wizard how the Dark Baron had lost the battle, both on the battlefield and in wizardly combat with Ruddygore, causing an uneasy stalemate. He told of the return of Tiana, the unmasking of Boquillas, the great turnabout that Ruddygore had played on the Baron and his demon ally, the great facedown, and how Hiccarph had been yanked back to Hell Page 32 Chalker, Jack L - Vengeance of the Dancing Gods while Boquillas had been stripped of his powers and eventually exiled to Earth after he helped defeat Kaladon and then tried to double-cross everyone.
Dacaro listened intently, but only when Macore had finished did he ask, "So who sends you now to this place, thief?.
"I am sent by Hell, by commandment of a demon whose name I know not..
"Very well, then. I am more than weary of the djinn.
What a poor, miserable rattrap of a place, inhabited only by magical creatures who can do nothing but magic yet to whom nothing is real without mortal wish! It was, however, an education in magic that might prove more than useful, so discharge your geas and command me and the Lamp..
"First, I wish that no wizard of Council rank, be they on the Council or not, shall be able to cross the Sea of Dreams to Earth until bidden to do so by name by a wizard of such rank on Earth..
"It is done," Dacaro intoned.
"I also wish that when you are human again you be transported to the presence ofEsmilio Boquillas on Earth, and be bound to his service, to materialize only when he is alone and unwatched, along with as much true gold as you can carry with you, stating the words 'Hutsut Ralston on the rillorah' when you are ready to go..
"Done!" Dacaro cried, and suddenly became solid flesh once again. Macore, looking as if he were awakening from 44 VENGEANCE OF THE DANCING GODS JACK L. CMALKER 45 some sort of sleep, faded into insubstantiality and found himself drawn to the Lamp and pulled into it. He knew no more, until Ruddygore called him out.
"I should have guessed as much." Ruddygore sighed.
"I do not understand why he didn't simply wish the Lamp over there if he had this much latitude," Poquah noted.
"No, he really couldn't. Neither Boquillas nor Dacaro can use the Lamp, and he knew we'd be able to trace it through the djinn, anyway. The Lamp was more danger than asset to him. For the same reason, he took no fairy gold, since its atomic weight and structure varies enough that it might not be accepted on Earth as real. However, the real gold he took will net him a rather large sum, I would say, sold judiciously. Also, thanks to some prior wishes and some strong limitations, the Lamp is of far less effectiveness there than here. It takes one of our world now to do much with it, and even then the Rules governing its use on Earth are extremely restrictive since the Compact limiting direct conflict between Heaven and Hell to mortal intermediaries..
Page 33 Chalker, Jack L - Vengeance of the Dancing Gods "But what can Boquillas be up to?" Poquah wondered.
"He has no power, and is, after all, on Earth..
"Yes. On Earth, thanks to my muddle-headed compassion.
On Earth, where Hell's real battles are waged, no holds barred. No, he has no power himself, but he has vast knowledge, perhaps nearly equal to my own, of magic and its usage—and now he has a sorcerer powerful enough to use that knowledge..
"Surely that will not avail him much on Earth! The Rules do not apply there!.
"Ah, but magic does work there, as you should know, my friend. It has simply been forgotten by most and disbelieved by the vast majority of people intelligent and dedicated enough to use it. And, you are right—there are no Rules there. I would never have sent Boquillas there if he had even a hair of his power, or if there were any formidable professional wizards still living and operating there. Now, though—he has found the way. And this time with Hell's full cooperation and blessing!.
He sighed. "And the
Dacaro listened intently, but only when Macore had finished did he ask, "So who sends you now to this place, thief?.
"I am sent by Hell, by commandment of a demon whose name I know not..
"Very well, then. I am more than weary of the djinn.
What a poor, miserable rattrap of a place, inhabited only by magical creatures who can do nothing but magic yet to whom nothing is real without mortal wish! It was, however, an education in magic that might prove more than useful, so discharge your geas and command me and the Lamp..
"First, I wish that no wizard of Council rank, be they on the Council or not, shall be able to cross the Sea of Dreams to Earth until bidden to do so by name by a wizard of such rank on Earth..
"It is done," Dacaro intoned.
"I also wish that when you are human again you be transported to the presence ofEsmilio Boquillas on Earth, and be bound to his service, to materialize only when he is alone and unwatched, along with as much true gold as you can carry with you, stating the words 'Hutsut Ralston on the rillorah' when you are ready to go..
"Done!" Dacaro cried, and suddenly became solid flesh once again. Macore, looking as if he were awakening from 44 VENGEANCE OF THE DANCING GODS JACK L. CMALKER 45 some sort of sleep, faded into insubstantiality and found himself drawn to the Lamp and pulled into it. He knew no more, until Ruddygore called him out.
"I should have guessed as much." Ruddygore sighed.
"I do not understand why he didn't simply wish the Lamp over there if he had this much latitude," Poquah noted.
"No, he really couldn't. Neither Boquillas nor Dacaro can use the Lamp, and he knew we'd be able to trace it through the djinn, anyway. The Lamp was more danger than asset to him. For the same reason, he took no fairy gold, since its atomic weight and structure varies enough that it might not be accepted on Earth as real. However, the real gold he took will net him a rather large sum, I would say, sold judiciously. Also, thanks to some prior wishes and some strong limitations, the Lamp is of far less effectiveness there than here. It takes one of our world now to do much with it, and even then the Rules governing its use on Earth are extremely restrictive since the Compact limiting direct conflict between Heaven and Hell to mortal intermediaries..
Page 33 Chalker, Jack L - Vengeance of the Dancing Gods "But what can Boquillas be up to?" Poquah wondered.
"He has no power, and is, after all, on Earth..
"Yes. On Earth, thanks to my muddle-headed compassion.
On Earth, where Hell's real battles are waged, no holds barred. No, he has no power himself, but he has vast knowledge, perhaps nearly equal to my own, of magic and its usage—and now he has a sorcerer powerful enough to use that knowledge..
"Surely that will not avail him much on Earth! The Rules do not apply there!.
"Ah, but magic does work there, as you should know, my friend. It has simply been forgotten by most and disbelieved by the vast majority of people intelligent and dedicated enough to use it. And, you are right—there are no Rules there. I would never have sent Boquillas there if he had even a hair of his power, or if there were any formidable professional wizards still living and operating there. Now, though—he has found the way. And this time with Hell's full cooperation and blessing!.
He sighed. "And the
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