[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

simply.
Boquillas smiled. "Of course it is. And you will be very, very helpful to me.
You see, as our palace slave, in reality the role you were handed by
Ruddygore's fiction, compelled to obedience, you will be my closest advisor
and critic. With you advising me, dressing me, prompting me, there will be no
question in anyone's mind that I am the one and only original Tiana. And after
I am in control and beyond threat, you will continue to be there to serve me
and do whatever I command, living life at its lowest while watching me live
yours."
"So you plan to be the one in Tiana's body," Joe said.
She nodded. "Of course. I can't be you, since I'd lose what powers I have
regained, and, as I said, I rather like being this way. In fact, I shall be
sad to leave this body for the more, ah, statuesque proportions of Tiana, but
we can't have everything, can we?"
"I see. And what about me?"
She gave that wicked Boquillas smile once more. "But that's so simple, Joey
baby! It's the most delicious part of all of it! We'll just slip little old
you back into that marvelous body you had, whose statues don't do you justice,
and you'll be right there, unimpeachable, convincing, truly returned,
reinforcing my own image, with your great sword living as absolute proof that
it's you. You'll leave the decisions to me, of course, but you mostly did that
when you were reigning with her anyway."
"You bastard! What makes you think I'll do anything of the sort?"
"Oh, Joey baby! As a man who was just taken in by the simplest little old
spell in Creation, you really don't think you have a choice, do you? If old
Ruddypuss can convince you that this girl is not Tiana, how much simpler will
it be to build a scenario in your mind that I am? And you'll be much too
lovesick to do more than forgive and accept whatever I decide to do. Why, you
have to create love potions and charms just to get into Witchcraft 101.
Besides, if all else
file:///F|/rah/Jack%20L.%20Chalker/Chalker,%...%204%20-%20Songs%20of%20the%20D
ancing%20.txt (172 of 202) [1/19/03 4:33:56 PM]
file:///F|/rah/Jack%20L.%20Chalker/Chalker,%20Jack%20L%20-%20The%20Dancing%20G
ods%204%20-%20Songs%20of%20the%20Dancing%20.txt fails, there's always your son
to hold you, isn't there? There are all sorts of possibilities with the boy!"
He knew at once that Boquillas was right and that they'd all been had, even
Ruddygore. Boquillas had understood that in the critical first week they
Page 162
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
returned unannounced, they'd be under a microscope by politicians, courtiers,
and top-ranked sorcerers. Sugasto couldn't exactly be around in the nearest
closet to bail her out; with her powers still limited, she would at that point
be as vulnerable as he would be. After consolidating power, though, and
gathering it in, she'd be able progressively to eliminate anyone who might
challenge, and Sugasto would take most of Husaquahr without even firing a
shot.
Now that was a thought!
"You mean you'll spend all the time in the great palace as a puppet, doing
what
Sugasto wants," he noted. "You have changed, Boquillas. This plot is up to
your usual standards, but it's all so you can become somebody else's stooge."
She waved a hand, and many of the yellow bands of magic flowed back into her.
He could move again but not toward her. He could not touch her or make a move
in her direction.
"Come over to the window. Yes, that's it. Come here and look out and tell me
what you see."
He went to the window and looked. Just beyond the tower were other gardens,
and, beyond them, the ice pack, and in the distance . . .
"The Devastation," he said.
She nodded. "I think you understand some of it now, or you wouldn't have been
able to cross it. A brilliant stoke, by the way, that I admit I didn't
anticipate. You forget that I have the old bodies with many of your patterns.
The moment you set foot on this ground, a standing spell informed me that you
had arrived."
"Yeah. So?"
She pointed a slender arm decked with jewels out at the far-off phenomenon.
"They're still there, you know. The battle in full cry. Not just the souls,
everything, perfectly preserved. Now, what do you think would happen if this
volcano we're sitting on, a complementary phenomenon to the Devastation you
might have guessed, went off? The flow would only reach the edges of the
Devastation in most spots, but imagine the heat that would be given off and
the whole frozen valley would warm in proportion. On this world, it would be
like the loosing of thousands of hydrogen bombs would be on Earth; An evil
that even
Hell fears would be loosed once more upon this world."
"Is that what you want? Still trying to bring about the final war between good
and evil?''
"Oh, darling, of course not! Not anymore. I've outgrown that, as I told you!
But if it's not me, then it's them. Sugasto is so conventional, you see.
Power-crazed, yes, but his vision is so boring. You see, there is one way to
restore all my powers. Only one way. The entire Council, which now includes
dear
Suggy, would have to reverse their combined spells. Even though not really on
it anymore, it would require Ruddygore as well. With my powers" back, in that
situation, I would be both temporal and spiritual ruler. My powers would be [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]