Songs of the Dancing Gods

home. Hell, even the crooks had a code of honor here. In a way, it was the one thing about them that was superior to anybody he’d known back home. Finally, they did manage to give them a little extra money for some extra leftovers and an urn of wine; provisions for the journey north to the ferry.

The prefect house was like a small police station—very small, it turned out. The one guy on duty, sweltering in his threadbare but perfectly maintained fancy uniform, was pretty helpful. Yes, there was a ferry, about twelve miles north if you followed the river road. There were certainly others farther up, but even he hadn’t been farther than the first one and had certainly never ridden on it. No, he didn’t know where it went, but it was definitely somewhere in the Kingdom of Marquewood, since that was all the other shore, and it had to go somewhere worth going or they wouldn’t have a ferry there. He had a map of his own of High Pothique, or at least the coastal section, and all that showed was that they were farther south than they thought they were.

Admitting the point, Joe asked, “Any dangers or warnings about the route come down?”

“No, not close to here. There are reports of problems near the northern border, but you will not be going anywhere near that far. As for Marquewood, I cannot say. They say there’s lots of fairy folk along the river over there, and you never know about them. We haven’t had an incident along the route in either direction for a day or more’s ride in—well, since the War.”

“Suits us fine,” he told the prefect, and left. “He says it’s clear riding,” he told Tiana and the boy. “Let’s head ’em up and move ’em out.”

They set out right away, and soon left the town far behind.

“The way the sundial in the square back there pointed, I don’t think we’ve got much more than four hours more of sunlight, thanks to our late start,” Joe said to them. “I’m not too thrilled trying to take this river road at night, the way it twists and turns. I say we make what time we can, then camp and get an early start tomorrow. No telling how long a wait it’ll be to get on the boat.”

Every couple of miles along the road there was a small spur leading down to a flat, mossy area almost at the river. These in, fact were rest stops, so to speak, where you could use the river to relieve yourself, build a fire to cook and to eat, or make camp if you were caught short on the trail by sunset. Sunsets came very quickly in this pan of Husaquahr, and the nights tended to be very, very dark.

After their first pit stop, Tiana said, “No telling how much standing around we’ll have to do tomorrow, so I’m gonna run the distance today. Too much riding makes me stiff.”

“Well, we’re not in any real hurry, so don’t get too far ahead,” Joe warned her. “You never know who or what’s around on roads like this.”

“Don’t worry so much,” she scolded him. “If you’re that nervous, keep up with me!”

“Man! I’m tired just watchin’ her go!” Irv said bemusedly. “How can anybody get that way on lettuce and fruit salad?”

Joe laughed. “I don’t know. She was never like that before. She was like six-two or -three, two hundred and sixty pounds. You saw the statues. She was something of a fitness nut even then, though. Hell, I think she could’a lifted me.”

“She ain’t all that short now, for a girl.”

“Talking averages, no, five-six isn’t short, but it’s three-quarters of a foot shorter than she was. And, of course, the body’s totally different. It’s still her inside, though, and I’d trust her judgment most of the time, except when she’s dancing, anyway.”

Irving looked out at the broad river, more majestic-looking than ever, the distant green shore showing little detail. Suddenly he frowned, stared, and looked again. “There are girls-women—out there!”

Joe turned and looked, not seeing them at first, then finally catching what the boy had seen.

“Holy Hell! Did you see that?” Irv cried. “A big fish just jumped out and right on top of one of them!”

Joe laughed. “No, it only looked that way. Those aren’t women, they’re river mermaids. Contrary to the old legends, mermaids are mammals like us and breathe air. River mermaids mostly have that bluish cast to their bodies and light underbellies, kind of like dolphins. Ask your stepmother about mermaids sometime. She was one of the salt water kind once, in between then and now.”

Irving could just stare for a moment. “Jeez! Just when you start gettin’ used to this place, somethin’ like that pops up and hits you in the face! Mermaids! Wow! Uh— are there any mermen?”

“Not that I know of, but I couldn’t be dead certain on that. I think they mate with regular men, like you or me. They’re supposed to be able to hypnotize you or something so they’re irresistible. But they only have daughters and they’re always mermaids. Don’t get any bright romantic ideas at your age, though. They do it in the water, and it’s even odds the guy drowns in the end.”

Irving gulped. “Uh—thanks for the warnin’.”

“There’s all sorts of things that live out there in and beneath that river,” Joe told him. “A lot of ’em aren’t that pleasant, and even the ones that are might have little flaws like that. You run into any of the nonhuman races, never make the mistake of thinking that they’re just funny-looking people or people with odd abilities or powers. They’re not. They think different, live different, and have a whole different way of seeing things than we do, and most of ’em haven’t got a lot good to say or think about humans. Our people pretty much wiped out their people back on Earth, and they know it, and since death to them is final, they don’t ever want to give us much of a chance here.” There was little traffic on the river road; they passed only a few people going in the other direction, mostly men on horseback, looking as if they were heading home from someplace, and some folks with carts heading in with produce for the town they’d left. Each one reported seeing Tiana and that she was in good shape.

One fellow had come off the ferry. “Yeah, it’s decent,” he told them. “Pricey, though. The next crossing’s almost seventy miles north or fifty miles south and they know it. A Marquewood boat and fairy-run. That means only gold.” “A fairy ferry!” Irv laughed. “What kind?” “You wait and see, youngster,” the man responded. Joe ignored the exchange. “What’s the rate?” “Two gold apiece one way, three round trip. That’s with horse, of course. One and a half and two without, but I wouldn’t advise it. They charge plenty for horses on the other side, too, and it’s a long walk to anywhere else.”

Joe whistled. “We’re short, then.”

“There’s some brokers at the landing, but they’ll steal you blind,” the man warned. “Best if you can sell something ahead of time.”

“Any towns between here and there?”

“No, it’s only about an hour and a half ahead of you. No use hurrying there, though. They don’t run at night and they’re on their last trip of the day by now.”

“Where’s it go?”

“Daryia. Nice little town, but just inland is a main junction for most anyplace in Marquewood.”

“Huh. If it’s as costly as you say, and we’re this far down, I might be better going the extra two days’ distance north and taking the shorter run. I’ve taken that one before.”

“Wouldn’t recommend it,” he responded. “Not much government authority up in that area, and a lot of nasties lurking around. Still got those damned zombies about, you know.”

That got Joe’s attention fast. “Zombies? You mean the Master of the Dead is still going?”

“Sure. Where have you been? His advance stopped about six months ago, and he actually withdrew a bit, consolidating his gains, but he’s still powerful and nobody’s been able to take anything back yet. It’s a miracle he stopped his advance at all, but he’s sure to start up again sooner or later. Rumor has it he reached the limit of how many of the walking dead he could control or maybe how big an area of “em he could control. Sooner or later he’ll make a deal with some principalities or others and get what he needs, though, mark my words! I sure wouldn’t be going north right now!”

They pressed on, but Irving wanted to know the details.

“His name is Sugasto, and sooner or later I’ve got a score to settle with him,” Joe told the boy. “I met the dirty weasel on our first quest here. An oilier traitor I don’t think I’ve ever met. Even the old Dark Baron was a gentleman compared to this guy. Ruling over corpses is only one of his tricks, but a good one. Hard as hell to kill somebody who’s already dead. His other little trick of snatching your soul from your body and putting it in a jar is one reason why Tiana’s in the body she’s in and caused us all sorts of problems. That was a trick he even taught the Baron. If you get close to him, your soul will wind up in one of his wine cellars and he’ll be free to play games