Six Moon Dance Part 38

Pete had come out, or his body had, though his appendage was still emerging, foot by foot, a gigantic sausage, a t.i.tanic pizzle, white as alabaster, smooth as marble, throbbing with discontent. Crawly turned and clasped Pete's figure with his hind legs, dragging Pete along behind while Crawly himself proceeded down the road, flail-two-three-four, heave-two-three-four.

The moon had risen high enough to show all this nightmare vision to Madame, the two Hags, the two Men of Business, and to Questioner, who arrived just as the last of Pete popped out of his cave and came thumping down the road in Crawly's wake. Corojum summoned several Joggiwagga and a great number of tunnelers and leggers who a.s.sembled themselves into levees that reached from the foot of the road to the Fauxi-dizalonz.

"Can the pond hold them all?" whispered Madame. "And what in heaven's name are they?"

"Creatures by that Old Earth artist, Hieronymus Bosch," murmured D'Jevier. " 'The Garden of Earthly Delights'!"

"More likely Kaorugi's joke," said Onsofruct. "Surely Bosch never meant his paintings to be taken literally."

"She's right, though," said Calvy, unexpectedly. "I've seen them in a book, and that's what they look like."

Madame asked once again, "Will the pond hold them all? And what will they be when they come out?"

"And why have they all come at once?" demanded Calvy. "Is this an invasion?"

"They came," said the Corojum, "because they have to. They aren't as stable as finished persons. When Bofusdiaga makes someone, he builds in the call. When it starts to come apart, it has to come back and get fixed. Bofusdiaga does not like losing material."

"p.e.n.i.s-man," murmured Simon, in awe. "Look at that thing!"

"I'd prefer not," said Onsofruct frostily. "Quite indecent. And what is that flaccid sack? A stomach?"

"Belly boy," said Calvy. "I don't think the pond can hold them all."

"It will," said Corojum. "A little at a time. Though it will overflow when they liquefy, and we will need to move up to higher ground." He moved off toward the steeper trail, and the others trailed along behind him. When they had gone up thirty meters or so, they stopped on a conveniently s.p.a.cious ledge and merely watched.

"There's Thor Ashburn," said Madame, from Questioner's side. "And the boys, Bane and Dyre. What will become of them?"

"We'll make the young ones go through twice," murmured Corojum. "Even if they fight us. We want no more jongau."

"Look," cried D'Jevier. "An Eiger, coming out of the chasm!"

"It's carrying Bao," said Madame.

The Eiger circled for a time, as though uncertain where to put its burden. Then Bao saw the group on the ledge, called out, and the great bird turned, swooped, and dropped Bao gently at their feet.

"Questioner," said Bao breathlessly. "Oh, Questioner...."

"Look," she said. "Look at the monsters."

"No time for monsters," he said. "Questioner, you must listen."

"What is it?" asked Madame, turning toward him. "Have you come up with something."

Bao flushed. "I ... that is we, yes. We think."

"What is it?" asked Calvy.

"I am showing you on the IDIOT SAVANT," said Bao. "I cannot describe it."

Wordlessly, Bao set up the device, and the screen came alive with the image of the Quaggima, with glittering points and blots of light. "The lights are being the Tim-mys," said Bao. "And the Joggiwagga."

They watched for a time as the sparks and blotches moved slowly around the Quaggima, repet.i.tively, back and forth, back and forth, then quickly another motion, then back and forth....

"Are you not seeing it, Madame?" begged Bao. "Mouche was being sure you would be seeing it."

"I don't see anything," said Madame. "What am I supposed to see?"

Bao approached Simon and murmured something. He, in turn, murmured to Madame, and she stared at the screen with a shocked expression. "Oh, by all the Hagions...."

"What?" demanded Questioner. "What did he say?"

"He said the ... that is, the dancers ... they're making love to it," said Madame.

"To the Quaggima?" Questioner turned to Simon. "Is that what he said?"

"He said stroke, stroke, tweak stroke, stroke, tweak, Questioner."

"He said what?"

