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is to be, will jubilate when the banners of the Outworld come flying into the last of the cities and man is
made wholly alive. Now go with those who will teach you."
The Queen of Air and Darkness lifted an arm in summons. It halted, and none came to answer.
For over the fountains and melodies lifted a gruesome growling. Fires leaped, thunders crashed. Her
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hosts scattered screaming before the steel thing which boomed up the mountainside. The pooks were
gone in a whirl of frightened wings. The nicors flung their bodies against the unalive invader and were
consumed, until their Mother cried to them to retreat.
Barbro cast Jimmy down and herself over him. Towers wavered and smoked away. The mountain
stood bare under icy moons, save for rocks, crags,. and farther off a glacier in whose depths the auroral
light pulsed blue. A cave mouth darkened a cliff. Thither folk streamed, seeking refuge underground.
Some were human of blood, some grotesques like the pooks and nicors and wraiths; but most were lean,
scaly, long-tailed, long-beaked, not remotely men or Outlings.
For an instant, even as Jimmy wailed at her breast-perhaps as much because the enchantment had
been wrecked as because he was afraid-Barbro pitied the Queen who stood alone in her nakedness.
Then that one also had fled, and Barbro's world shiver ered apart.
The guns fell silent; the vehicle whirred to a halt. From it sprang a boy who called wildly,
"Shadow-of-a-Dream, where are you? It's me, Mistherd. Oh, come, come!" -- before he remembered
that the language they had been raised in was not man's. He shouted in that until a girl crept out of a
thicket where she had hidden. They stared at each other through dust, smoke and moonglow. She ran to
him.
A new voice barked from the car, "Barbro, hurry!"
Christmas Landing knew day: short at this time of year, but sunlight, blue skies, white clouds,
glittering water, salt breezes in busy streets, and the sane disorder of Eric Sherrinford's living room.
He crossed and uncrossed his legs where he sat, puffed on his pipe as if to make a veil, and said,
"Are you certain you're recovered? You mustn't risk overstrain."
"I'm fine," Barbro Cullen replied, though her tone was flat. "Still tired, yes, and showing it, no doubt.
One doesn't go through such an experience and bounce back in a week. But I'm up and about. And to
be frank, I must know what's happened, what's going on, before I can settle down to regain my full
strength. Not a word of news anywhere."
"Have you spoken to others about the matter?"
"No. I've simply told visitors I was too exhausted to talk. Not much of a lie. I assumed there's a
reason for censorship."
Sherrinford looked relieved. "Good girl. It's at my urging. You can imagine the sensation when this is
made public. The authorities agreed they need time to study the facts, think and debate in a calm
atmosphere, have a decent policy ready to offer voters who're bound to become rather hvsterical at
first." His mouth quirked slightly upward. "Furthermore, your nerves and Jimmy's get their chance to heal
before the journalistic storm breaks over you. How is he?"
-- "Quite well. He continues pestering me for leave to go play with
his friends in the Wonderful Place. But at his age, he'll recover -- he'll forget."
"He may meet them later anyhow."
"What? We didn't -- " Barbro shifted in her chair. "I've forgotten too. I hardly recall a thing from our
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last hours. Did you bring back any kidnapped humans?"
"No. The shock was savage as it was, without throwing them straight into an...an institution.
Mistherd, who's basically a sensible young fellow, assured me they'd get along, at any rate as regards
survival necessities, till arrangements can be made." Sherrinford hesitated. "I'm not sure what the
arrangements will be. Nobody is, at our present stage. But obviously they include those people-or many
of them, especially those who aren't full -- grown -rejoining the human race. Though they may never feel
at home in civilization. Perhaps in a way that's best, since we will need some kind of mutually acceptable
liaison with the Dwellers."
His impersonality soothed them both. Barbro became able to say, "Was I too big a fool? I do
remember how I yowled and beat my head on the floor."
"Why, no." He considered the big woman and her pride for a few seconds before he rose, walked
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