and get ready to begin. We're almost there now..
She yawned, stretched, got up, and looked casually out the 34 THE RIVER OF DANCING GODS windows of the lounge. It was still dark right around them, but off in the distance day seemed to be slowly breaking.
Joe was already up and he nodded to her as she went back Page 28 Chalker, Jack L - The River of the Dancing Gods to the food table. It had changed somehow during the night and was now filled with pastries, cheese, crackers, brown bread, and condiments that made up a solid European-style breakfast.
The pitchers and flagons, she found, were filled with various kinds of fruit juices—and there was a large pot of coffee.
Suddenly conscious of her hunger, she started in.
"No eggs or sausage or nothin'," Joe grumped. "A man's got to have something solid in him to start a day..
Ruddygore laughed. "I'm afraid you'll have to get used to this sort of thing, both of you. Everything's a bit more primitive in Husaquahr, and without refrigeration your American-style breakfasts just aren't practical. I wouldn't complain too much, though. There are times when you'll wish you had a breakfast like this..
"I don't mind at all," Marge assured him. "I never was much for the breakfast stuff, anyway..
Ruddygore looked at her with a satisfied expression. "You seem a lot more chipper today," he noted.
She nodded and sipped at the coffee, which was strong and bitter, but still what she needed to complete the waking-up process. "I woke up and you're both still here. That's enough..
Joe wandered over to the windows and looked forward.
"Funny, I can see the dawn over there, but it's still dark as pitch right overhead..
"That's because it's never dawn on the Sea," the sorcerer told him. "What you're seeing is not dawn but the edge of the Sea of Dreams. You'll know we're out of it when we come into full light, although I've arranged for a bit of a fog. It wouldn't do to be seen putting in, you know..
Marge went over and looked out at the approaching sky.
"How long?.
"An hour, maybe less," the sorcerer replied. "It's actually quite close, but particularly in this area we're going against the current..
Joe scratched and stretched. "I could use a shower..
"Me, too," Marge seconded, feeling just how grubby she'd let herself become. It was the first time in a long time that she cared about it one way or the other.
35 JACK L. CHALKER "Sorry. No facilities on the boat," Ruddygore told them.
"You've seen the pitiful little Johns—and they're more modem than you'll likely see again. There's little for showering at the castle, either, I fear, but I'm sure I could arrange for a bath.
Just hold on until we get there..
Marge looked back out at the approaching division in the sky, then turned toward the sorcerer. "How long from when we land until we get to this castle of yours?" she asked him.
Page 29 Chalker, Jack L - The River of the Dancing Gods "I seem to remember last night you said it was way up near the source of this big river..
"Indeed it is," Ruddygore told her, "but that won't bother us. The Sea of Dreams contacts all points in all universes. We will land within walking distance of the castle, I assure you.
I could arrange even now for us to be met, but I think the walk will do us all good—and you'll get a look at the land." He turned and gestured toward the food table. "In the meantime, let us eat, drink, and be merry..
"Yeah, 'cause tomorrow we die," Joe responded grumpily.
Clearly he was very much out of his element and most uncomfortable about it.
"We've broken through!" Marge called to them, and both men came to join her at the window. The darkness was gone— totally gone, with no sign fore or aft that it had ever been.
They were now in a dense, white fog that obscured everything.
Somewhere up there, though, was a bright point of light that had to be a sun,
She yawned, stretched, got up, and looked casually out the 34 THE RIVER OF DANCING GODS windows of the lounge. It was still dark right around them, but off in the distance day seemed to be slowly breaking.
Joe was already up and he nodded to her as she went back Page 28 Chalker, Jack L - The River of the Dancing Gods to the food table. It had changed somehow during the night and was now filled with pastries, cheese, crackers, brown bread, and condiments that made up a solid European-style breakfast.
The pitchers and flagons, she found, were filled with various kinds of fruit juices—and there was a large pot of coffee.
Suddenly conscious of her hunger, she started in.
"No eggs or sausage or nothin'," Joe grumped. "A man's got to have something solid in him to start a day..
Ruddygore laughed. "I'm afraid you'll have to get used to this sort of thing, both of you. Everything's a bit more primitive in Husaquahr, and without refrigeration your American-style breakfasts just aren't practical. I wouldn't complain too much, though. There are times when you'll wish you had a breakfast like this..
"I don't mind at all," Marge assured him. "I never was much for the breakfast stuff, anyway..
Ruddygore looked at her with a satisfied expression. "You seem a lot more chipper today," he noted.
She nodded and sipped at the coffee, which was strong and bitter, but still what she needed to complete the waking-up process. "I woke up and you're both still here. That's enough..
Joe wandered over to the windows and looked forward.
"Funny, I can see the dawn over there, but it's still dark as pitch right overhead..
"That's because it's never dawn on the Sea," the sorcerer told him. "What you're seeing is not dawn but the edge of the Sea of Dreams. You'll know we're out of it when we come into full light, although I've arranged for a bit of a fog. It wouldn't do to be seen putting in, you know..
Marge went over and looked out at the approaching sky.
"How long?.
"An hour, maybe less," the sorcerer replied. "It's actually quite close, but particularly in this area we're going against the current..
Joe scratched and stretched. "I could use a shower..
"Me, too," Marge seconded, feeling just how grubby she'd let herself become. It was the first time in a long time that she cared about it one way or the other.
35 JACK L. CHALKER "Sorry. No facilities on the boat," Ruddygore told them.
"You've seen the pitiful little Johns—and they're more modem than you'll likely see again. There's little for showering at the castle, either, I fear, but I'm sure I could arrange for a bath.
Just hold on until we get there..
Marge looked back out at the approaching division in the sky, then turned toward the sorcerer. "How long from when we land until we get to this castle of yours?" she asked him.
Page 29 Chalker, Jack L - The River of the Dancing Gods "I seem to remember last night you said it was way up near the source of this big river..
"Indeed it is," Ruddygore told her, "but that won't bother us. The Sea of Dreams contacts all points in all universes. We will land within walking distance of the castle, I assure you.
I could arrange even now for us to be met, but I think the walk will do us all good—and you'll get a look at the land." He turned and gestured toward the food table. "In the meantime, let us eat, drink, and be merry..
"Yeah, 'cause tomorrow we die," Joe responded grumpily.
Clearly he was very much out of his element and most uncomfortable about it.
"We've broken through!" Marge called to them, and both men came to join her at the window. The darkness was gone— totally gone, with no sign fore or aft that it had ever been.
They were now in a dense, white fog that obscured everything.
Somewhere up there, though, was a bright point of light that had to be a sun,
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