Lord of Light

In the rearmost rank, the Lady Ratri stood up in the stirrups of her mount, the black mare. She raised the black veil that she wore over her armor.

There were screams from both sides as the sun covered its face and darkness descended upon the field. The stalk of light vanished from beneath the thunder chariot and the burning ceased.

Only a faint phosphorescence, with no apparent source, occurred about them. This happened as the Lord Mara swept onto the field in his cloudy chariot of colors, drawn by the horses who vomited rivers of smoking blood.

Sam headed toward him, but a great body of warriors interposed themselves; and before they won through, Mara had driven across the field, slaying everyone in his path.

Sam raise his lance and scowled, but his target blurred and shifted; and the lightnings always fell behind or to the side.

Then, in the distance, within the river, a soft light began. It pulsed warmly, and something like a tentacle seemed to wave for a moment above the surface of the waters.

Sounds of fighting came from the city. The air was full of demons. The ground seemed to move beneath the feet of the armies.

Sam raised his lance and a jagged line of light ran up into the heavens, provoking a dozen more to descend upon the field.

More beasts growled, coughed and wailed, racing through both ranks, killing as they passed those of both sides.

The zombies continued to slay, beneath the prodding of the dark sergeants, to the steady beating of the drums; and fire elementals clung to the breasts of the corpses, as though feeding.

"We have broken the demigods," said Sam. "Let us try Lord Mara next."

They sought him across the field, amidst screams and wails, crossing over those who were soon to become corpses and those who already were.

When they saw the colors of his chariot, they gave chase.

He turned and faced them finally, in a corridor of darkness, the sounds of the battle dim and distant. Death drew rein also, and they stared across the night into each other's glowing eyes.

"Will you stand to battle, Mara?" cried Sam. "Or must we run you down like a dog?"

"Speak not to me of your kin, the hound and the bitch, oh Binder!" he answered. "It is you, isn't it, Kalkin? That's your belt. This is your sort of war. Those were your lightnings striking friend and foe alike. You did live, somehow, eh?"

"It is I," said Sam, leveling his lance.

"And the carrion god to drive your wagon!"

Death raised his left hand, palm forward.

"I promise you death, Mara," he said. "If not by the hand of Kalkin, then by my own. If not today, then another day. But it is between us also, now."

To the left, the pulsing in the river became more and more frequent.

Death leaned forward and the chariot sped toward Mara.

The horses of the Dreamer reared and blew fire from their nostrils. They leapt ahead.

The arrows of Rudra sought them in the dark, but these were also turned aside as they blazed toward Death and his chariot. They exploded upon either side, adding for a moment to the faint illumination.

In the distance, elephants lumbered, raced and squealed, pursued by the Rakasha across the plains.

There came a mighty roaring sound.

Mara grew into a giant, and his chariot was a mountain. His horses spa

At the last possible instant, Mara swerved his chariot and leapt down from it.

They struck it broadside and there came a grinding sound from beneath them as they settled slowly to the ground.

By then the roaring was deafening and the pulses of light from the river had grown into a steady glow. A wave of steaming water swept across the field as the Vedra overflowed its banks.

There were more screams, and the clash of arms continued. Faintly, the drums of Nirriti still beat within the darkness, and there came a strange sound from overhead as the thunder chariot sped toward the ground.

"Where'd he go?" cried Sam.

"To hide," said Death. "But he ca

"Damn it! Are we wi

"That's a good question. I don't know the answer, though."

The waters foamed about the grounded chariot.

"Can you get us moving again?"

"Not in this darkness, with the water all around us."

"Then what do we do now?"

"Cultivate patience and smoke cigarettes." He leaned back and struck a light.

After a time, one of the Rakasha came and hovered in the air above them.

"Binder!" reported the demon. "The new attackers of the city wear upon them that-which-repels!"

Sam raised his lance and a line of lightning fled from its point.

For one photoflash of an instant, the field was illuminated.

The dead lay everywhere. Small groups of men huddled together. Some lay twisting in combat upon the ground. The bodies of animals were strewn among them. A few large cats still wandered, feeding. The fire elementals had fled from the water, which had coated the fallen with mud and soaked those who still could stand. Broken chariots and dead slizzards and horses made mounds upon the field. Across the scene, empty-eyed and continuing to follow orders, the zombies wandered, slaying anything living that moved before them. In the distance, one drum still beat, with an occasional falter. From the city there came the sounds of continued battle.

"Find the lady in black," said Sam to the Rakasha, "and tell her to break the darkness."

"Yes," said the demon, and fled back toward the city.

The sun shone again and Sam shielded his eyes against it.

The carnage was even worse under the blue sky and the golden bridge.

Across the field, the thunder chariot rested upon high ground.

The zombies slew the last of the men in sight. Then, as they turned to seek more life, the drumming ceased and they fell to the ground themselves.

Sam stood with Death within the chariot. They looked about them for signs of life.

"Nothing moves," said Sam. "Where are the gods?"

"Perhaps in the thunder chariot."

The Rakasha came to them once more.

"The defenders ca

"Have the gods joined in that assault?"

"Rudra is there, and his arrows work much havoc."

"The Lord Mara. Brahma, too, I think—and there are many others. There is much confusion. I hurried."

"Where is the Lady Ratri?"

"She entered into Keenset and abides there in her Temple."

"Where are the rest of the gods?"

"I do not know."

"I will go on to the city," said Sam, "and aid in its defense."

"And I to the thunder chariot," said Death, "to take it and use it against the enemy—if it can still be used. If not, there is still Garuda."

"Yes," said Sam, and levitated.

Death sprang down from the chariot. "Fare thee well."

"Thou also."

They crossed the place of carnage, each in his own fashion.

He climbed the small rise, his red leather boots soundless on the turf.

He swept his scarlet cloak back over his right shoulder and surveyed the thunder chariot.

"It was damaged by the lightnings."

"Yes," he agreed.

He looked back toward the tail assembly, at the one who had spoken.

His armor shone like bronze, but it was not bronze.

It was worked about with the forms of many serpents.

He wore the horns of a bull upon his burnished helm, and in his left hand he held a gleaming trident.

"Brother Agni, you have come up in the world."

"I am no longer Agni, but Shiva, Lord of Destruction."

"You wear his armor upon a new body and you carry his trident. But none could master the trident of Shiva so quickly. This is why you wear the white gauntlet on your right hand, and the goggles upon your brow."