The Quest forTanelorn

The Chronicles of Castle Brass:

Book III

Michael Moorcock

A Mayflower OriginalGranada Publishing Limited

First published in 1975 by Mayflower Books LtdCopyright © Michael Moorcock 1975

ContentDedication Book One The WorldInsane: A Champion OfDreams

Chapter One An Old Friend At Castle BrassChapter Two On The Silver BridgeChapter Three In The MistChapter Four The Gathering Of The WiseChapter Five On The Shore

Book Two Sailing BetweenThe Worlds: 3 Sailing For

Tanelorn Chapter One The Waiting WarriorsChapter Two The Blind CaptainChapter Three The Island Of ShadowsChapter Four A City Haunted By ItselfChapter Five Agak And GagakChapter Six The Battle For EverythingChapter Seven The Heroes Part

Book Three In Which ManyThings Are Found To Be OneThing

Chapter One Prisoners In ShadowsChapter Two In TanelornChapter Three The Deaths Of The UndyingChapter Four Captives Of The SwordChapter Five The Captain And The SteersmanChapter Six The Sword And The Staff

Chapter Seven Going Back To Castle Brass

About the Author

Dedication

For Bob Weir, Jerry Garcia et al. ...... and for all the many readers whowrote and asked for this particular bookand to whom I shall be, of course,eternally grateful.

Book OneThe World Insane:

A Champion Of Dreams

Chapter OneAn Old Friend At Castle

Brass

'Lost?''Aye.''But only dreams, Hawkmoon. Lost

dreams?' The tone was nearly pathetic.'I think not.'Count Brass moved his great body

away from the window so that light fellsuddenly on Hawkmoon's gaunt face.'Would that I had two grandchildren.Would that I had. Perhaps one day ...'

It was a conversation which had beenrepeated so many times that it had

become almost a ritual. Count Brass didnot like mysteries; he did not respectthem.

'There was a boy and a girl.'Hawkmoon was still tired, but there wasno longer any madness in him. 'Manfredand Yarmila. The boy much resembledyou.'

We have told you this, father.'Yisselda, hands folded under herbreasts, moved from the shade near thefireplace. She wore a green gown, cuffsand collar ermine-trimmed. Her hairwas drawn back from her face. She waspale. She had been pale since her return,with Hawkmoon, to Castle Brass, morethan a month ago. "We told you - and wemust find them.'

Count Brass ran heavy fingers throughhis greying red hair, his red browsfurrowed. 'I did not believe Hawkmoon- but I believe you both now, though I donot wish to.'

'It is why you argue so, father.'Yisselda placed a hand upon hisbrocaded arm.

'Bowgentle could explain theseparadoxes, possibly,' Count Brasscontinued, 'but there is no other whocould find the kind of words which aplain-thinking soldier like myself couldeasily understand. You are of the beliefthat I have been brought back from thedead, yet I've no memory of dying. AndYisselda has been rescued from Limbo,

when I, myself, thought her slain at theBattle of Londra. Now you speak ofchildren, also somewhere in Limbo. Ahorrifying thought. Childrenexperiencing such terrors! Ah! No! I willnot consider it.'

'We have had to, Count Brass.'Hawkmoon spoke with the authority of aman who had faced many hours alonewith his darkest thoughts. 'It is why weare determined to do everything we canto find them. It is why, today, we leavefor Londra where we hope Queen Flanaand her scientists can help us.'

Count Brass fingered his thick redmoustaches. The mention of Londra hadaroused other thoughts in his mind.There was a slight expression of

embarrassment on his face. He clearedhis throat.

There was kindly humour inYisselda's eyes as she said, 'Is there amessage we can give Queen Flana?'

Her father shrugged. "The usualcourtesies, of course. I intend to write.Perhaps I will have time to give you aletter before you leave.'

'She would be glad to see you inperson again.' Yisselda glancedmeaningly at Hawkmoon, who rubbed atthe back of his neck. 'In her last lettershe told me how much she had enjoyedyour visit, father. She remarked on thewisdom of your counsel, the practicalcommon sense of your advice in matters

of State. There was a hint that she couldoffer you an official position at the Courtof Londra.'

Count Brass's ruddy features seemedto take on a deeper shade of colour, ablush. 'She mentioned something of that.But she does not need me in Londra.'

'Not for your advice, certainly,' saidYisselda. 'Your support… ? She wasfond of men, once. But with D'Averc'sterrible death - I have heard that she hashad no thoughts of marrying. I haveheard that she has considered thequestion of an heir, but that there is onlyone man who could, in her opinion,compare with Huillam D'Averc. I speakclumsily...'

'Indeed you do, daughter. It is

understandable, for your mind is full ofother thoughts. I am touched, however,by your willingness to concern yourselfwith my very minor affairs.' Count Brasssmiled and put his arm out to Yisselda.The brocade sleeve fell away to revealhis bronzed, heavily muscled forearm,'But I am too old to marry. If I plannedmarriage, certainly I could think of nobetter wife than Flana. But the decision Imade many years ago to live in virtualretirement in the Kamarg remains.Besides, I have my duty to the folk of theKamarg. Would I abandon that?'

'We could take up that duty, as we didonce when you were ...' She paused.

'Dead?' Count Brass frowned. 'I am

grateful that I do not have such memoriesof you, Yisselda. When I returned fromLondra and found you here I was full ofjoy. I asked for no explanation. It wasenough that you lived. But then, I hadseen you die at Londra some yearsbefore. It was a memory I was happy todoubt. A memory of children, though - tobe haunted by such ghosts, by theknowledge that they are alivesomewhere and afraid - Oh, that isterrifying!'

'It is a familiar terror,' saidHawkmoon. 'Hopefully we shall findthem. Hopefully they know nothing of allthis. Hopefully, in whatever other planethey now inhabit, they are happy.'

There came a knock on the door of

Count Brass's study. He answered it inhis gruff voice: 'Enter.'

Captain Josef Vedla opened the door,closed it behind him and stood in silencefor a moment. The old soldier was cladin what he chose to call his civilianclothing - doeskin shirt, buckskin jerkinand breeks, boots of old, black leather.At his belt was a long dirk, apparentlythere not for any particular usefulnesssave to act as a familiar rest for his lefthand. 'The ornithopter is almost ready,'he said. 'It will take you to Karlye. TheSilver Bridge is completed, rebuilt in allits old beauty, and by means of it youmay cross, Duke Dorian, as you wished,to deau-vere.'

'Thank you, Captain Vedla. It willplease me to make this journey from theKamarg by the route I used when I firstcame to Castle Brass.'

Her hand still in that of her father,Yisselda stretched her other hand outand took Hawkmoon's. Her steady eyesregarded his face and her grip tightenedfor a second on his fingers. He drew adeep breath. "Then we must go,' he said.

‘There was other news...' Josef Vedlahesitated.

'Other news?''Of a rider, sir. He has been seen by

our guardians. We received a heliographmessage a few minutes ago. He comestowards the town..."

'Has he announced himself at ourborders?' Count Brass asked.

'That is what is strange, Count Brass.He was not seen at the borders. He washalf-way into the Kamarg before he wassighted.'

That is unusual. Our guardians arenormally vigilant...'

"They are quite as vigilant today. Hedid not enter by any of the known roads.'

"Well, doubtless we'll have theopportunity of asking hint how heavoided being seen,' said Yisseldacalmly. 'After all, it is one rider, not anarmy.'

Hawkmoon laughed. For a momentthey had all been over-worried. 'Have

him met, Captain Vedla. Invite him to thecastle.'

Vedla saluted and left.Hawkmoon went to the window and

looked over the roofs of Aigues-Mortesto the fields and lagoons beyond the oldtown. The sky was a clear, pale blue andthe distant water reflected it. A light,winter wind was blowing at the reedbeds. He saw a movement on the wide,white road that came through themarshes to the town. He saw the rider.He was coming swiftly, at a steadycanter, sitting upright in his saddle,sitting proudly, it seemed to Hawkmoon.And the rider's outline was familiar.Rather than peer at the distant figure,Hawkmoon turned away from the

window, prepared to wait until it wascloser and could be identified easily.

'An old friend - or an old enemy,' hesaid. 'I recognize something about hisstance.'

'We have had no announcement,' saidCount Brass. He shrugged. 'But these arenot the old days. These are calmertimes.'

'For some,' said Hawkmoon, then heregretted the self-pity in his tone. He hadhad too much of such emotions. Now thathe was rid of them he was, perhaps,overly sensitive to any traces of theirreturn he detected in himself. From anover-indulgence in such feelings, he hadnow gone to a mood of intense stoicism

which was a relief to all save those whoknew him best and had the greatestaffection for him. Sensitive to histhoughts, Yisselda reached to placedelicate fingers upon his lips and thenhis cheek. Gratefully, he smiled at her,drawing her to him and kissing herlightly upon the forehead.

'Now I must prepare for our journey,'she said.

Hawkmoon was already dressed inthe clothes in which he intended totravel.

'Will you and father wait here toreceive our visitor?' she askedHawkmoon.

He nodded. 'I think so. There isalways hope that...'

'Do not expect it, my dear. There islittle chance that he will bring news ofManfred and Yarmila.'

‘True.'With another smile at her father,

Yisselda left the room.Count Brass strode to a table of

polished oak on which a tray had beenset. He lifted a pewter jug. 'Would youshare a glass of wine with me,Hawkmoon, before you go?'

‘Thank you.'Hawkmoon joined Count Brass at the

table, accepting the carved woodengoblet the old warrior handed him. Hesipped the wine and resisted thetemptation to return to the window to see

if he recognized the traveller.'More than ever, I regret that

Bowgentle is not here to advise us,' saidCount Brass. 'All this talk of otherplanes of existence, of otherpossibilities, of dead friends still alive -it smacks of the occult. All my life Ihave looked with a cold eye uponsuperstitions; I have scoffed at pseudo-philosophical speculation. But I have notthe kind of mind which can easilydistinguish between mumbo-jumbo andthat which falls into the province of thegenuinely metaphysical.'

'Do not misinterpret what I say asmorbid brooding,' Hawkmoon replied,'but I have reason to hope thatBowgentle may, one day, be restored to

us.'The difference between us, I

suppose,' said Count Brass, 'is that you,for all your rediscovered toughness ofmind, continue to allow yourself toentertain many forms of hope. Long ago,I dismissed Faith altogether - at leastfrom my conscious thoughts. Yet you,Hawkmoon, discover it over and overagain.'

'Aye - through many lives.''What?''I refer to my dreams. To those

strange dreams of myself in so manydifferent incarnations. I had identifiedthose dreams with my madness, but nowI am not so sure. They still come to me,

you know.''You have not mentioned them since

you returned here with Yisselda.'‘They have not tormented me as they

once did. But they are familiar, still.''Every night?''Aye. Every night. The names - Elric,

Erekose, Corum -those are the chiefones. And there are others. Andsometimes I see the Runestaff, andsometimes a black sword. All seemsignificant. And sometimes, when I amalone, particularly when I ride themarshlands, they come to me in mywaking hours. Faces, familiar andunfamiliar, float before me. Snatches ofwords are heard. And most common isthat frightening phrase "Champion

Eternal" ... Formerly I would havethought that only a madman could thinkof himself as a demigod ...'

'I, too,' said Count Brass, pouringmore wine for Hawkmoon. "But it isothers who make their heroes intodemigods. Would that the world had noneed for heroes.'

'A sane world will not need them.’'But perhaps a sane world is a world

without humankind.' Count Brass's smilewas bleak. 'Perhaps it is we who make itwhat it is?'

'If an individual can make himselfwhole, so can our race,' saidHawkmoon. 'If I have Faith, CountBrass, that is why I retain it.'

'I wish that I shared such Faith. I seeMan as destined, ultimately, to self-destruction. All that I hope for is that thatdestiny can be averted for as long aspossible, that Man's most foolish actionscan be restrained, that a littleequilibrium can be maintained.'

'Equilibrium. The idea symbolized bythe Cosmic Balance, by the Runestaff.Have I told you that I have come todoubt that philosophy? Have I told youthat I have come to the conclusion thatequilibrium is not enough - not in thesense you mean? Equilibrium in anindividual is a fine thing - a balancebetween the needs of the mind and theneeds of the body – maintained without

self-consciousness. Certainly, let us aimfor that. But what of the world? Wouldwe tame it too much?'

'You have lost me, my friend.' CountBrass laughed. 'I was never a cautiousman, in the ordinary sense of the word,but I became a weary one. Perhaps it isweariness which now informs yourthoughts?'

'It is anger,' said Hawkmoon. 'Weserved the Runestaff. It cost us dear toserve it. Many died. Many weretormented. We still know a terribledespair. And we were told that we couldcall on its help when we needed it. Dowe not need it now?'

'Perhaps we do not need it enough.'Hawkmoon's laugh was grim. 'If you

are right, I do not look forward much toa future when we shall need it enough!'

And then his head was filled by arevelation and he rushed to the window.But by now the figure had left the roadand entered the town and could not beseen. 'I know that rider!'

There came a knock at the door.Hawkmoon went to it and flung it open.

And there he stood, tall and cockyand proud, with his hand on his hip andthe heel of his other hand resting on thepommel of his plain sword, a foldedcloak over his right shoulder, his bonnetat a tilt and a crooked grin on his red,raw face. It was the Orkneyman, thebrother of the Warrior in Jet and Gold. It

was Orland Fank, Servant of theRunestaff.

'Good day to ye, Duke of Koln,' hesaid.

Hawkmoon's brow was furrowed andhis smile was bleak. 'Good day to you,Master Fank. Do you come askingfavours?'

"The folk of Orkney ask nothing fornothing, Duke Dorian.'

'And the Runestaff - what does thatask?'

Orland Fank took a few paces into theroom, Captain Vedla at his heels. Hestood beside the fire and warmed hishands at it, glancing about him. Therewas sardonic amusement in his eyes, asif he relished their puzzlement.

'I thank ye for sending your emissaryhere with your invitation to guest atCastle Brass,' said Fank, winking up atVedla, who was disconcerted still. 'Iwas not sure how ye'd receive me.'

'You were right to wonder, MasterFank.' Hawkmoon's own expressionmatched Fank's. 'I seem to remembersomething of an oath you swore, whenwe parted. Since then we have battleddangers quite as momentous as those wefought in the service of the Runestaff -and the Runestaff has been not one wit inevidence.'

Fank frowned. 'Aye, that's true. Butblame neither myself nor the staff forthat. Those forces affecting you and

yours also affected the Runestaff. It isgone from this world, Hawkmoon ofKohl. I have sought it in Amarehk, inAsiacommunista, in all the lands of thisEarth. Then I heard rumours of yourmadness - of peculiar happenings here inthe Kamarg - and I came, barelystopping, all the way from the Courts ofMuskovia to visit you and ask you if youhave an explanation for the events of thepast year or so.'

‘You - the Runestaff's oracle - cometo ask us for information?' Count Brasslet forth a bellow of laughter andslapped at his thigh. 'Oh, this is indeed aturning world.'

'I have information to exchange!' Fankdrew himself up to face Count Brass, his

back to the fire, his hand on his sword'shilt. All his amusement was suddenlygone from him and Hawkmoon noticedhow drawn his face seemed, how tiredhis eyes were.

Hawkmoon poured out a cup of wineand handed it swiftly to Fank whoaccepted it, flashing Hawkmoon a quickglance of gratitude.

Count Brass regretted his outburstand his expression became sober. 'I amsorry, Master Fank. I am a poor host.'

'And I a poor guest, count. I see fromthe activity in your courtyard thatsomeone leaves Castle Brass today.'

‘Yisselda and I go to Londra,' saidHawkmoon.

'Yisselda? So it is true. I hearddifferent tales - that Yisselda was dead,that Count Brass was dead - and I couldnot deny or confirm them, for I found mymemory playing peculiar tricks. I lostconfidence in my own recollection ofevents...'

'We have all had that experience,'said Hawkmoon. And he told Fank ofeverything he could remember (it wasgarbled, there were some things he couldonly half remember, some things hecould only guess at) concerning hisrecent adventures, which seemed to himunreal, and his recent dreams whichseemed much more tangible. Fankcontinued to stand before the fire, his

hands folded on his back, his head uponhis chest, listening with absoluteconcentration to every word.Occasionally he would nod, sometimeshe would grunt, and very rarely hewould ask for clarification of somephrase. While he listened, Yisselda,dressed in heavy jerkin and breeks forher journey, entered, and seated herselfsilently by the window, only speakingwhen, towards the end of Hawkmoon'saccount, she could add information ofher own.

'It is true,' she said, when Hawkmoonhad finished. The dreams seem thereality, and the reality seems the dream.Can you explain that, Master Fank?'

Fank sniffed, rubbing at his nose.

There are many versions of reality, mylady. Some would say that our dreamsreflect events in other planes. There is agreat disruption taking place, but I do notthink it was caused by the experiments ofKalan and Taragorm. As far as theirwork goes, I think the damage has beenlargely repaired. I think they were ableto exploit this larger disruption for awhile. Possibly they exacerbated thecondition, but that is all. Their effortswere puny. They could not have causedall this. I suspect a vaster conflict. Isuspect that there are forces at work sohuge and terrifying that the Runestaff hasbeen called from this individual plane toserve in a war of which we have

received only a hint. A great war inwhich the destiny of the planes will befixed for a period of time most wouldconsider Eternity. I speak of something Iknow little about, my friends. I have onlyheard the phrase "The Conjunction of theMillion Spheres", spoken by a dyingphilosopher, in the mountains ofAsiacommunista. Means the phraseanything to you?'

The phrase was familiar toHawkmoon, yet he was sure he had notheard it before, even in his strangedreams. He told Fank that.

'I had hoped ye'd know more, DukeDorian. But I believe that phrase to haveconsiderable significance to us all. NowI learn that ye seek lost children, while I

seek the Runestaff. What of the word'Tanelorn"? Means that anything?'

'A city,' said Hawkmoon. The nameof a city.'

'Aye. That is what I heard. Yet I havefound no city of that name anywhere inthis world. It must lie in some other.Would we find the Runestaff there?Would we find your children there?"

'In Tanelorn?''In Tanelorn.'

Chapter TwoOn The Silver Bridge

Fank had elected to remain at CastleBrass and so Hawkmoon and Yisseldaclimbed into the cushioned cabin of thegreat ornithopter. Ahead, in his small,open cockpit, the pilot began tomanipulate the controls.

Count Brass and Fank stood outsidethe door of the castle watching as theheavy metallic wings began to beat andthe strange motors of the ancient craftmurmured, whispered and crooned.There came a fluttering of enamelledsilver feathers, a lurch, a wind which set

Count Brass's red hair pouring backfrom his head and caused Orland Fank tohang on to his bonnet; then theornithopter began to rise.

Count Brass raised a hand infarewell. The machine banked a little asit rose over the red and yellow roofs ofthe town, then it wheeled once, turned toavoid a cloud of wild, giant flamingoswhich blossomed suddenly from one ofthe lagoons to the west, gained heightand speed with each beat of its clashingwings, and soon it seemed to Hawkmoonand Yisselda that they were entirelysurrounded by the cold, lovely blue ofthe winter sky.

Since their conversation with OrlandFank, Hawkmoon had been in a

thoughtful mood and Yisselda,respecting this mood, had made noattempt to talk to him. Now he turned toher, smiling gently.

‘There are still wise men in Londra,’he said. 'Queen Flana's court hasattracted many scholars, manyphilosophers. Perhaps some will be ableto help us.'

'You know of Tanelorn?' she said.The city Fank mentioned.'

'Only the name. I feel I should knowmuch. I feel that I have been there, atleast once, possibly many times, yet youand I both know that I have not.’

'In your dreams? Have you been therein your dreams, Dorian?'

He shrugged. 'Sometimes it seems tome that I have been everywhere in mydreams - in every age of the Earth - evenbeyond the Earth and to other worlds. Iam convinced of one thing; that there area thousand other Earths, even a thousandother galaxies - and that events in ourworld are mirrored in all the rest; thatthe same destinies are played out insubtly different ways. But whether thosedestinies are controlled by ourselves orby other, superhuman, forces, I do notknow. Are there such things as Gods,Yisselda?'

'Men make Gods. Bowgentle onceoffered the opinion that the mind of Manis so powerful that it can make "real"

anything he desperately needs to be real.''And perhaps those other worlds are

real because, at some time in our history,enough people needed them. Could thatbe how alternative worlds are created?'

She shrugged. 'It is not something youand I are likely to prove, no matter howmuch information we are given.'

Tacitly, they both dropped this line ofthought, contenting themselves with themagnificence of the views which passedbelow them as they peered through theportholes of the cabin. Steadily theornithopter headed northward to thecoasts, at length passing over the tinklingtowers of Parye, the Crystal City, nowrestored in all its finery. The sunlightwas reflected and transformed into

rainbow colours by the scores of prisms,the spires of Parye, created by means ofthat city's timeless and cryptictechnologies. They observed wholebuildings, gilded and ancient, whollyenclosed in vast, apparently solid eight-,ten-, and twelve-sided crystal structures.

Half blinded, they fell back from theportholes, still able to see the sky allaround them filled with soft, pulsatingcolours, still able to hear the gentle,musical ringing of the glass ornamentswhich the citizens of Parye used todecorate their quartz-paved streets. Eventhe warlords of the Dark Empire had letParye stand; even those insane andbloody-handed destroyers had held the

Crystal City in awe - and now she wasfully restored to all her great beauty andit was said that the children of Paryewere born blind, that it was often threeyears before their eyes were capable ofaccepting the everyday visions grantedto those who habitually dwelled therein.

Parye behind them, they now enteredgrey cloud and the pilot, kept warm bythe heater in his cockpit and the thickflying garments he wore, sought clearersky above the cloud, found none, anddropped lower until they were barelytwo hundred feet from the flat, dullwinter fields of the country lying inlandfrom Karlye. A light drizzle was fallingand, as the drizzle turned to driving rain,the sun began to set, so that they came to

Karlye at dusk, seeing the warm lightswelcoming them from the windows ofthe city's cobblestone buildings. Theycircled over Karlye's quaintly designedroof tops of dark red and light greyslates, dropping, at length, into the bowlof the circular, grass-sown, landing fieldaround which the city was built. For anornithopter (never the most comfortableof flying machines) the vessel landedsmoothly, with Hawkmoon and Yisseldaclinging firmly to the straps provideduntil the bumping had stopped and thepilot, his transparent visor streamingwith moisture, turned to indicate to themthat they might leave. The rain beatheavily now upon the cabin's canopy and

Hawkmoon and Yisselda dressedthemselves in thick capes which coveredthem to their feet. Across the landingfield men came running, bodies bent intothe wind, and behind them was a hand-drawn carriage. Hawkmoon waited untilthe carriage had been positioned asclose as possible to the ornithopter, thenhe drew open the oddly shaped door andhelped Yisselda to cross the soddenground to the vehicle. They climbed in,and with a rather exaggerated lurch, thecarriage moved towards the buildings onthe far side of the field.

'We'll lodge in Karlye tonight,' saidHawkmoon, 'and leave early in themorning for the Silver Bridge.'

Count Brass's agents in Karlye had

already secured rooms for the Duke ofKoln and Yisselda of Brass; these weresituated not far from the landing field, ina small but extremely comfortable innwhich was one of the few buildings tohave survived the conquerings of theDark Empire. Yisselda remembered thatshe had stayed here with her father whenshe was a child and at first she felt asimple delight until her own childhoodreminded her of her lost Yarmila, andthen her brow became clouded.Hawkmoon, realizing what hadhappened, put his arm around hershoulders to comfort her when, aftereating a good supper, they went upstairsto bed.

The day had tired them and neitherwas of a disposition to stay awaketalking, for there was little left to talkabout, so they slept.

But Hawkmoon's sleep was almostimmediately populated by his all toofamiliar dreams - faces and imagesjostling for his attention - eyes imploringhim, hands beseeching him, as if a wholeworld, perhaps a whole universe, criedout for his attention and his aid.

And he was Corum - alien Corum ofthe Vadhagh - riding against the foulFhoi Myore, the Cold Folk from Limbo...

And he was Elric - Last Prince ofMelnibone - a shouting battleblade in his

right hand, his left upon the pommel ofan oddly wrought saddle, the saddle onthe back of a huge reptilian monsterwhose saliva turned to fire wherever itdripped...

And he was Erekose — poor Erekose- leading the Eldren to victory over hisown human people - And he was UrlikSkarsol prince of the Southern Ice,crying out in despair at his fate,•whichwas to bear the Black Sword.,.

TANELORN...Oh, where was Tanelorn ...?Had he not been there, at least once?

Did he not recall a sense of absolutepeace of mind, of wholeness of spirit, ofthe happiness which only those whohave suffered profoundly may feltl?

TANELORN ...'Too long have I born my burden - too

long have I paid the price of Erekose'sgreat crime. ..' It was his voice whichspoke, but it was not his lips whichformed the words - they were other lips,unhuman lips ... I must have rest - 1 musthave rest...'

And now there came a face - a face ofineffable evil, but it was not a confidentface - a dark face - was it desperate?Was it his face? Was this his face, too?

