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SIGNOFCHAOSTHEAMBERCHRONICLES-BOOKEIGHTRogerZelaznyCHAPTER1Ifeltvaguelyuneasy,thoughIcouldn’tsaywhy.ItdidnotseemallthatunusualtobedrinkingwithaWhiteRabbit,ashortguywhoresembledBertrandRussell,agrinningCat,andmyoldfriendLukeRaynard,whowassingingIrishballadswhileapeculiarlandscapeshiftedfrommuraltorealityathisback.Well,IwasimpressedbythehugeblueCaterpillarsmokingthehookahatopthegiantmushroombecauseIknowhowharditistokeepawaterpipelit.Still,thatwasn’tit.Itwasaconvivialscene,andLukewasknowntokeepprettystrangecompanyonoccasion.SowhyshouldIfeeluneasy?Thebeerwasgoodandtherewasevenafreelunch.Thedemonstormentingthered-hairedwomantiedtothestakehadbeensoshinythey’dhurttolookat.Gonenow,butthewholethinghad,been beautiful.Everythingwasbeautiful.WhenLukesangofGalwayBayithadbeensosparklingandlovelythatI’dwantedtodiveinandlosemyselfthere.Sad,too.Somethingtodowiththefeeling...Yes.Funnythought.WhenLukesangasadsongIfeltmelancholy.WhenitwasahappyoneIwasgreatlycheered.Thereseemedanunusualamountof empathyintheair.Nomatter,Iguess.Thelightshowwassuperb...IsippedmydrinkandwatchedHumptyteeter,thereattheendofthebar.ForamomentItriedtorememberwhenI’dcomeintothisplace,butthatcylinderwasn’thitting.Itwouldcometome,eventually.Niceparty...Iwatchedandlistensandtastedandfelt,anditwasallgreat.Anythingthatcaughtmyattentionwasfascinating.WastheresomethingI’dwantedtoaskLuke?Itseemedtherewas,buthewasbusysingingandIcouldn’tthinkofitnow,anyway.WhathadIbeendoingbeforeI’dcomeintothisplace?Tryingtorecalljustdidn’tseemworththeefforteither.Notwheneverythingwassointerestingrighthereandnow.Itseemedthatitmighthavebeensomethingimportant,though.CouldthatbewhyIfeltuneasy?MightitbetherewasbusinessIhadleftunfinishedandshouldbegettingbackto?IturnedtoasktheCatbuthewasfadingagain,stillseemingvastlyamused.ItoccurredtomethenthatI,too,coulddothat.Fade,Imean;andgosomeplaceelse.WasthathowIhadcomehereandhowImightdepart?Possibly.Iputdownmydrinkandrubbedmyeyesandmytemples.Thingsseemedtobeswimminginsidemyhead,too.Isuddenlyrecalledapictureofme.Onagiantcard.ATrump.Yes.ThatwashowI’dgottenhere.Throughthecard...AhandfelluponmyshoulderandIturned.ItbelongedtoLuke,whogrinnedatmeasheedgedupto
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thebarforarefill.“Greatparty,huh?”hesaid.“Yeah,great.How’dyoufindthisplace?”Iaskedhim.Heshrugged.“Iforget.Whocares?”Hefumedaway,abriefblizzardofcrystalsswirlingbetweenus.TheCaterpillarexhaledapurplecloud.Abluemoonwasrising.Whatiswrongwiththispicture?Iaskedmyself.Ihadasuddenfeelingthatmycriticalfacultyhadbeenshotoffinthewar,becauseIcouldn’tfocusontheanomaliesIfeltmustbepresent.IknewthatIwascaughtupinthemoment,butIcouldn’tseemywayclear.Iwascaughtup...Iwascaught...How?Well...IthadallstartedwhenI’dshakenmyownhand.No.Wrong.ThatsoundslikeZenandthat’snothowitwas.ThehandIshookemergedfromthespaceoccupied