Lin Carter - Gondwane 02 - The Enchantress of World's End

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The ENCHANTRESS

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Lin Carter - [Gondwane 02] - The Enchantress of World's End.htm

of WORLD'S END

DAW BOOKS, INC.

DONALD A. WOLLHEIM, PUBLISHER

1301 Avenue of the Americas New York, N. Y. 10019

Cover art by Michael Whelan.

For Keith Laumer,

a great guy, a grand writer,

and a Good friend.

FIRST PRINTING, MAY 1975

123456789

CD OK

Book One: THE ETHICAL TRIUMVIRS OF CHX

1. The Scarlet City 9

2. A Quiet Evening in Chx 14

3. The Morning After 20

4. Un-Disturbers of the Peace 26

5. Of the Ximchak Horde 33

6. Flight from Chx 39

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7. Escape to Jeopardy 45

Book Two: THE QUEEN OF RED MAGIC

8. Slaves of Zelmarine 53

9. The Feast of the Falling Moon 59

10. Grrff the Xomholian 66

11. The Superwoman Speaks 72

12. Istrobian's Flying Kayak 78

13. The Omega Triskelion 84

14. TheBoyPhadia 9Z

Book Three: THE GRANDFATHER OF ALL DRAGONS

15. Meeting in the Mountains

16. The Mind-Probe

17. The Cavern of a Thousand Perils

18. The Oldest One

19. On the Purple Plain

20. The Armory of Time

21. Dragon's Deep

Book Four: THE MOBILE CITY OF KAN ZAR KAN

22. Shanghaied, or Something 145

23. The Welcoming Committee 151

24. Within the Robot City 157

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25. Kan Zar Kan Is Attacked 163

26. In the Red Ziggurat 169

27. Battle on the Endless Plain 175

28. The City Moves North 180

PRINTED IN U.S.A

Appendix: Terms

A Glossary of Unfamiliar Names and

187

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Book One

THE ETHICAL TRIUMVIRS OF CHX

Scene: Northern YamaYama* Land; The Wastes of Ning; The Free City of Chx; the

Vanishing Mountains.

The Characters: An Illusionist, a Construct, a Girl Knight and the Bazonga; Chxiaii

Townsfolk, Jailers and Triumvirs; Thirty-Two Death Dwarves.

THE SCARLET CITY

Through the skies of Gondwane the Great, Earth's last and mightiest continent, there floated an

extraordinary vehicle. It bore the likeness of an ungainly Phoenix-shaped bird of dark bronze, with

spread wings and peacock-tail, measuring some thirty feet from beak to tail-tip. For all that it should

have weighed many tons, it soared as lightly as a wisp of cloud through the sides.

Behind the arched neck, and between the broad shoulders of the bronze bird-machine, a cockpit

containing six seats was hollowed. The vehicle transported a remarkable foursome. In the "driver's seat,"

so to speak, reposed an elderly but vigorous man robed and gloved in glimmering silks, whose features

were perpetually masked from sight behind a visor of lilac vapor. This personage was a powerful but

friendly magician known as the Illusionist of Nerelon. For better or for worse, he regarded himself as the

benign protector of these regions of north-central-eastern Gondwane—a position of responsibility he

had, in a sense, inherited.

Seated beside him was a pert, long-legged, adolescent girl with a snub nose, a pretty, freckled face,

sparkling green eyes under a mop of tousled red curls, full lips and a small, stubborn chin. She wore odd

bits of steel armor—greaves, girdle, gorget, and the like. Her firm, pointed, tip-tilted breasts were also

cupped in steel, and an abbreviated mail-skirt, which barely covered her rounded hips and left her tanned

thighs deliciously bare, completed her curiously warlike costume. She was a girl knight from the distant

kingdom

Lin Carter

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of Jemmerdy where the women are the warriors and the men are all scholars, administrators, or

aesthetes. Her name was Xarda.

Behind these two, uncomfortably squeezed into the second row of seats, towered a gigantic warrior. He

had a grim-jawed, heavy-boned face, with fierce black eyes under scowling brows; the dark bronze of

his naked hide was offset by his spectacular mane of glittering silver hair which poured over herculean

shoulders and down his back. His bronzed torso, bulging with steely thews, was strapped into a war-

harness of black leather. Between his shoulders an enchanted Silver Sword was scabbarded. He was a

Construct, a synthetic superman created by the Time Gods for some unknown world-saving mission, and

his name was Ganelon Silvermane.