AH, I SUFFER!This way and that, the familiar armies

marched. Familiar swords rose andfell. Familiar faces screamed andperished, and blood flowed from body

after body - a familiar flowing...TANELORN - have I not earned the

peace of Tanelorn?Not yet, Champion. Not yet.It is unjust that I, alone, should suffer

so!You do not suffer alone. Mankind

suffers with you.,It is unjust.Then make justice!I cannot. I am only a man.You are the Champion. You are the

Eternal Champion.1 am a man!You are a man. You are the

Champion Eternal.I am only a man!You are only the Champion.

1 am Elric! I am Urlik! I am Erekose!I am Corum! I am too many. I am toomany!

You are one.And now, in his dreams (if dreams

they were), Hawkmoon felt, for a briefinstant, a sense of peace, anunderstanding too profound for words.He was one. He was one...

But then it was gone and he was manyagain. And he yelled in his bed and hebegged for peace.

And Yisselda was clinging to histhreshing body. And Yisselda wasweeping. And light fell on his face fromthe window. It was dawn.

'Dorian. Dorian. Dorian.'

‘Yisselda.'He drew a deep breath. 'Oh,

Yisselda.' And he was grateful that atleast she had not been taken from him,for he had no other consolation but her inall the world, in all the many worlds heexperienced while he slept; so he heldher close to him in his strong warrior'sarms, and he wept for a little while, andshe wept with him. Then they rose fromthe bed and dressed themselves and insilence they left the inn withoutbreakfasting, mounting the good horseswhich waited for them. They rode awayfrom Karlye, along the coast road,through the rain which swept from thegrey, turbulent sea, until they came to the

Silver Bridge which spanned thirtymiles of water between the mainland andthe isle of Granbretan.

T h e Silver Bridge was not asHawkmoon had seen it, all those manyyears before. Its tall pylons, obscurednow by mist, by rain, and, at their tops,by cloud, no longer bore motifs ofwarfare and Dark Empire glories;instead they were decorated withdesigns supplied by all the cities of thecontinent which the Dark Empirewarlords had once pillaged - a greatvariety of designs, celebrating theharmony of Nature. The vast causewaystill measured a quarter of a mile wide,but previously, when Hawkmoon hadcrossed it, it had carried war-machines,

the loot of a hundred great campaigns,the beast-warriors of the Dark Empire.Now trading caravans came and wentalong its two main roads; travellers fromNormandia, from Italia, Slavia, Rolance,Scandia, from the Bulgar Mountains,from the great German city-states, fromPesht and from Ulm, from Wien, fromKrahkov and even from distant,mysterious Muskovia. There werewaggons drawn by horses, by oxen, byelephants, even. There were trains ofcamels, mules and donkeys. There werecarts propelled by mechanical devices,often faulty, often faltering, whoseprinciples were understood by only ahandful of clever men and women (and

most of them could understand only inthe abstract) but which had worked for athousand years or more; there were menon horseback and there were men whohad walked hundreds of miles to crossthe wonder that was the Silver Bridge.Clothing was often outlandish, some of itdull, patched, dusty, some of it vulgar inits magnificence. Furs, leather, silks,plaids, the skins of strange beasts, thefeathers of rare birds, decorated theheads and backs of the travellers, andsome who were clad in the greatestfinery suffered the most in the chill rainwhich soaked through the subtly dyedfabrics and quickly found the unadornedflesh beneath. Hawkmoon and Yisseldatravelled in heavy, warm gear that was

plain, bereft of any decoration, but theirsteeds were sturdy and carried themwithout tiring, and soon they had joinedthe throng heading westward towards aland once feared by all but nowtransformed, under Queen Flana, into acentre of art and trade and learning andjust government. There would have beenseveral quicker ways of reachingLondra, but Hawkmoon's desire wasstrong to reach the city by the samemeans he had first left it.

His spirits improved as he looked atthe quivering hawsers supporting themain causeway, at the intricateworkmanship of the silversmiths whohad fashioned decorations many inches

thick to cover the strong steel of thepylons which had been built not only tobear millions of tons in weight but alsoto withstand the perpetual pounding ofthe waves, the pressure of the deepestcurrents so far beneath the surface. Herewas a monument to what man couldachieve, both useful and beautiful,without need of supernatural agencies ofany sort. All his life he had despised thatsad and insecure philosophy whichargued that man, alone, was not greatenough to achieve marvels, that he mustbe controlled by some superhuman force(gods, more sophisticated intelligencesfrom somewhere beyond the SolarSystem) to have achieved what he hadachieved. Only those frightened of the

power within their own minds couldhave need of such views, thoughtHawkmoon, noticing that the sky wasclearing and a little sunlight wasbeginning to touch the silver hawsersand make them glint more brightly thanbefore. He drew in a deep breath of theozone-laden air, smiling as gullswheeled about the upper levels of thepylons, pointing out the sails of a shipjust before it passed under the bridgeand beyond their view, commenting onthe beauty of a particular bas-relief, theoriginality of a particular piece ofsilver-work. Both he and Yisseldabecame calmer as they took an interest inall the sights and they spoke of the

pleasure they would experience ifLondra were half as beautiful as thisreborn bridge.

And then it seemed to Hawkmoon thata silence fell upon the Silver Bridge,that the clatter of the waggons and thehooves of the beasts disappeared, thatthe crying of the gulls ceased, that thesound of the waves went away, and heturned to mention this to Yisselda andshe had gone. And he looked about himand he realized, in dawning terror, thathe was quite alone on the bridge.

There was a thin cry from very faraway - a cry which might have beenYisselda calling to him - then that, too,was gone.

And Hawkmoon made to wheel his

horse about, to ride back the way he hadcome in the hope that, if he movedswiftly, he could rejoin Yisselda.

But Hawkmoon's horse refused to behandled. It was snorting. It stamped atthe metal of the bridge. It whinneyed.

And Hawkmoon, betrayed, screameda single, agonized word.

'NO!'

Chapter ThreeIn The Mist

‘No!'It was another voice - a booming,

pain-racked voice, far louder thanHawkmoon's, louder than thunder.

And the bridge swayed and the horsereared and Hawkmoon was thrownheavily to the metal causeway. He triedto rise; he tried to crawl back to wherehe was sure he would find Yisselda.

'Yisselda!' he cried.'Yisselda!'And wicked laughter sounded behind

him.

He turned his head, lyingspreadeagled on the swaying bridge. Hesaw his horse, its eyes rolling, tumbleover, slide to the edge, to be pinnedagainst a rail, its legs kicking at the air.

Now Hawkmoon tried to reach forthe sword beneath his cloak, but hecould not free it. It was pinned beneathhim.

The laughter came again, but its pitchand its tone changed; it was lessconfident. Then the voice gave out itsbellowing echo:

'No!'Hawkmoon knew a terrible fear, a

fear greater than anything he hadpreviously confronted. His impulse was

to crawl away from the source of thatfear, but he forced himself to turn hishead again and look at the face.

The face filled his whole horizon,glaring out of the mist which swirledaround the swaying bridge. The darkface of his dreams, its eyes were filledwith glaring menace, with acomplicated terror of its own, and thehuge lips formed the word which was achallenge, a command, a plea:

'No!'Then Hawkmoon climbed to his feet

and stood with his legs apart, balancinghimself, staring back at the face, staringby virtue of an effort of will whichastonished him.

"Who are you?' said Hawkmoon. His

voice was thin, the mist seemed toabsorb the words. 'Who are you? Whoare you?'

'No!'The face was apparently without a

body. It was beautiful and sinister and ofa dark, indeterminate colour. The lipswere a glowing unhealthy red; the eyeswere perhaps black, perhaps blue,perhaps brown, and there was a kind ofgold in the pupils.

Hawkmoon knew that the creaturewas in torment, but he knew, too, that itmenaced him, that it would destroy himif it could. Again his hand went to hissword, but fell away as he realized howuseless the blade would be, what an

empty gesture it would be if he drew it.'SWORD ...' said the being. 'SWORD

...' The word had considerable meaning.'sword ...' Once again its tone changed,to that of an unrequited lover, pleadingfor the return of the object of its love andhating itself for its wretchedness, hating,too, that which it loved. There was athreat in its voice; there was death there.

'elric? urlik? me ... I was a thousand... elric? me ...?'

Was this some fearful manifestationof the Champion Eternal - of Hawkmoonhimself? Did he look upon his own soul?

'ME . . . THE TIME . . . THECONJUNCTION ... I CAN HELP . . .'

Hawkmoon dismissed the thought. Itwas possible that the being represented

something within himself, but it was notthe whole of him. He knew that it had aseparate identity and he knew, also, thatit needed flesh, it needed form, and thatwas what he could give it. Not his ownflesh, but something which was his.

'Who are you?' Hawkmoon feltstrength enter his voice as he forcedhimself to look upon the dark, glaringface.

'ME ...'The eyes focused on Hawkmoon and

they glowed with hatred. Hawkmoon'sinstinct was to step backward, but heheld his ground and returned the glare ofthose evil, gigantic eyes. The lipssnarled and revealed jagged, flaming

teeth. Hawkmoon trembled.Words came to Hawkmoon and he

spoke them firmly, though he did notknow their origin, or their import, onlythat they were the right words. 'You mustgo,' he said. 'You have no place here.'

'I MUST SURVIVE - THECONJUNCTION - YOU WILLSURVIVE WITH ME, ELRIC ...'

'I am not Elric.''you are elric!''I am Hawkmoon.’'WHAT OF IT? A MERE NAME. IT

IS AS ELRIC THAT I LOVE YOUMOST. I HAVE HELPED YOU SOWELL . . .’

'You mean to destroy me,' saidHawkmoon, 'that I do know, I'll accept

no help from you. It is your help whichhas chained me through millennia. It willbe the last action of the ChampionEternal to take part in your destruction!"

'you know me?''Not yet. Fear the time when I shall

know you!''ME ..."'You must go. I begin to recognize

you.''NO!''You must go.' Hawkmoon felt his

voice begin to quaver and he doubted ifhe could look upon that terrible face foranother moment.

'Me ...' The voice was fainter, itthreatened less, it pleaded more.

"You must go.''Me ...'Then Hawkmoon summoned all that

remained of his will and he laughed at it.'Go!'

Hawkmoon spread his arms wide ashe began to fall, for face and bridge hadvanished at the same moment.

He fell through chilling mist, headover heels, his cloak flapping about himand tangling itself in his legs - throughchilling mist and into cold water. Hegasped. His mouth filled with the salt ofthe sea. He coughed and his lungs werefull of shards of ice. He forced the waterout, striking upwards, trying to reach thesurface. He began to drown.

His body heaved as it tried to draw inair and force out water, but there wasonly water for it to breath. Once heopened his eyes and saw his hands, andhis hands were the bone-white hands ofa corpse; white hair drifted about hisface. He knew his name was no longerHawkmoon, so he closed his eyes tightshut again and repeated his old battlecry, the battle cry of his ancestors whichhe had voiced a hundred times in hiswars against the Dark Empire.

Hawkmoon... Hawkmoon...Hawkmoon.. .

'Hawkmoon!'This was not his own shout. It came

from above him, from out of the mist. He

forced his body to the surface. He blewthe water from his lungs. He gasped atthe freezing air.

'Hawkmoon!'There was a dark outline on the

surface of the ocean. There was aregular splashing sound.

'Here!' cried Hawkmoon.The small rowing boat came slowly

towards him, its oars rising and falling.A small figure sat in it. He was swathedin a heavy sea-cloak, there was a wide-brimmed, dripping hat obscuring thegreater part of his features, but the grinon his lips was unmistakable, andunmistakable, too, was his companionwho sat in the prow of the boat lookingwith apparent concern in its yellow eyes

at Hawkmoon. It was a very wet littlecreature, that black and white cat. Itspread its wings once, to shake moisturefrom them. It mewed.

Hawkmoon clutched the wooden sideof the boat and Jhary-a-Conelmethodically shipped his oars beforereaching carefully down to help theDuke of Koln aboard.

'It is wise for such as me to trust tohis instincts,' said Jhary-a-Conel,handing Hawkmoon a flask of somestrong spirit. 'Do you know where weare, Dorian Hawkmoon?'

Unable to speak for the water still inhis lungs and stomach, Hawkmoon layback in the boat and shivered and

vomited while Jhary-a-Conel, self-styled Companion to Heroes, began oncemore to row.

'I thought it first a river, then a lake,’said Jhary conversationally, 'then Idecided it must be a sea. You haveswallowed a great deal of it. What doyou say?'

Hawkmoon spat the last of the waterover the side. He wondered at hisimpulse to laugh. 'A sea,' he said. 'Howcame you to be boating on it?'

'An impulse.' Jhary seemed to noticethe small black and white cat for the firsttime and showed surprise. 'Aha! So I amJhary-a-Conel, am I?'

'You were uncertain?''I think I had another name when I

began to row. Then the mist came.' Jharyshrugged. 'No matter. For me, it's afamiliar enough event. Well, well,Hawkmoon, how came you to beswimming in this sea?'

'I fell from a bridge,' said Hawkmoonsimply, not wishing, for the moment, todiscuss the experience. He did notbother to ask Jhary-a-Conel whether theywere nearer to France or to Granbretan,particularly since it was just beginningto dawn on him that he had no businessremembering Jhary's name or feelingsuch a close familiarity with him. 'I metyou in the Bulgar Mountains, did I not?With Katinka van Bak?'

'I seem to recall something of that.

You were Ilian of Garathorm for awhile, then Hawkmoon again. Howswiftly your names change, these days!You threaten to confuse me, DukeDorian!'

'You say my names change. You haveknown me in different guises?'

'Certainly. Enough for thisparticular conversation to have a boringfamiliarity.' Jhary-a-Conel grinned.

‘Tell me some of those names.'Jhary frowned. 'My memory is poor

on such matters. Sometimes it seems tome I can recall a great deal of past (andfuture) incarnations. At other times, likethis one, my mind refuses to consideranything but immediate problems.'

'I find that inconvenient,' said

Hawkmoon. He looked up, as if he mightsee the bridge, but there was only mist.He prayed that Yisselda was safe, thatshe was still on her way to Londra.

'Oh, so do I, Duke Dorian. I wonderif I have any business here at all, youknow.' Jhary-a-Conel pulled strongly athis hat.

"What of the "Conjunction of theMillion Spheres"? Does your faultymemory serve you with any informationconcerning that phrase?'

Jhary-a-Conel frowned. 'It rings adistant bell. An event of someimportance, I should have thought. Tellme more.'

‘There is no more I can tell you. I had

hoped...'‘If I should remember anything, I will

tell you.'The cat mewled again and Jhary

craned his head around, "Aha! Land ofsome sort. Let us hope it is friendly.'

'You have no idea where we are,then?'

'None at all, Duke Dorian.' Thebottom of the boat scraped againstshingle. 'Somewhere in one of theFifteen Planes, it's to be hoped.'

Chapter FourThe Gathering Of The Wise

They had walked for five miles overchalky hills and seen no sign that thisland was inhabited. Hawkmoon had toldJhary-a-Conel of everything that hadbefallen him, of everything whichpuzzled him. He remembered little of theadventure of Garathorm and Jharyremembered more, speaking of the Lordsof Chaos, of Limbo and the perpetualstruggle between the Gods, but all theirconversation, as conversation often will,caused further confusion and at lengththey agreed to put an end to their various

speculations.'Only one thing I know, and I know

that in my bones,' said Jhary-a-Conel,'and that is that you need not fear foryour Yisselda. I must admit that I am, bynature, optimistic - against considerableevidence on occasion - and I know thatin this venture we stand to win much orlose all. That creature you encounteredon the bridge must have considerablepower if he could wrench you from yourown world, and there is no question, ofcourse, that he means you ill, but I haveno inkling of his identity or when he willfind us again. It seems to me that yourambition to find Tanelorn is pertinent.'

'Aye,’ Hawkmoon looked aroundhim. They stood on the crown of one of

many low hills. The sky was clearingand the mist had vanished altogether andthere was an eery silence and thelandscape was remarkable in that all thatseemed to live was the grass itself; therewere no birds, no signs of the kind ofwildlife which might be expected toflourish here in the absence of man. ‘Yetour chances of finding Tanelorn seemsingularly poor at this particularmoment, Jhary-a-Conel.'

Jhary reached up to his shoulder tostroke the black and white cat which hadsat there patiently since they had beguntheir march inland. 'I am bound to agree,'he said. 'Nonetheless it seems to me thatour coming to this silent land was not

merely fortuitous. We are bound to havefriends, you know, as well as enemies.'

'Sometimes I doubt the worth of thekind of friends you mean,' Hawkmoonsaid bitterly, remembering Orland Fankand the Runestaff. 'Friends or enemies -we are still their pawns,'

'Well,' said Jhary-a-Conel with agrin, 'not pawns, perhaps -you mustjudge your worth better than that - why, Imyself am at least a knight!'

'My objection,' said Hawkmoonfirmly, 'is to being placed on the boardat all.'

'Then it is for you to remove yourselffrom it,' Jhary said mysteriously, adding:'Even if it should mean the destruction ofthe board itself.' He refused to amplify

this remark, saying that it was intuition,not logic, which had led him to make it.But the remark had considerableresonance in Hawkmoon's mind and,oddly, it improved his spiritsconsiderably. With increased energy, heset off again, taking such great stridesthat Jhary was hard put to keep up withhim and soon began to complain,begging Hawkmoon to slow a little.

"We are not exactly certain where weare going, after all,' said Jhary.

Hawkmoon laughed. 'Indeed! But atthis moment, Jhary-a-Conel, I care not ifwe head for Hell!'

The low hills rolled on in alldirections and by nightfall their legs

were aching greatly and their stomachsfelt exceptionally empty and still therewas no sign that this world waspopulated by any living thing butthemselves.

'We should be grateful, I suppose,'said Hawkmoon, 'that the weather isreasonably clement.'

‘Though dull,' added Jhary. 'Neitherhot nor cold. Could this be somepleasanter corner of Limbo, I wonder.'

Hawkmoon's attention was no longerwith his friend. He was peering throughthe dusk. 'Look, Jhary. Yonder. Do yousee something?'

Jhary followed Hawkmoon's pointinghand. He screwed up his eyes. 'On thebrow of the hill?'

'Aye. Is it a man?"'I think it is.' Impulsively, Jhary

cupped his hands around his mouth,shouting: 'Hey! Can you see us? Are youa native of these parts, sir?’

Suddenly the figure was very muchcloser. It had an aura of black fireflickering around its whole body. It wasclad in black, shining stuff that was notmetal. Its dark face was hidden by a highcollar, but enough was visible forHawkmoon to recognize it.

'Sword...' said the figure. 'Me,' itsaid. 'Elric.'

'Who are you?" This was Jharyspeaking. Hawkmoon could not speak -his throat was cramped, his lips dry. 'Is

this your world?'Fierce agony burned in the eyes;

fierce hatred burned there. The figuremade a motion towards Jhary - abelligerent motion as if he would tearthe little man apart - but then somethingstopped him. He drew back. He lookedat Hawkmoon again. He was snarling.'Love,' he said. 'Love.' He spoke theword as if it was new to him, as if hewere trying to learn it. The black flamearound his body flared, flickered anddimmed, like a breeze-blown candle. Hegasped. He pointed at Hawkmoon. Heraised his other hand, as if to barHawkmoon's path. 'Do not go. We havebeen too long together. We cannot part.Once I commanded. Now I plead with

you. What have I done for you but helpyou in all your many manifestations?Now they have taken my form away.You must find it, Elric. That is why youlive again.'

'I am not Elric. I am Hawkmoon.''Ah, yes. I remember now. The jewel.

The jewel will do. But the sword isbetter.' The beautiful features writhed inpain. The horrid eyes glared, so filledwith anguish that it was plain they couldnot see Hawkmoon at that moment. Thefingers curled like hawk's claws. Thebody shuddered. The flame waned.

'Who are you?' said Hawkmoon thistime.

'I have no name, unless you give me

one. I have no form, unless you find itfor me. I have only power. Ah! Andpain!" The figure's features writhedagain. 'I need ... I need...'

Jhary made an impatient movementtowards, his hip, but Hawkmoon's handstayed him. 'No. Do not draw it.'

'The sword,' said the creatureeagerly.

'No,' said Hawkmoon quietly. And hedid not know what he refused thecreature. It was dark now, but thefigure's darker aura pierced the ordinaryblackness of the night,

'A sword!' It was a demand. Ascream. 'A sword!'

For the first time, Hawkmoonrealized that the creature had no

weapons of its own. 'Find arms, if youwish them,' he said. 'You shall not haveours.'

Lightning leaped suddenly from theground around the creature's feet. Itgasped. It hissed. It shrieked. 'You willcome to me! You will need me! FoolishElric! Silly Hawkmoon! Stupid Erekose!Pathetic Corum! You will need me!'

The scream seemed to last for severalmoments, even after the figure hadvanished.

'It knows all your names,' said Jhary-a-Conel. 'Do you know what it iscalled?'

Hawkmoon shook his head. 'Not evenin my dreams.'

'It is new to me,' Jhary told him. 'Inall my many lives I do not think I haveencountered it before. My memory isnever good, at the best of times, but Iwould know if I had seen that beingbefore. This is a strange adventure, anadventure of unusual significance.'

Hawkmoon interrupted his friend'smusings. He pointed down into thevalley. 'Would you say that was a fire,Jhary? A camp fire. Perhaps we are tomeet the denizens of this world at longlast.'

Without debating the wisdom ofapproaching the fire directly, they beganto plod down the hill, coming at last tothe floor of the valley. The fire was only

a short distance from them now.As they approached Hawkmoon saw

that the fire was surrounded by a groupof men, but what was peculiar about thescene was that each of the men wasmounted on a horse and each horse facedinward, so that the group made a perfect,silent circle. So still were the horses, sostolidly did the riders sit in theirsaddles, that if it had not been for thesight of their breath steaming from theirlips, Hawkmoon would have guessedthem to be statues.

'Good evening,' he said boldly, but hereceived no reply from any of them. "Weare travellers who have lost our way andwould appreciate your help in finding itagain.'

The rider nearest to Hawkmoonturned his long head. 'It is why we arehere. Sir Champion. It is why we havegathered. Welcome. We have beenwaiting for you.'

Now that Hawkmoon saw it closer to,he realized that the fire was no ordinaryfire. Rather, it was a radiance,emanating from a sphere about the sizeof his fist. The sphere hovered a footabove the ground. Within it Hawkmoonthought he could see other spherescirculating. He returned his attention tothe mounted men. He did not recognizethe one who had spoken: a tall, blackman, his body half naked, his shouldersswathed in a cloak of white fox fur. He

made a short, polite bow. 'You have theadvantage of me,' he said.

'You know me,’ the black man toldhim, 'in at least one of your parallelexistences. I'm named Sepiriz, the Lastof the Ten.'

'And is this your world?'Sepiriz shook his head. 'This is no

one's world. This world still waits to bepopulated.' He looked beyondHawkmoon at Jhary-a-Conel. 'Greetings,Master Moonglum of Elwher.'

'I am called Jhary-a-Conel atpresent,’ Jhary told him,

'Yes,' said Sepiriz. 'Your face isdifferent. And your body, now I lookclosely. Still, you did well in bringingthe Champion to us.'

Hawkmoon glanced at Jhary. 'Youknew where we were going?"

Jhary spread his hands. 'Only in theback of my mind. I could not have toldyou, if you had asked.' He stared franklyat the circle of horsemen. 'So you are allhere.'

'You know them all?' askedHawkmoon.

'I think so. My Lord Sepiriz - from theChasm of Nihrain are you not? AndAbaris, the Magi.' This an old man cladin a rich gown embroidered with curioussymbols. He smiled a quiet smile,acknowledging his name. 'And you areLamsar the Hermit,' said Jhary-a-Conelto the next horseman, who was even

older than Abaris, and dressed in oiledleather to which patches of sand clung.His beard, too, had sand in it. 'I greetyou,' he murmured.

In astonishment, Hawkmoonrecognized another of the riders. 'Youare dead," he said. 'You died in defenceof the Runestaff at Dnark.'

There came laughter from within themysterious helm as the Warrior in Jetand Gold, Orland Fank's brother, flungback his armoured head. 'Some deathsare more permanent than others, Duke ofKoln.'

'And you are Aleryon of the Templeof Law,' said Jhary to another old man apale, beardless man. 'Lord Arkyn'sservant. And you are Amergin the

Archdruid. I know you, too.'Amergin, handsome, his hair bound

with gold, his white garments loose onhis lean body, inclined a grave head.

The last rider was a woman, her facecompletely covered by a golden veil, herfilmy robes all of a kind of silver colour.‘Your name, lady, escapes me,’ saidJhary, 'though I think I recognize youfrom some other world.’

And Hawkmoon found himselfsaying. 'You were slain on the South Ice.The Lady of the Chalice. The SilverQueen: Slain by .. .’

'By the Black Sword? Count Urlik, Iwould not have known you.' Her voicewas sad and it was sweet and suddenly

Hawkmoon saw himself, clad all in fursand armour, standing on a plain ofglinting ice, a huge and horrible swordin his hand, and he shut his eyes tight andgroaned. "No...'

'It is over,' she said. 'It is over. I didyou a great disservice, Sir Champion.Now I would help you further.'

The seven riders dismounted as oneand moved closer to the small sphere.

