The Second Ardath Mayhar MEGAPACK®: 27 Science Fiction & Fantasy Tales by Ardath Mayhar

Author:Ardath Mayhar [Mayhar, Ardath]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Tags: fantasy, cats, short stories, sf, science fiction
ISBN: 9781479426348
Publisher: Wildside Press LLC
Published: 2017-04-18T16:00:00+00:00

She felt useless and sick, thrown away into this chrome-plated junk heap. Christmas Eve had always been a magical time for her, a time of giving. She had reached out and affected those who were not of her own world. She slid out of the present into that warmly remembered past...

Holding a sheaf of roses almost as long as her body, young Natasha made a deep reverence, right, left, center, to her partner, who raised her gallantly and kissed her hand. She smiled up at Boris—the great Boris—through a mist of excitement. His eyes twinkled at her, amused and pleased. The applause wearied at last, they made their last bows, and floated into the wings.

The prima ballerina had been watching, still in her costume and makeup. Taking Boris’s hand she smiled at the young dancer. “You danced verry well,” she said in her kindest tone. “Will you drrive with us to the rreception?”

Natasha blushed, knowing they would prefer to be alone. “No, I thank you. But I have...plans...for the evening.” She hurried up the break-neck iron stair to the dressing room shared with three other principal dancers, hoping they would be almost ready to leave. “I want to dance,” she whispered to herself. “I must give something to someone tonight—some of the magic to someone who has none. It is, after all, Christmas Eve.”

Natasha paused at the thought, while her two companions passed her with smiles and went giggling down the stair. She smiled as she removed costume and makeup, packed toe-shoes and tutu into a case, and locked the door behind her. She laughed all the way to the stage door.

Late hangers-on surrounded the doorway, hoping to meet some of the dancers, but she knew that to them she seemed a child—perhaps a maid—on her way home. There was no trace left of the fairy-like being who had brought them to their feet so short a time ago. Grinning into the wide collar of her gray coat, she passed them without being noticed.

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