Sometimes he would listen hard, believing that he heard voices. He would peer over the rail of the craft to see if they came from beneath the ship. He would stare into the sky. "Do you hear them, Rhalina?"
"I hear nothing, Corum."
"I cannot make out the words. Perhaps they are not words."
"Forget them," Jhary said sharply. "Pay no attention to anything of that sort. We are in Chaos lands and our senses will deceive us in every way. Remember that we three are the only realities-and be careful to inspect anything which looks like me or Rhalina very carefully before you trust it."
"You mean demons will try to make me think that they are those I love?"
"That is what they will do, call them what you will."
A huge wave advanced toward them. It took the form of a human hand. It clenched itself into a fist. It threatened to smash the boat. It disappeared. Jhary flew on. He was sweating.
A spring day dawned. They flew over the morning fields as the dew sparkled. Flowers grew in the grass and there were little bright pools of water, tiny rivers. In the shade of oak trees stood horses and cows. A little way ahead was a low, white farmhouse with smoke curling from its chimney. Birds sang. Pigs rooted in the farmyard.
"I cannot believe it is not real," Corum said to Jhary.
"It is real," Jhary told him. "But it is short-lived. Chaos delights in creation but swiftly becomes bored with what it creates for it seeks not order or justice or constancy but sensation, entertainment. Sometimes it suits it to create something which you and I would value or find pleasure in. But it is an accident."
The fields remained. The farmhouse remained. The sense of peace grew.
Jhary frowned. "Perhaps, after all, we have left the Realm of Chaos and…"
The fields gradually began to swirl, like stagnant water stirred by a stick. The farmhouse spread to become scum on top of the water. The flowers were now festering growths on the surface.
"It becomes so easy to believe what one wishes to believe," Jhary said wearily. "So easy."
"We must escape from here," said Corum.
"Escape? I cannot control the sky ship. I have not controlled it since we entered Limbo."
"Then some other force controls us?"
"Aye-but it may not be sentient." Jhary's voice was strained, his face was pale. Even the little cat was nestling hard against his neck as if seeking comfort.
Stretching to every horizon now was seething stuff, grayish-green with what looked like pieces of rotting vegetation floating in it. The vegetation seemed to assume the shapes of crustaceans-crabs and lobsters scuttling across its surface, only slightly different in shade.
"An island," Rhalina said.
Out of all this rose an island of dark blue rock. Upon the rock was a building, a great castle all colored scarlet. And the scarlet rippled as if water had somehow been molded into a permanent shape. A familiar, salty smell came from the scarlet castle. Jhary turned the ship to avoid it, but then the castle was ahead of them again. Again he turned. Again it was ahead of them. For several moments he altered the course of the sky ship and each time the castle reappeared before them.
"It seeks to stop us." Jhary tried again to avoid it.
"What is it?" Rhalina asked.
Jhary shook his head. "I know not, but it is unlike the other things we have seen. We are being drawn toward it now. That stench! It clogs my nostrils!"
Closer came the sky ship, until it hovered directly above the scarlet turrets of the castle. And then it had landed.
Corum peered over the side. The substance of the castle still rippled like liquid. It did not look solid, yet it held the sky ship. He drew his sword and looked toward a black gap in the nearby tower. An entrance. And a figure was emerging from it.
The figure was fat, about twice as broad as an ordinary man. It had a head which was essentially human but from which boarlike tusks sprouted. It moved over the rippling scarlet surface on bowed, thick legs, naked but for a tabard embroidered with a design not immediately recognizable. It was grinning at them. "I have been short of guests," it grunted. "Are you mine?"
Corum said, "Your guests?"
"No, no, no. Did I make you or did you come from elsewhere. Are you inventions of one of my brother dukes?"
"I do not understand-" Corum began.
Jhary interrupted him. "I know you. You are Duke Teer."
"Of course I am Duke Teer. What of it? Why, I do not believe you are inventions at all-not of this realm at all. How satisfying. Welcome, mortals, to my castle. How remarkable! Welcome, welcome, welcome. How exquisite! Welcome!"
"You are Duke Teer of Chaos and your liege lord is Mabelrode the Faceless. I was right, then. This is King Mabelrode's Realm."
"How intelligent! How marvellous!" The boar face split in an ugly grin and rotting teeth were displayed. "Do you bring me some message, perhaps?"
"We, too, serve King Mabelrode," Jhary said swiftly. "We fight in Arkyn's Realm to restore the rule of Chaos there."
"How excellent! But do not say you come for aid, mortals, for all my aid already goes to that other realm where Law attempts to hold sway. Every Duke of Hell sends his resources to the fight. The time might yet arise when we can go personally to do battle with Law, but that is not yet. We lend our powers, our servants, everything but ourselves-for doubtless you have learned what became of Xiombarg when he-or she, I should say, of course-attempted to cross into Arkyn's Realm. How unpleasant!"
"We had hoped for aid," Corum said, falling in with Jhary's attempted deception. "Law has thwarted us too often."
"I, as you know, am only a minor Lord of Chaos. My powers have never been great. Most of my efforts have gone-and peers may laugh-into the creation of my beautiful castle. I love it so much."
"What is it made of?" Rhalina asked him nervously. She plainly did not think they could remain undetected for long.
"You have not heard of Teer's Castle? How strange! Why, my pretty mortal, it is built of blood-it is built all of blood. Many thousands have died to make my castle. I must slay many thousands more before it is properly completed. Blood, my dear-blood and blood and blood! Can you not sniff its delicious tang? What you sniff is blood. What you see-it is all blood. Mortal blood-immortal blood-it all mingles. All blood is equal when it goes to build Teer's Castle, eh? Why, you have blood enough for part of a small wall of a tower. I could make a room from all three of you. You would be astonished to learn how far blood can be made to stretch as a building material. And it is tasty, eh?" He shrugged and waved a thick hand. "Or perhaps not to you. I know mortals and their fads. But for me-ah, it is delightful!"
"It was an honor to see the famous Castle Built of Blood," Jhary said as smoothly as he could, "but now the business of the moment presses and we must go to seek help in our fight against Law. Will you allow us to leave now, Duke Teer?"
"Leave?" The small eyes glinted. A fat, rough tongue licked the coarse lips. Teer fingered one of his tusks.
"We are, after all, upon King Mabelrode's service," said Corum.
"So you are! How superb!"
"It is urgent, our quest."
"It is rare for mortals to come directly to King Mabelrode's Realm," Duke Teer said.
"These are rare times, with two of our realms in the hands of Law," Jhary pointed out.
"How true! What is that running from the lips of the female?"
Rhalina was vomiting. She had done all she could to contain her nausea, but the stink had become too much for her.
Duke Teer's eyes narrowed. "I know mortals. I know them. She is distressed. By what? By what?"
"By the thought of Law's return," said Jhary weakly.
"She is distressed by me, eh? She is not wholly given up to serving Chaos, eh? Not a very good specimen for King Mabelrode to pick to serve him, eh?"