Roger Zelazny - Donnerjack

“Hello, child,” said the green-haired figure, wading ashore, form becoming vaguely feminine. “Tell your guardian that I mean you no harm, for I do not.”

The boy placed his hand on Mizar’s neck and stroked it. “It’s all right,” he said. “Don’t bite her. My name is John Donnerjack. Who are you, ma’am?”

“Are you related to John D’Arcy Donnerjack, the scientist?” asked the other, removing snails from her hair and casting them back into the stream.

“He was my father.”

“ Was ? You say ‘was’?”

“Well, he’s dead now. It happened when I was a baby.”

“Oh, dear. I shall miss him. He and Reese Jordan used to come to my valley for its relaxing beauty, and they would discuss mathematics— two great men.”

“You knew my father?”

“Yes, but he didn’t really know me. I was pleased to eavesdrop on their conversations and keep the environment within maximum comfort ranges for them.”

“Who are you, ma’am?”

“I am the genius loci of this place. In school you may have learned of us as artificial intelligences. I am the one who is dedicated to maintaining this area. People in general make me nervous. But I discovered on the few occasions when the opportunity arose that I get along well with you youngsters. This is why I am happy you came by. You may swim in my stream if you wish. I will make it warmer or cooler to suit your fancy.”

The boy smiled. “All right,” he said then.

He ran forward and waded in.

The genius loci turned to Mizar.

“You are no ordinary construct,” she said. “Did Donnerjack make you?”

“No. I think not,” Mizar rasped. “But I… do not… remember… how I… came to be. There was a great… flash of light… and I was falling. I have wandered… long and far. I do not know… where I come from. But the boy is kind… to me… and I play… with him. It is better… to have a friend… than to wander.”

“I am glad that you are happy together.”

“Sometimes… a black butterfly… comes by to talk. I feel… I should know it. But it will not… talk of such… matters. It is… friendly, though.”

“What is its name?”

“Alioth.”

“Oh, my.”

“You… know it?”

“Not really. For a moment I thought you had said another name.”

“Black butterflies… are not… that common.”

“True.” The genius loci turned and regarded the swimming boy. “Do you have a certain time by which you must be back?”

“I don’t… know.”

“Child, where do you live?”

“Castle Donnerjack.”

“When must you be back?”

“I don’t know. I’m probably late, though. Thanks for reminding me.”

He climbed out, shook himself, and stood in the sun.

“Thanks for the swim.”

“Any time, John Donnerjack. Are you sure you can find your way back?”

Young Donnerjack glanced at Mizar. “Can you sniff out the trail?” The beast lowered his head. “It is… still there,” he said. “Good. We’ll go then. Now.”

“Come back,” said the genius loci . “We will. Thank you.”

They rushed through the woods, and after a time Mizar slowed.

“What’s the matter?” asked young Donnerjack.

“Scent’s getting… weak. I’m not sure… what’s going on.”

“This place looks a little strange, too.”

Mizar looked in all directions.

“You’re… right. We didn’t… come this way,” he said. “Oh.”

“What?”

“Your father’s machine… keeps the locales… shifting. We must be… somewhere else… than where we… started.”

“Of course. What should we do?”

“I don’t know. It seems… that I once… could track through domains. But I don’t… remember how. Given time… I’ll find it.”

“Dack will be worrying. I have an idea. Can you get us back to where we were?”

“Come on. Let’s hurry.”

He wheeled and trotted. Donnerjack followed.

“ Genius loci! Genius loci !” Donnerjack called. “Could we talk to you again?”

A green head appeared amid nearby foliage. “Yes, child?” it asked.

“Dad’s machine has phased away from us. Could you call that friend of his—Dr. Jordan—and ask whether he could help us to find our way back?”

“Of course. I am already— Ah, there he is now.”

A diminutive holoform of the scientist appeared before them.

“Yes, Caltrice,” he said. “What— Who are these?”

“The son of your friend Donnerjack and his dog, Mizar. They’re lost. Do you know the way to show them back to Castle Donnerjack?”

“I can figure it quickly. Give me a moment. What is your name, boy?”

“John D’Arcy Donnerjack, Junior.”

“I do see the resemblance.”

Reese’s figure adjusted itself to normal size and solidity. “I remember the phase periods he’d installed,” he began.

“Yes. I’d guess there’ve been maybe three of them since we left.”

“Just what I wanted to know. How much time did you spend here in Caltrice’s locus?”

“An hour maybe. We talked. I went swimming.”

“Very good—I can adjust for that. You haven’t been gone as long as you might think. Time passes strangely in Caltrice’s locus. Thank you for contacting me, Caltrice.”

“My pleasure, Reese. Don’t be gone too long.”

“I won’t.” Reese turned to face the boy and his battered dog. “Which direction did you come from?”

With a creaking of joints, Mizar pointed.

“That… way,” he said.

“Come with me now. I’ll get you back.”

They followed the tall, lean figure through the wood.

“Didn’t know Donnerjack had a son,” Jordan said after a time.

“Yes.”

“How is he these days?”

“He died when I was quite young.”

Reese fell silent, something in the line of his shoulders changing, but his steps as he led them remained steady.

“I had been working with him on a project, then all calls ceased. I worried… Why didn’t he have me told?”

“I don’t think he wanted anyone to know.” the boy said.

“Why?”

“I don’t know. I never thought about it. It’s always been this way.”

“The castle’s answering service just tells people he’s traveling.”

“That’s what it’s supposed to do, I think.”

“So who takes care of you? I wasn’t real clear on your mother’s status.”

“She’s dead, too. They’re buried next to each other in the family graveyard. Robots take care of me—Dack and Voit and Cookie. And my friends, like Mizar.”

“That sounds terrible. John must have had a good reason for setting things up that way, though. But time has passed. Most likely, the authorities—”

A small voice suddenly came from the bracelet:

“I was not going to activate this function till he achieved majority, save in the case of an emergency—which this is. I’m asking you not to notify the authorities of this peculiar living arrangement, old friend. It would put my son into more danger than it would protect him from. You must trust my judgment in this. I will arrange for you to be a welcome visitor at Castle Donnerjack whenever you wish. But do not attempt to remove my son from the premises.”

“John!”

Young Donnerjack just stared at the bracelet, his eyes round but unafraid.

“John?”

“Not in the flesh, Reese, but believe that I speak the will of John D’Arcy Donnerjack—the father of this boy. If you remove him into Verite proper, the odds are very good that you will place him in considerable danger.”

“But a visit like this to Virtu… ?”

“That’s all right. He has been venturing so since he was an infant and no harm has come to him.”