a small island. The water there was quite shallow; far too shallow for the Hippogryph, but not too shallow to permit a small, flat-bottomed boat from being poled in and out to deeper water, where something better might await, hidden from sight. The boat—really nothing more than a raft—was there and securely tied to a tree.

The place itself was dark, but she sensed a fire some- JACK L. CHALKER 105 where within, and felt ^.presence there, a human presence but one not to be trifled with. It was also, oddly, somewhat familiar, but she couldn't place it, nor did she expect to.

There were other presences, too—but of a different sort.

The place was well guarded, both inside and out, by figures that appeared human from a distance but gave off no sense of warmth or life at all.

The dead guarded the Master of the Dead.

Page 81 Chalker, Jack L - Vengeance of the Dancing Gods He had been here some time, that was clear. How long it would be impossible for anyone but him to tell, but certainly it was long enough to have captured the souls of the newly dead and dying. She wondered how many of the family, friends and associates of those who lived in the region he had under his complete control.

How many were being blackmailed with the souls and corpses of their deceased loved ones.

This was a wizard with a hell of a skill, and it gave him increasing temporal power. As Ruddygore's skill in traveling between here and Earth gave him power and knowledge, so the ease with which the Master bottled up the souls of his victims gave him a different and darker, but no less powerful, domain.

It was, however, pretty boring company.

She swung back around and headed for the ship, after scouting the most likely approaches and methods of reaching the place. Without a raft, it would be a bitch getting into there, and if they got one from the town or built one, it would certainly telegraph everything.

She had been gone several hours, and it would be dawn in perhaps two more. She felt as if she'd already put in a good night.

She circled the ship, then landed on the afterdeck. It was oddly quiet, and she grew immediately suspicious.

Surely after all this, they would have posted a guard, she thought, and slept in shifts.

"Hello!" she called out. "Is anybody here?" She walked around to the bow and back again, seeing no one and finding no lights. Carefully, she opened the double-doors 106 JACK L. CHALKER 107 VENGEANCE OF THE DANCING GODS leading below and latched them open, so she could have some sort of getaway. She did not go all the way down, however, instead using her powers to sense what life there was.

Nothing. She registered no life below at all. That was particularly odd, since, even though both female and a fairy, she still should have gotten something from Audra, who could not leave the ship.

Suddenly the cabin doors slammed open and a host of horrible-looking creatures burst out. They were loathsome, grotesque versions of human beings, bodies with skin hanging and parts of skull and bone protruding, dressed in decaying rags. She quickly discovered, however, that zombies could move damned fast.