'What is that globe?' asked Jhary-a-Conel nervously. 'It is magical, is itnot?’

'It is what allows all seven of us toremain upon this plane,' said Sepiriz.'We are, as you know, considered wisein our own worlds. This gathering wascalled so that we could debate events,

for all of us has had the sameexperience. Our wisdom came frombeings greater than ourselves. They gaveus their knowledge when we called uponthem for it. But, of late, it has beenimpossible to seek that knowledge. Theyare all engaged in matters of suchmoment that they have no time for us. Tosome of us these beings are known as theLords of Law and we serve them as theirmessengers - in return they illuminateour minds. But we have had no wordfrom those great Lords and we fear thatthey are under attack from a forcegreater than any they have previouslyencountered,'

'From Chaos?' Jhary asked.

'Possibly. But we have learned, too,that Chaos is under attack also, and notfrom Law. The Cosmic Balance itself, itseems, is threatened.'

'And that is why the Runestaflf hasbeen called from my world,' saidHawkmoon.

‘That is why,' agreed the Warrior inJet and Gold.

'And do you have any inkling of thenature of this threat?' Jhary asked.

'None, save that it seems to havesomething to do with the Conjunction ofthe Million Spheres. But you know ofthat, Sir Champion.' Sepiriz was about tocontinue when Jhary raised a hand tostop him.

'I know the phrase, but no more. Mybad memory - which saves me from somuch grief - tricks me again .. .'

'Ah,' said Sepiriz, frowning. Thenperhaps we should not speak of it...'

'Speak of it, I beg you,' saidHawkmoon, 'for the phrase means muchto me.'

'Law and Chaos are engaged in agreat war - a war fought on all theplanes of the Earth - a war in whichhumanity is completely, unwittingly,involved. You, as humanity's Champion,fight in each of your manifestations -ostensibly on the side of Law (thougheven that is disputed).' Sepiriz sighed.'But Law and Chaos exhaust themselves.

Some think they lose the power tomaintain the Cosmic Balance and thatwhen the Balance fades, then allexistence ends. Others believe theBalance and the Gods all doomed, thatthe time of the Conjunction of theMillion Spheres has come to us. I havesaid nothing of this to Elric, in my nativeworld, for he is already greatlyconfused. I do not know how much totell you, Hawkmoon. The morality ofguessing at such monumental problemsdisturbs me. Yet if Elric is to blow theHorn of Fate -'

'And Corum to release Kwll,' addedAleryon.

'And Erekose to come to Tanelorn,'said the Lady of the Chalice.

' - then it can only result in a cosmicdisruption of unimaginable magnitude.Our wisdom fails us. We are almostafraid to act; there is nothing to adviseus. No one to tell us what the best coursemay be…’

'No one, save the Captain,' saidAbaris of the Magi.

'And how do we know that he doesnot work for his own ends? How do weknow if he is as altruistic as he makesout?' Lamsar the Hermit spoke in a toneof worried bewilderment.

‘We know nothing of him. He hasonly recently appeared in the FifteenPlanes.’

‘The Captain?' Hawkmoon said

eagerly. 'Is he a being who radiatesdarkness?' He described the creature hehad seen on the bridge and, earlier, inthis world.

Sepiriz shook his head. "That beingsome of us have seen briefly - but he,too, is mysterious. That is why we are souncertain - these different creaturescome to the multiverse and we knownothing of them. Our wisdom fails us...'

'Only the Captain has confidence,'said Amergin. 'He must go to him. Wecannot help.' He looked intently at theshining globe in their midst. The littlesphere - is the light fading?'

Hawkmoon looked at the sphere andsaw that Amergin was right. 'Is thatsignificant?' he asked.

'It means that we have little time lefthere,' said Sepiriz. "We are to berecalled to our own worlds, our owntimes. We shall never be able to meetagain in this way.'

Tell me more of the Conjunction ofthe Million Spheres,’ said Hawkmoon.

'Seek Tanelorn,' said the Lady of theChalice.

'Avoid the Black Sword,' saidLamsar the Hermit.

'Go back to the ocean,' said theWarrior in Jet and Gold. ‘Take passageon the Dark Ship.'

'And what of the Runestaflf?'Hawkmoon said. 'Must I continue toserve that?'

'Only if it will serve you,' said theWarrior in Jet and Gold.

Now the light from the sphere wasvery dim and the seven were mountingtheir horses; they had become shadows.

'And my children,' Hawkmoon called.'Where are they?'

‘In Tanelorn,' said the Lady of theChalice. They wait to be reborn.'

'Explain!' Hawkmoon pleaded. 'Lady- explain!'

But her shadow was the first to fadewith the last of the light from the sphere.Soon only the Mack giant Sepirizremained and his voice was very faint.

‘I envy you your greatness, ChampionEternal, but I do not envy you your

struggle.'And into the blackness Hawkmoon

shouted:'It is not enough! It is not enough! I

must know more!'Jhary placed a sympathetic hand upon

his arm. 'Come, Duke Dorian, we shallonly learn more by doing as theyinstructed, Come, let us go back to theocean.'

But then Jhary was gone andHawkmoon was alone, 'Jhary-a-Conel?Jhary?'

Hawkmoon began to run through thenight, to run through the silence, hismouth gaping to emit a scream whichwould not come, his eyes stinging withtears which would not flow, and in his

ears he could hear nothing but his ownheart beating like a funeral drum.

Chapter FiveOn The Shore

And now it was dawn and the mistwas on the sea, spilling aboard the stonyland; and there were lights, silver-grey,drifting in the mist, and the cliffs behindHawkmoon were ghastly. He had notslept He felt a ghost in a ghost's world.He was abandoned, and still he had notwept. His eyes stared into the mist, hiscold hand gripped the cold pommel ofhis sword, his white breath streamedfrom lips and nostrils, and he waited asa morning hunter awaits his prey, makingno sound himself lest he fail to hear that

betraying small noise which will revealthe object of his watch. Having no otherpossible action but to obey the advice ofthe seven wise ones who had spoken tohim in the previous night, he waited forthe ship which they had told him wouldcome. He waited, uncaring if it came ornot, but he knew that it would come.

Now a spot of red gleamed above hishead and he thought at first it was thesun, but the tint was too deep, it wasruby coloured. Some star gleaming froman alien firmament, he thought. The redlight tinged the mist, turning it pink. Atthe same time he heard a rhythmicalcreaking from the water and he knew thata ship was heaving-to. He heard ananchor fall, heard the murmur of voices,

heard the rattle of a pulley and abumping as of a small boat beinglowered. He returned his attention to thered star, but it was gone, only its lightwas left. The mist parted. He saw a highship in outline, its fore and aft decksconsiderably taller than the main deck; alantern shone at prow and stern, risingand falling with the waves. The sailswere furled, mast and rails were carvedintricately, the style of the workmanshipwholly unfamiliar.

'Please ...'Hawkmoon looked to his left and

there stood the creature, its black auradancing about it, its burning eyesentreating him.

'You irritate me, sir,' saidHawkmoon. 'I have no time for you.'

'Sword...'‘Find yourself a sword - then I'll be

happy to fight you, if that is what youdesire.’ He spoke with a confidence oftone not matched by the fear whichsteadily grew in him. He refused to lookat the figure.

‘The ship.. -.' said the creature.'Me...'

'What?' Hawkmoon turned and sawthat the eyes were leering at him nowwith full awareness of his state of mind.

'Let me come with you,' said thecreature. 'I can help you there. You willneed help.'

'Not yours,' said Hawkmoon, glancingat the water and seeing the boat whichhad been sent for him.

An armoured man stood upright in theboat. His armour had been fashioned tofollow certain rules of geometry, ratherthan to serve in the practical business ofprotection against an enemy's weapons.His great, beaked helmet hid much of hisface, but bright, blue eyes were evident,and a curling, golden beard.

'Sir Hawkmoon?' The armouredman's voice was light, friendly. 'I amBrut, a knight of Lashmar. I believe weare engaged upon a common quest.'

'A quest?' Hawkmoon noticed that thedark figure had disappeared. ‘For

Tanelorn?'"Aye. I seek Tanelorn. You will find

allies aboard the ship.'‘What is the ship? Where is it

bound?''Only those who sail with her know

that.’‘Is there one called "Captain"

aboard?'"Aye, our Captain. He is aboard.'

Brut climbed from the boat and held itagainst the movement of the waves.Those who rowed turned their heads tolook at Hawkmoon. They were allexperienced faces, the faces of men whohad fought in more than a single battle.Warrior Hawkmoon knew otherwarriors when he saw them.

'And who are these?''Comrades of ours.''What makes us comrades?''Why?' Brut smiled with good humour

belying the import of his words. 'We areall damned, sir.'

For some reason this statementrelieved rather than disturbedHawkmoon. He laughed, stridingforward, letting Brut help him into theboat. 'Do any but the damned seek forTanelorn?'

'I have never heard of any others.'Brut clapped a hand on Hawkmoon'sshoulder as he joined him. The boat wasseized by the waves and the warriorsbent their backs again, turning round and

rowing for where the ship awaited them,its dark, polished timbers still catching alittle of the ruby coloured light fromabove. Hawkmoon admired its lines,admired its high, curved prow.

'It is a ship belonging to no fleet I'veever seen,' he said.

‘It belongs to no fleet at all, SirHawkmoon.'

Hawkmoon looked back, but the landhad vanished. Only familiar mist wasthere.

'How came you to that shore?' Brutasked him.

‘You know not? I thought you would.I had hoped for answers to my questions.I was told to wait for the ship there. Ibecame lost - thrown from my own

world and the ones I love by a creaturewhich hates me and professes to loveme.'

'A god?''A god without the usual qualities, if

he be a god,' Hawkmoon said dryly.‘I have heard that the gods are losing

their most impressive qualities,' saidBrut of Lashmar. ‘Their powers arestretched so thin.'

'In this world?'‘This is no "world",' said Brut,

almost in surprise.The boat reached the ship and

Hawkmoon saw that a stout ladder hadbeen uncurled in readiness for them.Brut held the bottom for him, signing for

him to climb. Quelling his caution,which desired him to consider hisactions before going aboard the ship,Hawkmoon began to ascend.

There came a cry from above. Davitswere swung out to take the boat up. Awave caught the ship and it swayed,moaning, Hawkmoon climbed slowly.He heard the crack of an unfurling sail,he heard a creak as a capstan turned. Heraised his eyes, but they were blinded bya sudden beam from the red staroverhead, which was again revealed bya rent in the clouds.

‘That star,' he called. 'What is it, Brutof Lashmar? Do you follow it?'

'No,' said the blond soldier. Hisvoice was suddenly bleak 'It follows us.'

Book TwoSailing Between The Worlds:

3 Sailing For Tanelorn...

Chapter OneThe Waiting Warriors

Hawkmoon looked about him whileBrut of Lashmar joined him on deck.Already a wind had sprung up and wasfilling the great, black sail. It was afamiliar wind. Hawkmoon hadexperienced it at least once before, whenhe and Count Brass had fought Kalan,Taragorm and their minions in thecaverns below Londra, when the veryessence of Time and Space had beendisrupted thanks to the efforts of theDark Empire's two greatest sorcererscientists. But, for all that it was a

familiar wind, Hawkmoon did not careto feel its breath upon his flesh and hewas grateful when Brut escorted himalong the deck and flung open the doorof the stern cabin. Heat poured out,welcoming him. A big lantern swayedhere, hanging from four silver chains, itslight spreading through the relativelylarge space, diffused by red-grey glass.In the centre of the cabin stood a heavysea-table, its legs firmly clamped to theboards. A number of big, carved chairswere fixed around this table and some ofthe chairs were occupied, whileelsewhere men stood up. All lookedcuriously at Hawkmoon as he entered.

‘This is Dorian Hawkmoon, Duke ofKoln,' said Brut. 'Ill rejoin my fellows in

my own cabin. I’ll call for you againsoon, Sir Hawkmoon, for we'll need topay our respects to the Captain.'

'Does he know who I am? Does heknow I'm aboard?'

‘Of course. He selects a crewcarefully, does the Captain.' Brutlaughed and his laughter was echoed bythe grim, hard men in the cabin.

Hawkmoon's attention was drawn toone of the standing men - a warrior withunusual features, wearing armour of suchdelicate workmanship that it had analmost ethereal quality to it. Over hisright eye was a brocaded patch and onhis left hand a glove of what Hawkmoonguessed to be silvered steel (except he

knew in his heart that it was not). Thewarrior's pointed face and slanting,slender brows, his eye which waspurple, with a pupil of soft yellow andhis filmy, pale hair, all spoke of hismembership of a race only slightlyrelated to Hawkmoon's. Yet Hawkmoonfelt a kinship with him that was strong,that was magnetic (and that wasfrightening, too).

‘I am Prince Corum of the ScarletRobe,' said the warrior, stridingforward. 'You are Hawkmoon, are younot, of the Runestaff?'

'You know of me?'‘I have seen you, often. In visions, sir

- in dreams. Do you not know me?''No ...' But Hawkmoon did know

Prince Corum. He had seen him, too, invisions. 'I admit that - yes, I do knowyou...'

Prince Corum smiled a sad, grimsmile.

‘How long have you been aboard thisship?' Hawkmoon asked him, sittingdown in one of the chairs and acceptinga goblet of wine offered him by one ofthe other warriors.

'Who knows?' said Corum. 'A day ora century. It is a dream ship. I boarded itthinking I would reach the past. The lastI remember of any event before boardingwas being slain - betrayed by one Ithought I loved. Then I was on a mistyshore, convinced that my soul had gone

to Limbo, and this ship hailed me.Having nought else to do, I joined it.Since then others have filled the berthshere. There is one left, I am told, thenwe have a full complement. I gather wesail now to pick up this last passenger.'

"And our destination?’Corum took a draught from his own

wine cup. 'I have heard the nameTanelorn spoken, but the Captain told menothing of that. Perhaps the name isspoken in hope. I have received noevidence of any specific destination.'

‘Then Brut of Lashmar was deceivingme.'

'Deceiving himself, more like,' saidCorum. 'But perhaps Tanelorn is wherewe are bound. I have been there once, I

seem to remember.''And did you find peace there?''Briefly, sir, I think.''Your memory, then, is poor?''It is no worse than the memories of

most of us who sail on the "Dark Ship,'said Corum.

'Have you heard of the Conjunction ofthe Million Spheres?'

"Yes, it strikes a chord. A time ofgreat changes, is it not, on all the planes?When the planes intersect at specificpoints in their histories. When ournormal perception of Time and of Spacebecomes meaningless and when it ispossible for radical alterations to bemade in the nature of reality itself. When

old gods die..."'And new ones are born?’'Perhaps. If they are needed.''You can amplify, sir?''If my memory were jogged, Dorian

Hawkmoon, I am sure that I could. Thereis much in my head which will not, as itwere, come forward. Knowledge isthere, but also pain - and perhaps thepain and the knowledge are too closelylinked, so that one is buried with theother. I believe I have been mad.'

'I, too,' said Hawkmoon. 'But I havebeen sane, also. Now I'm neither. It is anodd feeling.'

'I know it well, sir.' Corum turned,indicating the other occupants of thecabin with his cup. 'You must meet your

comrades. This is Emshon of Ariso’ Afierce-faced little man with heavymoustaches and a glowering mannerlooked up from the table, grunting atHawkmoon. He had a thin tube in hishand, which he lifted frequently to hislips. Within the tube were herbs of somekind, smouldering, and it was theirsmoke which the dwarfish warriorinhaled. 'Greetings, Hawkmoon,' he said.'I hope you're a better sailor than myself,for this damned ship's inclined to pitchlike an unwilling virgin at times,"

‘Emshon has a gloomy disposition,'said Corum, smiling, 'and something of acoarse manner of speech, but he'sagreeable enough company most of the

time. And this is Keeth Woecarrier, whois convinced he brings doom to all herides with ...'

Keeth looked shyly away, mutteringsomething which none could hear. Frombeneath his bearskin cloak he raised ahuge hand in greeting, and all thatHawkmoon heard of his words was: 'It'strue. It's true.' He was a big, lumberingsoldier dressed in patched leather andwool, with a skin cap upon his head.

'John ap-Rhyss.' This was a tall, thinman with hair falling well below hisshoulders and a drooping moustacheadding to his melancholy look, clad allin faded black, save for a bright insigniastitched to his shirt above his heart. Hewore a dark wide-brimmed hat and his

grin of greeting was sardonic. 'Hail toyou, Duke Dorian. We have heard ofyour exploits in the land of Yel. Youfight the Dark Empire, do you not?'

'I did,' said Hawkmoon. 'But that fightis now won.'

'Have I been away so long?' John ap-Rhyss frowned.

'It is useless to measure Time in theordinary way,' Corum said warningly.'Accept that in Hawkmoon's immediatepast the Dark Empire is defeated - inyours, it is still strong.’

'I am called Turning Nikhe,' said theone closest to John ap-Rhyss. He wasbearded, red-haired, with a quiet, wrymanner. In contrast to ap-Rhyss, he was

covered all over in jingling talismans, inbeads, decorated leather, embroidery,charms of gold, silver and brass. Hissword-belt was embedded withsemiprecious jewels, with little falconsof bronze, with stars and arrows. 'I havemy name because I once changed sidesduring a battle, and am considered atraitor in certain parts of my own world(though I had my reasons for doing whatI did). Be warned of that, however. I amnot a land soldier, as most of you, but asailor. My own ship was rammed byships of King Fesfaton's navy. I wasdrowning when rescued by this vessel. Ihad thought I'd be needed for crew, butfind myself a passenger.'

'Who crews the ship, then?'

Hawkmoon asked, for he had seen nonebut these warriors.

Turning Nikhe laughed in his redbeard. 'Forgive me,' he said. 'But thereare no sailors aboard, save you count theCaptain.'

The ships sails herself,' said Corumquietly. 'And we have speculated onwhether she is commanded by theCaptain or whether she commands him.'

'It's a sorcerous ship and I wish I hadno part of her,' said one who had not yetspoken. He was fat, sporting a steelbreastplate engraved with naked womenin all manner of poses. Beneath this hewore a red silk shirt and there was ablack neckerchief at his throat. He had

golden rings in the lobes of his largeears and his black hair fell in ringlets tohis shoulders. His black beard wastrimmed and tapered and his moustachecurled over his swarthy cheeks, almostto his hard, brown eyes. 'I am BaronGotterin of Nimplaset-in-Khorg and Iknow where this ship is bound.'

‘Where, sir?''For Hell, sir. I am dead, as we all

are - though some are too cowardly toadmit it. On Earth I sinned with zest andwith imagination and am in no doubt ofmy fate.'

‘Your imagination fails you now,Baron Gotterin,' said Corum dryly. "Youtake a view which is exceptionallyconventional.'

Baron Gotterin shrugged his bigshoulders and took a deep interest in thecontents of his wine cup.

An old man stepped out of theshadows. He was thin, but strong, and hewore garments of stained, yellow leatherwhich accentuated his pallor. On hishead was a dented battle cap, of woodand iron, the wood studded with brassnails. His eyes were bloodshot, moodyand his mouth had a morose set to it. Hescratched the back of his neck, saying:'I'd rather be in Hell than imprisonedhere,' he said. 'I'm a soldier, as we allare, and keen to be at my trade. I ammost dreadfully bored.' He nodded toHawkmoon. 'I'm called Chaz of Elaquol

and I have the distinction of neverhaving served in a victorious army. Iwas fleeing, defeated as usual, when Iwas driven by my pursuers into the sea.My luck is useless in battle, but I havenever been captured. This, however,was the strangest rescue of them all!'

‘Thereod of the Caves,' said one evenpaler than Chaz, presenting himself. 'Igreet you, Hawkmoon. This is my firstvoyage, so I find all its aspectsinteresting.' He was the youngest of thecompany, with an awkward manner ofmoving. He wore the faintly scintillatingskins of some reptile and there was acap on his head of the same stuff, and hehad a sword so long that it jutted a footabove his back (on which it was slung)

and almost touched the floor.The last to be introduced had to be

shaken awake by Corum. He sat at thefar end of the table, an empty goblet stillin his gloved hand, his face hidden bythe fair hair hanging over it. He belched,grinned apologetically, looked atHawkmoon with friendly, foolish eyes,poured himself more wine, drank off thewhole goblet, made to speak, failed, anddosed his eyes again. He began to snore.

'That's Reingir,’ said Corum,'nicknamed "The Rock” though how hecame by the name he has never beensober enough to tell us! He was drunkwhen he came aboard and has kepthimself in that state ever since, though

he's amiable enough and sometimessings for us.’

'And you know not why we have allbeen gathered?' Hawkmoon asked. 'Weare all soldiers, but appear to have littleelse in common.'

"We have been picked to fight someenemy of the Captain's,' said Emshon.'All I know is that it's not my fight and Iwould have preferred to have beenconsulted before being selected. I had aplan to storm the Captain's cabin andtake over the ship, sailing for pleasanterclimes than these (have you noticed it isalways misty?) but these "heroes" wouldhave none of it. You've precious little inthe way of guts. The Captain would onlyhave to fart and you'd scatter!'

The others took this with amusement.Evidently, they were used to Emshon'sbraggadocio.

'Do you know why we're here, PrinceCorum?' Hawkmoon asked. 'Have youspoken with the Captain?'

'Aye - spoken at some length. But I'llsay nothing until you've seen him.'

"And when will that be?'"Quite soon, I'd think. Each of us has

been summoned shortly after comingaboard.'

'And told next to nothing!' complainedChaz of Elaquol. 'All I want to know iswhen the fight begins. And I pray that it'swon. I'd like to be on a winning sidebefore I die!'

John ap-Rhyss smiled, showing histeeth. ‘You do not instill us withconfidence, Sir Chaz, with your manytales of defeat.'

Chaz said seriously. 'I care not if Isurvive the coming battle or not, but Ihave a feeling in my bones that it will besuccessful for some of us.’

'Only some?' Emshon of Arisosnorted and made a bad temperedgesture. 'Successful for the Captain,maybe.'

'I am inclined to think that we areprivileged,' said Turning Nikhe quietly,There is not one of us here who was notclose to death before the Dark Shipfound us. If we are to die, then it will

probably be in some great cause.'‘You are a romantic, sir,' said Baron

Gotterin. 'I am a realist. I believenothing of what the Captain has told us. Iknow for certain that we go to ourpunishments.'

'Everything you say, sir, proves onlyone thing - that you possess a dull andprimitive conscience!' Emshon wasplainly pleased with his own remark. Hesmirked.

Baron Gotterin turned away andfound himself staring into the melancholyeye of Keeth Woecarrier who made anembarrassed noise and looked at thefloor.

‘This bickering frets me,' saidThereod of the Caves. 'Will anyone join

me in a game of chess?' He indicated alarge board fastened by leather straps toa bulwark.

'I’ll play,' said Emshon, 'though I tireof beating you.'

‘The game is new to me,' saidThereod mildly. 'But I learn, Emshon,that you'll admit.'

Emshon rose from the table andhelped Thereod unstrap the board.Together they carried it to the table andclipped it into place. From a chestThereod took out a box of pieces andbegan to arrange them. Some of theothers gathered to watch the game.

Hawkmoon addressed Corum. 'Areall of these counterparts of ourselves?'

'Counterparts or other incarnations,do you mean?'

'Other manifestations of the so-calledChampion Eternal,' said Hawkmoon. 'Doyou know the theory? It explains why werecognize each other, why we have seeneach other in visions.’

'I know the theory well,' said Corum.'But I do not believe most of thesewarriors are our counterparts, as youcall them. Some, like John ap-Rhyss, arefrom the same worlds. No, in thiscompany, I think only you and I share -what? - a soul?'

Hawkmoon looked hard at Corum.And then he shivered.

Chapter TwoThe Blind Captain

Hawkmoon had n o idea how muchtime had passed before Brut came backto the cabin, but Emshon and Thereodhad played two games of chess and werehalf-way through another.

The Captain is ready to receive you,Hawkmoon.' Brut looked tired; miststreamed in through the open door beforehe could slam it shut.

Hawkmoon got up from his chair. Hissword caught under the table and hefreed it so that it swung to its usualposition on his thigh. He drew his cloak

about him, fastening the clasp.'Don't spring so readily to his

bidding,' Emshon said grumpily, raisinghis eyes from the board. 'He needs us,does the Captain, for whatever hisventure is.'

Hawkmoon smiled. ‘I must satisfy mycuriosity, Emshon of Ariso.'

He followed Brut from the cabin andalong the chilly deck. He thought that hehad noticed a large wheel forward,whence boarded, and now he saw one atthe stern. He commented on this to Brut.

Brut nodded. "There are two. Butonly one steersman. Apart from theCaptain, he seems to have been the onlyother being on board." Brut pointedthrough the thick, white mist, and there

was the outline of a man, his two handsupon the wheel. He stood extraordinarilystill, dressed in thick, quilted jerkin andleggings. He seemed fixed to the wheel,fixed to the deck, and Hawkmoon couldhave found himself doubting if the manlived at all ... He could tell from themotion of the ship that she sailed withmore than natural speed and, looking upat the sail, he saw that it was full, but nowind blew now, not even that unearthlywind with which he had becomefamiliar. They passed a cabin identicalto that which they had left and thenreached the high forward deck. Underthis was a door whose substance wasnot the same as the dark wood of the rest

of the ship. It was of metal, but a metalwhich had a vibrant, organic quality toit, a russet cast which remindedHawkmoon of the pelt of a fox.

