Dhalgren

always go up and find you. Come on in,' this last over Kid's shoulder, accompanied by a gesture.

Kid looked back.'

The gateway crowded with silent, familiar faces.

'Come on,' Kid said.

Then they came.

Dragon Lady was among the first. 'This is something, huh?'

'Yeah.' Kid said. 'And this is just the trees.'

'Follow the driveway up,' Lansang instructed. He was, Kid saw, enjoying himself.

Lanya joined Kid; her gown blushed pink. As they walked together, robins-egg droplets grew into puddles which swelled to oceans.

'Am I doing this right?' Denny reached under his vest into his shirt pocket with a black and glittering arm.

Lanya looked down at herself. 'I think the other knob — the one on the front — is for color intensity. Leave it like this for now. We don't want to shoot it ail on the entrance.'

Floodlights between the huge pines lit the gravel and, after the night journey, made them squint.

'Here we are,' Madame Brown said, looking off between two trees where one light was not working. 'All safe and sound.'

Muriel walked close to her.

'Where's everybody likely to be?' Kid asked Lanya, whose dress dribbled a metallic green across her left breast.

'Out on the terrace gardens. Where we were that afternoon with Mr Newboy.'

Kid did not remember the driveway as this long. 'How come they have all this electricity?'

'When it's all working, they can get this whole grounds practically bright as day,' Lanya said.

They passed the last trees:

The house was bright as day against the night.

'Newboy said something about lanterns…'

'It doesnt all work inside,' Lanya said. 'There was one whole wing where there wasn't a socket functioning.' (Some dozens of men and women along the stone terrace turned to look.) 'But whenever Roger lights the whole place up like this, I get the feeling I'm watching some really banal Son et lumiere.'

The scorpions quieted as they saw the other guests.

Suit, shirt, and tie of different blues, one pushed from among them. Short blond hair, a serious expression, he was followed by two women — the older also in blue, hair rinsed the same shade as his shirt. The younger, in a floor-length brocade, looked unhappy.

Calkins, Kid thought starting forward. But anticipation had betrayed him: It was Captain Kamp.

'Kid—!' called out affably enough—'you got here. And these are your friends… I… um. Well, we've had a little…' Initial affability spent, Kamp looked confused. 'Now, Roger hasn't gotten back yet. He told us he might be late, and to tell you how sorry he was… He asked me and Thelma—' he nodded at the woman in brocade—'and Ernestine—' and at the woman in blue—'to say hello for him when you got here… um, since I'd met you—' his eyes kept moving to the people behind Kid—'to introduce you around and things. Now, Ernestine, this is the Kid. And this is Thelma…'

Ernestine, who seemed much less nervous than Kamp, said, 'I'm Ernestine Throckmorton. How wonderful to have all you young people here. Hi, love,' which was a special nod to Lanya, who grinned back. 'Now I think the only thing to do is plunge in and go over how everything is laid out. Why don't you all come with us and we'll show you where to get something to eat and drink? Come on, now.' She turned and motioned them up the steps onto the terrace.

As the other guests stepped back, staring, she went for the two nearest and brightest scorpions. 'And what are your names?'

'Nightmare,' Nightmare said rather like a question.

'And your friend?'

'Oh, yeah. I'm sorry. This here is Dragon Lady.'

'Very pleased to meet you both. You know, I've heard your names before; well, read them actually, in the paper. Really, I'm quite terrified.'

Kid glanced over.

Ernestine, who did not look terrified one bit, strolled by the staring (some smiled) guests, Nightmare on one arm, Dragon Lady on the other.

'Bill!' she cried out. (Bill was smiling.) 'Come here, dear.'

Bill, a tall, handsome man, perhaps thirty-eight, in a black turtleneck, a can of beer in one hand (the only guest there already, without a jacket), fell in beside them. 'Bill, this is Nightmare and Dragon Lady. You mentioned them in that article you did for Roger a little while ago. Now, have you ever met them?'

'I'm afraid I haven't.'

'Well, here they are.'

'Hello,' and 'Hello,' Nightmare and Dragon Lady said, just out of sync.

'I'm glad to meet you, but I'm not sure that you're glad to meet me after some of the things I said.'

'You wrote an article?' Nightmare asked. 'In the paper?'

'I didn't read no article,' Dragon Lady said.

'Probably all just as well, considering some of what I put down — here, we're all heading for the beer wagon down at the end—' Bill gestured with his can. 'I'm really surprised to meet you here with the Kid. I was under the impression that the various gangs — nests — kept at each other's throats.'

'Naw,' Nightmare said. 'Naw, it ain't like that…'

While Nightmare explained how it was, Kid looked over again. Bill had replaced Ernestine, who had drifted back to other scorpions: 'I'm Ernestine Throckmorton. And you're…?'

Lanya smiled and whispered: 'This is going to be work.' Concern underlay the smile.

'Huh?'

'Since Roger's not here. To get people mixing. I mean if he's got one, that's his single overwhelming talent. Ernestine's competent. I've seen her work before—'

'I guess you know her.'

'I recognize about five people here, I think. Thank God. Roger usually keeps a pretty inspired group. Ernestine can even be brilliant. Roger, however, has genius. And I'm afraid I was sort of counting on it this evening. Don't be mad if I abandon you for a little while. You can take care of yourself. Why don't you start by introducing me to the Captain?'

'Oh,' Kid said. 'Sure. I know him. Glass and I walked him up here one night.'

'Glass…' she considered, and her consideration made him pause till she nodded:

'Captain Kamp?' he had to say three times before the Captain turned. 'This is my friend, Lanya Colson.'

'Since everyone's talking to people they've read about in the papers,' Lanya said, 'I guess I can tell you that I've read about you.'

'Um…' The Captain smiled uncertainly.

'I spent some time here with Roger a little while ago,' Lanya said, which to Kid sounded pretty phony.

But the Captain's 'Oh?' was filled with relief.

She seemed to know what she was doing.

'Where has Roger gone? It's not like him to arrange something like this and then not be here.'

'Now I'm sure he'll be back,' the Captain said. 'I'm just sure. He had it all arranged with the lady in the kitchen—'

'Mrs Alt?'

'— yes. And she's really laid out a nice spread. I don't know where he went off to. I was sort of hoping he'd be back in time. Partying isn't really my strong point. And I didn't realize all of you people were going to come. Of course, Roger did say bring twenty or thirty friends, didn't he? But. Now. Well…'

The long terrace ended at a patio.

Two tables were set up on the stone flags.