I have referred to these persons as a remarkable foursome: the fourth individual of their company,

possibly the most unique and curious of them aU, was their bird vehicle itself, called the Bazonga. This

animated aerial contraption housed a sentient crystalloid brain, connected by cunning electrodes to

vision lenses, ear tympanies and a voice-box. It could thus see, hear, reason and speak; and, as its bronze

body was rendered weightless by antigravitic yxium crystals, powered for flight by magnetic waves, it

made the perfect companion of their travels.

At the time whereof I write, the four adventurers, having successfully terminated the menace of the Air-

masters of Sky Island who had terrorized the Tigermeri of Karjixia*, were enroute from the kingdom of

the Tigermen to the realm of Jemmerdy hi the east. The Illusionist had decided that the very least they

could do to thank the girl knight for her share in their adventure was to assist her in returning home,

before journeying themselves back to the magician's enchanted palace of Nerelon hi the Crystal

Mountains, south of the Voormish Desert. They had left the flying island

* As described in the first volume of the Gondwane Epic, a book entitled The Warrior of World's End, DAW,

1974.

THE ENCHANTRESS OF WORLD'S END 11

early that morning, after ending the career of the tyrannical Elphod of the Airmasters; and, after a brief

visit to Xombol, the capital of the kingdom of the Tigermen, where they had given Prince Vrowl the

glad tidings that his difficulties with the troublesome Sky Islanders had been brought to a happy

conclusion, they had flown hi the Bazonga bird all day across the regions of Northern YamaYamaLand.

Skirting the northerly borders of the dominions of the Horxites, they had traversed the kingdom of

Ixland from west to east; and from thence along the northern slopes of the Mountains of the Death

Dwarves. At the present tune they were soaring high above a desolate and barren region called Ning,

which was inhabited only by a few monastic settlements of Mind Worshippers. Late afternoon was upon

them; the golden sun of Old Earth declined in the west and the bleak landscape beneath their keel was

drowned in purple shadows.

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"At this rate, my dear Bird, we shall be flying all night, not to reach the capitol of Jemmerdy until

sometime tomorrow morning," remarked the Illusionist testily. "Had you not loitered along the way, we

might have been in Vladium by now, being wined and dined in the hostelries of Xarda's homeland!"

"Oh dear me, I suppose you're right," their peculiar vehicle clacked carelessly hi her metallic tones. "But

the view was so interesting I simply did not have the heart to speed my flight. Don't you find travel

broadening, my dear?" the Bazonga asked the girl. "Personally, after so many eons spent deep in the

bosom of Gondwane, I find the experience very educational!"

The knightrix of Jemmerdy grinned at the quaint Bazonga, as the ungainly bird artlessly prattled on. "By

my halidom, 'tis true," replied the Sirix Xarda wryly, "but we mortals, composed of flesh and blood,

unlike yourself, require nutriment and repose. And, if we continue this interminable flight, my dear

Bazonga, we are not likely to enjoy either until mid-morn, when the battlements of Vladium will hove

into view."

Lin Carter

"Perhaps we'd better land at some friendly city along the way, and secure lodgings," grumbled the

Illusionist. "It has been so long since luncheon that my digestive processes are no longer on speaking

terms with my mouth. Ganelon, you have the map, where are we, exactly?"

The bronze giant consulted the chart which he spread out on his lap. "Near the eastern edge of Ning,

master," he replied in his deep voice. The Illusionist nodded briskly.

"Quite so. Well, we are not likely to find lodgings among the Ningevites; they are Mentalists, convinced

in the non-existence of soul or spirit, worshipping the mind alone and cultivating its powers, which they

augment and develop through the ceremonial imbibing of hallucinogenic drugs. A harsh, fanatic lot,

with little inclination towards friendly hospitality. What lies beyond the bleak country of the Mind

Worshippers?"

"The Free City of Chx," said Ganelon.

"Aye, that's true; I had forgotten. Chx. A small city-state to the north of Dwarfland, just over the

Vanishing Mountains. Surely we can find some manner of hospice, inn or caravanserai in Chx . . ."

