The Sky Is Falling

against his rib cage. He stared down at it, seeing it ri

nholy agony where the blade lay. Coughing and choking on what must be his own blood, he scrabbled at the knife and ripped it

closed already. But there was no easing of the pain

ne grab at him-more than one person-and they were dragging him willy-nilly across the ground. Something w

e monstrous egg were all around h

wound ceasing, Dave could still feel the venom burning in his blood, and the constriction around his throat was still there, making it hard to breathe. He sat up, trying

points. A man had run up and was standing beside the egg, beating at it. The man suddenly shot up like a fountain, growing huge; he towered over them, until he seemed mi

e growing s

small enough, Bork. Can you

's voice seemed

stance, taller than the Himalayas-the man who had been beside them. Bork grunted. "Got it! We're all right now." He chanted something in a rapid undertone "All right, relax. That will teach them not to work reso

long, keening cry, adding a slight flip of his other arm. Outside, something like a mist drew near and swirled around them. It looked huge to Dave, but must have bee

ed closer to the wall of the tiny egg and shouted.

ere falling swiftly, growing as they dropped. Dave felt his stomach twist, until he saw they were heading toward a huge bird that was cruising along under them, drawing closer. It looked like a cross between a condor and

something held him back. It wasn't until Bork's big hand reached in to help him that he made it. When all we

pattered with drying blood, but he seemed unharmed now. Even the burning of the venom was g

across him, staring at his face and burying her head aga

we take him along with you hanging on in a faint if he were dead? When the snetha

an seemed to be doing som

hen." He turned to Dave, as if aware that the other was comparatively ignorant of such matters. "Happened once before, without this mess-up of the signs. They revived a corpse and found he was unkillable from th

n hour and managed to stop against a small entrance to a cave in the hillside. Except f

ted into the woods, studying the skies. She clung to Dave, cry

Who are these sons of eggs? And

r means wouldn't work. They fought against the Satheri. While magic produced their food and made a better world for th

brot

ave. There was no sign of personal hatred in his look. "I used to be a stoo

th. "I feel good. Even the venom they were put

like it if you were just a simple man and some priest magicked her away from you-and then sent her back with enough magic of her own to be a witch and make life hell for you because she'd been kicked out by the priest, but he hadn't pulled the wanting spell off her. Or anything else you wanted and couldn't keep against magic. Sur

l this egg

stinct, on their own branching time paths. They must have been that way since the moment of creation. One was a world of rule and law. One plus one might not always equal two, but it had to equal something. There seems to be some similarity to your world in that, doesn't there? The other was-well,

there. There were the two inhabited worlds in their own time lines, or probability orbits, or whatever. You know, I sup

t it happened. The two worlds met and fused, and out of the two came this world, in what the books call the Dawnstruggle. When it was over, our world was as it has been for thousands of

ut while that might explain the mystery of mag

; they want to stop it. We want it to happen. For the two lines that met and fused into one have an analogue. Doesn't the story of that fusion suggest something to you, Dave Hanson? Don't you see it, the male principle of rule and the

s business of the hatching egg seriously. But you could never be sure about

it is going to become a hen-or maybe a f

it. "Don't you e

hought, and guessed that even the fanatics were not qu

chick when it is stopped from hatching? Does it go on being a chick, or does it die? It dies, of course. And we don't want to die. No, Dave Hanson, we don't know what happens next-but we do know that we m

heri, at least, saved my life-" He stopped in confusion. Bork was starin

know that the Satheri arranged to kill you first? They needed a favorable deat

in protest. "

their side, little sister. You were also usually

the hair. Bork was immovable. He held her off easily with one hand while the fingers of the other danced i

Hanson lives. You saw him die and were dragged off with us and his body. You escaped before we r

seeing them and centered on the broom one man held out to her, without appearing to see him, either. She seize

o protest. He suspected Bork was putting the spell on her for h

Of course, I don't know that they killed you first-but those are their methods. Take it from me, I know

emed as likely as anythin

t, the Satheri think so, and I must admit

protest, but B

happen, it will happen-though not always as expected. The prophecy fulfills itself, rather than being fulfilled. Then there are the words on the monument-a monument meant for your uncle, but carrying your true name, because his friends felt the short form sounded better. It was s

d. And the kidnapping was beginning to look like a relief. The Sons of the Egg had gotten him off t

find it slightly unpleasant for the next few thousand years! It's not as bad as being turned into a mangrove with your soul intact, but it would l

t it over. "I could stay here and join your group. I mig

you really converted. But I don't think you would, if you knew more." Bork got up and headed for the entrance. "I wasn't going to l

ng to leave, and they looked at Dave suspiciously, but made no protest.

re almost due,

cided to let Dave Hanson watch. Dave

aller one. Here a group of some fifty men were watching the sky, obviously waiting. Others stood around, watching them and avoiding looking up. Almost directly overhead, there was a rent place where the strange absence of color or fea

ave. "This is one of the reasons we're

of worship, if you must wors

But now for weeks, things are changing. They think i

Across the little clearing, Malok began backing quietly away, carefully not looki

undred above the ground. Now it picked up speed, and rushed upwards. Another began to rise, and another. In seconds, mo

seconds more, but no more rose. The men sighed and began moving out of

mes-" h

own. In seconds, it was the body of one of the men who had risen. Dave felt his stomach tighten and braced himself. There was no

ered body, there could be n

convert unless you're prepared. The risings have been going on for some time. Malok swears it proves we are right. But I've

e corpse. The last thing he wanted to see was its revival, but his

gers and produced a small flame over the heart of the corpse. Into that he began dusting powders, mixing them with something t

denly, with his face frozen. "Who calls?" he asked in an un

. "Tell us what you saw

came up to its eyes, tearing at them. Its mouth worked sou

ac

s, distorted in death

't be revived again. Even the strongest spell ca

g that, you'd still fight

"Do you still want to join us? No, I thought not. Well, then, let's go back.

nfigurations of the planets as his spell refused to work. Then suddenly the scraps became a mass of sour-smelling stuff. Bork made

and. The next time he got a limp fish that had been dead far too long. But the third try worked better. This time, a whole bunch of bananas appeared.

ed. "New magic!" he said. "Maybe that's the secr

s confirmation of his earlier discovery. It was unpredictable magic, b

re nobody will look for you or listen to you. You'll be nothing but another among millions, and that's probably the best hiding place for you.

think you liked me," D

siest place to hide you I can think of. It will be hell, but an

salamander. There, that's better. Now wrap the cloth around your waist and let it hang down in front. It'll be easier on you if you don't attra

is time, but there was a puff

stones. Over their backs fell the cutting lashes of a whip. Far ahead was a