Descending Road - THEY STOOD IN THE INWARD GARDEN by Dana W. Paxson

THEY STOOD IN THE INWARD GARDEN

1563 4D

They reached the streets a few minutes later, opening another door into an undulating throng carrying chemtorches, bells, tympans, horns, syntrells, anything to make rhythmic notes, all singing harmonies and swaying hips and bodies in lateral waves, in lines up and own the street. The torches gave the only light; the air reeked with heat and sweat and smoke and flowers. Jeddin found himself swept into line with Deen and Marra.

“Hey-yo, reps, sing with us! Move the bodies!”

“White ladies, good luck to us!” Arms and hands reached out to them all, offering food, drums, drink; Deen and Marra took the nourishment and passed the drums to Jeddin.

“Your job!” Deen yelled above the banging. “Keep with the others and make us move.” He looked down at their happily-shuffling and miraculously-healed feet. “And help us find the stores.” As she finished saying the words, a pair of women near her and Marra slipped long baggy dresses over their heads. As Marra and Deen wriggled their arms into the short sleeve openings, all the women threw back their heads and laughed.

For a second, Jeddin closed his eyes to look within, and the flaming figures of Aoriver and Oortonel stood near him and looked intently at him, their eyes unbearable. Hundreds of recumbent human forms lay around them as they stood in the inward garden. Feeling weak, Jeddin forced himself outward again to the crowded understreet. Had the aliens changed their minds about him? Were they going to hunt him and try to take him?

He remembered the code implant he carried. Time to leave. He reached over to Marra with two hundred-pieces and seven ten-pieces. “Here. You’re doing fine now. I have to go.” And he slipped away from the two surprised and disappointed women, into a stairwell, feeling the music fade behind him as he climbed quickly toward Naga Zone’s level. Peering briefly within once more, he could not see Aoriver or Oortonel. Good. Let them try to find him now, any of them. He set his jaw and doubled his sore-ankled pace up the twisting steps.

Story List	SURPRISE ME	Author Page
USER SURVEY	PUZZLE ME	MAKE ELM MARK

HOVER Lucida Bright BARE	HOVER Lucida Bright FULL	HOVER Palatino Linotype BARE
HOVER Palatino Linotype FULL	HOVER Times New Roman BARE	HOVER Times New Roman FULL
PAD Arial BARE	PAD Arial FULL	PAD Lucida Bright BARE
PAD Lucida Bright FULL	PAD Times New Roman BARE	PAD Times New Roman FULL


	THEY STOOD IN THE INWARD GARDEN 1563 4D They reached the streets a few minutes later, opening another door into an undulating throng carrying chemtorches, bells, tympans, horns, syntrells, anything to make rhythmic notes, all singing harmonies and swaying hips and bodies in lateral waves, in lines up and own the street. The torches gave the only light; the air reeked with heat and sweat and smoke and flowers. Jeddin found himself swept into line with Deen and Marra. “Hey-yo, reps, sing with us! Move the bodies!” “White ladies, good luck to us!” Arms and hands reached out to them all, offering food, drums, drink; Deen and Marra took the nourishment and passed the drums to Jeddin. “Your job!” Deen yelled above the banging. “Keep with the others and make us move.” He looked down at their happily-shuffling and miraculously-healed feet. “And help us find the stores.” As she finished saying the words, a pair of women near her and Marra slipped long baggy dresses over their heads. As Marra and Deen wriggled their arms into the short sleeve openings, all the women threw back their heads and laughed. For a second, Jeddin closed his eyes to look within, and the flaming figures of Aoriver and Oortonel stood near him and looked intently at him, their eyes unbearable. Hundreds of recumbent human forms lay around them as they stood in the inward garden. Feeling weak, Jeddin forced himself outward again to the crowded understreet. Had the aliens changed their minds about him? Were they going to hunt him and try to take him? He remembered the code implant he carried. Time to leave. He reached over to Marra with two hundred-pieces and seven ten-pieces. “Here. You’re doing fine now. I have to go.” And he slipped away from the two surprised and disappointed women, into a stairwell, feeling the music fade behind him as he climbed quickly toward Naga Zone’s level. Peering briefly within once more, he could not see Aoriver or Oortonel. Good. Let them try to find him now, any of them. He set his jaw and doubled his sore-ankled pace up the twisting steps.