‘This is the Captain's cabin," saidBrut. 'I'll leave you here, Hawkmoon. Ihope you receive answers to at leastsome of your questions.'

Brut walked back to his own cabin,leaving Hawkmoon contemplating thestrange door. He stretched out a hand totouch the metal. It was warm. It sent ashock through him.

'Enter, Hawkmoon,' said a voice fromwithin. It was a richly timbred voice, butit sounded remote.

Hawkmoon looked for a handle, butfound none. He began to press on the

door, but already it was opening. Bright,ruby light struck eyes grown used to thedimness of the stern cabin. Hawkmoonblinked, but moved towards the light,while the door closed behind him. Theair was warm and sweetly scented;brass and gold and silver fixturesglinted; glass shone. Hawkmoon sawrich hangings, a deep, many-hued carpet,red lamps fixed to bulkheads, subtlecarvings; there were purples, dark reds,dark greens and yellows; there was apolished desk, its rails of gleaming,twisted gold, and on the desk wereinstruments, charts, a book. There werechests, a curtained bunk. Beside the deskstood a tall man who might, in face and

figure, have been a relative of Corum's.He had the same tapering head, the finered-gold hair, the almond, slanting eyes.His loose garments were all of the sameshade of buff and the sandals on his feetwere of silver, while silver laces werewound about his calves. On his headwas a circlet of blue jade. But it was theeyes which drew Hawkmoon's attention.They were a milky white, flecked withblue, and they were blind. The Captainsmiled.

'Greetings, Hawkmoon. Have youbeen given our wine, yet?'

'I had some wine, aye.' Hawkmoonwatched as the man moved deftlytowards a chest on which were set out asilver jug and silver cups.

'You will have some more?''I thank you, sir.'The Captain poured the wine and

Hawkmoon picked up his cup. Hesipped and the wine filled him with asense of well-being. 'I have not had thisvintage,' he said.

'It will restore you,' said the Captain,taking a cup for himself.' And will haveno ill-effects, I assure you.'

‘There is a rumour on board, sir, thatyour ship is bound for Tanelorn.'

‘There are many who sail with uswho yearn for Tanelorn,' said theCaptain, turning his blind head to faceHawkmoon. For a moment Hawkmoonthought that the Captain looked not at his

face but directly into his soul. Hecrossed the cabin to one of the portholesand looked out at the white, swirlingmist. The steady rising and fallingforward motion of the ship seemed tobecome more pronounced.

'You answer cryptically,' saidHawkmoon. 'I had hoped that you wouldbe more direct with me.'

'I am as direct as I can be, DukeDorian, be assured of that.'

'Assurances...' began Hawkmoon,then held back the rest of the sentence.

'I know,' said the Captain. 'They areof little use to a mind in the tormentwhich you must feel. But I believe thatmy ship takes you closer to Tanelorn andto your children.'

'You know that I seek my children?''Yes, I know that you are a victim of

the disruptions which have come aboutas a result of the Conjunction of theMillion Spheres."

'Can you tell me more of that, sir?''You know already that there are

many worlds which exist in relation toyour own, but separated by barrierswhich cut them off from your perception.You know that their histories are oftensimilar, that the beings sometimes calledthe Lords of Law and the Lords of Chaoswar permanently for domination of thoseworlds and that certain men and womenhave a destiny which involves them inthose wars?'

'You speak of the Eternal Champion?''Of him and of those who share his

fate.''Jhary-a-Conel?'‘That is one of his names. And

Yisselda is another name. She has manycounterparts, too.'

'And what of the Cosmic Balance?''Of the Cosmic Balance and the

Runestaff little is known.''You do not serve either?''I do not believe so.'‘That, at least, is a relief to my ears,'

said Hawkmoon, replacing his finishedcup upon the chest. 'I have become tiredof talk of great destinies.'

'I will speak of nothing but the

practical business of survival,' theCaptain told him. 'My ship has alwayssailed between the worlds - guarding,perhaps, the many borders where theyare weakest. We have known no otherlife, I think, my steersman and I. I envyyou that, Sir Champion -I envy you thevariety of your experience.'

'I have a mind to exchange destinies,if you would like to, Captain.'

The blind man laughed quietly. 'I donot think that that is possible.'

'So my being aboard your ship hassomething to do with the Conjunction ofthe Million Spheres?'

'Everything. As you are aware, theevent itself is rare enough. And this timethe Lords of Law and Chaos and their

many minions battle with particularferocity to see which of them shallcontrol the worlds when the Conjunctionis passed. They involve yourself in allyour guises, for you are important tothem, make no mistake of that. AsCorum, you have created a specialproblem for them.'

'Corum and I are the same, then?''Different manifestations of the same

Hero, drawn from different worlds atdifferent times. A dangerous business -normally two aspects of the Championcoexisting in the same world at the sametime would be an alarming prospect -and we have four such aspects to,consider. You have not yet met

Erekose?''No.''He inhabits the forward cabin. Eight

other warriors are there, too. They awaitonly Elric. We sail now to find him. Hemust be drawn from what would be yourpast, just as Corum has been drawn fromwhat would be your future if you sharedthe same world. Such are the forces atwork which make us risk monumentalstakes! I pray that it will proveworthwhile.'

'And what are the forces at work?''I tell you what I have told the other

two and what I will tell Elric. I can tellyou no more, so ask no further questionswhen I have finished. Do you agree tothat?'

'I must,' said Hawkmoon simply.'When the time comes,' said the

Captain, 'I will tell you all that there isleft."

'Continue, sir,' said Hawkmoonpolitely.

'Our destination is an island - a rarething, for it is an island indigenous tothese waters - inhabiting what youwould call Limbo and, at the same time,inhabiting all the worlds on whichmankind struggles. That island - orrather the city which stands upon theisland - has been attacked many timesand both Law and Chaos would controlit, yet none has ever succeeded. Once ithad the blessing of a people known as

the Grey Lords, but they have sincedisappeared - none knows where. Intheir place have come enemies ofimmense power - beings who woulddestroy all the worlds forever. It is theConjunction which has allowed them toenter this "multiverse" of ours. Andhaving entered, having gained thisfoothold on our borders, they will notleave until they have effectively killedeverything living.'

'They must be powerful indeed. Andthis ship has been called to gather a bandof warriors to join forces with thosewho fight that enemy?'

'The ship goes to fight the enemy,yes.'

'But we must perish, surely?'

'No. Individually you in any one ofyour aspects would not have the powerto destroy this enemy. That is why theothers have been called. Later, I will tellyou more.' The Captain paused, as iflistening to something in the waterssurrounding the ship. "There! I think weare ready to find our last passenger. Gonow, Hawkmoon. Forgive my manner,but you must leave me.'

'When will I learn more, sir?''Soon.' The Captain gestured at the

door, which had opened. 'Soon.'His head full of the information the

Captain had given him, Hawkmoonstumbled back into the mist.

Far away, he could just hear the

booming of surf, and he knew that theship neared land. For a moment hethought he would remain on deck andview that land if he could, but thensomething made him change his mindand he hurried towards the stern cabin,casting a last look back at the rigid,mysterious figure of the steersman whowas still at the forward wheel.

Chapter ThreeThe Island Of Shadows

'And did the Captain illuminate you,Sir Hawkmoon?' Emshon fingered hischess queen as Hawkmoon entered thecabin.

'A little,’ said Hawkmoon, 'though hemystified me more. Why do our numbersseem significant? Ten men to a cabin?'

‘Is it not the maximum the cabins canhold comfortably?' asked Thereod, whoseemed to be winning the game.

‘There must be a considerableamount of space below,' Corum said.'That cannot be the reason.'

'And what of sleeping quarters?' saidHawkmoon. 'You have been aboardlonger than I. Where do you sleep?'

'We do not sleep,' said BaronGotterin. The fat soldier jerked a thumbat the snoring Reingir. 'Save for that one.And he sleeps all the time.' He fingeredhis oiled beard. 'Who sleeps in Hell?'

‘You have sung the same tonelesssong since you came aboard,' John ap-Rhyss said. 'A more polite man wouldbe silent or find some new song to sing.'

Gotterin sneered and turned his backon his critic.

The tall, long-haired man from Yelsighed and resumed his drinking.

"The last of us is due to board soon, I

gather,' said Hawkmoon. He looked atCorum. 'One named Elric. Is the namefamiliar?'

'It is. Is it not familiar to you?"‘It is.'"Elric, Erekose and myself fought

together once, at a time of great crisis.The Runestaff saved us, then, at the fightat the Tower of Voilodion Ghagnasdiak.'

'What do you know of the Runestaff?Has it aught to do with the CosmicBalance of which I have heard so muchof late?'

'Possibly,' said Corum, 'but do notlook to me for understanding of suchmysteries, friend Hawkmoon. I am asbewildered as yourself.'

'Both seem to stand for Equilibrium.'

‘True.''And yet I learn that the equilibrium is

one maintaining the power of the gods.Why do we fight to maintain theirpower?'

Corum smiled reminiscently. 'Dowe?" he said.

'Do we not?''Usually, I suppose,' said Corum.'You become as irritating as the

Captain,' said Hawkmoon with a laugh.'What do you mean?'

Corum shook his head. 'I am not sure.'Hawkmoon realized that he felt better

than he had done for some while. Hecommented on this.

'You have drunk the Captain's wine,'

said Corum. 'It is what sustains us, Ithink. There is more here. I offered youonly the ordinary stuff, but if you ask...'

'Not now. But it sharpens the brain -it sharpens the brain.'

'Does it?' said Keeth Woecarrierfrom the shadows. 'I fear it dulls mine. Iam confused.'

'We are all confused,' said Chaz ofElaquol dismissively. 'Who would notbe?' He half drew his sword and thenplunged it back into the scabbard. 'I amonly clear-headed when I fight.'

'I gather that we shall be fightingsoon,' Hawkmoon told him.

This drew the interest of them all andHawkmoon repeated the little theCaptain had said. The warriors fell,

again, to speculating, and even BaronGotterin brightened, speaking no more ofHell and punishment.

Hawkmoon had an inclination toavoid Prince Corum's company, notbecause he disliked the man (he foundhim most likeable) but because he wasdisturbed by the idea that he shared thecabin with one who was anotherincarnation of himself. Corum seemed tohave a common feeling.

And so the tune passed.Later, the door of the cabin opened

and two tall men stood there. One was ofa darkish countenance, heavy and broad-shouldered, with many scars upon hisface which was, though careworn,

strikingly handsome. It was hard to tellhis age, though he was probably close toforty, and his dark hair had a little silverin it. His deep-set eyes were intelligent,revealing something of a private grief.He was dressed in thick leatherstrengthened at the shoulders, elbowsand wrists with steel plates which weremuch dented and scraped. He recognizedHawkmoon and nodded to Corum as ifthey had already met. His companionwas slim and physically had much incommon with Corum and the Captain.His eyes were crimson, smouldering likethe coals of some supernatural fire, andthey stared from a face which was bone-white, bloodless - the face of a corpse.His long hair, too, was white. His body

was swathed in a heavy leather cloak,the hood thrown back. From under thecloak jutted the outlines of a greatbroadsword and Hawkmoon wonderedwhy he should feel a frisson of fearwhen he observed that outline.

Corum recognized the albino. 'Elricof Melnibone! My theories become moremeaningful!' He glanced eagerly atHawkmoon, but Hawkmoon hung back,not sure that he welcomed the whiteswordsman. 'See, Hawkmoon, this is theone of whom I spoke.'

The albino was surprised, baffled.'You know me, sir?'

Corum was smiling. 'You recognizeme, Elric. You must! At the Tower of

Voilodion Ghagnasdiak? With Erekose' -though a different Erekose.'

'I know of no such tower, no namewhich resembles that, and this is the firstI have seen of Erekose.' Elric looked tohis companion, Erekose, as if seekinghelp. 'You know me and you know myname, but I do not know you. I find thisdisconcerting, sir.'

The other spoke for the first time, hisvoice deep and vibrant and melancholy.'I, too, had never met Prince Corumbefore he came aboard,' said Erekose,'yet he insists we fought together once. Iam inclined to believe him. Time on thedifferent planes does not always runconcurrently. Prince Corum might wellexist in what we would term the future.'

Hawkmoon found that his brain wasrefusing to hear any more. He longed forthe relative simplicity of his own world.'I had thought to find some relief fromsuch paradoxes here,’ he said. Herubbed at his eyes and his forehead,fingering, for an instant, the scar wherethe Black Jewel had once beenimbedded. 'But it seems there is none atthis present moment in the history of theplanes. Everything is in flux and evenour identities, it seems, are prone toalter at any moment.'

Corum was insistent, still addressingElric. 'We were Three! Do you notrecall it, Elric? The Three Who AreOne?' Evidently Elric knew nothing of

which Corum spoke. ‘Well,' said Corumwith a shrug, 'now we are Four. Did theCaptain say anything of an island we aresupposed to invade?'

'He did.' The newcomer looked fromface to face. 'Do you know who theseenemies might be?'

Hawkmoon had a fellow feeling forthe albino, then. 'We know no more orless than do you, Elric. I seek a placecalled Tanelorn and two children.Perhaps I seek the Runestaff, too. Of thatI am not entirely sure.'

Corum, still eager to jog Elric'smemory, said: 'We found it once. Wethree. In the Tower of VoilodionGhagnasdiak. It was of considerablehelp to us.'

Hawkmoon wondered if Corum weremad. 'As it might be to me,' he said. 'Iserved it once. I gave it a great deal.' Hestared hard at Elric, for the white facewas becoming more familiar with everypassing moment. He realized that he didnot fear Elric. It was the sword whichthe albino bore - there was whatHawkmoon feared.

'We have much in common, as I toldyou, Elric.' Erekose was plainly trying toremove the tensions from theatmosphere. 'Perhaps we share mastersin common, too?'

Elric made something of an arrogantshrug. 'I serve no master but myself.'

Hawkmoon found himself smiling at

this. The other two also smiled.And when Erekose murmured: 'On

such ventures as these one is inclined toforget much, as one forgets a dream,'Hawkmoon found himself saying, withconsiderable conviction: 'This is adream. Of late I've dreamt many such.'

And Corum, now acting as mediatorhimself, said: "It is all dreaming, if youlike. All existence.'

Elric made a dismissive gesturewhich Hawkmoon found a trifleirritating. 'Dream or reality, theexperience amounts to the same, does itnot?'

Erekose's smile was soulful. 'Quiteright.'

'In my own world,' said Hawkmoon

sharply, ‘We had a clear idea of thedifference between dream and reality.Does not such vagueness produce apeculiar form of mental lethargy in us?'

'Can we afford to think?' Erekoseasked, almost savagely, 'Can we affordto analyse too closely? Can you, SirHawkmoon?'

And Hawkmoon knew, suddenly,what Erekose's doom was. He knew thatit was his doom, too. And he fell silent,shamed.

'I remember,' said Erekose, moresoftly now. 'I was, am, or will be DorianHawkmoon. I remember.'

'And that is your grotesque andterrifying fate,' said Corum. 'We all

share the same identity - but only you,Erekose, remember them all.'

'I wish my memory were not sosharp,' said the heavy man. For so longhave I sought Tanelorn and myErmizhad. And now comes theConjunction of the Million Spheres,when all the worlds intersect and thereare pathways between them. If I can findthe right path, then I shall see Ermizhadagain. I shall see all that I hold dearest.And the Eternal Champion will rest. Weshall all rest, for our fates are so closelylinked together. The time has come againfor me. This, I now know, is the secondConjunction I shall witness. The firstwrenched me from a world and set me towarring. If I fail to take advantage of the

second, I shall never know peace. Thisis my only opportunity. I pray that we dosail for Tanelorn.'

'I pray with you,' said Hawkmoon.'So you should,' said Erekose. 'So you

should, sir.'When the other two had gone,

Hawkmoon agreed to join Corum in agame of chess (though he was stillreluctant to spend much time in theother's company), but the game becamestrange - each able to anticipate exactlywhat his opponent would do. Corumtook the experience with apparentlightness. Laughing he sat back in hischair. "There is little point tocontinuing, eh?'

Hawkmoon agreed with relief and,with relief, saw the door open and Brutof Lashmar entered, a jug of hot wine inone gloved hand.

'I bring the compliments of theCaptain,' he said, placing the jug in anindentation at the centre of the table.'Did you sleep well?'

'Sleep?' Hawkmoon was surprised.'Have you slept? Where do you sleep?'

Brut frowned. 'You were notinformed, then, of the bunks below. Howhave you remained awake so long?'

Corum said hastily: 'Let us not pursuethe question.'

'Drink the wine,' said Brut quietly. 'Itwill revive you.’

'Revive us?' Hawkmoon felt awildness, a bitterness, rise in him. 'Ormake us share the same dream?'

Corum poured wine for both of themand almost forced the cup intoHawkmoon's hand. He looked alarmed.

Hawkmoon made to dash the wineaway, but Corum put his silver hand onHawkmoon's arm. 'No, Hawkmoon.Drink. If the wine makes the dreamcoherent to all of us, then it is better.'

Hawkmoon hesitated, thought for aninstant, disliked the drift of his thoughts,and he drank. The wine was good. It hadthe same influence as that which he haddrunk in the Captain's company. Hisspirits improved. 'You are right,' he said

to Corum.'The Captain would have the Four

join him now,' said Brut soberly.'Has he more information for us?'

Hawkmoon asked, aware that the otherwarriors in the cabin listened eagerly.One by one they came up to the wine jugand helped themselves from it. Theydrank as he had drunk, quickly.

Hawkmoon and Corum rose andfollowed Brut from the cabin. Walkingalong the deck, through the mist,Hawkmoon tried to see beyond the rail,but saw only mist. Then he noticed aman standing at the rail, his attitudeintrospective. He recognized Elric andcalled out in a friendlier tone than he hadused before:

‘The Captain has requested that weFour visit him in his cabin.'

Hawkmoon saw Erekose leave hiscabin, nodding to them. Elric left the railand led the way up the deck to theforward deck and the red-brown door.He knocked; they entered the warmth andluxury of the cabin.

And the Captain's blind face greetedthem, and he made a sign towards thechest, where the silver jug and the silverwine cups were, and he said:

'Please help yourselves, my friends.'Hawkmoon found now that he was

eager to drink, as were his companions.'We are nearing our destination,' said

the Captain. 'It will not be long before

we disembark. I do not believe ourenemies expect us, yet it will be a hardfight against those two.'

Hawkmoon had received theimpression that they fought many. 'Two?Only two?'

'Only two.'Hawkmoon glanced at the others, but

they did not meet his gaze. They werelooking at the Captain.

'A brother and a sister,' said the blindma n . 'Sorcerers from quite anotheruniverse than ours. Due to recentdisruptions in the fabric of our worlds -of which you know something,Hawkmoon, and you, too, Corum -certain beings have been released whowould not otherwise have the power

they now possess. And possessing greatpower, they crave for more - for all thepower that there is in our' universe.These beings are amoral in a way inwhich the Lords of Law and Chaos arenot. They do not fight for influence uponthe Earth, as those gods do. Their onlywish is to convert the essential energy ofour universe to their own uses. I believethey foster some ambition in theirparticular universe which would befurthered if they could achieve theirwish. At present, in spite of conditionshighly favourable to them, they have notattained their full strength, but the time isnot far off before they do attain it. Agakand Gagak is how they are called in

human tongue and they are outside thepower of any of our gods, so a morepowerful group has been summoned -yourselves.'

Hawkmoon made to ask how theycould be more powerful than gods, buthe controlled the impulse.

‘The Champion Eternal,' the Captaincontinued, 'in four of his incarnations(and four is the maximum number we canrisk without precipitating furtherunwelcome disruptions amongst theplanes of Earth) - Erekose, Elric, Corumand Hawkmoon. Each of you willcommand four others, whose fates arelinked with your own and who are greatfighters in their own right, though they donot share your destinies in every sense.

You may each pick the four with whomyou wish to fight. I think you will find iteasy enough to decide. We make landfallquite shortly now."

Hawkmoon wondered if he dislikedthe Captain. He felt that he challengedhim when he said: 'You will lead us?"

The Captain seemed genuinelyregretful. 'I cannot. I can only take you tothe island and wait for those whosurvive - if any survive.'

Elric frowned, voicing Hawkmoon'sown reservations. ‘This fight is notmine, I think.'

But the Captain's answer was givenwith conviction, with authority. 'It isyours - and it is mine. I would land with

you if that were permitted me, but it isnot.'

'Why so?' This was Corum speaking.'You will learn that one day.' A cloud

seemed to pass over the Captain's blindfeatures. 'I have not the courage to tellyou. I bear you nothing but good will,however. Be assured of that.'

Hawkmoon found himself thinkingcynically, once again, about the value ofassurances.

‘Well,' said Erekose, 'since it is mydestiny to fight, and since I, likeHawkmoon, continue to seek Tanelorn,and since I gather there is some chanceof my fulfilling my ambition if I amsuccessful, I for one agree to go againstthese two, Agak and Gagak.'

Hawkmoon shrugged and nodded. 'Igo with Erekose - for similar reasons.'Corum sighed. 'And I.’

Elric looked about him at the otherthree. 'Not long since, I counted myselfwithout comrades. Now I have many.For that reason alone I will fight withthem.'

Erekose was pleased by this. 'It isperhaps the best of reasons.'

The Captain spoke again, his blindeyes seeming to stare beyond them.'There is no reward for this work, savemy assurance that your success will savethe world much misery. And for you,Elric, there is less reward than the restmay hope for.'

Elric seemed to disagree, butHawkmoon could not read the albino'sface when he said, 'Perhaps not.'

'As you say.' The Captain's tone hadchanged. He was more relaxed. 'Morewine, my friends?'

They drank the wine he offered themand waited while he continued. His facewas raised now. He addressed the sky,his voice distant.

'Upon this island is a ruin - perhaps itwas once a city called Tanelorn - and atthe centre of the ruin stands one wholebuilding. It is this building which Agakand his sister use. It is that which youmust attack. You will recognize it, Ihope, at once.'

'And we must slay this pair?' Erekosespoke as if the work were nothing.

'If you can. They have servants whohelp them. These must be slain, also.Then the building must be fired. This isimportant.' The Captain paused. 'Fired. Itmust be destroyed in no other way.'

Hawkmoon noticed that Elric wassmiling. 'There are few other ways ofdestroying buildings, Sir Captain.'

It seemed a pointless observation toHawkmoon and he thought that theCaptain responded with great politeness,bowing slightly and saying, 'Aye, it's so.Nonetheless, it is worth rememberingwhat I have said.'

'Do you know what these two look

like, these Agak and Gagak?' saidCorum.

The Captain shook his head. 'No. It ispossible that they resemble creatures ofour own worlds. It is possible that theydo not. Few have seen them. It is onlyrecently that they have been able tomaterialize at all.'

'And how may they best beoverwhelmed?' Hawkmoon spokealmost banteringly.

'By courage and ingenuity,' theCaptain said.

'You are not very explicit, sir,' saidElric in a tone which echoedHawkmoon's.

'I am as explicit as I can be. Now, myfriend, I suggest you rest and prepare

your arms.'They issued into the writhing mist. It

clung to the ship like a desperate beast.It stirred. It threatened them. Erekose'smood had changed. 'We have little freewill,' he said morosely, 'for all wedeceive ourselves otherwise. If weperish or live through this venture, itwill not count for much in the overallscheme of things.'

'I think you are of a gloomy turn ofmind, friend,' Hawkmoon told himsardonically. He would have continued,but Corum interrupted.

'A realistic turn of mind.'They reached the cabin shared by

Erekose and Elric. Corum and

Hawkmoon left them there and trampedup the deck, through the white, clingingstuff, to their own cabin, there to pick thefour who would follow them.

'We are the Four Who Are One,' saidCorum. 'We have great power. I knowthat we have great power.'

But Hawkmoon was wearying of talkhe found altogether too mystical for hisown, normally practical, turn of mind.

He hefted the sword he was honing.'This is the most trustworthy power,' hesaid. 'Sharp steel.’

Many of the other warriors murmuredtheir agreement.

‘We shall see,' said Corum.But as he polished the blade,

Hawkmoon could not help but be

reminded of the outline of that othersword he had observed beneath Elric'scloak. He knew that he would recognizeit when he saw it. He did not know,however, why he feared it so much, andthis lack of knowledge also disturbedhim. He found himself thinking ofYisselda, of Yarmila and Manfred, ofCount Brass and the Heroes of theKamarg. This adventure had begunpartly because he had hoped to find allhis old comrades and loved ones again.Now he was threatened with neverseeing any of them again. And yet it wasworth fighting in the Captain's cause ifTanelorn, and consequently his children,could be found. And where was

Yisselda? Would he find her, too, inTanelorn?

Soon they were ready. Hawkmoonhad with him John ap-Rhyss, Enshon ofAriso, Keeth Woecarrier and TurningNikhe, while Baron Gotterin, Thereod ofthe Caves, Chaz of Elaquol and Reingirthe Rock, awakened at last from hisdrunken snoozings and stumblingWearily in the wake of the rest, made upCorum's party. Privately, Hawkmoon felthe had the pick of the men.

