Read The River of Dancing Gods for Free Online Page B
Authors: Jack L. Chalker
hear the groanings of grommets larger than they as the massive oars were seized, freed, and dipped in unison down into the Sea of Dreams.
Below them, on that dark and mysterious car deck now began a deep, hollow sound, rhythmic and somewhat intrusive.
It sounded like some giant drummer beating a slow tempo on some great kettledrum. It was all around them, yet not quite pervasive enough to drown out conversation.
"I know what that is," Joe said. "I saw Ben Hur nine times.
They're rowing to the beat..
Ruddygore nodded. "That's exactly what they're doing. And they'll speed up when they can and maintain it for a long while..
"Just who are—they?" Marge asked apprehensively, thinking of the size of the boat and those oars.
"Monsters," Ruddygore replied casually, getting more cheese. "Real ones. Lost balls, you might say. One-of-a-kinds that didn't make it in either your universe or mine. Once evil and all defeated, they had no real choice. They row the boat, or they are cast adrift in the Sea of Dreams, unable to swim to any shore, even in dock. Oh, don't look so shocked. All of them deserve what they got, and all are volunteers, in a sense.
I offered them a chance to row or sink, and they all chose to row. They are comfortable and reasonably kept and they are all now doing something constructive rather than the terrible things they did to destroy, way back in the past..
Marge shivered a little, suddenly even more aware of the beat of the great drum, and tried not to think of what might be beating it. She got up and went back over to the doorway, looking out at the darkness once more.
"Hey! There's something out there!" she called to them. Joe and Ruddygore walked over and joined her. The sorcerer slid back the door and walked out onto the deck. The other two followed.
The creak and groan of the great oars below was noticeable, but with their present better speed and rhythm, they and the drumming could be more or less tuned out. The breeze was still cool. Ruddygore stood at the rail a moment, staring off into the gloom and listening above the sound of the rowing and creak of the ship. "Just what did you see?" he asked her.
28 JACK L. CHALKER 29 Page 23 Chalker, Jack L - The River of the Dancing Gods THE RIVER OF DANCING GODS She shook her head in puzzlement. "I—I'm not really sure.
Some large shapes and odd lights..
"You're liable to see just about anything out there if you stare long enough," the sorcerer told them. "All that was is drawn back to the Sea, and all that will be is formed and dispatched from it. Only what is is elsewhere..
In the night, after a while, they all could see what Marge had seen and more. Shapes, some familiar, some unfamiliar.
Skylines and odd buildings, then at another time what looked like the fully deployed three masts of some great sailing ship, although the ship itself could not be seen. There were sounds, too—vague, low, yet omnipresent. The sounds of millions of voices talking together far off in some void; the sounds of great machines, of explosions, of building and destroying, all merged into a vague whole. For a while they were caught in its eerie spell, but finally Joe asked, "How long until we get to— wherever it is we're going?.
"A few hours," Ruddygore told him. "You might want to stretch out on one of the benches and catch some sleep—both of you. You've had quite a time so far this night..
"Maybe I will," Joe responded, scratching and yawning a bit.
Marge just shook her head. "No way for me. I'm afraid if I go to sleep I'm going to wake up on the outskirts of El Paso..
Ruddygore chuckled. "I understand your worry, but it won't happen, I assure you. Once we cast off from your world, you were committed irrevocably and forever. Only a few from my side may travel back and forth at will. For those like you, it is a one-way trip..
Joe did stretch out and after a while was snoring
Below them, on that dark and mysterious car deck now began a deep, hollow sound, rhythmic and somewhat intrusive.
It sounded like some giant drummer beating a slow tempo on some great kettledrum. It was all around them, yet not quite pervasive enough to drown out conversation.
"I know what that is," Joe said. "I saw Ben Hur nine times.
They're rowing to the beat..
Ruddygore nodded. "That's exactly what they're doing. And they'll speed up when they can and maintain it for a long while..
"Just who are—they?" Marge asked apprehensively, thinking of the size of the boat and those oars.
"Monsters," Ruddygore replied casually, getting more cheese. "Real ones. Lost balls, you might say. One-of-a-kinds that didn't make it in either your universe or mine. Once evil and all defeated, they had no real choice. They row the boat, or they are cast adrift in the Sea of Dreams, unable to swim to any shore, even in dock. Oh, don't look so shocked. All of them deserve what they got, and all are volunteers, in a sense.
I offered them a chance to row or sink, and they all chose to row. They are comfortable and reasonably kept and they are all now doing something constructive rather than the terrible things they did to destroy, way back in the past..
Marge shivered a little, suddenly even more aware of the beat of the great drum, and tried not to think of what might be beating it. She got up and went back over to the doorway, looking out at the darkness once more.
"Hey! There's something out there!" she called to them. Joe and Ruddygore walked over and joined her. The sorcerer slid back the door and walked out onto the deck. The other two followed.
The creak and groan of the great oars below was noticeable, but with their present better speed and rhythm, they and the drumming could be more or less tuned out. The breeze was still cool. Ruddygore stood at the rail a moment, staring off into the gloom and listening above the sound of the rowing and creak of the ship. "Just what did you see?" he asked her.
28 JACK L. CHALKER 29 Page 23 Chalker, Jack L - The River of the Dancing Gods THE RIVER OF DANCING GODS She shook her head in puzzlement. "I—I'm not really sure.
Some large shapes and odd lights..
"You're liable to see just about anything out there if you stare long enough," the sorcerer told them. "All that was is drawn back to the Sea, and all that will be is formed and dispatched from it. Only what is is elsewhere..
In the night, after a while, they all could see what Marge had seen and more. Shapes, some familiar, some unfamiliar.
Skylines and odd buildings, then at another time what looked like the fully deployed three masts of some great sailing ship, although the ship itself could not be seen. There were sounds, too—vague, low, yet omnipresent. The sounds of millions of voices talking together far off in some void; the sounds of great machines, of explosions, of building and destroying, all merged into a vague whole. For a while they were caught in its eerie spell, but finally Joe asked, "How long until we get to— wherever it is we're going?.
"A few hours," Ruddygore told him. "You might want to stretch out on one of the benches and catch some sleep—both of you. You've had quite a time so far this night..
"Maybe I will," Joe responded, scratching and yawning a bit.
Marge just shook her head. "No way for me. I'm afraid if I go to sleep I'm going to wake up on the outskirts of El Paso..
Ruddygore chuckled. "I understand your worry, but it won't happen, I assure you. Once we cast off from your world, you were committed irrevocably and forever. Only a few from my side may travel back and forth at will. For those like you, it is a one-way trip..
Joe did stretch out and after a while was snoring
Similar Books
Dominant Species
Guy Pettengell
Making His Move
Rhyannon Byrd
Janus' Conquest
Dawn Ryder
The Eyeball Collector
F E Higgins
1 Hot Scheming Mess
Lucy Carol
Spurt
Chris Miles
An Italian Wife
Ann Hood
Ship of Dreams (Dreams Come True Series Book 2)
Rebecca Heflin
