Vengeance of the Dancing Gods (39 page)

He exited and the door closed with an unnerving finality.

He twisted slowly, his arms aching like hell, and all he could think was. Damn you, Poquah! Your cavalry better come in time! CHAPTER I 6 SPELLING OUT THE BIG BROADCAST And, as that Theban monster that proposed Her riddle, ana him who solved it not devoured; That once found out and solved, for grief and spite Cast herself headlong from th' Ismenian steep, So strook with dread and anguish fell the Fiend...

—Milton GIMLET ONLY SUCCEEDED IN HER MISSION BECAUSE Dacaro was paranoid enough that he wanted no one, not even Ministering Angels under his spell, to be in his small office when he worked. Being a wizard, no one had even bothered to investigate when occasional sounds of typing had issued from the office after he'd gone to eat. She was 268 VENGEANCE OF THE DANCING GODS pretty well satisfied; she just hoped she hadn't misspelled anything.

After completing that part, she was on her own in the big house. She didn't worry about the guards, since any pixie that could remain unnoticed in Brooklyn had no worry about being unnoticed here. She was aware that she alone held a real advantage; unless the other team was captured and had talked or had been asked the right questions, not a single one of the enemy even knew she existed.

It was late in the afternoon when she completed the task and was satisfied, though she moved on out to see Page 209 Chalker, Jack L - Vengeance of the Dancing Gods what else she could do. She was met almost immediately by the two marble statues newly placed in the hall, and she had no question in her mind, considering what Joe and Tiana had told her, that these were no artist's copies and that the team below had met with failure.

She checked in all the rooms up and down the hall, including those with the enforcement arms in them, and even the Baron's bedroom, but found no one else familiar until the last door, more a closet really. She almost skipped it, but slipped under the sill by flattening herself and found Father O'Grady inside. There were several whiskey bottles around, and the priest, stark naked, was sitting there looking forlorn in a comer.

Something seemed to attract his attention, though, and he looked up and saw her. His expression became instantly friendly and childlike. "If only you could hear me," she sighed.

"But, faith, I hear ye fine, little fairy," the priest responded in a whisper.

She was startled. Certainly he wasn't hearing on the usual level. The only thing she could figure was that this guy had real wizard's power—but only when he was drunk.

"Tell me what happened," she asked him.

"They caught us, that was all. They were layin' for us all the time. They aren't sure they can control their beas- JACK L. CHALKER 269 tie, y'see, and they wanted me to show 'em how. I drew it all but one small character. 'Tis a shame indeed..

"Listen—if I can get you out of here, do you think you could get down dere somehow and finish it?.

He thought a moment. "How? They've got their damnable security in every room and in every hall..

She thought a moment. "Dat's downstairs. Hey—listen.

Do ya t'ink you could shimmy down a long rope in your condition?.

He got up unsteadily. "To vanquish the foe I would shimmy 'til it hurt!.

She flew to the lock, then seemed to back her tiny rump into it. There was a little glow when she left, and he was croggled by the idea. "Pixie dust!" he breathed.

"Uh—it's your excrement ?.

She stood in midair and shrugged. "Dem fairy stories was for kids. What can I say about the real t'ing?.

He went over and tried the door. It slid open noiselessly and he peered cautiously outside. "Coast clear. Lead on!.

"Yeah, well, wait'U you see de dumbwaiter..

Page 210 Chalker, Jack L - Vengeance of the Dancing Gods "Almost sundown," Dacaro said. "It's a big night. In an hour and a half we'll own a little part of this world..

He and the Baron walked onto the porch and looked out at the grounds and the equipment. New temporary lighting had been installed just to flood the front porch, and over to their left sat the great satellite dish on its trailer, wires going to a separate truck trailer with the control room in it. The three cameras were in place, and being checked by their technicians, which were provided by the cable network. A thousand folding chairs were set out behind them on the lawn. Tonight those who attended would wear no yellow robes, but their finest and fanciest clothing, and look damned respectable, as did those within the house.