Into the mist they marched, and to theside of the ship. The anchor was alreadyrattling, the ship already settling. Theycould see rocky land - an isle whichlooked distinctly inhospitable. Could itpossibly shelter Tanelorn, the fabulous

city of peace?John ap-Rhyss sniffed suspiciously,

wiping the mist from his moustache, hisother hand playing with the hilt of hissword. 'I have seen no place lesswelcoming,' he said.

The Captain had left his cabin. Hissteersman stood next to him. Both heldarmfuls of brands.

With a shock, Hawkmoon saw thatthe steersman's face was the twin of theCaptain's - but the eyes were not blind.They were sharp, they were full ofknowledge. Hawkmoon could hardlybear to look at the face as he acceptedhis brand and tucked it into his belt.

'Only fire will destroy this enemy

forever.' The Captain now handedHawkmoon a tinder box with which tolight the brand when the time came. 'Iwish you success, warriors.'

Now each man had a brand and atinder box. Erekose was first over theside, swinging down the rope ladder,unclipping his sword so that it would nottouch the water, and plunging into themilky sea up to his waist. The othersfollowed him, wading through theshallows until they stood upon the shore,looking back at the ship.

Hawkmoon noticed that the mist didnot extend as far as the land, which hadnow taken on some colour. Normally, hewould have thought how dull thesurroundings were, but in contrast to the

ship they were bright - red rocksfestooned with lichen of several shadesof yellow. And above his head was agreat disc, bloody and still, which wasthe sun. It cast a great many shadows,thought Hawkmoon.

It was only slowly that he began tonotice just how many shadows were cast- shadows which could not possiblybelong to the rocks alone - shadows ofall sizes, of all shapes.

Some, he saw, were the shadows ofmen.

Chapter FourA City Haunted By Itself

The sky was like a wound gone bad,full of dreadful, unhealthy blues,browns, dark reds and yellows, andthere were shadows in it which, unlikethose on the land, sometimes moved.

One called Hown Serpent-Tamer, amember of Elric's party, whose armourwas sea-green and scintillating, said: 'Ihave rarely been ashore, it's true, but Ithink the quality of this land is strangerthan any other I've known. It shimmers. Itdistorts.’

'Aye,' said Hawkmoon. He had

noticed the same sweep of flickeringlight which passed from time to timeover the island and distorted the outlinesof the surrounding ground.

A barbaric warrior, with braids andglaring eyes, called Ashnar the Lynx,was plainly much discomforted by all ofthis. 'And from whence come all theseshadows?' he growled. 'Why cannot wesee that which casts them?'

They continued to march inland,though all were reluctant to leave theshore and the ship behind. Corumseemed the least disturbed. He spoke ina tone of philosophical curiosity.

'It could be that these are shadowscast by objects existing in otherdimensions of the Earth,' said the Prince

in the Scarlet Robe. 'If all dimensionsmeet here, as has been suggested, thatcould be a likely explanation. This is notthe strangest example I have witnessedof such a conjunction.'

A black man, whose face bore apeculiar V-shaped scar, and who wascalled Otto Blendker, fingered the swordbelt which crossed his chest and grunted.'Likely? Pray let none give me anunlikely explanation, if you please!'

Thereod of the Caves said: 'I havewitnessed a similar peculiarity in thedeepest caves of my own land, butnothing so vast. There, I was told,dimensions met. So Corum is doubtlessright.' He shifted the long, slender sword

on his back. He spoke no more to theparty in general, but fell to conversingwith the dwarfish Emshon of Ariso whowas, as usual, grumbling aboutsomething.

Hawkmoon was still considering ifthey had been duped by the Captain.They still had no proof that the blindman truly meant them well. For allHawkmoon knew the Captain himselfhad designs upon the worlds and wasusing them against their fellows. But hevoiced nothing of this to the others, all ofwhom seemed prepared to do theCaptain's bidding without question.

Once more Hawkmoon found himselfeyeing the shape of the sword beneathEkic's cloak and wondering why it

perturbed him so much. He became lostin his own thoughts, looking as little aspossible at the disturbing landscapearound him, reviewing die events whichhad led to his finding himself in thiscompany. He was aroused from hisreverie by Corum's voice saying:

'Perhaps this is Tanelorn - or, rather,all the versions of Tanelorn there haveever been. For Tanelorn exists in manyforms, each form depending upon thewishes of those who most desire to findher.'

Hawkmoon looked and he saw thecity. It was a crazy assortment of ruins,displaying every possible idiosyncraticstyle of architecture, as if some god had

collected examples of buildings fromevery world of the multiverse andplaced them here, willy-nilly. All werein ruins. They stretched away to thehorizon - tottering towers, shatteredminarets, crumbling castles - and all castshadows. Moreover, in this city, too,there were many shadows which had noapparent origin. Shadows of buildingsnot visible to their eyes.

Hawkmoon was shocked. 'This is notthe Tanelorn I expected to find,' he said.

'Nor I.' Erekose spoke in a tonewhich echoed Hawkmoon's.

'Perhaps it is not Tanelorn.' Elricstopped short, his crimson eyes scanningthe ruins. 'Perhaps it is not.'

'Or perhaps this is a graveyard.'

Corum frowned. 'A graveyard containingall the forgotten versions of that strangecity?'

Hawkmoon refused to pause. He keptwalking until he had reached the ruins,and the others began to follow him, untilthey were all clambering through thebroken stones, inspecting here a piece ofengraving, there a fallen statue. Behindhim, Hawkmoon heard Erekose speakingin a low voice to Elric.

'Have you noticed,' said Erekose,'that the shadows now representsomething?'

Hawkmoon heard Elric reply. 'Youcan tell from the ruins what some of thebuildings looked like when they were

whole. The shadows are the shadows ofthose buildings - the original buildingsbefore they became ruined.'

Hawkmoon looked for himself andsaw that Elric was right. It was a cityhaunted by itself.

'Just so,' said Erekose.Hawkmoon turned. 'We were

promised Tanelorn. We were promiseda corpse!"

'Possibly,' said Corum, thoughtfully.'But do not come to too hasty aconclusion, Hawkmoon.'

'I would judge the centre to be overthere, ahead of us,' said John ap-Rhyss.'Would that be the best place to look forthose we fight?'

The others agreed and they altered the

direction of their march a little, makingfor a cleared space amongst the ruinswhere a building could be seen, itsoutline sharp and clean where theoutlines of the others were indistinct. Itscolours, too, were brighter, with planesof curved metal going at all angles,connected by tubes which might havebeen of crystal and which glowed andthrobbed.

'It resembles a machine more than abuilding.' Hawkmoon found his curiosityaroused.

'And a musical instrument more than amachine.' Corum's single eye viewed thebuilding with a certain awe.

The four heroes stopped and their

men stopped with them."This must be the dwelling of the

sorcerers,' said Emshon of Ariso. ‘Theydo themselves well, eh? And look - it isreally two identical buildings, connectedby those tubes.'

'A home for the brother and a homefor the sister,' said Reingir the Rock. Hebelched and looked apologetic.

Two buildings,' Erekose remarked.'We were not prepared for this. Shall wesplit up and attack both?'

Elric shook his head. 'I think weshould go together into one, else ourstrength will be weakened.

'I agree," said Hawkmoon, wishing heknew why he was so reluctant,nonetheless, to follow Elric into the

building.'Well, let us set to it,' Baron Gotterin

said. 'Let us enter Hell, if this is not Hellalready.'

Corum gave the Baron an amusedglance. 'You are certainly determined toprove your theory!'

Again Hawkmoon took the initiative,heading over the level ground towardswhat he guessed to be the doorway ofthe nearest building - a dark,asymmetrical gash. As the twentywarriors approached, experienced eyeswary for attack by any possibledefenders, the building seemed to takeon a brighter glow, seemed to pulse witha steady beat, seemed to emit peculiar,

almost inaudible, whispering noises.Used to the sorcerous technology of theDark Empire, Hawkmoon still foundhimself fearing the place, and suddenlyhe was holding back, letting Elric leadthe way in, his four chosen comradeswith him. Hawkmoon and his men wentnext through the black portal and theywere in a passage which curved sharplyalmost as soon as they had entered; ahumid passage which brought sweat totheir faces. Again they paused, glancingat one another. Then they began to moveagain, ready to meet whatever defendersthere were.

They had gone some distance alongthe passage before its walls and floorbegan to shake so heavily that Hown

Serpent-tamer was flung downwards, tolie sprawled and swearing while theothers barely managed to keep theirbalance, and at the same time there camea booming, faraway voice from ahead -a voice full of querulous outrage.

‘Who? Who? Who?'Hawkmoon, gripped by inapposite

humour, thought it the voice of a mad andgigantic owl.

‘Who? Who? Who invades me?'With the help of the others, Hown had

regained his footing. They pushed on asthe passage's motion became somewhatless violent, while the voice continuedto mutter, distracted, as if to itself.

‘What attacks? What?'

None had any explanation for thevoice. All were bewildered by it. Theysaid nothing, letting Elric lead them intoa fairly large hall. Within the hall the airwas even warmer and hard to breathe.Viscous fluid dripped from the ceilingand oozed down the walls. Hawkmoonfound himself disgusted and quelled astrong desire to turn back. Then Ashnarthe Lynx yelped and pointed at the beastswhich squeezed themselves through thewalls and came slithering at them,mouths gaping. They were snake-likethings and sight of them brought bile toHawkmoon's throat.

‘Attack!’ The voice cried again.'Destroy this! Destroy it!' There was a

terrible, mindless quality to thecommand.

Instinctively the warriors formedthemselves into four groups, standingback to back to meet the attack.

Instead of real teeth, the beasts hadsharp bone ridges in their mouths, liketwin knives, making a horrid clashingsound as they drew their shapeless,disgusting bodies through the slime ofthe floor.

Elric was the first to draw his swordand Hawkmoon was distracted for asecond as he saw the huge black bladerise over the albino's head. He couldhave sworn that he heard the blademoan, that it glowed with a life whichwas its own. But then he was cutting at

the beasts which slithered all aroundhim, striking into flesh which partedwith nauseating ease and which gave offa stink threatening to overwhelm themall. The air grew thicker and the fluid onthe floor was deeper and Elric wasshouting to them. 'Move on throughthem!' he cried. 'Hacking a path throughas you go. Head for yonder opening.'

Hawkmoon saw the doorway and heknew that Elric's plan was the best theycould hope for. He began to pressforward, his men moving with him,destroying a multitude of the horridbeasts as they went. As a result thestench increased and Hawkmoon wasgagging now.

‘The creatures are not hard to fight!'Hown Serpent-tamer was panting. 'Buteach one we kill robs us a little of ourown chances of life.'

'Cunningly planned by our enemies,no doubt,' answered Elric.

Elric was the first to reach thepassage, waving them to join him.

Thrusting, swinging, slicing, theygained the door and the beasts werereluctant to follow. Here the air was alittle more breathable. Hawkmoonleaned against the wall of the passage,listening to the others debate, but unableto join the conversation.

'Attack! Attack!' ordered the farawayvoice. But no further attack came.

'I like not this castle at all.' Brut ofLashmar fingered a tear in his cloak.'High sorcery commands it.'

'It is only what we knew,' saidAshnar the Lynx, his barbarian's eyesdarting this way and that.

Otto Blendker, another of Elric's men,wiped sweat from his black brow. ‘Theyare cowards, these sorcerers. They donot show themselves.' He was almostshouting. 'Is their aspect so loathsomethat they are afraid lest we look uponthem?' Hawkmoon realized thatBlendker was speaking for the benefit ofthe two sorcerers, Agak and Gagak,hoping to shame them into appearing.But there was no response. Soon they

were pushing on through the fleshypassages, which changed dimensionsfrequently and were sometimes all butimpassable. The light, too, wasinconstant, and often they moved incomplete darkness, linking hands so asnot to become separated.

‘The floor rises all the time,'murmured Hawkmoon to John ap-Rhyss,who was nearest to him. 'We must befairly close to the top of the building.'

ap-Rhyss made no reply. His teethwere clenched as if he tried not to betrayhis fear.

‘The Captain said that the sorcererscould probably change shape,' Emshonof Ariso said. They must changefrequently, for these passages are not

designed for creatures of any oneparticular size.'

Elric, at the head of the twenty, said:'I become impatient to confront theseshape changers.'

Ashnar the Lynx, next to him,growled: ‘They said there'd be treasurehere. I thought to stake my life against afair reward, but there's nought here ofvalue.' He touched the wall. 'Not evenstone or brick. What are these wallsmade of, Elric?'

Hawkmoon had wondered the samething and he hoped that the albino wouldoffer an explanation, but Elric wasshaking his head. ‘That has puzzled me,also, Ashnar.'

Hawkmoon heard Elric draw in hisbreath, saw him raise his strange, heavysword - and there were new attackerscoming at them. These were beasts withred, snarling mouths and their bristlingfur was orange. Yellow fangs drippedsaliva. Elric was the first to bethreatened, driving his sword deep intothe first beast's belly even as its clawsfell on him. It was like a huge baboonand the thrust had not killed it.

Then Hawkmoon was engaged withanother of the apes, slashing at it while itfeinted, side-stepping his blows, andHawkmoon was aware that he had littlechance, individually, against it. He sawKeeth Woecarrier, careless of his safety,

come blundering to his aid, big swordswinging, a look of resignation upon hismelancholy face. The ape turned itsattention to the Woecarrier, throwing thewhole weight of its body at him. Keeth'sblade ran it through the chest, but itsfangs were on the large man's throat andblood was bursting from the jugularalmost in an instant.

Hawkmoon thrust under the ape'sribs, knowing that it was too late to saveKeeth Woecarrier whose body wasalready sinking to the damp floor. Corumappeared, stabbing the creature from theother side. It snarled, turning on them,claws reaching for them. Its eyes glazed.It stumbled. It fell backwards on to theWoecarrier's corpse.

Hawkmoon did not wait to beattacked, but sprang over the corpses towhere Baron Gotterin was locked in thegrip of another orange ape. Teethsnapped, tearing the fat face free of theskull. Gotterin yelled once, almost intriumph, almost as if he felt his theoryvindicated. Then he died. Ashnar theLynx used his sword like an axe, loppingoff the head of Gotterin's assassin. Hestood upon the body of another slain ape.Miraculously, he had taken two of thebeasts singlehanded. He was roaring outsome toneless battle song. He was full ofjoy now.

Hawkmoon grinned at the barbarianand rushed to Corum's assistance,

making a deep cut through the neck andback of the baboon. Blood shot into hiseyes and blinded him for a moment sothat he thought he was doomed. But thebeast was finished. It twitched for only afew seconds longer. Corum pushed itfrom him with the pommel of his sword.

Hawkmoon saw that Chaz of Elaquolwas also dead, but that Turning Nikhestill lived, nursing a deep gash in hisface, grinning the while. Reingir theRock lay upon his back, his throat tornout, while John ap-Rhyss, Emshon ofAriso and Thereod of the Caves hadmanaged to survive the fight with onlyminor wounds. Erekose's men had faredless well. One had his arm hanging bystrips of flesh alone, another had lost an

eye and another had had his hand bittenclean off. The others were tending themas best they could. Brut of Lashmar,Hown Serpent-tamer, Ashnar the Lynxand Otto Blendker were also reasonablyunhurt.

Ashnar looked triumphantly upon thebodies of the two apes. ‘I begin tosuspect this venture of beinguneconomical,' he said. He was pantingas a hound might pant after a successfulkill. ‘The less time we take over it, thebetter. What think you, Elric?'

'I would agree.' Elric shook bloodfrom his fearsome sword. 'Come.'

Without waiting for the others, hebegan to lead the way towards a

chamber ahead. The chamber glowedwith a peculiar pink light. Hawkmoonand the others followed him into it.

Now Elric was looking down inhorror. He bent and grasped something.And Hawkmoon felt his own legs seized.They were snakes, covering the floor ofthe chamber - long, thin reptiles, flesh-coloured and eyeless - tightening then-coils about his ankles. Wildly,Hawkmoon hacked downwards,severing two or three of the heads, butthe coils did not relax. Around him, hissurviving comrades were shouting withfear, trying to free themselves.

And then the one called HownSerpent-tamer, the warrior in the sea-green armour, began to sing.

He sang in a voice which was like thesound of a waterfall in a mountainstream. He sang casually, for all theurgency in the set of his face, and slowlythe snakes began to release their holdupon the men, slowly they fell back tothe floor, appearing to sleep.

'Now I understand how you came byyour surname,' said Elric in relief.

'I was not sure the song would workon these,' said the Serpent-tamer, 'forthey are unlike any serpents I have everseen in the seas of my own world.'

They left the snakes behind, climbinghigher, finding it difficult to keep apurchase on the yielding, slimy floor.The heat was increasing all the time and

Hawkmoon felt that he might soon faintif he did not soon breathe fresher air. Hebecame reconciled to going down on hisstomach in order to squeeze through tiny,rubbery gaps in the passage; tospreading his arms at times in order tomaintain his balance as tall cavernsshook and rained sticky liquid on hishead; to slapping at small creatures,rather like insects, which from time totime attacked; to hearing the sourcelessvoice crying: 'Where? Where? Oh, thepain!'

The little beasts flew around them inclouds, nipping at their faces and hands,hardly visible yet always present.

‘Where?’Virtually blinded, Hawkmoon forced

his body on, restraining the urge tovomit, desperate for sweet air, seeingwarriors fall and being hardly able tohelp them up again. Upward, higher andhigher, rose the passage, twisting inevery direction, and Hown Serpent-tamer continued to sing, for there werestill many snakes on the floor.

Ashnar the Lynx had lost his short-lived ebullience. 'We can survive thisonly a little longer. We shall be in nocondition to meet the sorcerer if we everfind him or his sister.'

'My thoughts, too,' said Elric. 'Yetwhat else may we do, Ashnar?'

'Nothing,' Hawkmoon heard Ashnarmurmur. 'Nothing,'

And the same word was repeated,sometimes louder, sometimes softer:

‘Where?’ it said.‘Where?’ it demanded.'Where? Where? Where?'And soon the voice had grown to a

shout It rang in Hawkmoon's ears. Itgrated on his nerves.

'Here,' he muttered. 'Here we are,sorcerer.'

Then they had come to the end of thepassage at last and saw an archway ofregular proportions, and beyond thearchway a well-lit chamber.

'Agak's room, without doubt,' saidAshnar the Lynx.

They stepped into an octagonal

chamber.

Chapter FiveAgak And Gagak

There were eight milky colours toeach of the eight inwardly sloping sidesof the chamber; each colour changing inunison with the others. From time to timea side would become almost transparentand it was possible to see through it tothe ruins of the city below, the otherbuilding, still connected by a network oftubes and threads.

There were noises within thechamber - a sighing, a whispering, abubbling. They came from a great poolset into the centre of the floor.

Reluctantly, they filed into thechamber. Reluctantly they looked intothe pool and saw that the substance theremight be the stuff of life itself, for itmoved constantly, it formed shapes -faces, bodies, limbs of all manner ofmen and beasts; structures whichrivalled those of the city outside forarchitectural variety; whole landscapesin miniature; unfamiliar firmaments, sunsand planets; creatures of unlikely beautyand of convincing ugliness; scenes ofbattles, of families at peace in theirhouseholds, of harvests, ceremonies,pomp; ships both outlandish andfamiliar, some of which flew through theskies, or through the darks of space, or

below the waves, in nameless materials,unusual timbers, peculiar metals.

In fascination, Hawkmoon stared andstared, until a voice roared from thepool, revealing its source at last.

'what? what? who invades?'Hawkmoon saw Elric's face in the

pool. He saw Corum's face there and hesaw Erekose's. When he recognized hisown, he turned away.

'WHO INVADES? AH! I AM TOOWEAK!'

Elric was the first to reply:'We are of those you would destroy.

We are those on whom you would feed.''ah! agak! agak! I am sick! where are

you?'Hawkmoon exchanged puzzled

glances with Corum and with Erekose.None could explain the sorcerer'sresponse.

Shapes rose from the liquid and fellapart, fell back into the pool.

Hawkmoon saw Yisselda there, andother women who reminded him ofYisselda, though they did not resembleher. He cried out, starting forward.Erekose restrained him. The figures ofthe women disintegrated and werereplaced by the twisting towers of analien city.

'I WEAKEN ... MY ENERGYNEEDS TO BE REPLENISHED . . .WE MOST BEGIN NOW, AGAK ... ITTOOK US SO LONG TO REACH THIS

PLACE., I THOUGHT I COULD REST.BUT THERE IS DISEASE HERE. ITFILLS MY BODY. AGAK. AWAKENAGAK. AWAKEN!'

Hawkmoon controlled the shudderswhich began to rack his body. Elric wasstaring intently into the pool, anexpression of dawning realization on hispale face.

'Some servant of Agak's, chargedwith the defence of the chamber?' Thiswas Hown Serpent-tamer's suggestion.

'Will Agak wake?' Brut glancedaround the eight-sided chamber. 'Will hecome?’

'Agak!' Ashnar the Lynx raised hisbraided head in a challenge. 'Coward!'

'Agak!' cried John ap-Rhyss, drawing

his sword.'Agak!' shouted Emshon of Ariso.The others all took up the shout; all

save the four heroes.Hawkmoon was beginning to guess

what the words had meant. Andsomething was growing inside his mind -another understanding, an understandingof how the sorcerers must be slain. Hislips formed the word 'No,' but could notvoice it. He looked again into the facesof the three other aspects of theChampion Eternal. He saw that theothers were also afraid.

'We are the Four Who Are One.'Erekose's voice was shaking.

'No . .' Elric spoke now. He was

making some sort of attempt to sheath hisblack sword, but the sword seemed to berefusing to enter the scabbard. Therewas panic and horror in the albino'scrimson eyes.

Hawkmoon took a small stepbackward, hating the images which nowfilled his head, hating the impulse whichhad seized his will.

'AGAK! QUICKLY!'The pool boiled.Hawkmoon heard Erekose saying:'If we do not do this thing, they will

eat all our worlds. Nothing will remain.'Hawkmoon did not care.Elric, closest to the pool, was

clutching his bone-white head andswaying, threatening to fall. Hawkmoon

made a movement towards him, hearingthe albino groan, hearing Corum's urgent,echoing voice behind him, feelingdesperate, wholehearted comradeshipwith his three counterparts.

'We must do it, then,' said Corum.Elric was panting. 'I will not,' he

said. 'I am myself.’'And I!' Hawkmoon stretched out a

hand, but Elric did not see it.'It is the only way for us,' said Corum,

'for the single thing that we are. Do younot see that? We are the only creaturesof our worlds who possess the means ofslaying the sorcerers - in the onlymanner in which they can be slain!'

Hawkmoon's eyes met Elric's; they

met those of Corum; they met Erekose's.And Hawkmoon knew and the individualthat was Hawkmoon recoiled from theknowledge.

'We are the Four Who Are One.'Erekose's tones were firm. 'Our unitedstrength is greater than the sum. We mustcome together, brothers. We mustconquer here before we can hope toconquer Agak.'

'No ...' said Elric, voicingHawkmoon's emotion.

But something greater thanHawkmoon was at work within him. Hemoved to one corner of the pool andstood there, seeing that the others hadtaken up positions at each of the othercorners.

'AGAK!' said the voice. 'AGAK!'And the pool's activity became moreviolent.

Hawkmoon could not speak. He sawthat the faces of his three counterpartswere as frozen as his own. He was onlydimly aware of the warriors who hadfollowed them here. They were movingaway from the pool, guarding theentrance, looking about them for signs ofattack, protecting the Four, but their eyesheld terror.

Hawkmoon saw the great blacksword move upwards, but he could feelno more fear of it as his own sword roseto meet it. Then all four swords weretouching, their tips meeting over the

exact centre of the pool.At the moment when the tips met,

Hawkmoon gasped, feeling a power fillhis soul. He heard Elric shout and knewthat the albino was experiencing thesame sensation. Hawkmoon hated thepower. It enslaved him. He wished toescape from it, even now.

' / understand.' It was Corum's voice,but the lips were Hawkmoon's. 'It is theonly way.'

'Oh, no, no!' And Hawkmoon's voicesprang from Elric's throat.

Hawkmoon felt his name go away.'AGAK! AGAK!' The substance of

the pool writhed, boiled and leaped.'QUICKLY! WAKE!'

Hawkmoon knew that his identity was

fading. He was Elric. He was Erekose.He was Corum. And he was Hawkmoon,too, A little of him was still Hawkmoon.And he was a thousand others - Urlik,Jherek, Asquiol... He was a part of agigantic, a noble beast...

His body had changed. He hoveredover the pool. The vestige of Hawkmooncould see it for a second before thatvestige joined the central being.

On each side of its head was a faceand each face belonged to one of thecompanions. Serene and terrible, theeyes did not blink. It had eight arms andthe arms were still; it squatted over thepool on eight legs, and its armour andaccoutrements were of all colours

blending and at the same time separate.The being clutched a single great

sword in all eight hands and both he andthe sword glowed with a ghastly goldenlight.

'Ah,' he thought, 'now I am whole.'The Four Who Were One reversed its

monstrous sword so that the point wasdirected downward at the freneticallyboiling stuff in the pool below. The stufffeared the sword. It mewled.