bytheimageofmyselfonthecardthatwentaway.Yes,thatwasit...Afterafashion.Iclenchedmyteeth.Themusicbeganagain.Therecameasoftscrapingsoundneartomyhandonthebar.WhenIlookedIsawthatmytankardhadbeenrefilled.MaybeI’dhadtoomuchalready.Maybethat’swhatkeptgettinginthewayofmythinking.Ifumedaway.Ilookedofftomyleft,pasttheplacewherethemuralonthewallbecamethereallandscape.Didthatmakemeapartofthemural?Iwonderedsuddenly.Nomatter.IfIcouldn’tthinkhere...Ibeganrunning...totheleft.Somethingaboutthisplacewasmessingwithmyhead,anditseemedimpossibletoconsidertheprocesswhileIwasapartofit.Ihadtogetawayinordertothinkstraight,todeterminewhatwasgoingon.Iwasacrossthebarandintothatinterfaceareawherethepaintedrocksandtreesbecamethree-dimensional.IpumpedmyarmsasIdugin.Iheadthewindwithoutfeelingit.Nothingthatlaybeforemeseemedanynearer.Iwasmoving,butLukebegansingingagain.Ihalted.Iturned,slowly,becauseitsoundedasifhewerestandingpracticallybesideme.Hewas.Iwasonlyafewpacesremovedfromthebar.Lukesmiledandkeptsinging.“What’sgoingon?”IaskedtheCaterpillar.“You’reloopedinLuke’sloop,”itreplied.“Comeagain?”Isaid.Itblewabluesmokering,sighedsoftly,andsaid,“Luke’slockedinaloopandyou’relostinthelyrics.‘That’sall.”“How’dithappen?”Iasked.“Ihavenoidea,”itreplied.
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“Uh,howdoesonegetunlooped?”“Couldn’ttellyouthateither.”IturnedtotheCat,whowascoalescingabouthisgrinonceagain.“Idon’tsupposeyou’dknow-“Ibegan.“IsawhimcomeinandIsawyoucomeinlater,”saidtheCat,smirking.“Andevenforthisplaceyourarrivalsweresomewhat...unusual-leadingmetoconcludethatatleastoneofyouisassociatedwithmagic.”Inodded.“Yourowncomingsandgoingsmightgiveonepause,”Iobserved.“Ikeepmypawstomyself,”hereplied.“WhichismorethanLukecansay.”“Whatdoyoumean?”“He’scaughtinacontagioustrap.”“Howdoesitwork?”Iasked.Buthewasgoneagain,andthistimethegrinwenttoo.Contagioustrap?ThatseemedtoindicatethattheproblemwasLuke’s,andthatIhadbeensuckedintoitinsomefashion.Thisfeltright,thoughitstillgavemenoideaastowhattheproblemwasor whatImightdoaboutit.Ireachedformytankard.IfIcouldn’tsolvemyproblem,Imightaswellenjoyit.AsItookaslowsipIbecameawareofastrangepairofpale,burningeyesgazingintomyown.Ihadn’tnoticedthem before,andthethingthatmadethemstrangewasthattheyoccupiedashadowycomerofthemuralacrosstheroomfromme;that,andthefactthattheyweremoving,driftingslowlytomyleft.Itwaskindoffascinating,whenIlostsightoftheeyesbutwasstillabletofollowwhateveritwasfromtheswayingofgrassesasitpassedintotheareatowardwhichIhadbeenheadedearlier.Andfar,far offtomyrightbeyondLuke-Inowdetectedaslimgentlemaninadarkjacket,paletteandbrushinhand,whowasslowlyextendingthemural.Itookanothersipandreturnedmyattentiontothe progressofwhateveritwasthathadmovedfromflatrealityto3-D.Agunmetalsnoutprotrudedfrombetweenarockandashrub;thepaleeyesblazedaboveit;bluesalivadrippedfromthedark muzzleandsteamedupontheground.Itwaseitherquiteshortorverycrouched,andIcouldn’tmakeupmymindwhetheritwastheentirecrowdofusthatitwasstudyingormeinparticular.IleanedtoonesideandcaughtHumptybythebeltorthenecktie,whicheveritwas,justashewasabouttoslumptotheside..“Excuseme,”Isaid.“Couldyoutellmewhatsortofcreaturethatis?”Ipointedjustasitemerged-many-legged,long-tailed,dark-scaled,undulating,andfast.Itsclawswerered,anditraiseditstailasitracedtowardus.Humpty’sblearyeyesmovedtowardmyown,driftedpast.“Iamnothere,sir,”hebegan,“toremedyyourzoologicalignor-MyGod!It’s-“
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Stormwind

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reply07 / 04 / 2009
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