Dancers at the End of Time Read Online Free PDF Page B

almost bound to happen. Sensation piled on sensation but rooted in nothing, no proper artistic conception," said Jherek maliciously. "It is what I've always said."
    "Oh, Jherek. Don't be unkind."
    "Well…" Jherek did feel ashamed of himself. He had been on the point of revelling in the Duke's appalling mistake. "Very well, Mistress Christia. You and I shall go and comfort him. Congratulate him, if you like, though I fear he won't believe in my sincerity." They got up.
    The Duke of Queens was taken aback by Lady Charlotina's question. He said vaguely:
    "Menagerie? Why, no…"
    "Then might I have him?"
    "Yes, yes, of course."
    "Thank you." Lady Charlotina gestured to the alien. "Will you come with me, please."
    The alien turned several of his eyes upon her. "But I must leave. My message. You are kind to, skree, skree, invite, skree, me. Howev (roar) er, I shall have to, skree, decline." He began to move towards his ship.
    Regretfully Lady Charlotina gestured with one hand and froze the alien while with the other hand she disseminated his spaceship.
    " Disgusting! "
    Jherek heard the voice behind him and turned, delightedly, to identify it. The person had spoken in the language of the 19th century. A woman stood there. She wore a tight-fitting grey jacket and a voluminous grey skirt which covered all but the toes of her black boots. Beneath the jacket could just be seen a white blouse with a small amount of lacework on the bodice. She had a straw, wide-brimmed hat upon her heavily coiled chestnut hair and an expression of outrage on her pretty, heart-shaped face. A time-traveller, without doubt. Jherek grinned with pleasure.
    "Oh!" he exclaimed. "An ancient!"
    She ignored him, calling out to Lady Charlotina (who, of course, did not understand 19th century speech at all): " Let the poor creature go! Though he is neither human nor Christian, he is still one of God's creatures and has a right to his liberty! "
    Jherek was speechless with delight as he watched the time-traveller stride forward, the heavy skirts swinging. Mistress Christia raised her eyebrows. "What is she saying, Jherek?"
    "She must be new," he said. "She has yet to take a translation pill. She seems to want the little alien for herself. I don't understand every word, of course." He shook his head in admiration as the time-traveller laid a small hand upon Lady Charlotina's shoulder. Lady Charlotina turned in surprise.
    Jherek and Mistress Christia approached the pair. The Duke of Queens peered down from the dais looking first at them and then at the frozen space creature without any understanding at all.
    " What you have done you can undo, degenerate soul ," said the time-traveller to the bewildered Lady Charlotina.
    "She's speaking 19th century — one of many dialects," explained Jherek, proud of his knowledge.
    Lady Charlotina inspected the grey-clad woman. "Does she want to make love to me? I suppose I will, if…"
    Jherek shook his head. "No. I think she wants your alien. Or, perhaps, she doesn't want you to have it. I'll speak to her. Just a moment." He turned and smiled at the ancient.
    " Good evening, Fraülein. I parle the yazhak. Nây m-sdi pâ ," said Jherek.
    She did not appear to be reassured. But now she stared at him in equal astonishment.
    " The Fraülein this ," said Jherek indicating Lady Charlotina, who listened with mild interest, " is pense que t'a make love to elle ." He was about to continue and point out that he knew that this was not the case when the time-traveller transferred her attention to him altogether and delivered a heavy smack on his cheek. This baffled him. He had no knowledge of the custom or, indeed, how to respond to it.
    "I think," he said to Lady Charlotina regretfully, "that we ought to give her a pill before we go any further."
    " Disgusting! " said the time-traveller again. " I shall seek someone in authority. This must be stopped. I'm beginning to believe I've had the misfortune to find myself in a colony of lunatics!