The night was atypically clear and relatively warm.

Dacaro, thanks to the Baron's computer, had arranged it that way.

270 VENGEANCE OF THE DANCING GODS A fancy lectern with a banner over it reading TRUE PATH CRUSADE was set up in front, and the microphone was in place and could be detached so Dacaro could walk out from behind it if necessary. Two boom mikes, out of camera frame, supplemented it, and all were tied together in the base of the lectern by a mass of switching and other electronic gear that almost filled it.

The Baron intended that he and the Baroness would watch the proceedings from chairs in the front row center of the audience; Dacaro had to carry the talkathon ball, of course. He would have assistance, but he'd be on as part of it for the entire time, and, by doing so, act as a carrier for the more subliminal but vitally more important spells being transmitted at the same time. Dacaro, or even himself in his prime, would have been incapable of broadcasting that steady level of power for more than a few minutes, but Dacaro merely had to be on. The power would come from below.

Boquillas took a moment to appreciate his own brilliance.

The sun would be down in a moment, and that would finally be the end of Joe. He had beaten them all, including Ruddygore's best, and he'd killed, imprisoned, or enslaved all those who had cost him dearly in the past.

This was indeed a night to remember.

Gimlet had gone ahead of the priest, who had a very tight fit and was also very tight. Moving the panel in the basement back just enough to get through, she looked over the place. As she expected, it was empty—no, it wasn't. Two of the Ministering Angels with their nasty rifles stood near a small door over to one side. She knew they would have to be taken out before the priest made it down this far.

She lowered her glow to the minimum and shot from the opening. In a flash, she was hovering over the two guards, one on each side of the door. They hadn't noticed her, obviously. Now, she flew back and forth over each in turn and a twinkling substance settled down and came Page 211 Chalker, Jack L - Vengeance of the Dancing Gods 271 JACK L. CHALKER to rest in each of the guard's hair. They did not seem to notice, but odd smiles suddenly crept out on their faces and they seemed to relax a bit. One giggled.

It was a bit noisier when the priest got down and pushed the door all the way back. He hardly made it, feet first, out of the opening, and only his condition kept him from feeling the pain.

He looked around, saw the two Angels, and froze.

They looked at him, started giggling uncontrollably, and began pointing and gesturing, but the last thing they seemed to want to do was shoot him.

He felt suddenly a bit insulted. "What's with them?.

"I peed on dem. Dey're pixilated, y'know. Forget 'em..

They both looked through the glass, which was darkly transparent from this side, and saw only the deserted entry point with the candles burning. The priest stared.

"They didn't even erase what I drew!" he said. "The Seal's intact!" He turned excitedly. "Quickly—find me a piece of chalk. Red's best, but any will do..

She went off and looked through Boquillas's office.

The pack they'd taken from the priest was still there, and she shed a tiny bit of her essence on it and it levitated out and followed her to the priest, who took it and smiled.

"I'll finish the Seal," he told her. "You go see if you can help some of the others..

Gimlet turned and looked at the hysterical guards. "I wonder what dey're guardin'?" she muttered, and flew to the door. One of the laughing and giggling guards obligingly opened it for her.

She flew immediately to Joe, knowing he could see but not hear her. He seemed happy to see her, or anybody, but puzzled. Suddenly, through his pain-wracked mind, he managed to say, "Stay with me! Sit on me if you have to! Sit on me until....

It was six thirty-three, and he suddenly found himself free and falling through the air, and barely had the presence of mind to pull up. The move was instinctive; he was now an exact twin of Gimlet, and had aU of her 272 VENGEANCE OF THE DANCING GODS instincts, drives, powers, and limitations. Everything but her accent.

"What's happening?" he asked her.

"Gee—dis is neat," Gimlet commented. "Been a long toime since I had a sister..

"Can the comedy—you know what happened, and thanks for arriving in time. Close, though." He sighed.