'Agak, Agak ...'The being of whom Hawkmoon was a

part gathered its great strength and beganto plunge the sword down.

Shapeless waves appeared on thesurface of the pool. Its whole colourchanged from sickly yellow to an

unhealthy green. 'Agak, I die...'Inexorably the sword moved down. It

touched the surface.The pool swept back and forth; it

tried to ooze over the sides and on to thefloor. The sword bit deeper and the FourWho Were One felt new strength flow upthe blade. There came a moan; slowlythe pool quietened. It became silent. Itbecame still. It became grey.

Then the Four Who Were Onedescended into the pool to be absorbed.

Hawkmoon rode for Londra and withhim were Huillam D'Averc, Yisselda ofBrass, Oladahn of the BulgarMountains, Bowgentle the philosopher,and Count Brass. Each of these wore a

mirror helm which reflected the rays ofthe sun.

Hawkmoon held the Horn of Fate inhis hands. He put it to his lips. He blewthe blast to herald in the night of thenew earth. The night that wouldprecede the new dawn. And though thehorn's note was triumphant, Hawkmoonwas not. He stood full of infiniteloneliness and infinite sorrow, his headtilted back as the sound rang on.

Hawkmoon relived the torment hehad suffered in the forest, when Glandythhad struck off his hand. He screamed asthe pain came to his wrist once more andthen there was fire in his face and heknew that Kwll had plucked his brother'sjewelled eye from his skull, now that his

powers were restored. Red darknessswam in his brain. Red fire drained hisenergy. Red pain consumed his flesh.

And Hawkmoon spoke in tones of themost terrible torment. 'Which of thenames will I have next time you call?'

'Now Earth is peaceful. The silent aircarries only the sounds of quiet laughter,the murmur of conversation, the smallnoises of small animals. We and Earthare at peace.'

'But how long can it last?''Oh, how long can it last?'The beast that was the Champion

Eternal could see clearly now.It tested its body. It controlled every

limb, every function. It had triumphed; it

had revitalized the pool.Through its single octagonal eye it

looked in all directions at the same timeover the wide ruins of the city; then itfocused all its attention upon its twin.

Agak had awakened too late, but hewas awakening at last, roused by thedying cries of his sister Gagak whosebody the mortals had first invaded andwhose intelligence they hadoverwhelmed, whose eye they now usedand whose powers they would soonattempt to utilize.

Agak did not need to turn his head tolook upon the being he still saw as hissister. Like hers, his intelligence wascontained within the huge octagonal eye.'Did you call me, sister?'

'I spoke your name, that is all,brother.' There were enough vestiges ofGagak's lifeforce in the Four Who WereOne for it to imitate her manner ofspeaking. 'You cried out?'

'A dream.' The Four paused and thenit spoke again: 'A disease. I dreamedthat there was something upon thisisland which made me unwell.'

'Is that possible? We do not knowsufficient about these dimensions or thecreatures inhabiting them. Yet none is aspowerful as Agak and Gagak. Fear not,sister. We must begin our work soon.'

'It is nothing. Now I am awake.'Agak was puzzled. 'You speak oddly.''The dream ...' answered the creature

which had entered Gagak's body anddestroyed her.

'We must begin,' said Agak. 'Thedimensions turn and the time has come.Ah, I feel it. It waits for us to take it. Somuch rich energy. How we shallconquer when we go home!'

'I feel it,' replied the Four, and it did.It felt its whole universe, dimension

upon dimension, swirling all about it.Stars and planets and moons throughplane upon plane, all full of the energyupon which Agak and Gagak had desiredto feed. And there was enough of Gagakstill within the Four to make the Fourexperience a deep, anticipatory hungerwhich, now that the dimensions attainedthe right conjunction, would soon be

satisfied.The Four was tempted to join with

Agak and feast, though it knew if it didso it would rob its own universe ofevery shred of energy. Stars would fade,worlds would die. Even the Lords ofLaw and Chaos would perish, for theywere part of the same universe. Yet topossess such power it might be worthcommitting such a tremendous crime…

It controlled this desire and gathereditself for its attack before Agak becametoo wary.

'Shall we feast, sister?'The Four realized that the ship had

brought it to the island at exactly theproper moment. Indeed, they had almost

come too late.'Sister?' Agak was again puzzled.

'What...?'The Four knew it must disconnect

from Agak. The tubes and wires fellaway from his body and werewithdrawn into Gagak's.

'What’s this?' Agak's strange bodytrembled for a moment 'Sister?’

The Four prepared itself, For all thatit had absorbed Gagak's memories andinstincts, it was still not confident that itwould be able to attack Agak in herchosen form. And since the: sorceresshad possessed the power to change herform, the Four, began to change,groaning greatly, experiencing dreadfulpain, drawing all the materials of its

stolen being together so that what hadappeared to be a building now becamepulpy, unformed flesh. And Agak,stunned, looked on.

'Sister? Your Sanity...'The building, the creature that was

Gagak, threshed, melted and erupted.It screamed in agony,It attained its form,It laughed.

Chapter SixThe Battle For Everything

Four faces laughed upon a gigantichead. Eight arms waved in triumph, eightlegs began to move. And over that headit waved a single, massive sword. And itwas running.

It ran upon Agak while the aliensorcerer was still in his static form. Itssword was whirling and shards ofghastly golden light fell away from it asit moved, lashing the shadowedlandscape. The Four was as large asAgak. And at this moment it was asstrong.

But Agak, realizing his danger, beganto suck. No longer would this be apleasurable ritual shared with his sister.He must suck at the energy of thisuniverse if he was to find the strength todefend himself, to gain what he neededto destroy his attacker, the slayer of hissister. Worlds died as Agak sucked. Butnot enough. Agak tried cunning:

'This is the centre of your universe.All its dimensions intersect here. Come,you can share the power. My sister isdead. I accept her death. You shall bemy partner now. With this power weshall conquer a universe far richer thanthis!’

'No’ said the Four, still advancing.

'Very well, but be assured of yourdefeat.' The Four swung its sword. Thesword fell upon the faceted eye withinwhich Agak's intelligence pool bubbled,just as his sister's had once bubbled. ButAgak was stronger already and healedhimself at once.

Agak's tendrils emerged and lashed atthe Four and the Four cut at the tendrilsas they sought its body. And Agaksucked more energy to himself. Hisbody, which the mortals had mistakenfor a building, began to glow burningscarlet and to radiate an impossible heat.

The sword roared and flared so thatblack light mingled with the gold andflowed against the scarlet.

And all the while the Four couldsense its own universe shrinking anddying.

'Give back, Agak, what you havestolen!' said the Four.

Planes and angles and curves, wiresand tubes, flickered with deep red heatand Agak sighed. The universewhimpered.

‘I am stronger than you,' said Agak.'Now.’

And Agak sucked again.The Four knew that Agak's attention

was diverted for just that short while ashe fed. And the Four knew that it, too,must draw energy from its own universeif Agak were to be defeated. So the

sword was raised.The sword was flung back, its blade

slicing through tens of thousands ofdimensions and drawing their power toit. Then it began to swing back.

It swung and black light bellowedfrom its blade.

It swung and Agak became aware ofit. His body began to alter.

Down towards the sorcerer's greateye, down towards Agak's intelligencepool swept the black blade.

Agak's many tendrils rose to defendthe sorcerer against the sword, but thesword cut through them as if they werenot there and it struck the eight-sidedchamber which was Agak's eye and itplunged on down into Agak's

intelligence pool, deep into the stuff ofthe sorcerer's sensibility, drawing upAgak's energy into itself and thence intoits master, the Four Who Were One.

And something screamed through theuniverse.

And something sent a tremor throughthe universe.

And the universe was dead, even asAgak began to die.

The Four did not dare wait to see ifAgak were completely vanquished.

It swept the sword out, back throughthe dimensions, and everywhere theblade touched the energy was restored.

The sword rang round and round.Round and round. Dispersing the

energy.And the sword sang its triumph and

its glee.And little shreds of black and golden

light whispered away and were re-absorbed.

Hawkmoon knew the nature of theChampion, He knew the nature of theBlack Sword. He knew the nature ofTanelorn. For at this moment that part ofhim which was Hawkmoon hadexperience of the whole multiverse. Itinhabited him. He contained it. Therewere no mysteries at that moment.

And he recalled that one of hisaspects had read something in theChronicle of the Black Sword, thatrecord of the Champion's exploits: For

the Mind of Man alone is free to explorethe lofty vastness of the cosmic infinite,to transcend ordinary consciousness, orroam the subterranean corridors of thehuman brain with its boundlessdimensions. And universe and individualare linked, the one mirrored in the other,and each contains the other...'

'Ha!' cried that individual which wasHawkmoon. And he triumphed; hecelebrated. This was the end to theChampion's doom!

For a moment the universe had beendead. Now it lived and Agak's energyhad been added to it.

Agak lived, too, but he was frozen.He had attempted to change his shape.

Now he still half resembled the buildingHawkmoon had seen when he first cameto the island, but part of him resembledthe Four Who Were One. Here was partof Corum's face, here a leg, there afragment of sword blade - as if Agak hadbelieved, at the end, that the Four couldonly be defeated if its own form wereassumed, just as the Four had assumedGagak's form.

'We had waited so long ...' Agaksighed and then he was dead.

And the Four sheathed its sword.Hawkmoon thought...Then came a howling through the

ruins of the many cities and a strongwind blustered against the body of theFour so that it was forced to kneel on its

eight legs and bow its four-faced headbefore the gale.

Hawkmoon felt...Then, gradually, it assumed again the

shape of Gagak, the sorceress, and thenit lay within Gagak's stagnatingintelligence pool...

Hawkmoon knew … and then it roseover it, hovered for a moment, withdrewits sword from the pool.

Hawkmoon was Hawkmoon,Hawkmoon was the Champion Eternalon his last great quest...

Then four beings fled apart and Elricand Hawkmoon and Erekose and Corumstood with sword blades touching overthe centre of the dead brain.

Hawkmoon sighed. He was full ofwonderment. He was full of fear. Thenthe terror began to fade, to be replacedby an exhaustion which had something ofcontentment in it.

‘Wow / have flesh again. Now I haveflesh,’ said a pathetic voice.

And it was the barbarian Ashnar, hisface all ruined, his eyes all crazy. Hehad dropped his sword and had notnoticed. He kept touching himself,digging at his face with his nails. And hegiggled.

John ap-Rhyss raised his head fromthe floor. He looked at Hawkmoon inhatred, then he looked away again.Emshon of Arise, his sword, too,

forgotten, crawled forward to help Johnap-Rhyss rise to his feet. There was acold silence in the manner of both men.

Others were mad or dead. Elric washelping Brut of Lashmar up.

'What did you see?' asked the albino.'More than I deserved, for all my

sins. We were trapped -trapped in thatskull...' The Knight of Lashmar brokedown, his sobbing that of a little child.Elric held Brut, stroking his blond hair,unable to say anything which might easethe burden of his experience.

Erekose murmured, almost to himself.'We must go.' As he walked towards thedoor, his feet threatened to slide fromunder him.

'It was not fair,' said Hawkmoon to

John ap-Rhyss and Emshon of Ariso,'that you should suffer with us. It was notfair.'

John ap-Rhyss spat at the floor.

Chapter SevenThe Heroes Part

Outside, standing amongst theshadows of buildings that were notthere, or only partly standing; standingbeneath a bloody sun which had notmoved a fraction in the sky since theyhad landed on the island; Hawkmoonwatched the bodies of the sorcerersburn.

The fire took eagerly, shrieking andhowling as it consumed Agak andGagak, and its smoke was whiter thanElric's face, redder than the sun. Thesmoke filled the sky.

Hawkmoon could remember little ofwhat had befallen him inside Gagak'sskull, but he was full of bitterness at thatmoment.

'I wonder if the Captain knew why hesent us here?' said Corum. 'Or if hesuspected what would happen?’Hawkmoon wiped at his mouth.

'Only we - only that being - couldbattle Agak and Gagak in anythingresembling their own terms.' Erekose'seyes were full of a private knowledge.'Other means would not have beensuccessful. No other creature could havethe particular qualities, the enormouspower needed to slay such strangesorcerers.'

'So it seems,' said Elric. The albinohad become taciturn, introspective.

Corum said encouragingly, 'Hopefullyyou will forget this experience as youforgot - or will forget - the other.'

Elric was not to be consoled.'Hopefully, brother.'

Now Erekose made an effort to breaktheir mood. He chuckled. 'Who couldrecall that?’

Hawkmoon was bound to agree withhim. Already the sensations were fading;already the experience had the feeling ofan unusually powerful dream. He lookedround at the soldiers who had foughtwith him; still none would meet his eye.Plainly they blamed him and his other

manifestations for a horror they shouldnot have had to confront. Ashnar theLynx, tough-minded barbarian, waswitness to the dreadful emotions theyhad had to suppress, to control, and nowAshnar gave out a chilling shriek andbegan to run towards the blaze. He ranuntil he had almost reached it andHawkmoon thought he would throwhimself upon the pyre, but he changed hisdirection at the last moment and raninstead into the ruins, swallowed byshadows.

'Why follow him?' said Elric. 'Whatcan we do for him?' There was pain inhis crimson eyes as he regarded the bodyof Hown Serpent-tamer, who had savedall their lives. Elric shrugged, but it was

not a careless shrug. He shrugged as aman might who sought to adjust aparticularly heavy load upon hisshoulders.

John ap-Rhyss and Emshon of Arisohelped the dazed Brut of Lashmar towalk as they moved back from the fire,back towards the shore.

Hawkmoon said to Elric, as theywalked, 'That sword of yours. It has afamiliar look. It is no ordinary blade,eh?'

'No,' agreed the albino. 'It is not anordinary blade, Duke Dorian. It isancient, timeless, some say. Others thinkit was forged for my ancestors in a battleagainst gods. It has a twin, but that is

lost.''I fear it,' said Hawkmoon. 'I know

not why.''You are wise to fear it,' Elric told

him. 'It is more than a sword.''A demon, too?''If you like.' Eric would say no more.'It is the doom of the Champion to

bear that blade at the Earth's mostcrucial crises,' Erekose said. 'I haveborne it and would not bear it again, if Ihad the choice."

‘The choice is rarely the Champion's,'Corum added with a sigh.

Now they had come to the beachagain and hovered there, contemplatingthe white mist surging on the water. Thedark silhouette of the ship was plainly

visible.Corum, Elric and some of the others

began to go forward into the mist, butHawkmoon, Erekose and Brut ofLashmar all hesitated at the same time.Hawkmoon had come to adecision. 'Iwill not rejoin the ship,' he said. 'I feelI've served my passage now. If I can findTanelorn, this, I suspect, is where I mustlook.’

‘My own feelings.' Erekose movedhis body so that he was looking again atthe ruins.

Elric's glance at Corum wasquestioning and Corum smiled inanswer.

'I have already found Tanelorn. I go

back to the ship in the hope that soon itwill deposit me upon a more familiarshore.'

‘That is my hope.' Elric offered Brut,whom he supported, the samequestioning stare.

Brut was whispering. Hawkmooncaught some of the words. ‘What was it?What happened to us?'

'Nothing.' Elric gripped Brut'sshoulder and then released it. Brut brokefree. 'I will stay. I am sorry.'

'Brut?' Elric frowned.'I am sorry. I fear you. I fear that

ship.' Brut stumbled backwards,stumbled inland.

'Brut?' Elric reached out a hand.'Comrade,’ said Corum, laying his

silver hand upon Elric's own shoulder,'let us be gone from this place. It is whatis back there that I fear more than theship.'

With one last moody look at the ruins,Elric said: 'With that I agree.'

'If that is Tanelorn, it is not, after all,the place I sought,' murmured OttoBlendker.

Hawkmoon expected John ap-Rhyssand Emshon of Ariso to go withBlendker, but they remained stolidlywhere they were.

'Will you stay with me?' saidHawkmoon in surprise. The tall, long-haired man of Yel and the short,belligerent warrior of Ariso nodded

together. 'We stay,' said John ap-Rhyss.‘You have no love for me, I thought.'

'You said that we suffered aninjustice,' John ap-Rhyss told him. 'Well,that is true. It is not you we hate,Hawkmoon. It is those forces whichcontrol us all. I am glad that I am notHawkmoon, yet I envy you in a way.'

'Envy?'‘I agree,' said Emshon soberly. To

play such a role, one would give much.''One's soul?' said Erekose.'What is that?' asked John ap-Rhyss,

refusing to meet the eye of the heavy-bodied man. 'A cargo we abandon toosoon in our voyage, perhaps. Then wespend the rest of our lives trying todiscover where we lost it.'

'Is that what you seek?' Emshon askedhim.

John ap-Rhyss grinned a wolf's grinat him. 'Say so, if you wish.'

'Farewell to you, then,' said Corum,saluting them. 'We continue with theship.'

'And I.' Elric drew his cloak abouthis face. 'I wish you success in yourquest, brothers.'

'And you in yours,' said Erekose. 'TheHorn must be blown.'

'I do not understand you.' Elric's tonewas cold. He turned and began to wadeinto the water, not waiting for anexplanation.

Corum smiled. 'Removed from our

times, plagued by paradoxes,manipulated by beings who refuse toenlighten us - it is tiresome, is it not?'

‘Tiresome,’ said Erekose laconically.'Aye.’

'My struggle has ended, I think,' saidCorum. 'I believe that soon I will beallowed to die. I have served my turn asChampion Eternal. I join my Rhalina, mymortal bride.'

'I must still seek for my immortalErmizhad,' said Erekose.

'My Yisselda lives, I'm told,’Hawkmoon added. 'But I seek mychildren.'

'All the parts of the thing that is theEternal Champion come together,’ saidCorum. This could be the last quest for

all of us.''And shall we know peace, then?'

Erekose asked.'Peace comes to a man only after he

has struggled with himself,' said Corum.'Is that not your experience?'

'It is the struggling which is so hard,'Hawkmoon told him.

Corum said no more. He followedElric and Otto Blendker into the sea.Soon they had disappeared into the mist.Soon they heard faint shouts. Soon theyheard the anchor raised. The ship wasgone.

Hawkmoon was relieved, for all hedid not relish the idea of what lay aheadof him. He turned.

The black figure was back. It wasgrinning at him. It was an evil, intimategrin.

'Sword,' it said. And it pointed afterthe ship. 'Sword, You will need me,Champion. Soon.'

Erekose showed terror for the firsttime. Like Hawkmoon, his first instinctwas to draw his blade, but somethingstopped him. John ap-Rhyss and Emshonof Ariso shouted in astonishment andHawkmoon stayed their hands. 'Do notdraw,' he said.

Brut of Lashmar merely stared at theapparition with his glazed, tired eyes.

'Sword,' said the creature. His blackaura made it seem that he danced a

peculiar, jerky jig, but his body wasquite still. 'Elric? Corum? Hawkmoon?Erekose? Urlik ...?'

'Ah!' cried Erekose. 'Now I knowyou. Go! Go!'

The black figure laughed. 'I can nevergo. Not while the Champion needs me.'

‘The Champion needs you no longer,'said Hawkmoon, without knowing whathe meant.

'He does! He does!''Go!'The wicked face continued to grin.'There are two of us now,' said

Erekose. Two are stronger.''But it is not allowed,' said the figure.

'It has never been allowed.'‘This is a different time, the Time of

the Conjunction.''No!' cried the apparition.Erekose's laugh was contemptuous.The black figure darted forward,

became huge; darted back, became tiny;resumed its normal size, fled across theruins, its own shadow capering behindit, not always in unison. The great, heavyshadows of that collection of citiesseemed about to fall on the figure, for herecoiled from many of them.

'No!' they heard him cry. 'No!'John ap-Rhyss said: 'Was that what

was left of the sorcerer?''It was not,' said Erekose. 'It is what

is left of our nemesis.'‘You know it, then?' said Hawkmoon.

'I think so.'‘Tell me. It has haunted me since my

adventure began. I think it wasresponsible for parting me fromYisselda, from my own world.'

'It has not the power for that, I'msure,' said Erekose. 'Doubtless,however, it was pleased to takeadvantage. I have only seen it oncebefore, very briefly, in thismanifestation.'

'What is it called?''Many names," said Erekose

thoughtfully.They began to move back into the

ruins. The apparition had vanishedagain. Ahead they saw two new

shadows, two huge shadows. They werethe shadows of Agak and Gagak as theyhad looked when the heroes had firstarrived here. The bodies had by thistime burned to nothing. But the shadowsremained.

‘Tell me one?' Hawkmoon asked.Erekose pursed his lips before

replying, then he darted a look directlyinto Hawkmoon's eyes. 'I think Iunderstand why the Captain wasreluctant to speculate, to divulge anyinformation he could not be completelysure of. It is dangerous, in thesecircumstances, to jump to conclusions.Perhaps I am wrong, after all.'

'Oh!' cried Hawkmoon. Tell me whatyou suspect, then Erekose, if it is merely

suspicion.''I think one of the names is

Stormbringer,' the scarred man told him.'And now I know why I feared Elric's

sword,' Hawkmoon said.They spoke no more of this.

Book ThreeIn Which Many Things Are

Found To Be One Thing

Chapter OnePrisoners In Shadows

‘We are like ghosts, are we not?'Erekose lay upon a pile of broken

stone and stared up at the red,motionless sun. 'A converse of ghosts ...'He smiled to show that he spoke idly,merely to pass time.

'I am hungry,' said Hawkmoon. "Thatproves two things to me - that I'm madeof ordinary flesh and that it has been along while since our comrades returnedto the ship.'

Erekose sniffed at the cool air. 'Aye. Iwonder, now, why I remained. Perhaps

it is our fate to be marooned here - anirony, eh? Seeking Tanelorn we areallowed to exist in a l l the Tanelorns.Could this be all that remains?'

'I suspect not,' said Hawkmoon.'Somewhere we'll find a gateway to theworlds we want.'

Hawkmoon sat on the shoulder of afallen statue, trying to distinguish fromthe many shadows some shadow hemight recognize.

Some yards away John ap-Rhyss andEmshon of Ariso were searching in therubble for a box Emshon was sure hehad seen on their way to do battle withAgak and Gagak and which, he had toldJohn ap-Rhyss, was bound to containsomething of value. Brut of Lashmar, a

little better recovered, stood near them,not joining in the search.

Yet it was Brut who noticed later thata number of shadows which hadpreviously been static were now inmotion. 'Look, Hawkmoon,' he said. 'Isthe city coming alive?'

The rest of the city remained as it hadalways been, but in one small corner ofit, where the silhouette of a particularlyornate and delicate house was castagainst the stained, white wall of aruined temple, three or four of the humanshadows were moving. And still theywere only shadows - the men who castthem were not visible. It was like a playHawkmoon had once witnessed, with

puppets manipulated behind a screenErekose was on his feet, clambering

towards the scene, Hawkmoon close athis heels and the others following a littleless speedily.

And very faintly they could hearsounds - the clatter of weapons, shouts,the shuffle of booted feet on stone.

Erekose stopped when his own heightwas almost equalled by the height of theshadows. Cautiously he reached out totouch one, stepping forward.

And Erekose had vanished!All that remained of him was his

shadow. It had joined the others.Hawkmoon saw the shadow draw itssword and range itself beside anothershadow, which seemed to him familiar.

It was the shadow of a man no largerthan Emshon of Ariso who watched theshadow-play with his mouth open, hiseyes glazed.

Then the motion of the fighting menbegan to slow again, Hawkmoon waswondering how he might rescue Erekosewhen the tall hero had reappeared,dragging another with him. The othershadows had frozen once more.

Erekose was panting. The man withhim was lacerated with a score of smallwounds, but did not seem badly hurt. Hewas grinning in relief, wiping a whitishdust from the orange fur which coveredhis body, sheathing his sword, wipinghis whiskers with the back of his paw-

like hand. It was Oladahn. Oladahn ofthe Bulgar Mountains, kin to theMountain Giants, Hawkmoon's closestfriend and companion through most ofhis greatest adventures. Oladahn, whohad died at Londra, who Hawkmoon hadseen next as a glassy-eyed ghost in theswamps of the Kamarg and lastly uponthe decks of The Romanian Queen,where, bravely, he had attacked BaronKalan's crystal pyramid and, as aconsequence, vanished.

'Hawkmoon!' Oladahn's joy at seeinghis old comrade made him forget allelse. He ran forward and embraced theDuke of Koln.

Hawkmoon found himself laughingwith pleasure. He looked up at Erekose.

'How you saved him I know not. But Iam grateful to you.'

Erekose, infected by their joy,laughed, too. 'How I saved him, I knownot!' He glanced back at the staticshadows. 'I found myself in a worldscarcely more substantial than this one. Ihelped fight off those who attacked yourfriend - in desperation, as ourmovements became sluggish, I fell back- and here we are again!'

'How came you to that place,Oladahn?' Hawkmoon asked.

