The Green Magician - L. Sprague de Camp, ebook, Temp
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{\rtf0\mac\deff1 {\fonttbl{\f0 \fnil Arial;}{\f1 \fnil Times New Roman;}}{\stylesheet{\s1 \sl320 \tx1440 Normal;}}\paperw11900 \paperh16840 \margl1440 \margr1100 \margt1080 \margb1080\deftab1440 \ftnbj\sectd \sbknone \headery0 \footery0\pard \s1 \qj \sl20 \tx1440 \plain \f1 \fs28 \par\qc \fs48 The Green Magician\fs28 \par\parby\par\par\fs48 L. Sprague De Camp\fs28 \par\par\li1440 \fi-1440 \ri1440 (as published in \ldblquote The\~Dragon\rdblquoteVol\~III\~No\~1 June\~1978, and Vol\~III\~No\~2 July\~1978)\par\li0 \fi720 \ri0 \qj \parIn that suspended moment when the gray mists began to whirl aroundthem, Harold Shea realized that, although the pattern was perfectlyclear, the details often didn\rquote t work out right.\parIt was all very well to realize that, as Doc Chalmers once said,\ldblquote The world we live in is composed of impressions receivedthrough the senses, and if the senses can be attuned to receivea different series of impressions, we should infallibly find ourselvesliving in another of the infinite number of possible worlds.\rdblquoteIt was a scientific and personal triumph to have proved that,by the use of the sorites of symbolic logic, the gap to one ofthose possible worlds could be bridged.\parThe trouble was what happened after you got there. It amountedto living by one\rquote s wits; for, once the jump across space-timehad been made, and you were in the new environment, the conditionsof the surroundings had to be accepted completely. It was no goodtrying to fire a revolver or scratch a match or light a flashlightin the world of Norse myth; these things did not form part ofthe surrounding mental pattern, and remained obstinately inertmasses of useless material. On the other hand, magic .\~.\~.\parThe mist thickened and whirled. Shea felt the pull of Belphebe\rquotes hand, clutching his desperately as though something were tryingto pull her in the other direction.\parAnother jerk at Shea\rquote s hand reminded him that they mightnot even wind up in the same place, given that their various mentalbackgrounds would spread the influence of the generalized spellsacross different space-time patterns. \ldblquote Hold on!\rdblquotehe cried, and clutched Belphebe\rquote s hand tighter still.\parShea felt earth under his feet and something hitting him on thehead. He realized that he was standing in pouring rain, comingdown vertically and with such intensity that he could not seemore than a few yards in any direction. His first glance was towardBelphebe; she swung herself into his arms and they kissed damply.\par\ldblquote At least,\rdblquote she said, disengaging herselfa little, \ldblquote you are with me, my most dear lord, and sothere\rquote s nought to fear.\rdblquote \parThey looked around, water running off their noses and chins. Shea\rquotes heavy woolen shirt was already so soaked that it stuck to hisskin, and Belphebe\rquote s neat hair was taking on a drowned-ratappearance.\parShe pointed and cried, \ldblquote There\rquote s one!\rdblquote\parShea peered toward a lumpish dark mass that had a shape vaguelyresembling Pete Brodsky.\par\ldblquote Shea?\rdblquote came a call, and without waiting fora reply the lump started toward them. As it did so, the downpourlessened and the light brightened.\par\ldblquote Curse it, Shea!\rdblquote said Brodsky, as he approached.\ldblquote What kind of a box is this? If I couldn't work my ownracket better, I\rquote d turn myself in for mopery. Where thehell are we?\rdblquote \par\ldblquote Ohio, I hope,\rdblquote said Shea. \ldblquote Andlook, shamus, we\rquote re better off than we were, ain\rquotet we? I\rquote m sorry about this rain, but I didn\rquote t orderit.\rdblquote \par\ldblquote All I got to say is you better be right,\rdblquotesaid Brodsky gloomily. \ldblquote You can get it all for puttingthe snatch on an officer, and I ain\rquote t sure I can squarethe rap even now. Where\rquote s the other guy?\rdblquote \parShea looked around. \ldblquote Walter may be here, but it looksas though he didn\rquote t come through to the same place. Andif you ask me, the question is not where we are but when we are.It wouldn\rquote t do us much good to be back in Ohio in 700 A.D.,which is about the time we left. If this rain would only let up.\~.\~.\rdblquote \parWith surprising abruptness the rain did, walking away in a wallof small but intense downpours. Spots and bars of sky appearedamong the clouds wafted along by a brisk steady current of airthat penetrated Shea\rquote s wet shirt chillingly, and the sunshot an occasional beam through the clouds to touch up the landscape.