Dream a Little Dream Read Online Free PDF

with a shock that much of the day had passed, in what had seemed like half an hour.
    He was hungry, and the soup was very good. There was a certain magical ambience about it. The more of it he ate, the less repulsive the sorceress looked, and the more pleasant her words sounded. At another time he might have wondered about that.
    It was getting dark outside when their conversation dwindled, and Mich began to long for a good night’s rest. Madrid did insist that he spend the night, and after stuffing him full of soup, she left him to rest on the cushions.
    “I thought you would try to get me into your bed,” he remarked dazedly. She now looked young, slender and lovely.
    “You may never appreciate how great a sacrifice I am making for the good of Kafka,” she murmured sadly. “I must leave you chaste, lest your Creator be repulsed. But if there is ever another time, be assured I will show you this.” She opened her gown to reveal a truly stunning bosom.
    Truly stunned, Mich knew no more.
    In the morning, her beauty faded, Madrid told him how to reach the world of the Creators and the nonphysical source of the River ofThought. He had only to lie down in the shallows of the river and fall asleep.
    “That seems too easy,” he said.
    “Neither dreams nor reality care what is easy or hard,” she said. “Only what is appropriate. Remember that.”
    She took the cross off Spirit’s neck and wrapped it in a swatch of black silk and gave it to Mich. He tied it tightly to his belt so that it wouldn’t be lost.
    Then he called Heat from the stable. The unisus whinnied with excitement when he saw Spirit and galloped over. The two unisi reared in a mock fighting match. It was obvious that they were happy to see each other. Apparently Spirit had not checked the stable the day before.
    Mich turned to the sorceress. “Uh, thanks,” he said awkwardly. He had never been good at such social requirements.
    She grimaced. “I could think of a better way to express it than that. Don’t you at least owe me a kiss?”
    “I guess I do,” he agreed reluctantly. He knew she was making it possible for him to try to save Kafka, so he shouldn’t begrudge her that much in return.
    She spread her arms. “Then do it, you handsome hunk.”
    Mich nerved himself and took her in his arms. Her body was surprisingly supple. Suddenly she looked exactly as she had the night before, the most exquisite creature he could imagine. It turned out to be easy to kiss her.
    After a while she drew away. “I made myself an oath I wouldn’t vamp you, this time,” she murmured. “Go, before I forget it.” Her hand touched the décolletage of her robe as if barely restrained from ripping it open. “At least now you suspect what you’ve been missing.”
    He did indeed. He turned away, afraid that if he didn’t he would tear open that robe himself. She laughed, satisfied.

    Mich, Heat and Spirit flew back down the mountain. Snort was waiting for them and they trotted eastward toward the river, just as if there had been nothing special during the past day and night. Snort even had the grace not to sniff too obviously at the scent of the sorceress’s perfume, which clung to Mich.
    “Where did you go after you were rejected by the group, Spirit?” Mich asked.
    There was no response from the huge beast. He just kept pace with Heat and ignored any talk that was directed at him.
    “I wonder what’s up with that unisus,” Mich muttered. “Is he deaf?” he thought privately to Heat.
    I don’t know, his mind is closed, but I can feel that he has some hostility toward us. Perhaps he is just nervous about the journey.
    “I hope that’s it.” Mich decided he shouldn’t push the issue. Spirit might be dangerous. He didn’t try to talk to the black unisus again.
    Meanwhile their journey continued. He hoped that they would arrive at the river before nightfall. The dangers of the night were worse than the dangers of the day.

Nola had just finished her