"Master—"

"As a matter of fact, it would be interesting to visit Chx," the Illusionist ruminated. "I have not been

there in ages—in many years, that is. A colorful city, as I recall, with a local honey-wine most delectable

—"

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"But master—"

"—And a spiced meat pie you have to taste to be—"

"Master—"

"—lieve! Well, what is it, my boy?" the Illusionist snapped.

"Um. Nothing, really. But . . . remember how we got into trouble in Holy Horx on the last trip? And we

were just going to stop there for the night . . ."

"Stuff and nonsense, Ganelon, you great lump! By the Purple Vortex, lad, have some faith in my

powers, can't you? "Rs not for naught that I am deemed preeminent among the magicians, wizards,

sorcerers and thau-

THE ENCHANTRESS OF WORLD'S END 13

maturgists of Northern YamaYamaLand! Dear me, all we're going to do is take a room at an inn for the

night, and enjoy a hot meal and a comfortable bed for once, after roughing it across the length and

breadth of Gond-wane all these weeks! You may require only the rudest sustenance to revitalize your

mighty frame, but these old bones of mine need a bit of comfort from time to time."

"Yes, master. I'm sorry, master," said Ganelon unhappily. "It's just that I don't want us to get into any

more trouble, like we did back hi Horx."

"There is very little likelihood of that, my boy! The Holy Horxites were religious maniacs who

considered everybody else in the world despicable heretics! But Chx, as I seem to recall, is a decent,

respectable, law-abiding city, now under the benign government of the Ethical Triumvirs—"

"And what are Ethical Triumvirs?" asked Xarda curiously. "By my troth, magister, ne'er heard I of such

before."

"Well, ah, actually I'm not quite certain what the term means," admitted the Illusionist. "But the people

are ethical and law-abiding in Chx, and not fanatical adherents to any particular sect, like those madmen

of Horx. We shall spend a comfortable evening for once, and simply stay out of trouble! Come, no more

arguments, now! I've decided on Chx, and that's all there is to it. Ganelon, will you instruct the Bazonga

oh the way thither . . ."

The giant warrior did as Ms master bade, and they flew on into the east as the Sun sank in golden

splendor behind them. Ere long, the towers of the Scarlet City of Chx rose before them and their

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ungainly flying vehicle brought them down to land hi the bazaar of the small metropolis.

And thus there was set into motion a sequence of events which was to have exceedingly far-reaching

consequences for this portion of Old Earth in the Twilight of Time.

A QUIET EVENING IN CHX

The travelers discovered the Scarlet City to be neat, clean and, as advertized, respectable.

The squares and bazaars of Chx were filled with a quiet, orderly populace who regarded the exotic Out-

landers with curious but not unfriendly eyes. Ganelon and Xarda looked about them with interest:

flowering trees lined the spacious boulevards, and these were neatly trimmed and clipped. The streets

and sidewalks were recently swept and the doorsteps of the Chxian houses were freshly scrubbed, the

houses themselves neatly painted. Everything within view was spotless, immaculate, in excellent repair.

The Scarlet City was attractive, with its red towers and bright yellow houses, tinkling fountains and gay

bazaars; the people themselves looked comfortable, happy, and well-fed.

The girl knight said in an undertone to Ganelon, "They certainly dress in an odd fashion!" The gjant

nodded silently, staring about him. While the Chxians were a pleasant-looking folk, they were robed and

coifed with a somberness that he found quaint and odd. The men were clothed in sober hues of gray,

brown, black or umber, with tight-fitting hose, knee-breeches, and buckled shoes. The women wore

voluminous skirts in the same somber and joyless hues, and these skirts completely covered their lower

limbs, while long-sleeved, high-necked bodices covered their upper bodies from neck to wrist Even their

hair was covered

THE ENCHANTRESS OF WORLD'S END 15

with stiff cloth, and their faces were devoid of cosmetics. Also, they wore no jewelry.

Even the children, who played quietly before the houses, were dressed in miniature replicas of the adult

raiment. Accustomed to screeching, dirty-faced ragamuffins, the Illusionist found their quiet play a

welcome relief and pooh-poohed the comments of his fellow adventurers.

"There is nothing here that need disturb us," he said with lazy good humor. "I gather that the Chxians are

a highly moral, respectable people: what's wrong with that? So the women don't bare their bosoms, paint

their lips, or bedizen themselves with gauds and bangles —what difference does it make? By the Ninth

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