Madame threw up her hands. "Never mind what he said! I believe he's right! Only ..." She looked puzzled. "Of course, the anatomy is all wrong. How in heaven's name would we ..."

"Give me a moment," cried Questioner, turning her attention momentarily to her data banks. "I see! If the Timmys ama.s.sed to do this ... ritual, well, now that we can see it, Corojum can tell these current Timmys what to do"

"No," said the Corojum, in mixed anger and sadness. "It would take many, many Corojumi to tell them what to do. And much rehearsal, also."

D'Jevier cried, "But if the Fauxi-dizalonz can make anything ..."

Corojum said, "Can disa.s.semble quickly. Can put together in new shape with new information much more slowly. Making things right takes time. A few little things take as long as one very big thing. To make many, many Timmys would take a long time."

Questioner said, "So we won't try for Timmys. It can make one big thing."

"Where is pattern?" cried Corojum.

"Mouche is a Consort," Questioner responded. "He is trained to do this kind of thing. And you, Simon, you were also trained. And you, Calvy, from what I am told. And there are those monsters moving down the road, including one ... one organ that might be useful."

"You're saying you expect the Fauxi-dizalonz to create a Consort for this Quaggima?" cried D'Jevier.

"Why not?" snapped Questioner. "You should approve of that." She turned to the Corojum. "It would work, wouldn't it? If Bofusdiaga will cooperate."

Corojum dithered. "Is this something my friend Mouche would want?"

"Bofusdiaga can put him back the way he was, can't he?"

"Creatures are never exactly the same," whispered Corojum. "Maybe he will not be willing?"

"Does he have to be willing?" muttered Onsofruct. "Consorts are sold into duty all the time, are they not? I'm sure they're not always willing."

"Onsy, I'm ashamed of you," cried D'Jevier.

"I will talk to Bofusdiaga," said the Corojum, plodding away with his head down and his fur lying flat, the picture of dejection.

"We can't do this," cried Madame. "It's unconscionable."

The world shook. From the chasm opposite they heard the great mooing, a plaint of such enormity that they covered their ears and grimaced with pain. Stones plunged past them. The procession of monsters stopped their descent and held on. Whenever the sounds of the stones stopped, the muttered cadence of the monsters was heard: hup, hup, hup, hup hup, hup, hup, hup. Finally, after long, terrorized moments, the tremors subsided.

"Perhaps you find it more conscionable to die," Questioner said to Madame. "I think you will find yourself in the minority."

Another tremor struck, then a milder one, then one milder yet.

"The moons are separating on the backside of this world," said Questioner. "We will now have a time of peace before the end. Which may, or may not, be long enough!"

The monsters had resumed their progress downward. The observers stood in silence, watching, waiting until the Corojum came into sight once more, trudging toward them along the edge of the Fauxi-dizalonz.

"Bofusdiaga says yes, he can do it," said Corojum. "He will take all material from those coming down road; he will filter out bad stuff; he will hold rest of it in readiness. Then you have Mouche and Simon and Calvy go in, and Bofusdiaga will make a big one body to do the will of the little one's minds."

"Me?" cried Calvy, in outrage. "Me!"

"Bofusdiaga needs more brain stuff than one person," said the Corojum.

"So it's fortunate you're here, Family Man," said D'Jevier. "You and Simon and Mouche, and that other one, what's his name? Ornery."

"Not Ornery," said Questioner. "She's a girl."

"A what?" cried Onsofruct. "A girl? What is she doing in sailor's garb? She's not allowed to do that!"

"Allowed or not, she's been doing it."

"By all the Hagions," muttered Onsofruct. "We're losing our grip upon this world."

"Let's get beyond this crisis," pled D'Jevier. "Then we can decide what needs doing about our grip upon this world."

"Mouche comes," said the Corojum. "With Ellin and Ornery."

Mouche did indeed come with Ellin and Ornery, all of them Eiger borne. He was softly lowered before the others.

"He told you?" Mouche panted.

Madame nodded sadly. "Yes, Mouche. We understand that we must make a partner for the Quaggima."

"The Fauxi-dizalonz is going to make it," said Questioner.

