THE MAGIC LABYRINTH

Now Goring realized another reason why Burton might have kept silent about his identity. If John recognized Goring, he'd know that Goring would know that he was lying. And he just might cause an "accident" to Goring before the boat got to Aglejo. Thus, no bad report about John would get to La Viro. Perhaps, Goring thought, he was being too suspicious. He didn't really think so.

24

THEY HAD LEFT THE GRAND SALON AND GONE TO THE ROOM AT the bow end of the texas. This was semicircular and walled with shatterproof glass. The elevator shaft that went through the room above and to the pilothouse formed part of the rear wall. Here there were chairs and tables, several sofas, and a small bar. As in most places on the boat, music was piped in from a central station. But it could be turned off. After some conversation about the rewinding, which would take two months at least, Goring steered the talk toward the forthcoming battle. He wanted to say, "What good will it do to fight? What purpose could it serve? Why must all these people on your boat and Clemens' risk death and mutilation and terrible pain just because of something that happened many decades ago?

"I think that you and Clemens are both mad. Why don't you two call this off? After all, Clemens has his own boat now. What could he do with two boats? Which he isn't going to have, anyway, because one boat is going to be destroyed, and I suspect it'll be yours, Your Majesty. Knowing the size and potentiality of Clemens' boat, there's little doubt."

What he said was, "Perhaps it won't be necessary to fight Clemens. After all these years, could he still thirst for revenge? Do you want vengeance because he tried to kill you? Can't you forgive him? The passage of time often cools hot passions and allows cool reason to reign. Perhaps..."

John shrugged broad heavy shoulders and raised his hands, palms upward.

"Believe me, Brother Fenikso, I would thank God if Clemens had regained his mind and become a man of peace. I am not warlike. All I want is fellowship for everyone. I would lift my hand against none if none would lift their hand against me."

"I am indeed happy to hear that," Goring said. "And I know that La Viro will be very happy to act as intermediary so that any disputes between you two may be settled amicably. La Viro, all of us here, are eager to avoid bloodshed and to establish good will, love, if possible, between you and Clemens."

John frowned.

"I doubt that that demon-possessed bloody-minded creature will agree even to a meeting... unless it is to kill me."

"We can only do our best to arrange a meeting."

"What troubles me, what makes me think that Clemens will always hate me, is that his wife, his ex-wife rather, was accidentally killed during the battle for the boat. Though they'd parted, he still loved her. And he will hold me responsible for her death."

"But this happened before the resurrections stopped," Goring said. "She would have been translated elsewhere."

"That doesn't matter. He'll probably never see her again, so she is as good as dead to him. Anyway, she was dead to him before she died. As you may know, she was in love with that big-nosed Frenchman, de Bergerac."

John laughed loudly.

"The Frenchman was one of the raiders. I kicked him in the back of the head when I escaped from the chopper. It was also de Bergerac who ran his epee through the thigh of Captain Gwalchgwy

Herma

At that moment, two crewmen entered carrying small kegs of watered alcohol. Goring recognized one of the men. Was this boat loaded with old acquaintances?

He was good-looking, of medium height, and with a slim but wiry physique. His short hair was almost sandy, and his eyes were hazel. His name was James McParlan, and he'd * entered Parolando the day after Herma

What strengthened Herma

In October 1873 McParlan, under the name of James McKe

McParlan, going by Herma

Was it the discipline of a marine on duty which had prevented McParlan from reintroducing himself? Or was it for another reason?

Burton entered and joined the party. After a few minutes he went into the toilet by the elevator. Herma

"Thanks for not telling your commander my natal name."

"I didn't do it for love of you," Burton said. Burton dropped his kilt, turned, and went to a washbasin. Herma

"P'raps not. I fancy I don't like either of you." Herma

John was waiting to tell him the party was going to step out onto the deck. They would have a more open view of the lake, which the boat was just entering.

Ahead, for as far as they could see, rock spires of various heights and many shapes rose from the surface of the water. These were mostly rosecolored, but there were also black, brown, purple, green, scarlet, orange, and blue rocks. About one in twenty was striped horizontally in red, green, white, and blue, the stripes being of different widths.

Herma

However, some travelers had long ago cut out a narrow path on the southern cliff. This was about five hundred feet above the strait and went a mile and a half to the end of the strait. So there was some foot traffic.