'My life has been confusing and myadventures peculiar since I last saw youaboard that ship,' Oladahn said. 'For awhile I was the prisoner of Baron Kalan,

unable to move my limbs, yet with mymind functioning normally. That was notpleasant. Then, suddenly, I was freed. Ifound myself upon a world involved in abattle between four or five differentfactions and served with one army andanother, never quite understanding theissues involved. Then I was back in theBulgar Mountains, wrestling a bear andgetting the worst of the encounter. Then Icame to a metal world, where I was theonly creature of flesh amongst a motleyvariety of machines. About to bemangled by one of the machines (whichwas not without a certain philosophicalintelligence) I was saved by OrlandFank - you remember him? - and taken tothe world I have just escaped from. Fank

and I sought the Runestaff there, a worldof cities and of conflict. On an errand forFank in a particularly violent quarter ofone of the cities, I was set upon by moremen than I could deal with. About to beslain, I found myself again frozen. Thiscondition lasted for hours or for years(that I shall never know) until just beforeI was rescued by your comrade here.Tell me, Hawkmoon, what became ofour other friends?'

'It's a long tale and it has little point,since I can explain few of the events init,' Hawkmoon told him. He recountedsomething of his adventures, of CountBrass, Yisselda and his missingchildren, of the defeat of both Taragorm

and Baron Kalan, of the disruption theirinsane vengeance and scheming hadbrought to the multiverse, ending: 'But ofD'Averc and Bowgentle I can tell younothing. They vanished much as youvanished. I would guess that theiradventures are a match for yours. It issignificant, is it not, that you have beensnatched from inevitable death so manytimes?'

'Aye,' said Oladahn. 'I thought I had asupernatural protector - though I becametired of leaping, as it were, from thecooking pot into the stove! What havewe here?'

Stroking his whiskers, he lookedabout him, nodding politely to Brut, Johnand Emshon who were all staring at him

in restrained amazement. 'It would seemsignificant that I have been allowed tojoin you again. But where is Fank?'

'I left him at Castle Brass, though hesaid nothing of meeting you. Doubtlesshe resumed his quest for the Runestaffand found you during that adventure.'Hawkmoon described everything hecould of the nature of the island onwhich they now stood.

This description left Oladahnscratching at the red fur of his head andshrugging his shoulders. Almost beforeHawkmoon had finished, he was lookingat the various rents in his jerkin anddivided kilt, picking at the drying bloodon his various wounds.

'Well, friend Hawkmoon,' he said,distracted, 'I'm content enough to be atyour side again. Is there anything to eat?'

'Nothing,' John ap-Rhyss saidfeelingly. 'We'll starve to death if wecan find no game on this island. Andnothing appears to live here, saveourselves.'

As if in answer to this declaration,there came a howling from the other sideof the city. They looked towards thesource of the sound.

'A wolf?' Oladahn asked.'A man, I think,' said Erekose. He had

not sheathed his sword and he used it topoint.

Ashnar the Lynx came running

towards them, leaping over stones,darting around tottering towers, his ownsword raised above his head, his madeyes glaring, the little bones in hisbraids dancing about his savage skull.Hawkmoon thought he attacked, but thenhe saw that Ashnar was pursued by atall, lean, red-faced man in a bonnet andkilt, a plaid flying from his shoulders,his sword bouncing in the scabbard athis side.

'Orland Fank!' cried Oladahn. 'Whydoes he chase that man?'

Hawkmoon could hear Fank's shoutsnow. 'Come here, will ye? Come here,man! I mean ye no harm!'

Then Ashnar had tripped and fell,whimpering and scrabbling amongst

dusty stones. Fank reached him, knockedthe sword from his hand, gathered afistful of braids and raised thebarbarian's head.

Hawkmoon called: 'He is mad, Fank.Be gentle with him.'

Fank looked up. 'So it's SirHawkmoon, is it? And Oladahn? Iwondered what had become of ye -deserted me, did you?'

'Almost,' answered the kin of theMountain Giants feelingly, 'to BrotherDeath into whose arms you sent me,Master Fank.'

Fank grinned, letting go of Ashnar'shair.

The barbarian made no effort to rise,

merely lay in the dust and moaned.'What harm has that man offered you?'

Erekose asked Fank sternly.'None. I could find no other human

being in this gloomy conglomeration. Iwanted to question him. When Iapproached him he let forth his heathenhowling and tried to escape.'

‘How found you this place?' Erekoseasked.

'By an accident. My quest for acertain artifact has led me throughseveral of the Earth's many planes. I hadheard that the Runestaff might be foundin a certain city - called, by some,Tanelorn. I sought Tanelorn. Myinvestigations led me to a sorcerer in acity on the world where I found young

Oladahn here. The sorcerer was a manmade all of metal and he was able todirect my path to the next plane, whereOladahn and I lost each other. I found agateway and entered it and here I am ...'

‘Then let's make haste back to yourgateway,' said Hawkmoon eagerly.

Orland Fank shook his head. 'Nay, it'sclosed behind me. Besides, I've no wishto return to that strifing world. Is thisnot, then, Tanelorn?'

'It is all the Tanelorns,' said Erekose.'Or so we think, Master Fank.Leastways, it is what remains of them.Was not the city you were in calledTanelorn?'

'Once,' said Fank. 'Or so a legend

said. But men came who made selfishuse of its properties and Tanelorn died,to be replaced by its opposite.'

'So Tanelorn can die?' Brut ofLashmar looked miserable. 'It is notinvulnerable ...'

'Only if those who dwell in it are menwho have lost that particular kind ofpride which destroys love - so I heard,at any rate.' Orland Fank lookedembarrassed. 'And are thereforethemselves invulnerable.'

'Any city would be preferable to thisdumping ground of lost ideals,' saidEmshon of Ariso, showing that while hehad taken Orland Fank's point he was notparticularly impressed by it. Thedwarfish warrior tugged at his

moustaches and grumbled on to himselffor a while.

'So these would be all the "failures",'said Erekose. "We stand amongst theruins of Hope. A wasteland of brokenfaith.'

'So I would surmise,' Fank replied.'But nonetheless there must be a waythrough to a Tanelorn which has notsuccumbed, where the borderline isnarrow. And that is what we must seekfor now.'

'But how do we know what to seek?'John ap-Rhyss asked reasonably.

‘The answer lies within ourselves,’Brut said in a voice that was not reallyhis. 'That is what I was once told. Look

for Tanelorn within yourself - an oldwoman said that when I asked her whereI might find that fabulous city and knowpeace. I dismissed the statement as beingempty of any real meaning, merely apiece of philosophical obfuscation, but Ibegin to realize that she offered mepractical advice. Hope is what we havelost, gentlemen, and Tanelorn will openher gates only to those who hope. Faithflees from us, but faith is required beforewe can see the Tanelorn we need.'

'I think you speak good sense, Brut ofLashmar,' said Erekose. 'For all that, oflate, I have come to adopt the soldier'sarmour of cynicism, I understand you.But how can mortals hope in a spheredominated by bickering gods, by the

warring of those they desire so much torespect?'

'When gods die, self-respect buds,'murmured Orland Fank. 'Gods and theirexamples are not needed by those whorespect themselves and, consequently,respect others. Gods are for children, forlittle, fearful people, for those whowould have no responsibility tothemselves or their fellows.'

'Aye!' John ap-Rhyss's melancholyfeatures were almost cheerful.

A mood was coming to them all. Theylaughed as they looked from face to face.

And then Hawkmoon was drawingout his sword and pointing it upward,towards the stagnant sun, and he cried:

'Here's Death for gods and Life formen! Let the Lords of Chaos and of Lawdestroy themselves in pointless conflict.Let the Cosmic Balance swing how itlikes, it shall not affect our destinies.'

'It shall not!' shouted Erekose, hisown sword raised. 'It shall not!'

And John ap-Rhyss, and Emshon ofAriso, and Brut of Lashmar all drewtheir swords and echoed the cry.

Only Orland Fank seemed reluctant.He tugged at his clothing. He fingeredhis face.

And when they had done with theirimpetuous ceremony, the Orkneymansaid:

Then none of you will help me seek

the Runestaft?'And a voice from behind Orland Fank

said:'Father, you need seek no further.'And there sat the child whom

Hawkmoon had seen in Dnark, who hadtransformed himself into pure energy inorder to inhabit the Runestaff whenShenegar Trott, Count of Sussex, hadsought to steal it. The one who had beencalled the Spirit of the Runestaff,Jehamiah Cohnahlias. The boy's smilewas radiant, his manner friendly.

'Greetings to you all,' he said. 'Yousummoned the Runestaff.'

'We did not summon it.' saidHawkmoon.

'Your hearts summoned it. And now,

here is your Tanelorn.'The boy spread his hands and it

seemed as he spread them that the citybecame transformed. Rainbow lightfilled the sky. The sun shuddered andburned golden. Pinnacles, seemingslender as needles, raised themselvesinto the glowing air, and coloursgleamed, pure and translucent, and agreat stillness came upon that city, thestillness of tranquillity.

'Here is your Tanelorn.'

Chapter TwoIn Tanelorn

'Come, I will show you some history,'said the child.

And he led the men through quietstreets where people greeted them withfriendly gravity.

If the city shone, now, it shone with alight so subtle that it was impossible toidentify its source. If it had one colour, itwas a kind of whiteness which certainkinds of jade have, but as white containsall colours, the city was of all colours. Itthrived; it was happy; it was at peace.Families lived here; artists and

craftsmen worked here; books werewritten; it was vital. This was no pallidharmony - the false peace of those whodeny the body its pleasures, the mind itsstimuli. This was Tanelorn.

This, at last, was Tanelorn, perhapsthe model for so many other Tanelorns.

'We are at the centre,' said the child,'the still, unalterable centre of themultiverse.'

'What gods are worshipped here?'asked Brut of Lashmar, his voice and hisface relaxed.

'No gods,' said the child. They are notrequired.'

'And is that why they are said to hateTanelorn?' Hawkmoon stepped to oneside to allow a very old woman to pass

him.'It could be,' said the child. 'For the

proud cannot accept being ignored. Theyhave a different sort of pride in Tanelorn-and that is a pride which prefers to beignored.'

He took them past high towers andlovely battlements, through parks whereexcited children played.

'They play at war, then, even here?'said John ap-Rhyss. 'Even here!'

'It is how children learn,' saidJehamiah Cohnahlias. 'And if they learnproperly, they learn enough to abjurewarfare when they are grown.'

'But the gods play at war,' saidOladahn.

‘They are children, then,' said thechild.

Hawkmoon noticed that Orland Fankwas weeping, but he did not seem to besad.

They came to a cleared part of thecity, a kind of amphitheatre, but its sidesconsisted of three ranks of statues,somewhat larger than life size. All thestatues were of the same colouring as thecity; all seemed to glow with somethingresembling life. All the first rank ofstatues were of warriors, the secondrank was chiefly of warriors, too, andthe third rank was of women. Thereseemed to be thousands of these statues,in a great circle, beneath a sun which

hung above the centre, red and still, as ithad been on the island - but the red wasmellow, the sky a warm, faded blue. Itwas as if it were evening here, always.

'Behold,' said the child, 'BeholdHawkmoon, Erekose. These are you.'And he lifted one of his arms in itsheavy, golden sleeve, to point at the firstrank of statues, and there was a dull,black staff in his hand which Hawkmoonrecognized as the Runestaff. And henoticed, for the first time, that the runescarved on it were in a script notdissimilar to that which was carved intothe sword which Elric had borne, theBlack Sword, Stormbringer.

'Look on their faces,' said the child.'Look Erekose, look Hawkmoon, look

Champion Eternal.'Looking, Hawkmoon saw faces he

recognized amongst the statues. He sawCorum and he saw Elric and he heardErekose murmur: 'John Daker, UrlikSkarsol, Asquiol, Aubec, Arflane,Valadek ... They are all here ... all, saveErekose ...'

'And Hawkmoon,' said Hawkmoon.Orland Fank spoke. There are gaps in

the ranks. Why so?'They wait to be filled,' said the child.Hawkmoon shivered.'They are all the manifestations of the

Champion Eternal,' said Orland Fank.Their comrades, their consorts. All inone place. Why are we here, Jehamiah?'

'Because the Runestaff has summonedus.'

'I'll serve it no longer!' This wasHawkmoon. 'It has done me much harm.'

'You need not serve it, save in oneway,' said the child mildly, 'It servesyou. You summoned it.'

‘I tell you that we did not.’'And I told you that your hearts

summoned it. You found the gateway toTanelorn, you opened it, you allowed meto reach you.'

‘This is mystical maundering of themost outrageous kind!' Emshon of Arisobristled. He made to turn away.

'It is the truth, however,' said thechild. 'Faith bloomed within you when

you stood in those ruins. Not Faith in anideal, or in gods, or the fate of the world- but Faith in yourselves. It is a force todefeat every enemy. It was the only forcewhich could summon the friend that I amto you.'

'But this is a business concerningheroes,' said Brut of Lashmar. 'I am not ahero, boy, not as these two are.'

'That is for you to decide, of course.''I'm a plain soldier, a man of many

faults ...' began John ap-Rhyss. Hesighed. 'I sought only rest.'

'And you have found it. You havefound Tanelorn. Do you not, however,wish to witness the outcome of yourordeal upon the island?'

John ap-Rhyss directed a quizzical

glance at the child. He tugged at hisnose. 'Well...'

'It is the least you deserve. No harmwill come to you, warrior.'

John ap-Rhyss shrugged and his shrugwas imitated by Emshon and Brut.

‘That ordeal? Was it connected withour quest?' Hawkmoon was eager. 'Wasthere some other point to it?'

'It was the Eternal Champion's lastgreat deed for humanity. It has come fullcircle, Erekose. You understand mymeaning?'

Erekose bowed his head. 'I do.''And the time is coming,' said the

child, 'for the last deed of all - the deedwhich will free you from your curse.'

'Free?''Freedom, Erekose, for the Champion

Eternal and all those he has served downthe long ages.'

Erekose's face filled with dawninghope.

'But it has still to be earned,'cautioned the Spirit of the Runestaff.'Still.'

'How can I earn it?'‘That you will discover. Now -

watch.'The child motioned with his staff at

the statue of Elric.And they watched.

Chapter ThreeThe Deaths Of The Undying

They watched as one statue steppeddown from its dais, face blank, limbsstiff - and slowly his features assumedthe qualities of flesh (though bone-whiteflesh) and his armour turned black and areal person stood there; and though theface was animated he did not see them.

The scene around him had alteredprofoundly. Hawkmoon felt something inhimself drawing him closer and closer tothe one who had been a statue. It was asif their faces touched, and still the otherwas not aware of Hawkmoon's presence.

Then Hawkmoon was looking out ofElric's eyes. Hawkmoon was Elric.Erekose was Elric.

He was tugging the black sword fromthe body of his greatest friend. He wassobbing as he tugged. At last the swordwas dragged from the corpse and flungaside, landing with a strange, muffledsound. He saw the sword move,approaching him. It stopped, but itwatched.

He placed a large horn to his lipsand he took a deep breath. He had thestrength to blow the horn now, whereasearlier he had been weak. Another'sstrength filled him.

He blew a note upon the horn; one

great blast. Then there was silence uponthe plain of rock. Silence waited in thehigh and distant mountains.

In the sky a shadow began tomaterialize. It was a vast shadow andthen it was not a shadow at all but anoutline, and then details filled theoutline. It was a gigantic hand and in thehand was a balance, its scales swingingerratically. Now, however, the scalesbecame steadier until, at length, thebalance righted itself.

The sight brought a certain relief tothe grief he felt. He dropped the horn.

"There is something, at least,' heheard himself say, 'and if it's anillusion, then it's a reassuring one,'

But now, as he turned, he saw that the

sword had risen into the air of its ownvolition. It menaced him.

'STORMBRINGER!'The blade entered his body, entered

his heart. The blade drank his soul.Tears fell from his eyes as the sworddrank; he knew that part of him, now,would never have peace.

He died.He fell away from his fallen body and

he was Hawkmoon again. He wasErekose again .. .

The two aspects of the same thingwatched as the sword pulled itself freefrom the body of the last of the BrightEmperors. They watched as the swordbegan to change its shape (though a husk

of the blade remained and becamehuman in proportions, standing over theman it had conquered.)

The being was the same Hawkmoonhad seen on the Silver Bridge, the samehe had seen on the island. It smiled.

'Farewell, friend,' said the being. ‘Iw a s a thousand times more evil thanthou!'

It flung itself into the sky, laughing,malicious, without kindness. It mockedthe Cosmic Balance, its ancient enemy.

And it was gone, and the scene wasgone, and the statue of the Prince ofMelnibone stood again upon its dais.

Hawkmoon was gasping as if he hadescaped drowning. His heart wasbeating horribly.

He saw that Oladahn's face twitchedand that his eyes held shock; he sawErekose's frowning countenance, and hesaw Orland Fank rubbing at his jaw. Hesaw the serene face of the child. He sawJohn ap-Rhyss, Emshon of Ariso andBrut of Lashmar, and he knew, when helooked at them, that they had witnessednothing in the scene which had disturbedthem.

'So it is confirmed,' said Erekose'sdeep voice. 'That thing and the swordare the same.'

'Often,' said the child. 'Sometimes itswhole spirit does not inhabit the sword.Kanajana was not the whole sword.'

The child motioned. 'Watch again.’

'No,' said Hawkmoon.'Watch again,' said the child.Another tall statue stepped from its

place.The man was handsome and he had

only one eye; only one hand. He hadknown love and he had known grief andthe love had taught him how to bear thegrief. His features were calm.Somewhere, the sea crashed. He hadcome home.

Again Hawkmoon felt himselfabsorbed and knew that Erekose, too,was absorbed. Corum Jhaelen Irsei,Prince in the Scarlet Robe, Last of theVadhagh, who had refused to fear beautyand who had fallen to it, who had

refused to fear a brother and had beenbetrayed, who had refused to fear a harpand had been slain by it, who had beenbanished from a place where he did notbelong, had come home.

He emerged from a forest and stoodupon a seashore. The tide would be outsoon and it would uncover thecauseway leading to Moidel's Mountwhere he had been happy with a womanof the short-lived Mabden race, whohad died and left him desolate (forchildren rarely come from such aunion).

The memory of Medhbh was fading,but the memory of Rhalina, Margravineof the East, could not fade.

The causeway appeared and he began

to walk across. The castle on Moidel'sMount was deserted now, that was plain.It showed neglect. A wind whisperedthrough the towers, but it was afriendly wind.

On the other side of the causeway,standing in the entrance to the castlecourtyard, he saw one he recognized - anightmare creature, greenish blue incolour, with four squat legs, four brawnyarms, a barbaric, noseless head withthe nostrils set directly into the face, awide, grinning mouth, full of sharpteeth, eyes that were faceted like afly's. There were swords of strangedesign at its belt. It was the Lost God:Kwll. ' 'Greetings, Corum.'

'Greetings, Kwll, slayer of gods.Where is your brother?' He waspleased to see his old, reluctant, ally.

'At his own devices. We grow boredand ready to leave the multiverse. Thereis no place for us in it, as there is noplace for you.'

'So I have been told.'‘Go on one of our journeys, at least

until the time of the next Conjunction.'Kwll gestured at the sky. 'We must makehaste.'

'Where do you go?''There is another place - a place

deserted by those you destroyed here - aplace where they still have use for gods.Would Corum come with us? The

Champion must remain, but Corum cancome.'

'Are they not the same?''They are the same. But that which is

not the same, that which is Corum only,he can come with us. It is an adventure.’

‘I am weary of adventures, Kwll.'The Lost God grinned. 'Consider. We

need a mascot. We need the strength youhave.'

'What strength is that?''The strength of Man.''All gods need that, do they not?'''Aye,' Kwll agreed, somewhat

reluctantly, 'but some need it more thanothers. Rhynn and Kwll have Kwll andRhynn, but it would amuse us if youcame.'

Corum shook his head.'You understand that you cannot live

after the Conjunction?''I understand that, Kwll.''And you know now, I suppose, that it

was not I who actually destroyed theLords of Law and Chaos?'

‘I think so.'‘I merely finished the work you had

begun, Corum.''You are kind.'‘I speak the truth. I am a boastful god,

having no loyalties, save to Rhynn. But Iam, by and large, a truthful god.Departing, I leave you with the truth.'

'Thank you, Kwll.''Farewell.' The barbaric figure

vanished.Corum walked through the courtyard,

through the dusty halls and corridors ofthe castle, up to the high tower where hecould look across the sea. And he knewthat Lwym-an-Esh, that lovely land, wasnow drowned, that only a few fragmentsstill stood above the waves. And hesighed, but he was not unhappy.

He saw a black figure come caperingover the waves towards, him, a grinningfigure with an insinuating stare.

'Corum? Corum?'‘I know you,' said Corum.'May I guest with you, Corum? There

is much I can do for you. I would beyour servant, Corum.'

‘I need no servant.'

The figure stood upon the sea,swaying with the movement o£ thewaves.

'Let me into your castle, Corum.'‘I require no guests.'‘I can bring your loved ones to you.''They are already with me.' And

Corum stood upon the battlements,laughing down at the black figure, whoglowered and sneered. And Corumjumped so that his body would strike therocks at the foot of Moidel's Mount, sothat his spirit would be freed from it.

And the black figure bellowed withrage, with frustration andt finally, withfear ...

‘That is the last creature of Chaos, is

it not?' said Erekose when the scene hadfaded and the statue of Corum resumedits place.

'In that guise,' said the child, 'it is,poor thing.'

'I have known it so many times,' saidErekose. 'It has sometimes worked forgood.’

'Chaos is not wholly evil, surely?'said the child. 'And neither is Lawwholly good. They are primitivedivisions, at best - they represent onlytemperamental preferences in individualmen and women. There are otherelements ...'

'You speak of the Cosmic Balance?'said Hawkmoon. 'Of the Runestaff?'

'Call that Conscience, eh?' said

Orland Fank. 'But can you call itTolerance?’

'All are primitive,' said the child.'You would admit that?' Oladahn was

surprised. ‘Then what would replacethem that would be better?'

The child smiled, but would notreply.

'Would you see more?' he askedHawkmoon and Erekose. They shooktheir heads.

‘That black figure daunts us always,'said Hawkmoon. 'It plots ourdestruction.'

'It needs your souls,' said the child.John ap-Rhyss said calmly, 'In Yel, in

the villages, they have a legend of such a

creature. Say-tunn, is that his name?'The child shrugged. 'Give him any

name and he grows in power. Refusehim a name and his power weakens. Icall him Fear. Mankind's greatestenemy.'

'But a good friend to those whowould use him,' said Emshon of Arise.

Oladahn said: 'For a time.''A treacherous friend, even to those

he helps most,' said the child. 'Oh, howhe longs to be admitted to Tanelorn.'

'He cannot enter?''Only at this time, because he comes

to barter.''In what does he trade?' Hawkmoon

asked.'In souls, as I said. In souls. Look, I

will admit him.' And the child seemedperturbed as he motioned with his staff.'He travels, now, from Limbo.'

Chapter FourCaptives Of The Sword

'I am the Sword,' said the blackfigure. He waved a hand airily at themassed statues all around them. 'Thesew e r e mine once. I owned themultiverse.'

'You have been disinherited,' said thechild.

'By you?' the black figure smiled.'No,' said the child. 'We share a fate,

as you well know.'‘You cannot give me back the things I

must have,' said the figure. 'Where is it?'He looked about him. 'Where?'

'I have not yet summoned it. Whereare...?'

'My bartering goods? Those I shallsummon when I know that you have whatI need.' He grinned a greeting atHawkmoon and Erekose, sayingcarelessly, to nobody in particular. 'Igather that all the gods are dead.'

"Two have fled,' said the child. Therest are dead.'

'So only we remain.''Aye,' said the child. The sword and

the staff.''Created at the beginning,' said

Orland Fank, 'after the last Conjunction.''Few mortals know that,' said the

black figure. 'My body was made to

serve Chaos, his to serve the Balance,others to serve Law, but all those aregone now.'

'What replaces them?' said Erekose.‘That remains to be decided,' said the

black figure. 'I come to barter for thatbody of mine. Either manifestation willdo; or both.'

'You are the Black Sword?'The child motioned again with the

staff. Jhary-a-Conel stood there, his hatat an angle, his cat on his shoulder. AtOladahn he stared with particularbemusement. 'Should we both be here?'

Oladahn said: 'I do not know you,sir.'

Then you do not know yourself, sir.'Jhary bowed to Hawkmoon. 'Greetings. I

believe this is yours, Duke Dorian.' Heheld something in his hands and wasmoving forward to offer it to Hawkmoonwhen the child said:

'Stay! Show him.'Jhary-a-Conel paused somewhat

theatrically, eyeing the black figure.'Show him? Must I? The mewler?'

'Show me,' whispered the blackfigure. 'Please, Jhary-a-Conel.'

Jhary-a-Conel rubbed at the head ofthe child, as an uncle might greet afavourite nephew. 'How fare you,cousin?'

'Show him,' said the child.Jhary-a-Conel put one hand on the

pommel of his sword, stuck out his leg,

stuck out his elbow, looked thoughtfullyat the black figure, then, with a sudden,conjurer's gesture, presented that whichlay in his palm.

The black figure hissed. His eyesglowed.

‘The Black Jewel!' gaspedHawkmoon. 'You have the Black Jewel.'

‘The Jewel will do,' said the figureeagerly. 'Here...'

Two men, two women and twochildren appeared. Golden chains heldthem; links of golden silk.

‘I treat them well,' said the one whocalled himself Sword.

