Vengeance of the Dancing Gods (2 page)

The demon nodded. "All right. What else?.

"That is it," the thief told the creature. "That is all I Page 5 Chalker, Jack L - Vengeance of the Dancing Gods want from you..

The demon sounded slightly disappointed. "Nothing more? Great wealth may I bestow upon you. I could make you irresistible to women of any sort. I could give you immunity from all spells, or give you many of the powers now reserved for wizards who must suffer to gain what I offer..

"Suffer now or suffer later," Macore responded. "That is of no concern to me." He admitted to himself that the sex appeal was quite tempting, but he had never really 8 VENGEANCE OF THE DANCING GODS had much trouble in that direction. "I have all the wealth I need—I steal for the sport of it. Women and I get along quite well without demonic spells. I have great protections against much of the spells of this world, and I have enough magic to get along. No, I'll seek the price for what I asked and no more..

"You are hardly in a position to bargain," the demon pointed out.

"Nor are you," the thief responded confidently. "I know enough of the laws of magic to know that one such as you has but one door into the world, and your door is obviously that gem. Were I to die here, that gem might well be lost in this wilderness for generations, perhaps forever. You would then have no outlet to relieve your own tedious existence in Hell. My passing over to your plane is not nearly as terrifying to me as your being cut off over there is to you, and I know this. Now, quote me fairly..

The demon spat. "Bah! Ones like you are pains in the ass! However, I'll quote you fairly. You actually desire three things, then. You wish to survive and again take up your life. You wish to elude your pursuers. And you wish it straight, with no tricks or loopholes. Very well. For your miserable life, you must agree to give this stone at the first opportunity to one who can and will make use of it. Agreed?.

"That is simple enough. Agreed..

"For security against the priests and their followers, you must accept a mark that I will place upon you, so that all of Hell shall know that you have dealt with me and will recognize you at once..

He was a bit nervous at that. A demon "mark" could be anything from a small scar or birthmark to something quite extreme and quite hideous. "I will not agree unless I know the nature of the mark..

The demon didn't like that. "The priests will know your identity and they will hunt you down eventually. I promise Page 6 Chalker, Jack L - Vengeance of the Dancing Gods JACK L. CMALKER 9 only no physical deformity or infirmity. Take it or leave it..

He sighed, knowing that he'd gotten as much out of the demon as he could expect, and knowing, too, that the demon was right. He had struck at the core of the priests' cozy racket and stolen the base of their power. They would never rest until they got him, unless called off by supernatural means more powerful than any in Husaquahr.

"All right—agreed..

"Finally, you can see the potential for traps and loopholes in the first two agreements. I could turn you into one of the faerie, an unpleasant sort of one, or make you a lover of other men, or perhaps a plain woman, or thousands of other possibilities. To gain it gently and without loopholes, I require that you freely accept a geas from me, one which you will not know but will be compelled to carry out." "I must know the nature of that geas, demon," the thief told him. "I would rather you changed me into a monster than perhaps to kill a friend..

"Admirable. However, you must understand that any geas of which you have knowledge will be readable by wizards, and that is unacceptable. No, even this much will be taken from you if you accept. I will go this far.

The geas is a single task, it involves no one's death or in fact even harm to anyone, friend or stranger, nor will it in any way alter the social, political, or military fabric of Husaquahr as it stands. The consequences do not, in fact, really affect Husaquahr at all. There is risk to the task, but none that you are not up to facing..

"You wish me to steal something, then..

"Sort of. The task is that, although you do not actually have to steal the object, you must reach it. That is all I can tell you, for anything more might render the geas useless..

"It does not sound too bad. Will I know at some point what the geas was?.

"You will know—when it is done..

10 VENGEANCE OF THE DANCING GODS JACK L. CHALKER 11 "Then I will accept..

"Done!" cried the demon.

Macore was slightly disappointed. "No blood contract.

No terrible oaths?.

