Public-domain ebook
In the Sphere of Time
by Ray Palmer
Language: en389 downloads on Project Gutenberg
Subjects
In: Science-Fiction & Fantasy·Adventure
Public-domain ebook sourced from Project Gutenberg #64723.
The opening · free to read
The raft nosed around into a broad channel that curved lazily into a cavernous maw in the cliff. The walls and roof glowed with a soft light and the choraling of Toka's name came clear and stronger. Toka let the raft drift.
"The river is certainly slow enough in there," Roya mused.
"We could pole our way out easily enough," Elees reflected.
Old Ledo looked at these impetuous ones. "We could not come back another time--when Sandcliff would know where we were going!"
"But what can happen?" Rok protested. "We've got our battle-axes--even Elees and Roya have theirs!"
Old Ledo's unimpressed glance went to mid-raft. There were three great black battle-axes and two smaller ones.
In that instant Toka weighed the pro and con. "We'll go in a little way."
Roya and Elees swiftly placed each man's battle-ax handy then balanced easily in mid-raft with their own light weapons. The lazy current guiding the raft, the men shipped their poles.
Roya suddenly pointed over the side of the raft. "Look! glowing fish--in all colors!"
"But how vicious looking!" Elees exclaimed.
Roya reached into the party's food basket. "I'll toss them a porkchop!"
The chop plopped into the river. The water churned violently--and calmed. The fish had devoured the chop almost instantly! The river was swarming with the vicious creatures now. And the raft was moving faster than the river--a school of the fish adhering to the craft and driving it!
As Toka swiftly used the sweep, Rok and Old Ledo thrust their poles as brakes. But the water roiled violently and in instants the fish shredded sweep and poles off at the water line. Above the party's heads the choraling slowly rose in volume. As the raft rounded a huge bend, Toka felt his nerves tighten.
The luminous cavern and its river straightened and flowed between colossal green pillars set close together from wall to wall and from roof down into the river. The raft was only twenty paces from the colossal grill and being driven inexorably toward it. The choraling of Toka's name came through even clearer....
"Look!" Roya exclaimed.
Rising silently, the massive columns hung from the roof like green fangs. The fish drove the raft on, and the columns descended with a watery whisper. The cavern widened. From the right bank, fields and forests stretched away. On the left bank was a city of spheroid structure. Massed along the banks and bridges, the choralers were human, their green attire but scantily adequate, their titian hair worn in a loop between the shoulders.
The raft scraped gently against a wharf and Toka led his party ashore. As the patriarchal dignitaries stepped forward, Toka noted another universal characteristic--all these strange people had pale silvery eyes.
But Roya was startled by something else. "Toka! Those figurines on their necklaces are perfect likenesses of you!"
The oldest patriarch was reverent. "Yes, fair Roya. All Kosanna wears Great Prince Toka's divine likeness."
Toka glanced a warning to his startled comrades--_accept this situation and play along_.
"Great Prince Toka," the patriarch bid. "Your palanquins await your divine pleasure."
Toka lounged into the one bearing his likeness on its sides. Roya and the others occupied the rest. The procession wound through the city, into a great square packed with choraling Kosannans and toward a colossal statue that was Toka, even to his royally engraved weapons!
On the great white altar base black braziers were being lit by beautiful girls. As the procession came beside the altar, a girl with a jeweled wand stepped down to march on the right side of Toka's palanquin. The way led on across the square and to a great white-and-gold stairway that rose away to an immense domed palace. All choraling abruptly ceased and the bearers gently lowered the palanquins. Toka and party stepped out.
The old patriarch assumed a ceremonial pose. "O Great Prince Toka. No farther may we lowly ones travel." He bowed to the girl with the wand. "May you and the Princess Wanda now ascend to your divinely ordained tasks."
Aware of Roya's sarcastically raised eyebrow, Toka played on. "Lead up, good Princess Wanda."
Halfway up the long stairway, Rok frowned. "What gets me--"
A great gong throbbed urgently.
Wanda whirled. "O great Prince Toka! Your first test is at hand!" She raced away for the distant summit of the stairway.
In moments the square and city below were deserted. Toka and the men formed a V around Roya and Elees.
"What's that flapping sound?" Roya puzzled.
Toka trained his eyes on that distant cavern into which the river vanished after passing Kosanna. And from that black hole shot six huge dragons! Mottled a pale yellow and green and equipped with great wings, their sinuous lengths tapered to a series of blue rattles. Their triangular skulls were set with unwinking pink eyes. From their upper jaws great yellow fangs curved down to vicious pin-points.
As the dragons streaked for his party, Toka's powerful being sang for action and his great battle-ax was a whistling blur. His voice was cool. "Take their fangs first!"
The dragons' huge rattles began vibrating angrily. One dragon shot on for the top of the stairway. Hissing viciously, the remaining ones ganged in for Toka and company.
Toka's battle-ax cracked true and sent fangs spinning away. Clear venom dripping from the stumps, the dragon instantly recoiled in violent pain. But another came streaking in. Again Toka's battle-ax shot true in that one-two cracking and a second victim convulsed violently and collided with the angry others. All five were a wild melee over the square.
A scream slashed through the din. Toka glanced. Blue tail coiled about Wanda, the sixth dragon was winging away.
"Here they come again!" Rok warned.
Having untangled themselves, the five unburdened dragons were tearing back to the attack.
Toka's command was cool and taut. "Serve it straight!"
His whistling battle-ax struck between a set of those blazing eyes and tore through in a bloody shower. In violent death throes, the monster was piling onto the stairway. But another was hurtling in. Again Toka's vicious battle-ax tore home and another dragon was piling down.
A slimy scaliness whipped around Toka's legs. His battle-ax butchered huge coils but others replaced them with crushing power and great wings pounded him.
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