Saberhagen, Fred - Dracula 05 by Dominion

Author:Dominion
Language: eng
Format: epub

Simon's audience would be seeing him backlighted now, but the firelight gave him a good look at their faces, and he noted with professional joy that they were receptive to whatever he was going to do. They watched him happily. They were already a little high on the wine, or whatever had been added to the wine. They were calmly certain that he was going to show them wonders. And indeed he was.

The object that he meant soon to throw secretly into the fire was already concealed in Simon's palm.

Ten seconds, approximately, after he threw it in, the fire would flare up dramatically and in exotic colors.

In that moment when everyone but Simon himself was looking at the fire, Marge would be able to slip through the dark hidden panel in the dim far wall of the great hall, and close the panel after her. She would have appeared in what looked like a doorless and windowless corner, inaccessible except by passing within a very few feet of the dinner table itself. Simon expected that the effect would be tremendous.

But before he threw anything into the fire, he would puzzle the audience first with Margie's voice, seemingly coming out of nowhere.

He made wild passes with hands and arms, he rumbled his made-up words of magic, "Sprite of the woods and waters, princess of the summer night! I summon thee to questioning!"

There was a quavery moan, from… somewhere. Oh, beautiful, Marge. Simon called out peremptorily:

"Are you there? Answer me clearly, please!"

"Simon… I'm here." It was a very eerie voice, from very far away, from everywhere and nowhere. For a moment it even raised the hair on the back of Simon's own neck.

Vivian watched, calm but utterly intent. The rest of the people at the table marveled, more or less quietly.

Simon called softly: "The guest that our hostess is expecting. Can you see him or her from where you are?"

And the disembodied voice: "Yes, Simon. Yes."

"A man or a woman?"

"A man." Margie from her secret observation place had perhaps learned something; otherwise there would have been no need for her to be so positive.

"Is he going to be able to join us here tonight?"

"He will try."

Vivian did not take her eyes from Simon. The rest of the audience looked everywhere, under the table, up among the distant rafters, for the source of the voice. Simon heard someone mutter about ventriloquism.

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"Will he be here soon, do you think?"

"Either he'll be at the castle very soon… I think he will… tonight or tomorrow… or… if not soon, then never…"

"And are you going to join us too?"

"I'll try… Simon." There followed a soft, heartrending cry, from what sounded like an enormous distance. Oh beautiful, Marge! Beautiful!

Simon faced the table. "Our sprite is going to try to join us. It will help if we all concentrate intensely. All of us, even the old gentleman up there on the wall. I've been watching him. Now if I were to tell you

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