Dancers at the End of Time (79 page)
Read Dancers at the End of Time Online
Authors: Michael Moorcock
Tags: #General, #Fiction, #Science Fiction; English, #SciFi-Masterwork
The sun was starting to sink as Amelia stopped, dropped Jherek's arm and began to turn one of her power-rings, "I could not resist a last indulgence," she apologized.
The yellow beach became a white promenade, with green wrought-iron railings, stretching, it seemed, to infinity. The rocky interior became rolling green hills, a little golf-course. She created a red and white-striped bandstand, in which a small German band, not dissimilar to the larger one made by the Duke of Queens, began to play Strauss. She paused, then turned another ring, and there was a white and green rococo pier, with flags and bunting and variously coloured lamps decorating its iron-work, stretching out to sea. She made four deck-chairs, brilliantly striped, appear on the beach below the promenade. She created four large ice-cream cornets so that they had one each.
It was almost twilight now, as they continued to stroll, admiring the twinkling lights of the pier which were reflected in the calm, dark blue sea.
"It is beautiful," said the Iron Orchid. "May I keep it, when you have gone?"
"Let it be my monument," she said.
They all began to hum the tune of the waltz; Lord Jagged even danced a few jaunty steps as he finished his ice-cream, tilting his topper over one eye, and everyone laughed. They stopped when they came close to the pier. They leaned on the railings, staring out across the glistening water. Jherek put his arm about her shoulders; Lord Jagged embraced his own wife, and the distant band played on.
"Perhaps," said Jherek romantically, "we shall be able to make something like this in the Palaeozoic — not immediately of course, but when we have a larger family to build it."
She smiled. "It would be pleasant to dream about, at least."
The Iron Orchid sighed. "Your imagination will be a great loss to us at the End of Time, Amelia. But your inspiration will remain with us, at least."
"You flatter me too much."
"I think she is right," said Lord Jagged of Canaria, producing a pale yellow cigarette. "Would you mind, Amelia?"
"Of course not."
Lord Jagged began to smoke, looking upward at the infinite blackness of the sky, his features once again controlled and expressionless, the tip of his cigarette a tiny glowing ember in the gathering twilight.
The sun, which he and the cities had created, burned deepest crimson on the horizon and then was gone, leaving only a smear of dusky orange behind it; then that, too, faded.
"So you'll leave tomorrow," said Jagged.
"If it is possible."
"Certainly. And you have no fears? You are content with your decision?"
"We are content." Jherek spoke for them both, to reassure her.
"I was truly divorced from Harold," she said, "when he refused to let me return with him. And, after you have married us, Lord Jagged, I do not think I shall feel even a hint of guilt about any of my decisions."
"Good. And now…" Lord Jagged drew his wife from the rail, escorting her along the promenade, leaving the lovers alone.
"It is growing a little chilly," she said.
Jherek produced a cloak for her, of gold-trimmed ermine, and placed it around her shoulders. "Will this do?"
"It is a trifle ostentatious." She stroked the fur. "But since this is our last night at the End of Time, I think I can allow myself the luxury."
He bent to kiss her. Gently, she took his face in her hands. "There will he so much, Jherek, that we shall have to learn together. Much that I will have to teach you. But do not ever, my dear, lose that joyous spirit. It will be a wonderful example to our children, and their children, too."
"Oh, Amelia! How could I lose it, for it is you who make me joyful! And I shall be a perfect pupil.
You must explain it all to me again and I am sure that I shall learn it eventually."
She was puzzled. "What is it I must explain to you, my dear?"
"Guilt," he said.
They kissed.
Michael Moorcock was born in London in 1939, and began editing amateur magazines at the age of eleven, writing, illustrating and printing them under the grandiose imprint of "MJM Publications". At fifteen he sold his first short stories and articles, and at sixteen he became editor of
Tarzan Adventures
, moving on later to edit the
Sexton Blake Library
.
He has earned his living as a writer / editor ever since, with a spell as a blues singer / guitarist in Northern Europe in the early '60s and some travelling in the USA, Scandinavia, Germany, France etc. In 1964 he became editor of
New Worlds
, then a conventional SF magazine, and managed to turn it into a showcase for speculative and experimental fiction, poetry and illustration, leading to awards from both the British SF Association and the Arts Council of Great Britain.
The various anthologies he has edited include
The Best SF Stories from New Worlds
series and
The
Traps of Time
, and he has also published poetry, journalism, criticism and short stories in a variety of magazines and newspapers.
His novels range from fantasy and SF entertainments (the Elric stories,
The
Ice Schooner
,
The Warlord of the Air
, etc.) to serious — though unconventional — fiction
(Breakfast
in the Ruins
, the Jerry Cornelius stories, etc.). Virtually all his fiction is interconnected in some way (through re-appearing characters). Michael Moorcock won the SWFA Nebula Award in 1967 for
Behold the Man
.
He also records his own songs as well as performing with the rock band
Hawkwind
.
Apart from Alfred Austin's, all verses quoted in the text are the work of Ernest Wheldrake. The majority are from
Posthumous Poems
, published in 1881 and never reprinted.
Elric
THE STEALER OF SOULS
STORMBRINGER
THE SINGING CITADEL
ELRIC OF MELNIBONÉ
THE SAILOR ON THE SEAS OF FATE
THE WEIRD OF THE WHITE WOLF
THE VANISHING TOWER
THE BANE OF THE BLACK SWORD
Corum
THE KNIGHT OF THE SWORDS
THE QUEEN OF THE SWORDS
THE KING OF THE SWORDS
THE OAK AND THE RAM
THE SWORD AND THE STALLION
Erekosë
THE ETERNAL CHAMPION
PHOENIX IN OBSIDIAN
THE CHAMPION OF GARATHORM
THE QUEST FOR TANELORN
Hawkmoon The History of the Runestaff
THE JEWEL IN THE SKULL
THE MAD GOD'S AMULET
THE SWORD OF THE DAWN
THE RUNESTAFF
The Chronicles of Castle Brass
COUNT BRASS
THE CHAMPION OF GARATHORM
THE QUEST FOR TANELORN
The Dancers at the End of Time
AN ALIEN HEAT
THE HOLLOW LANDS
THE END OF ALL SONGS
LEGENDS FROM THE END OF TIME
A MESSIAH AT THE END OF TIME
Other titles
THE TIME DWELLER
THE WINDS OF LIMBO
THE SHORES OF DEATH
THE BLOOD-RED GAME
THE FINAL PROGRAMME
BEHOLD THE MAN
THE BLACK CORRIDOR
THE CITY IN THE AUTUMN STARS
THE DRAGON IN THE SWORD
THE ETERNAL CHAMPION
THE SILVER WARRIORS
