Allan COLE - Wizard of the winds

No good. Where were the wings? If he were riding an eagle, there'd be wings.

He tried to sit up and reconnoiter his surroundings.

Someone shouted. Weakness overcame him and he fell back. Dizzy, he closed his eyes.

Slippered feet approached.

A whiff of perfume as someone knelt beside him.

He opened his eyes and found a beautiful woman bending over him. She had almond eyes and long silvery hair streaked with black. It was the face of the woman he'd seen floating across the desert; the woman he'd believed was Death herself come to take him away. But this face was of normal size and it wasn't painted with all sorts of savage colors. Her skin was white and smooth as the most expensive parchment, with a fine, barely visible net of age etched on the surface.

"I did this once before, Safar told her. Awaken from the dead, I mean. With a beautiful woman hovering over me. He was thinking of Astarias.

The woman laughed. It was a rich, earthy laugh. A laugh with appetite.

Instead of answering she turned her head and called to someone, The lad wakes up pretty as he sleeps, Biner. He has the loveliest blue eyes. And you should hear the compliments. First time I've blushed in thirty years."

"That's enough hot air to lift us another thousand feet, Methydia, Biner replied. His voice was a familiar baritone.

Heavy feet thudded forward. Last time you blushed, Biner said, the Goddess Felakia was a virgin."

Safar craned to look. From the deepness of the voice and the obvious weight the feet were carrying, Safar expected to see a huge fellow come into view.

Biner was immense all right. He had the girth of a giant, the mighty arms and hams of a giant, but all that size had been squashed by an enemy giant's hand into a body that stood less than four feet high. He had a huge bearded face with an overly wide mouth filled with broad teeth.

Biner saw Safar staring at him. He displayed his teeth in what was meant to be a comforting smile. Bet you're glad I wasn't the one to wake you up, lad, he said. I got a face that'll peel the reflection right off a mirror."

Safar struggled to answer. He didn't want to be rude by appearing to agree with an all-too-obvious truth.

Methydia patted him. Don't worry about Biner's feelings, she said, guessing what was on his mind. Ugly as it is, he's proud of that face. People pay good money to see it. Almost as much as they pay to see him lift a wagon of pig iron. Or smash a pile of bricks with his fist."

Biner toed the floor, embarrassed. Aw, that stuff isn't much, he said. Just tricks to wow the fair crowds. Besides, Methydia does some of her witchy business first to soften them up."

Methydia gave Safar a look of immense sincerity. Biner is a fine actor, she said, a dramatic hand going to her flowing bosom. The best male lead in all Esmir, in my judgment."

Safar's head was swimming. He was very confused. Excuse me, dear lady, he said. But would I be wrong in guessing that I've been rescued by, uh… entertainers?"

Biner and Methydia laughed. Biner stood as tall as he could, shouting: Come one, come all! Lads and maids of Alllll ag-es! I now to present to youMethydia's Flying Circus of Miracles!

"The Greatest Show In Esmir!"

Methydia applauded, crying Bravo! Bravo!"

Safar became alarmed. He propped himself up on an elbow. Excuse me again, he said. I know it isn't polite to question one's rescuers too closely, but… What was that thing you said about flying?"

Biner seemed surprised. Of course we're flying, lad, he said. We're about two miles up, is my estimate."

Safar coughed. Two miles up? In what?"

"Why, a Cloudship, boy. A Cloudship!"

Fear overcame weakness and Safar stumbled to his feet.

He went to a rail and looked down. Far beneath him was the floor of a wide, fertile valley. He could see a great double-humped shadow moving swiftly across the fields. His veins turned to ice as it came to him that he was probably part of that fast-moving shadow.

He called back to his rescuers, How far up did you say we were?"

Biner replied, Two miles, lad… Give or take a thousand feet."

First Safar threw up.

Then he passed out.

When he regained awareness a small crowd was gathered around him.

Methydia was beside him, trying to coax brandy between his lips. One look at the crowd and Safar opened his mouth wide and choked down a flood.

Biner was in the center. To his left was a tall, skeletal fellow wearing nothing but a breech cloth and a turban. He had a huge snake draped about his necka snake with the face of a man. Just behind him was a stocky man with the hard muscles of an acrobat. He had a too-small head that was detachable, holding it up by the hair to see over the others, a long tube-like neck trailing down to his shoulders. Towering over the group was what had to be a dragon. A white dragon, with a long snout and a spiked tail, which curled up as Safar looked to scratch a place behind its ear. Then someone moved and Safar saw the creature wasn't entirely a dragon. The long torso was that of a well-endowed woman, complete with breast plates and a triangular modesty patch tied about the hips with a thong.

There was much to goggle at. But the dragon noticed Safar had fixed upon her.

"I altho juggle, she lisped. Thix globth and theven thwords. We thoak them in oil and I thet'm on fire with my breath."

She raised a claw to her snout and burped. Smoke and flames shot around her fist.

"Excuthe me, she said. Mutht have been thomething I ate."

Safar nodded. What a polite dragon, he thought. Then he passed out again.

The last thing he heard was:

"Really, Arlain! Methydia said. Can't you control yourself? You've scared another guest half to death!"

"I'm thorry, the dragon wailed. Wath'n my fault. The thquath we had for thupper mutht of been thpoiled."

Several days of dreamless sleep passed, interspersed with half-conscious feedings. Then the sudden moment came when he awoke and felt very strong and very alert. He smelled perfume and immediately he felt very very…

He opened his eyes. A dim, flickering light illuminated his surroundings. There was a cabin roof above his head, shadows dancing on the dark ceiling. Safar looked down and saw a certain part had made itself embarrassingly apparent beneath the blankets.

Safar heard a familiar, throaty laugh. Methydia's face leaned over him, lips parted in a smile, almond eyes dancing with humor. She glanced down, then back at him again.

"It's good to see you among the living, she said.

Safar flushed. He started to apologize, but Methydia put a finger to his lips, silencing him.

"Don't be embarrassed on my account, she said. Consider your little upstart welcome. Any friend of yours, and all that."

Safar opened his mouth to speak, but once again a long, slender finger touched his lips.

"You're a young man, Methydia said. Youth has its advantages and its disadvantages. The advantages are apparent. She glanced at the blanket. To Safar's relief his problem had subsided. The disadvantages arewhat to do with your advantages."

"Oh, was all Safar could say.

"Now, I suppose you have some questions, Methydia said. Assuming your uninvited guest isn't so consumed with himself that he'll allow you to think."

"First off, Safar said, I should tell you about myself before I have the right to ask any questions."

"Go on, Methydia said.

"My name is Safar Timura, he said in a rush. I've just escaped execution in Walaria. I could swear on my mother's soul I didn't deserve such a fate. That I am no criminal. That I am only a studenta seeker of truth who has never done anyone harm. But none of that should matter to you.

"What should matter is that I am wanted by very powerful men who would most certainly do you harm if they learned you had aided me."