"Don't be ridiculous. We save that sort of stuff for the psychos and fanatics. Your word is bond, as is mine. I return now to my dwelling place and expect to find at Page 7 Chalker, Jack L - Vengeance of the Dancing Gods least one new sucker very soon, as per our agreement..

"But—our bargain! How will I survive the wastes in this storm? And what mark have you placed upon me?.

The demon chuckled, not only at the question but at the fact that Macore had already had all memory of the third bargain and geas wiped from his mind. "As for the first," it said, "the storm has already abated, and the town of Locantz is but a half-hour's gentle ride in the slush.

You will be able to see the lights of it when I leave. Just head for them. As for the second—no shadow or reflection shall you cast, no matter how polished the mirror or bright the light. That should actually come in handy to one like you. I will take my leave now..

Macore felt more than a little relieved, but he was a bit suspicious. "Now that the bargain is done, can you tell me, before you leave, Sir Demon, if that town was there at the start of this business?.

"Of course it was. Fun's fun, after all...." And with that, it vanished, and a sudden cold blast of air hit him.

He had been perspiring from Hell's heat—not that Hell was actually flames, but there was some strong reaction, some sort of friction, created when one from the netherworld projected into this—and now it seemed to turn into tiny icicles as he stood there. He erased the pentagram and picked up the gem, which was still quite warm to the touch, and placed it back in his pouch, then climbed quickly back upon his horse and looked around, finding the lights of the town in a moment. He kicked his mount forward, anxious to reach an inn and a warm fire.

No shadow and no reflection. Not a bad mark, as these things went, and, as the demon said, possibly quite useful.

He'd have to find some convenient explanation for it, though, as it was going to be a bit obvious to his friends.

A curse, perhaps, for stealing the gem in the first place.

That sounded right. Considering what the demon could have done, it seemed a small price to pay. Perhaps in the town just ahead he could fulfill his end of the bargain and get rid of the damned stone. He certainly wanted no more of it or Squatty Bigmouth, either. He had had enough adventure to last awhile, he told himself. Perhaps it was time to take a little time off and see some of those old friends again.

Terindell, he thought longingly. / shall visit the great old wizard at Terindell. He suddenly very much longed to see the place, although he hadn't given it a thought in over five years. He did not, however, wonder why.

CHAPTER 2 THE TROUBLE WITH GODHOOD Barbarians may make effective monarchs, but will be unable to reconcile their civilised duties with their inner natures.

—Rules, VI, 257(a) THE TWO WOMEN COULDN'T HAVE BEEN MORE DIFFERENT Page 8 Chalker, Jack L - Vengeance of the Dancing Gods in appearance. One was small, dark, and incredibly voluptuous, almost in a state of undress, more of her body covered by her long brown hair than her clothing; the other was tall, chunky, with short hair and a stem face, dressed in leather jerkin, trousers, and slick black boots.

The contrast was only accentuated by the fact that the one in leather had a toad on her head.

12 VENGEANCE OF THE DANCING GODS "Oh, Djonne!" the looker wailed. "Things just haven't been the same in Raven's Lair since little Alee fell into the giant dough mixer while competing in the Grand Husaquahrian Bake-Off!.

"I know, dear," the tall one in leather consoled. "Just think of my poor Hanar here, turned into a toad just because he left out one little teensy clause in his contract with the demon!.

"Hmph\ You think you have problems? I mean, if Alee had just stayed dead instead of returning as a spirit to this house, that might have made it bearable! Now, though— it's dough, dough, dough, all over the place. You can't sit or walk without stepping in it; and, if you manage for any length of time, she throws it at you. It's gooey and sticky and hell to get out of pile carpeting!.

"Not to mention those creepy cannibals stalking the place," the one with the toad responded.

"Wark.1" croaked the toad perched atop her head.

"Oh, don't you worry, dahling Hanar," the big woman consoled it. "They've only eaten humans so far. You're safe as long as you remain a toad..

