The River of Dancing Gods Read Online Free PDF Page B
Author: Jack L. Chalker
her hand. "Guess not," Joe replied dubiously. As Ruddygore led the way, first she and then the trucker followed, still more than a little uncertain of it all.
Page 18 Chalker, Jack L - The River of the Dancing Gods Even stepping onto the ribbed metal of the car deck, they both felt an air of dreamy unreality about the whole thing, as if they were in the midst of some wondrous dreaming drug or, perhaps, comatose and in some fantasy world of the mind.
Still, both looked in at the cavernous car deck—and saw nothing.
Nothing at all. It was totally and completely dark in there, with not even the other end of the boat showing.
Ruddygore led them to the right stairway and saw them peering into the dark. "I wouldn't be too anxious to see in there," he cautioned them. "The ones who row this ship are best not seen by mortal human beings, I assure you.- Come.
Climb up to the lounge with me and relax, and I will try to answer your questions as best I can..
Hesitantly, they both followed him, still glancing occasionally at the total dark that masked whoever or whatever could manage oars that had to weigh a ton or more each.
It was quickly obvious that they were the only passengers, and the lounge, as Ruddygore had called it, was deserted— but they had obviously been expected. A number of wooden chairs and benches were around, looking a bit shopworn but not too bad; in the rear, around the stack and its housing, was a large buffet table filled with cold platters and pitchers of something or other.
"Just take what you want whenever you feel hungry," the sorcerer told them. "The red jugs are a fair rose, the yellow a decent if slightly warm ale. Use any of the flagons you see— they're public..
The engines suddenly speeded up, and there was the faint but definite sensation of moving, moving back out into the dark. But moving where? And on what sea.
"What are we floating on—desert?" the woman asked.
Ruddygore cut himself a hunk of cheese, poured some wine, 23 JACK L. CHALKER tore off a large chunk of bread, then sat down in a chair that creaked under his great weight and settled back.
"We are heading across the Sea of Dreams," he told them between large bites and swallowed.
Joe decided he might as well eat, too, and followed Ruddygore's lead, except for taking some sliced meat as well and the ale rather than wine. "I never heard of a Sea of Dreams," he noted. "And it sure ain't in Texas..
Ruddygore chuckled, "No, Joe, it sure ain't. And yet, in a way, it is very close to Texas—and everyplace else, for that Page 19 Chalker, Jack L - The River of the Dancing Gods matter. It is the element that connects the universes. It isn't anywhere, really, except—well, between..
The woman wandered out onto the deck for a moment and stared down at the inky blackness. There was the strong feeling of movement; wind blew her hair, wind with an unaccustomed chill in it, but there was no sound of water, no smell of sea or brine.
She shivered in the cold and came back in to join the others.
"That sea—is that water?.
Ruddygore reloaded with meat and half a loaf of bread and settled back. "Oh, no. But it has the consistency of water and the surface properties of water, so you treat it that way. In truth, I couldn't begin to explain to you what it actually is..
He thought a moment. "The best way to give you at least a sense of it is to provide you with a little background..
Both passengers settled down. "Shoot," Joe invited him.
"Go back to the beginning. I mean the real beginning. The explosion that created your universe and mine. Where was the Creator before He created the universes?.
Joe shrugged. "Heaven?.
"But he created the heavens and the earth, also," Ruddygore reminded them. "Well, I'll tell you where He was. Here. And when He created your universe. He also created all the natural laws, the rules by which it all operates, and He
Page 18 Chalker, Jack L - The River of the Dancing Gods Even stepping onto the ribbed metal of the car deck, they both felt an air of dreamy unreality about the whole thing, as if they were in the midst of some wondrous dreaming drug or, perhaps, comatose and in some fantasy world of the mind.
Still, both looked in at the cavernous car deck—and saw nothing.
Nothing at all. It was totally and completely dark in there, with not even the other end of the boat showing.
Ruddygore led them to the right stairway and saw them peering into the dark. "I wouldn't be too anxious to see in there," he cautioned them. "The ones who row this ship are best not seen by mortal human beings, I assure you.- Come.
Climb up to the lounge with me and relax, and I will try to answer your questions as best I can..
Hesitantly, they both followed him, still glancing occasionally at the total dark that masked whoever or whatever could manage oars that had to weigh a ton or more each.
It was quickly obvious that they were the only passengers, and the lounge, as Ruddygore had called it, was deserted— but they had obviously been expected. A number of wooden chairs and benches were around, looking a bit shopworn but not too bad; in the rear, around the stack and its housing, was a large buffet table filled with cold platters and pitchers of something or other.
"Just take what you want whenever you feel hungry," the sorcerer told them. "The red jugs are a fair rose, the yellow a decent if slightly warm ale. Use any of the flagons you see— they're public..
The engines suddenly speeded up, and there was the faint but definite sensation of moving, moving back out into the dark. But moving where? And on what sea.
"What are we floating on—desert?" the woman asked.
Ruddygore cut himself a hunk of cheese, poured some wine, 23 JACK L. CHALKER tore off a large chunk of bread, then sat down in a chair that creaked under his great weight and settled back.
"We are heading across the Sea of Dreams," he told them between large bites and swallowed.
Joe decided he might as well eat, too, and followed Ruddygore's lead, except for taking some sliced meat as well and the ale rather than wine. "I never heard of a Sea of Dreams," he noted. "And it sure ain't in Texas..
Ruddygore chuckled, "No, Joe, it sure ain't. And yet, in a way, it is very close to Texas—and everyplace else, for that Page 19 Chalker, Jack L - The River of the Dancing Gods matter. It is the element that connects the universes. It isn't anywhere, really, except—well, between..
The woman wandered out onto the deck for a moment and stared down at the inky blackness. There was the strong feeling of movement; wind blew her hair, wind with an unaccustomed chill in it, but there was no sound of water, no smell of sea or brine.
She shivered in the cold and came back in to join the others.
"That sea—is that water?.
Ruddygore reloaded with meat and half a loaf of bread and settled back. "Oh, no. But it has the consistency of water and the surface properties of water, so you treat it that way. In truth, I couldn't begin to explain to you what it actually is..
He thought a moment. "The best way to give you at least a sense of it is to provide you with a little background..
Both passengers settled down. "Shoot," Joe invited him.
"Go back to the beginning. I mean the real beginning. The explosion that created your universe and mine. Where was the Creator before He created the universes?.
Joe shrugged. "Heaven?.
"But he created the heavens and the earth, also," Ruddygore reminded them. "Well, I'll tell you where He was. Here. And when He created your universe. He also created all the natural laws, the rules by which it all operates, and He
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