One of the men, tall, slender, languidof manner, dandified of dress, held uphis shackled wrists. 'Oh,' he said, 'this

luxury of chains!’

All but one of them did Hawkmoonrecognize. And he was full of cold angernow. 'Yisselda! Yarmila and Manfred!D'Averc! Bowgentle! How are you thiscreature's prisoners.'

‘That tale's a long one…' beganHuillam D'Averc, but his voice wasdrowned by Erekose and Erekose wasshouting with joy:

'Ermizhad! My Ermizhad!'The woman, whom Hawkmoon had

not recognized, was of a race resemblingElric's and Corum's. In her own way, shewas as beautiful as Yisselda. There wasmuch in the two women's very differentfaces which provoked a sense of

resemblance.Bowgentle turned an apparently

placid face this way and that. 'So we arein Tanelorn at last.'

The woman called Ermizhad wasstraining at her chains, trying to reachErekose.

'I thought you Kalan's prisoners,' saidHawkmoon through the confusion,addressing D'Averc.

'I thought so, too, but I believe thissomewhat demented gentlemanintercepted our journey through Limbo..,' D'Averc made a pantomime ofdismay as Erekose glared at the blackfigure.

'You must release her!’The being smiled. 'I will have the

jewel first. She and the others for thejewel. It was the bargain we made.'

Jhary-a-Conel clenched his fingersaround the jewel. 'Why do you not take itfrom me? You claim power?'

'Only a Hero may give it to him,' saidthe child. 'He knows that.'

‘Then I will give it to him,' saidErekose.

'No,' said Hawkmoon. 'If anyone hasthe right, I have it. Through the BlackJewel I was made a slave. Now, at least,I can use it to free those I love.'

The expression on the black being'sface became eager.

'Not yet,' said the child.Hawkmoon ignored him. 'Give me the

Black Jewel, Jhary.'Jhary-a-Conel looked first at the one

he had addressed as 'cousin', then atHawkmoon, He hesitated.

‘That jewel,' said the child quietly, 'isone aspect of one of the two mostpowerful things at present existing in themultiverse.'

'And the other?' said Erekose, lookingyearningly at the woman he had soughtfor through eternity.

‘The other is this, the Runestaff.''If the Black Jewel is Fear, then what

is the Runestaff?' asked Hawkmoon.'Justice,' said the child, 'the enemy of

Fear.''If you both hold so much power,'

Oladahn said reasonably, 'then why are

we involved?''Because neither can exist without

Man,' said Orland Fank, They go withMan wherever He goes.'

'That is why you are here,' said thechild. 'We are your creations.'

'Yet you control our destinies.'Erekose's eyes had never leftErmizhad's. 'How?'

'Because you let us,' the child toldhim.

'Well, then, "Justice", let me see youkeep your word,' said the creature calledSword.

'My word was given that I wouldadmit you to Tanelorn,' said the child. 'Ican do no more. The bargain itself must

be debated with Hawkmoon andErekose.'

‘The Black Jewel for your captives?Is that the bargain?' Hawkmoon said.'What will the jewel give you?'

'It will give him back some of thepower he lost during the war betweenthe gods,' said the child. 'And that powerwill enable him to bring more power forhimself and pass easily into the newmultiverse which will exist after theConjunction.'

'Power which will serve you well,'said the black figure to Hawkmoon.

‘Power we have never wished for,'said Erekose.

'What do w e lose if we agree?'Hawkmoon said.

'You lose my help, almost certainly.''Why is that?''I shall not say.''Mysteries!' said Hawkmoon.

'Discretion sadly misguided in myopinion, Jehamiah Cohnahlias.'

'I say nothing because I respect you,'said the child. 'But if the opportunityshould come, then use the staff to smashthe jewel.’

Hawkmoon took the Black Jewelfrom Jhary's hand. It was lifeless,without the familiar pulse, and he knewit was lifeless because that whichinhabited it now stood before him inanother guise.

'So,' said Hawkmoon, 'this is your

home.'He reached towards the creature, the

Black Jewel upon the palm of his hand.The chains of golden silk fell away

from the limbs of the six captives.Laughing, confident, his eyes glowing

with evil triumph, the being took theBlack Jewel from Hawkmoon's hand.

Hawkmoon embraced his children.He kissed his daughter. He kissed hisson.

Erekose held Ermizhad in his armsand he could not speak.

And the Spirit of the Black Jewelraised his prize to his lips.

And he swallowed the jewel.‘Take this,' said the child urgently to

Haw kmoon. 'Quickly.' He handed

Hawkmoon the Runestaff.The black being shrieked his glee. 'I

am myself again! I am more than myselfagain!'

Hawkmoon kissed Yisselda of Brass.‘I am myself again!'When Hawkmoon looked up, the

Spirit of the Black Jewel had vanished.Hawkmoon turned with a smile to

remark on this to the child, JehamiahCohnahlias. The child had his back toHawkmoon at that moment, but his headwas turning.

'I have won,' said the child.His face had turned completely.

Hawkmoon thought his heart would stop.He felt faint.

The face of the child was still itsown, but it had changed. Now it glowedwith a dark aura. Now it grinned with anunholy joy. It was the face of thecreature which had swallowed the BlackJewel. It was the face of Sword.

'I have won!'And the child began to giggle.And then it began to grow.It grew until it was the size of one of

the statues surrounding the group. Itsgarments shredded and fell away and itwas a man, dark and naked, with a redmouth full of fangs, with a yellow,glaring eye, with a presence whichradiated immense and terrifying power.

‘I HAVE WON!'

He cast about him, ignoring the party.'Sword,' he said. 'Now, where is the

sword?''It is here,' said a new voice. 'I have it

here. Can you see me?'

Chapter FiveThe Captain And The

Steersman

'It was found on the South Ice, atsunrise, after you had but recently leftthat world, Erekose. It had performedone action for humanity which was notdirectly to its benefit and so its spiritwas driven from it.'

The Captain stood there, his blindeyes staring beyond them. Next to himwas his twin, the steersman, with armsoutstretched, the great black runeswordheld on the flats of both palms.

'It was that manifestation of the sword

that we sought,' continued the Captain. 'Itwas a long quest for us and it lost us ourship.'

'But surely,' said Erekose, 'so littletime has passed since we left you?'

The Captain smiled ironically. 'Thereis no such thing as time,' he said,'particularly in Tanelorn, particularly atthe Conjunction of the Million Spheres.If time existed, as men consider it, thenhow can you and Hawkmoon exist heretogether?'

Erekose made no reply; he hugged hisEldren princess closer to him.

The being roared. 'GIVE ME THESWORD!'

'I cannot,' said the Captain, 'as youwell know. And you cannot take it. You

can only inhabit (or be inhabited by) oneof the two manifestations, sword orjewel. Never both.'

The being snarled, but it made nomovement towards the Black Sword.

Hawkmoon looked at the staff thechild had given him and he saw that hehad been right, the runes in the staffcorresponded in some manner to thoseon the sword. He addressed the Captain.

'Who made these artifacts?'‘The smiths who forged this sword

long ago, close to the beginning of theGreat Cycle, required a spirit to inhabitit to give it power above all otherweapons. They struck a bargain with thisspirit (whom we shall not name).' The

Captain turned his blind head so that itfaced the black creature. 'You were gladto accept it, then. Two swords wereforged and part of you went into each,but one of the swords was destroyed, soyou inhabited the whole of the remainingblade. The smiths who forged theswords were not human, but they workedfor humanity. They sought to fight Chaos,at that time, for they were loyal to theLords of Law. They thought they usedChaos to conquer Chaos. They learnedthe flaws in that belief...'

‘They did!' The creature grinned. 'Oh,they did!'

'So they made the Runestaff and theysought the aid of your brother, whoserved Law. They did not realize that

you and he are not really brothers at all,but aspects of the same single being,now united again, but infused with thepower of the Black Jewel, with yourown dark power magnified. A seemingparadox …’

'A paradox I find most useful,' saidthe black being.

The Captain ignored him, continuing:'They made the jewel in an effort to trapyou, to imprison you. It gave the jewelgreat power, it held the souls of othersas well as your own, just as the sworddid, but you could be released from thejewel just as sometimes you could bereleased from the sword...'

' "Banished" is a better word,' said

the creature, 'for I love my body, thesword. There will always be men tobear me as a sword.'

'Not always,' said the Captain. ‘TheCosmic Balance was the last greatartifact created by these smiths beforethey returned to their own worlds - asymbol of Equilibrium between Law andChaos, it had a power of its own,incorporated into the Runestaff - toproduce Order between Law and Chaos.And it is that which checks even you, atthis moment.'

'Not when I have the Black Sword!''You have tried for so long to assume

complete domination of mankind, andsometimes, for a while, you have almostachieved it. The Conjunction takes place

on many different worlds, in manydifferent eras, the manifestations of theChampion Eternal perform their greatdeeds, to rid the multiverse of the godstheir forebears' desires created. And, ina world free of gods, you can retain thepower you have been greedy for throughthe ages. You slew Elric in one world;you slew the Silver Queen in another,you sought to slay Corum, you have slainmore who thought you served them. ButElric's death set you free and the deathof the Silver Queen brought life to theEarth when it was dying (your owninterests were served, but the interest ofmankind was, at last, served better). Youcould not get your "body" back. You felt

your power waning. The experiments oftwo insane sorcerers on Hawkmoon'sworld induced a situation which youcould exploit. You need the ChampionEternal, that is your fate, but he nolonger needs you, so you had to gathercaptives and bargain with the Championwith those he loves. Now you have thepower of the jewel and you have takenover the body of your brother, who wasonce Orland Fank's son. Now you wouldsmash the Balance, but you know that indestroying the Balance you will bedestroyed yourself. Unless you have arefuge - a new body into which yourspirit can escape.'

The Captain turned his head so thathis sightless eyes seemed to regard

Hawkmoon and Erekose.'Moreover,' he said, "the sword must

be wielded by a manifestation of theChampion, and here are two suchmanifestations. How will you induce oneof them to serve your purpose?'

Hawkmoon looked at Erekose. Hesaid: 'My loyalties were ever to theRunestaff, though I resented giving them,at times.'

'And if I had loyalties, they were tothe Black Sword,' said Erekose.

'Which one of you will bear the BlackSword, then?' said the creature eagerly.

'Neither has to bear it,' the Captaintold them quickly.

'But I now have the power to destroy

all here," said the creature.'All save the two aspects of the

Champion Eternal,' said the Captain,'and my brother and myself, you cannotharm us.'

'I will destroy Ermizhad, Yisselda,the children - these others. I will eatthem. I will have their souls.' The blackbeing opened his red mouth wide and hereached a hand of black radiancetowards Yarmila. The girl staredbravely back, but she was shrinking fromhim.

'And what will happen to us after youhave destroyed the Balance?' askedHawkmoon.

'Nothing,' said the being. 'You canlive out your lives in Tanelorn. Even I

cannot destroy Tanelorn, though the restof the multiverse shall be mine.’

'It is true, what he says,' said theCaptain. 'And he will keep his word.'

'But all humanity will suffer, savethose in Tanelorn,' said Hawkmoon.

'Aye,' said the Captain, 'we shall allsuffer, save you.'

‘Then he must not be given thesword,' Hawkmoon said firmly, and hecould not look at those he loved.

'Humanity suffers already,' Erekose'said. 'I have sought Ermizhad througheternity. I deserve this. I have servedhumanity through eternity, save once. Ihave suffered too long.'

'Would you repeat a crime?' asked the

Captain quietly.Erekose ignored him, staring

meaningfully at Hawkmoon. ‘The powerof the Black Sword and the power of theBalance are equal at this moment, yousay, Captain.'

‘That's so.''And this being can inhabit either the

sword or the jewel, not both?'And Hawkmoon understood the

implication of Erekose's questions andkept his face expressionless.

'Hurry!' said the black being frombehind them. 'Hurry. The Balancematerializes!'

For an instant, Hawkmoon feltsomething of the experience that he hadhad when they had fought Agak and

Gagak together, a oneness with Erekose,sharing his emotions and his thoughts.

'Hurry, Erekose,' said the being. Takethe sword!'

Erekose turned his back onHawkmoon, staring up into the sky.

The Cosmic Balance hung, shining, inthe sky, its scales in perfect equilibrium.It hung over that great concourse ofstatues, over every manifestation of theEternal Champion there had ever been,over every woman he had ever loved,over every companion he had ever had.And, at that moment, it appeared tomenace them all.

Erekose took three paces until hestood before the steersman. There was

no expression on the face of either man.'Give me the Black Sword,' said the

Eternal Champion.

Chapter SixThe Sword And The Staff

Erekose placed one large hand uponthe hilt of the Black Sword and heplaced the other under the blade, liftingit from the steersman's grasp.

'Ah!' cried the creature. 'We areunited!'

And he flowed towards the BlackSword and he laughed as he entered it,and the sword began to pulse, to sing, toemanate black fire, and the creature wasgone.

But, Hawkmoon noticed, the BlackJewel had returned. He saw Jhary-a-

Conel stoop and pick it up.Now Erekose's face glowed with a

light of its own - a light of violence, ofbattle joy. His voice was a vibratingroar, a snarl of triumph. His eyes werealive with blood lust as he held thesword in two hands over his head,staring up at its long blade.

'At last!' he shouted. 'Erekose shallhave revenge on that which hasmanipulated his fate for so long! I willdestroy the Cosmic Balance. With theBlack Sword I will make amends for allthe agony I have suffered through all thelong ages of the multiverse! No longerdo I serve humanity. Now I serve onlythe sword. Thus I shall be released fromthe bondage of aeons!'

And the sword moaned and writhedand its black radiance fell uponErekose's warrior's face and wasreflected in his battle-mad eyes.

'Now, I destroy the Balance!'And the sword seemed to pull

Erekose from the ground, up into the sky,up towards where the Balance hung,serene, apparently invulnerable, andErekose, Champion Eternal, had becomehuge and the sword blotted the light fromthe land.

Hawkmoon continued to watch, buthe said to Jhary-a-Conel, 'Jhary - thejewel - place it before me on theground."

And Erekose drew back his two arms

to strike his blow. And he struck once.There came a sound as if ten million

large bells rang at once, a shatteringnoise as if the very cosmos crackedapart, and the Black Sword cut throughthe links holding one of the scales and itbegan to fall, the other scale risinghigher, the beam swinging rapidly on itsaxis.

And the world shuddered.The vast circle of statues trembled

and threatened to tumble to the ground,and all who watched gasped.

And somewhere, something fell andbroke into invisible fragments.

They heard laughter from the sky, butit was impossible to tell if the sword orthe man who bore it was the source.

Erekose, huge and dreadful, drewback his arms for the second stroke.

The sword swept through the sky andlightning flashed, thunder growled. It cutinto the chains holding the other scaleand that, too, fell.

And again the world shuddered.And the Captain whispered: 'You

have rid the worlds of gods, but now yourid it of order, too.'

'Only of Authority," said Hawkmoon.The steersman looked at him with

intelligence, with interest.Hawkmoon looked at the ground

where the Black Jewel lay, dull, withoutlife. Then he looked at the sky asErekose struck his third and final blow,

struck at the central staff of the ruinedBalance.

And light broke from the shatteredremains and a strange, near-humanhowling reverberated through the world,and they were blinded and they weredeafened.

But Hawkmoon heard the single wordhe waited for. He heard Erekose's giant'svoice call:

'NOW!'And suddenly, the Runestaff was

throbbing with life in Hawkmoon's righthand, and the Black Jewel began topulse, and Hawkmoon raised his arm fora single, powerful blow, the only blowwhich would be allowed him.

And he brought the Runestaff down

with all his might upon the pulsingjewel.

And the jewel shattered and itshouted and it moaned in outrage, andthe staff shattered, too, in Hawkmoon'shand, and the dark light bursting from theone met with the golden light burstingfrom the other. There came a screaming,a wailing, a whimper, and finally thewhimper died, and a ball of red stuffhung before them, glowing only faintly,for the power of the Runestaff hadcancelled out the power of the BlackSword. Then the red globe began to riseinto the sky, higher and higher, until ithung directly over their heads.

And Hawkmoon was reminded of the

star which had followed the Dark Shipon its voyage through the Seas of Limbo.

And then the red globe was absorbedinto the warmer red of the sun itself.

The Black Jewel was gone. TheRunestaff was gone. Destroyed, too,were the Black Sword and the CosmicBalance. For a moment, their substancehad sought refuge respectively in thejewel and the staff and it had been at thatmoment, when one destroyed the other,that Hawkmoon could use the other todestroy the one. It was what Erekose hadbeen able to agree with him just beforehe accepted the Black Sword.

And now something fell atHawkmoon's feet.

Weeping, Ermizhad kneeled beside

the corpse. 'Erekose! Erekose!''He has paid at last,' said Orland

Fank. 'And at last he rests. He foundTanelorn and he found you, Ermizhad -and, finding them, he died for them.'

But Ermizhad did not hear OrlandFank, for she was weeping; she was lost.

Chapter SevenGoing Back To Castle Brass

‘The time of the Conjunction isalmost passed,' said the Captain, 'and themultiverse begins another cycle. Free ofgods, free of what you, Hawkmoon,might term "cosmic authority. Perhaps itwill never need heroes again.'

'Only examples,' said Jhary-a-Conel.He was walking towards the statues,towards an empty space in the ranks.'Farewell all of you. Farewell,Champion who is no longer Champion,and farewell to you, in particular,Oladahn.'

'Where do you go, Mend?' asked thekin of the Mountain Giants, scratching atthe red fur of his head.

Jhary stopped and removed the littleblack and white cat from his shoulder.He pointed at the empty space amongstthe statues. 'I go to take my place there.You live. I live. Farewell to you, for thevery last time.'

And he stepped amongst the statues,and instantly he was a statue, cocky,smiling, pleased with himself.

'Is there a place for me there, too?'said Hawkmoon, turning to Orland Fank.

'Not now,' said the Orkneyman,picking up Jhary-a-Conel's winged catand stroking its back. It purred.

Ermizhad stood up and the tears weregone from her eyes. Saying nothing to theothers, she, too, stepped into the ranks ofthe statues, finding another space. Sheraised her hand in a gesture of farewell,her flesh turned to the same pale colourof the surrounding statues and she stoodfrozen as they were frozen, andHawkmoon saw that near her wasanother statue, the statue of Erekose,who had sacrificed his life by taking upthe Black Sword.

'Now,' said the Captain, 'would youand yours stay in Tanelorn, Hawkmoon?You have earned the right.'

Hawkmoon put his arms around theshoulders of his children. He saw that

there was happiness in them and hebecame happy. Yisselda put her hand tohis cheek and smiled at him.

'No,' said Hawkmoon, 'we go back, Ithink, to Castle Brass. It is enough for usto know that Tanelorn exists. What ofyou , D'Averc? Oladahn? And you, SirBowgentle?'

'I have much to tell you, Hawkmoon,beside a good fire, with the good wineof the Katnarg in my hand, with goodfr i e nd s around me,' said HuillamD'Averc. 'At Castle Brass my taleswould be of interest, but they would onlybore the folk of Tanelorn. I'll come withyou.'

'And I,' said Oladahn.Bowgentle, alone, seemed a little

reluctant. He looked thoughtfully at thestatues and back at the towers ofTanelorn, 'An interesting place. Whatcreated it, I wonder?'

‘We created it,' said the Captain, 'mybrother and I.'

'You?' Bowgentle smiled. 'I see.''And what is your name, sir?'

Hawkmoon asked. 'You and yourbrother, what are you called?' '

'We have only one name,' said theCaptain.

And the steersman said: 'We arecalled Man.' He took his brother by thearm and began to lead him away fromthe circle of statues, back towards thecity.

In silence, Hawkmoon, his family andhis friends watched them go.

It was Orland Fank, clearing histhroat, who broke the silence. 'I willstay, I think. My tasks are all completed.My quest is finished. I have seen my soncome to peace of a kind. I will stay inTanelorn.'

'Are there no gods left for you toserve?' asked Brut of Lashmar.

'Gods are but metaphors,' said OrlandFank. 'As metaphors they might be veryacceptable - but they should never beallowed to become beings in their ownright.' Again he cleared his throat,seeming embarrassed by his next remark,‘The wine of poetry turns to poison

when it becomes politics, eh?''You three are welcome to come to

Castle Brass with us,' said Hawkmoonto the warriors.

Emshon of Ariso fiddled with hismoustache and looked inquiringly atJohn ap-Rhyss who looked, in turn, atBrut of Lashmar.

'Our journey is over,' said Brut.'We are but ordinary soldiers,' said

John ap-Rhyss. 'No history will count usheroes. I stay in Tanelorn.'

'I began my life as a teacher in aschool,' said Emshon of Ariso. 'It wasnever my dream to go warring. But therewere indignities, inequalities, injusticesand it seemed to me that only a swordcould correct those things. I did my best.

I have earned my peace. I, too, stay inTanelorn. I would like to write a book, Ithink.'

Hawkmoon bowed his head inacknowledgment of their decision. 'Ithank you, friends, for your help.'

'You would not stay with us?' saidJohn ap-Rhyss. 'Have you not alsoearned the right to dwell here?'

'Perhaps, but I have a great liking forold Castle Brass, and I have left a friendthere. Perhaps we can speak of what weknow and show folk how to findTanelorn within themselves.'

'Given the chance,' said Orland Fank,'most find it. Only gods and the worshipof fallacy, fear of their own humanity,

blocks their path to Tanelorn.''Oh, I fear for my carefully

manufactured personality!' laughedHuillam D'Averc. 'Is there anythingduller than a reformed cynic?'

'Let Queen Flana decide that,' grinnedHawkmoon. Well, Orland Fank, wespeak much of leaving - but how shallwe leave now that there are nosupernatural creatures to direct ourdestinies, now that the Champion is laid,at last, to rest?'

'I still have a little of my old powerleft,' said the Orkneyman, almostinsulted. 'And it is easily used while theSpheres remain in Conjunction. Andsince it was partly my doing, and partlythe doing of those seven you met in the

unformed world of Limbo, it suits me toput you back upon your originaljourney.’ His red face broke into a smilewhich was almost merry. 'Goodbye to yeall, Heroes of the Kamarg. Ye go to aworld free of all authority. Be sure thatthe only authority you seek in future isthe quiet authority which comes fromself-respect.'

'You were ever a moralist, OrlandFank!' Bowgentle clapped his hand uponthe Orkneyman's shoulder. 'But it is anart to make such simple morality work ina complicated world!'

'It is only the darkness of our ownminds which makes for complications,'said Orland Fank. 'Good luck, too!' And

he was laughing now, his bonnetbobbing on his head. 'Let us hope this isan end of tragedy.’

'And the beginning, perhaps, ofcomedy,' said Huillam D'Averc, smilingand shaking his head. 'Come - CountBrass awaits us!'

And they stood upon the SilverBridge amongst the other travellers whomoved to and fro upon that mightyhighway, and the bright, winter sunshineshone down on them, making the seasparkle with reflected silver.

‘The world!' cried Huillam D'Avercin considerable relish. 'At last, at last,the world!'

Hawkmoon found D'Averc's joyinfectious. 'Where do you go? To Londra

or the Kamarg?'‘To Londra, of course, at once!' said

D'Averc. 'After all, a kingdom awaitsme.'

'You were never a cynic, HuillamD'Averc,' said Yisselda of Brass, 'andyou cannot make us think you are onenow. Give our greetings to Queen Flana.Tell her we shall visit her soon.'

Huillam D'Averc bowed with aflourish. 'And my greetings, in turn, toyour father, Count Brass. Tell him I shallbe sitting beside his fire before long anddrinking his wine. Is the castle asdraughty as it ever was?'

'We shall prepare a room suitable forone of your delicate health,' Yisselda

told him. She took the hand of her sonManfred and the hand of her daughterYarmila. For the first time, she noticedthat Yarmila was holding something. Itwas Jhary-a-Conel’s small black andwhite cat.

'Master Fank gave it to me, mother,'said the child.

‘Treat it well, then,' said her father,'for it is a rarity, that little beast.'

'Farewell for the moment, HuillamD'Averc,' said Bowgentle. 'I found mostinteresting the time we spent in Limbo.'

'I, too, Master Bowgentle. Though Istill wish we had had that deck of cards.'Again, the dandy bowed. 'And good-bye,Oladahn, smallest of giants. I wish Icould listen to your boastings when you

return to the Kamarg.'‘They would be no match for yours,

sir, I fear. ' Oladahn stroked hiswhiskers, pleased with the retort. 'I lookforward to your visit.'

Hawkmoon began to stride forwardalong the shining roadway, eager tobegin the journey back to Castle Brass,where the children would meet theirnoble old grandfather.

'We'll purchase horses at Karlye,' hesaid. 'We have credit there.' He turned tohis son. 'Tell me, Manfred, what do youremember of your adventures?' He triedto disguise a certain anxiety for his son.'Do you remember a great deal?'

'No father,' said Manfred kindly, 'I

remember very little.' And he ranforward, and, taking his father's hand,led him towards the distant shore.

This ends the Third and Last of theChronicles of Castle Brass.

This ends the long story of the EternalChampion.

About the Author

Michael Moorcock is married andhas two children. He lives in London.As well as writing science fantasy andcriticism, he is heavily involved with therock band, Hawkwind.