"Out of Timmys?" asked Mouche in a distant, detached voice. "As before?"

"Evidently there's insufficient time," said Questioner, giving him a sharp look. Where had she seen that expression before? "The Fauxi-dizalonz doesn't work that way. It can make one large thing in the same time it can make a few small things. We have the pattern, however, and if you'll look up the hill, you'll see our raw material."

Mouche's eyes focused on the descending monsters, and his jaw sagged. "What are they?" he demanded.

Madame explained. Ellin caught her first glimpse of old Pete and turned aside, flus.h.i.+ng.

The two Hags approached, trailed by a disconsolate Calvy and Simon.

"Mouche," murmured D'Jevier, wiping tears, "we appreciate your sacrifice."

"It was nothing," said Mouche, slightly puzzled. "I figured it out at the same time as F1 ..." He caught himself. "... Bao. He figured it out as much as me."

"Still, many would have concealed the truth because of the implications."

"I am glad to be of service, Ma'am," he said, still puzzled, made more so by Calvy and Simon's faces as they turned away and departed, without speaking, arms around one another's shoulders as though for mutual support.

The women turned away as well, D'Jevier saying to her sister, "You see, Onsy. He is one of a kind. A marvel."

"I don't know what's so marvelous," said Mouche.

Madame replied, "Neither Calvy nor Simon have your sense of duty, Mouche. They are not really willing to go into the Fauxi-dizalonz to be made into a Consort for the Quaggima."

"A Consort Consort for the Quaggima!" shouted Mouche, his voice reaching all the retreating persons. "Are you crazy?" for the Quaggima!" shouted Mouche, his voice reaching all the retreating persons. "Are you crazy?"

Calvy and Simon turned as one, staring, mouths slightly open.

D'Jevier turned, white-faced. "I thought you understood."

Questioner held up her hand imperiously. "We know the Quaggi anatomy is quite different, Mouche. But if the Fauxi-dizalonz can make and remake, to order, so to speak, we can simply use you trained people-you, Mouche and Simon and Calvy-to create a male for the Quaggima."

Mouche smiled, his face serene once more. "You didn't explain it to them, Bao."

"Explaining what?" yelped Bao. "I myself am not understanding...."

Mouche said in that same, distant voice, "Actually, considering the size, the anatomy isn't that different. All the pertinent parts have their mankindly parallels. And I'm sure the Fauxi-dizalonz could probably come up with a Consort of some size. And I'm sure that would be quite appropriate ... if the Quaggima were female."

"But I saw her ... him ... it...." said Questioner. "Out on that moon. And I saw him...."

"You saw one Quaggi violate another Quaggi," said Mouche. "You a.s.sumed it was the male a.s.saulting the female. In fact, it was a female who did the a.s.saulting. She laid an egg in him. We ran an a.n.a.lysis from the data, and the egg was actually imbedded under the skin next to the male organs. That's how they do it. The females are bigger and stronger. They lay eggs in the males, and the males are the brooders. We got the s.e.x wrong."

D'Jevier cried, "That's silly. Even Bofusdiaga says ..."

"Bofusdiaga has no experience of heteros.e.xual creatures," said Ellin, crisply. "After mankind came, Bofusdiaga made the a.s.sumption it was female, because in mankind and their livestock it is the females who have the eggs."

Ornery said, "It's the female that sits out there on the far moon and sings her siren song, and it's that song that excites the male and makes him follow it. Later, when the egg is ready to hatch, the young ones call in almost that same voice."

Madame said, "I know that some creatures respond s.e.xually to scent and some to appearance, but you're saying this one responds to sound?"

"It's true," said Mouche. "When the creatures in the egg call, the sound stirs the same excitement as the mating call did, and the Quaggima gets so excited, he thrashes around and breaks the sh.e.l.l of the first bomblet or whatever it is, and that sets the hatching sequence off. It ends with some kind of explosion...."

"Nuclear," murmured Questioner. "A shaped, nuclear charge."

Mouche went on, "What Bofusdiaga and all have been doing with their dance is relieving his s.e.xual arousal. That's all."

"But why didn't someone realize ..." Madame murmured.