\parIt was a good landscape. Shea and his companions were standingin deep grass, on one of the higher spots of an extent of rollingground. This stretch in turn appeared to be the top of a plateau,falling away to the right. Mossy boulders shouldered up throughthe grass, which here and there gave way to patches of purple-floweredheather, while daisies nodded in the steady breeze. Here and therewas a single tree, but down in the valley beyond their plateauthe low land was covered with what appeared at this distance tobe birch and oak. In the distance, as they turned to contemplatethe scene, rose the heads of far blue mountains.\parThe cloud-cover thinned rapidly and broke some more. The air hadcleared enough so they could now see two other little storms sweepingacross the middle distance, trailing their veils of rain. As thepatches of sunlight whisked past, the landscape blazed with asingularly vivid green, quite unlike that of Ohio.\parBrodsky was the first to speak. \ldblquote If this is Ohio, I\rquotem a peterman,\rdblquote he said. \ldblquote Listen, Shea, doI got to tell you again you ain\rquote t got much time? If thoseyaps from the D.A.'s office get started on this, you might justas well hit yourself on the head and save them the trouble. He\rquotes coming up for election this fall and needs a nice fat case.And there\rquote s the F.B.I. Rover boys \emdash they just lovesnatch cases, and you can\rquote t put no fix in with them thatwill stick. So you better get me back before people start askingquestions.\rdblquote \parShea said, rather desperately, \ldblquote Pete, I\rquote m doingall I can. Honest. I haven\rquote t the least idea where we are,or in what period. Until I do, I don\rquote t dare try sendingus anywhere else. We\rquote ve already picked up a rather highcharge of magical static coming here, and any spell I used withoutknowing what kind of magic they use around here is apt to makeus simply disappear or end up in Hell \emdash you know, realred hell with flames all around, like in a fundamentalist church.\rdblquote\par\ldblquote Okay,\rdblquote said Brodsky. \ldblquote You got theoffice. Me, I don\rquote t think you got more than a week to getus back at the outside.\rdblquote \parBelphebe pointed, \ldblquote Marry, are those not sheep?\rdblquote\parShea shaded his eyes. \ldblquote Right you are, darling,\rdblquotehe said. The objects looked like a collection of lice on a pieceof green baize, but he trusted his wife\rquote s phenomenal eyesight.\par\ldblquote Sheep,\rdblquote said Brodsky. One could almost hearthe gears grind in his brain as he looked around. \ldblquote Sheep.\rdblquoteA beatific expression spread over his face. \ldblquote Shea,you must of done it! Three, two, and out we\rquote re in Ireland\emdash and if it is, you can hit me on the head if I ever wantto go back.\rdblquote \parShea followed his eyes. \ldblquote It does rather look like it,\rdblquotehe said. \ldblquote But when .\~.\~.\rdblquote \parSomething went past with a rush of displaced air. It struck anearby boulder with a terrific crash and burst into fragmentsthat whizzed about like pieces of an artillery shall.\par\ldblquote Duck!\rdblquote shouted Shea, throwing himself flatand dragging Belphebe down with him.\parBrodsky went into a crouch, lips drawn tight over his teeth, lookingaround with quick, jerky motions for the source of the missile.Nothing more happened. After a minute, Shea and Belphebe got upand went over to examine a twenty-pound hunk of sandy conglomerate.\parShea said, \ldblquote Somebody is chucking hundred pound bouldersaround. This may be Ireland, but I hope it isn\rquote t the timeof Finn McCool or Strongbow.\rdblquote \par\ldblquote Cripes,\rdblquote said Brodsky, \ldblquote and mewithout my heater. And you a shiv man with no shiv.\rdblquote\parIt occurred to Shea that at whatever period they had hit thisplace, he was in a singularly weaponless state. He climbed onthe boulder against which the missile had destroyed itself andlooked in all directions. There was no sign of life except thedistant, tiny sheep \emdash not even a shepherd or a sheep-dog.\parHe slid down and sat on a ledge of the boulder and considered,the stone feeling hard against his wet back. \ldblquote Sweetheart,\rdblquotehe said, addressing Belphebe, \ldblquote it seems to me thatwhenever we are, the first thing we have to do is find peopleand get oriented. You\rquote re the guide. Which direction\rquotes the most likely?\rdblquote \parThe girl shrugged. \ldblquote My woodcraft is nought without trees,\rdblquoteshe said, \ldblquote but if you put it so, I\rquote d seek avalley, for people ever live by watercourses.\rdblquote \par\ldblquote Good idea,\rdblquote said Shea. \ldblquote Let\rquotes .\~.\~.\rdblquote \parWhizz!\parAnother boulder flew through the air, but not in their direction.It struck the turf a hu...
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