Page 212 Chalker, Jack L - Vengeance of the Dancing Gods "It's always so damned close..

"I freed da priest. He's drunk as a skunk but he's in dere now finishin' up da drawing or whatever." They quickly exchanged what information they had.

"I'd say let 'em go ahead with the show for now," he told her. "We can't do anything about it. Let's try and free any we can. I know where the souls of the fairies are kept—the Baron told me..

They used the dumbwaiter route up and out into the second floor. Thanks to Gimlet's room by room search earlier, she knew exactly where the bedroom was.

Joe looked around, enjoying how effortlessly gravity seemed not to exist for him. It was as easy to go at any speed in any direction as it was to walk it. The only trouble was, everything looked so huge.

The bottles were just sitting there on the mantel of the bedroom fireplace, but they were a good case in point.

He and Gimlet were both no more than four inches high— not more than half the height of the whiskey bottles. Both had corks in them apparently from old wine bottles, but Joe found himself able to stand comfortably on the cork.

"Can't we just uncork 'em here and hope for da best?.

Gimlet asked hopefully. "I mean, dey're fairy souls..

"They could still wander and never find their bodies,.

he replied. "Our best bet would be to uncork them next to the statues..

She sighed. "Well, I guess we can manage it, but after dis, we're both gonna be too pooped out to do any more..

He found out that she wasn't speaking metaphorically, either. Still, once the stuff was on the bottles—as opposed to the corks—Joe found he could lift his as if it were JACK L, CHALKER 273 attached to his tiny body by ropes. Even the empty bottles were terribly heavy, but barely manageable.

They had just gotten the bottles to the door when the Baroness walked in to the room. They both froze, the bottles as high as they could maintain them. Joe thanked Providence that they liked high ceilings at the turn of the century.

The lady of the manor was not alone, but was followed by two Ministering Angels, neither as yet out of their apparently normal household uniform of high boots, tassels, jewelry, and nothing else. Neither was armed, and they helped the Baroness undress and get newly fixed up, then brushed her hair and checked her makeup.

"Gimlet!" Joe whispered, although his voice, like hers, wasn't within the realm of normal human hearing. "One of them is Mahalo!.

Mahalo McMahon finished brushing the Baroness's hair.

Page 213 Chalker, Jack L - Vengeance of the Dancing Gods "Thank you, Mahalo," the lady of the manor said. "Tiana, bring me the Chanel from the cabinet over there..

"At once. Mistress," the other answered and went to get it.

Joe stared at the other woman. If that was where they'd put Tiana, they'd never chosen a more different body for her. The woman was small, almost petite, with one hell of an athletic body and small, firm breasts. She was tanned and had a playfully cute kind of face, set off by long, straight, light brown hair.

"I can't hold dis much longer," Gimlet noted. "Let's try'n sneak outta da room wit' dese t'ings before dey kill us. Dey're bewitched. We need the Imir..

She was right, of course. Slowly, carefully, and nervously, they each made their way down and out the door.

No one was in the hall, but there were the sounds of loud voices downstairs, perhaps a small crowd, and some other voices from rooms down the hall. This had to be fast.

"Which one's which?" Gimlet wanted to know. "Best we put dem next to each statue..

"No matter what, we'll probably get the wrong ones,.

274 JACK L. CHALKER 275 VENGEANCE OF THE DANCING GODS Joe muttered. "All we can do is trust to the luck that's got us this far." He wasn't sure about Marge, but he had a feeling that Poquah in a Kauri body would hardly be a thrilling love goddess.

They set their bottles down and, as Gimlet warned, neither had much reserve. The corks moved a bit, but wouldn't come all the way out. Each of them grabbed what they could and tugged.

Joe's came suddenly free with a force that almost knocked him down the stairs. Gimlet's came a few seconds later. Then they held their breaths. Both souls had gone into the bodies nearest them, but which was which.