The small pretty woman sighed. "Yes. They were reformed cannibals who had been strict vegetarians for years, but they liked the taste of poor Alee so much while judging the contest that they can't rest until they've sampled the rest of the family!.

"It was silly to enter the bread after the—ah, accident,.

Djonne told her friend. "I mean—it was that which turned them on..

"But what were we to do? Without the money from the Bake-Off we would have lost the house, the toadstool groves—everything that makes life worth living! And we won, too! If only Master Gwelfin can duplicate the taste, without having to throw people into the mixing batters, we'll be richer than any in the land!" She paused. "Perhaps it wasn't Alee after all. Perhaps it was the forty-dayold dried mermaid's scales.....

13 Page 9 Chalker, Jack L - Vengeance of the Dancing Gods JACK L. CHALKER "Oh, enough of this, Moosha!" Djonne cried. "What's done is done!.

"You know they say I pushed her in! Always coming around, asking questions! They say that's why Alee's come back with her abominable doughballs!.

"I know, I know. It's true the top rung of the ladder over the vat was sawed almost through, but I know you weren't the one..

The pretty Moosha stopped and stared. "You do.

Why?.

"Because during the only time when the rung could have been sawed through, I know you were making it with your brother Mischa. I—saw you..

"You were peeking into windows again?" Moosha was aghast.

"It's a hobby. Besides, I know you were only trying to console your brother because of his curse..

That sobered Moosha. "Yes, yes! That was it! How horrible to have to go through life with a curse like that.

You see, someone started to play music outside, and the only way to save him was to involve him so much that he could not hear it..

"Compulsive tap dancing is a horrible thing," Djonne agreed.

"Particularly when there were taps in the room but no shoes!" Moosha responded. "Think of the pain\ Besides— it was safe. I knew even then that I was pregnant!.

"What! But—who? You're so chaste that the twoheaded dragon went after you a few months ago!" Djonne paused. "Oh, my! It's not....

"Yes—he caught me. We've been having an affair ever since. Little did I guess that I had enough fairy blood in me to make something else happen!" She sighed. "Bowser has been so jealous..

"Your dogT "No, silly—my horse..

"Will it be a dragon or a human?.

"Who can say? Oh, Djonne! I'm so alone and afraid! 14 VENGEANCE OF THE DANCING GODS Haunted, stalked by cannibals, pregnant by a dragon! To whom can I turn?.

Page 10 Chalker, Jack L - Vengeance of the Dancing Gods Djonne got up, came over, and hugged her. "Moosha, I made a sacred oath when Hanar got turned into a toad that I would love no other man and I have kept that oath.

But you I love, my darling Moosha, and I always have loved you..

They embraced and kissed. At that moment there was the sound of smashing glass. The couple broke and stared into the darkness in panic.

"It's them\ The cannibals! They've found me at last! Oh, what will we do?" Moosha cried.

"There's no way out!" the other told her. "We must make our stand here for better or worse!.

"Oh, Djonne!.

"Oh, Moosha!.

"Work!" said the toad.

All went dark. There was sudden, stunned silence.

And then the audience rose to its feet and clapped and cheered so loudly and so long that it seemed like the very theater would collapse.

High in the royal box, two giant figures, looking like massive statues, sat and watched impassively. Both were easily ten feet tall and as white as the purest marble, with matching white hair and white robes. Now and then, though, the curious onlooker could see one or another of the pair stir and know that indeed these were great statues come to life. One was a woman of tremendous proportions and radiant, idealized beauty; the other was a man with the face of a stem yet achingly handsome man and the body of all men's dreams.

They stood suddenly. As the cast came out for their final bows and stared at the great figures in awe, the entire theater fell silent. Then the goddess gave a smile of favor and a nod to the company, and the audience gave an audible sigh of pleasure and relief. As the two gods turned and left the box, the roaring cheers started again.