the same as it had been. It was
real, it was hers, it was even totally comprehensible, but somehow
it just didn't matter so much any more. The dark times
that had formed her were there, all right, but the good times,
38
DEMONS OF THE DANCING GODS
JACK L. CHALKER
39
the happy times, the fun times stood out. She could reach out
and touch any of those dark spots at any time, but, left alone,
it was the good times, the fun times, the innocent times that
seemed somehow forward, filling in the empty spaces.
The goddess of the Kauri had in fact been truthful, honest,
and correct. Marge understood now, understood the nature of
the Kauri and the reason for it. She had recaptured it, with the
goddess' help—that essence of childhood that adults could
fondly and wistfully remember but never really reexperience,
except vicariously through watching their own children. She
realized, with a tremendous surge of excitement, that she had
indeed buried the horrors of her past, even though she was still
and would always be shaped by them. She was new, reborn,
free...
Free!
She burst out of the top of the volcano and flew up, up into
the night, with a feeling of incredible energy and joy. She
spread out her arms and let her wings catch the air currents
she could easily see. Not even thinking about what she was
doing, or how,-she did whirls and flips and laughed and giggled
at everything like a drunken flyer on a real tear. The world
looked subtly different, and very, very beautiful, with every
single object, every single substance, in clear focus as far as
she could see; yet, unlike her earlier experience, it was also a
riot of colors. She began to shift through all the levels she
could see, and the world changed dramatically each time.
The colors, the rainbow of colors—why, the whole world
was magic! She saw below, above, all around, the world of
faerie, and it was more beautiful than she could have ever
dreamed.
And now others were joining her, playing, looping around
in the air. She knew them without having to think at all; her
sisters, the Kauri, each radiating a subtly different magical
pattern and emotional register. They greeted her, welcomed
Page 31
Chalker, Jack L - Demons of the Dancing Gods
her, by drawing from her the tremendous feelings she was
having, and they played, chased, showed off, and generally
had a really good time themselves.
They soared together beneath the stars, protected in the glow
of the Earth Mother's radiant embrace, skimming the treetops,
then rising upward, ever upward, until the whole magical land
was spread out before and beneath them. With no cares, no
worries, they soared like superchildren, everything new, everything
a wonder.
She saw the treasures of the Kauri and plucked a beautiful,
gem-encrusted tiara out of the pile and crowned herself queen
of the air; others scrambled for even grander headwear and
challenged her reign, laughing and giggling all the while, flittering
about and snatching crowns, tiaras, and all sorts of other
regal stuff from one another. There were forty or fifty queens
crowned that night, all self-anointed—and the same number
dethroned by playful, giggling subjects with ambitions of their
own.
There were toys and games and maddening puzzles, and all
sorts of fun things. And never once was there hatred, malice,
anger, or fear.
They plucked ripe fruits from trees and bushes and ate them,
often throwing them at one another, and walked on the waters
of a deep volcanic lake without sinking in. And they were all
queens of this mystical, magical, happy place.
When the sun came up, turning the land a new set of colors,
they went to the trees, high up and far beyond any grounddwelling
things, and settled into happy, dreaming sleep. For
Marge, it was a sleep filled with the happy experiences of
childhood and the best and deepest sleep she had had in many
long years.
The next night was more of the same. There was
real, it was hers, it was even totally comprehensible, but somehow
it just didn't matter so much any more. The dark times
that had formed her were there, all right, but the good times,
38
DEMONS OF THE DANCING GODS
JACK L. CHALKER
39
the happy times, the fun times stood out. She could reach out
and touch any of those dark spots at any time, but, left alone,
it was the good times, the fun times, the innocent times that
seemed somehow forward, filling in the empty spaces.
The goddess of the Kauri had in fact been truthful, honest,
and correct. Marge understood now, understood the nature of
the Kauri and the reason for it. She had recaptured it, with the
goddess' help—that essence of childhood that adults could
fondly and wistfully remember but never really reexperience,
except vicariously through watching their own children. She
realized, with a tremendous surge of excitement, that she had
indeed buried the horrors of her past, even though she was still
and would always be shaped by them. She was new, reborn,
free...
Free!
She burst out of the top of the volcano and flew up, up into
the night, with a feeling of incredible energy and joy. She
spread out her arms and let her wings catch the air currents
she could easily see. Not even thinking about what she was
doing, or how,-she did whirls and flips and laughed and giggled
at everything like a drunken flyer on a real tear. The world
looked subtly different, and very, very beautiful, with every
single object, every single substance, in clear focus as far as
she could see; yet, unlike her earlier experience, it was also a
riot of colors. She began to shift through all the levels she
could see, and the world changed dramatically each time.
The colors, the rainbow of colors—why, the whole world
was magic! She saw below, above, all around, the world of
faerie, and it was more beautiful than she could have ever
dreamed.
And now others were joining her, playing, looping around
in the air. She knew them without having to think at all; her
sisters, the Kauri, each radiating a subtly different magical
pattern and emotional register. They greeted her, welcomed
Page 31
Chalker, Jack L - Demons of the Dancing Gods
her, by drawing from her the tremendous feelings she was
having, and they played, chased, showed off, and generally
had a really good time themselves.
They soared together beneath the stars, protected in the glow
of the Earth Mother's radiant embrace, skimming the treetops,
then rising upward, ever upward, until the whole magical land
was spread out before and beneath them. With no cares, no
worries, they soared like superchildren, everything new, everything
a wonder.
She saw the treasures of the Kauri and plucked a beautiful,
gem-encrusted tiara out of the pile and crowned herself queen
of the air; others scrambled for even grander headwear and
challenged her reign, laughing and giggling all the while, flittering
about and snatching crowns, tiaras, and all sorts of other
regal stuff from one another. There were forty or fifty queens
crowned that night, all self-anointed—and the same number
dethroned by playful, giggling subjects with ambitions of their
own.
There were toys and games and maddening puzzles, and all
sorts of fun things. And never once was there hatred, malice,
anger, or fear.
They plucked ripe fruits from trees and bushes and ate them,
often throwing them at one another, and walked on the waters
of a deep volcanic lake without sinking in. And they were all
queens of this mystical, magical, happy place.
When the sun came up, turning the land a new set of colors,
they went to the trees, high up and far beyond any grounddwelling
things, and settled into happy, dreaming sleep. For
Marge, it was a sleep filled with the happy experiences of
childhood and the best and deepest sleep she had had in many
long years.
The next night was more of the same. There was
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