Titans of Chaos

The five nymphs pointed their wands at Colin, who stood in his torn tuxedo, hands casually in hispockets. They called out secret names and words of power. Whatever the nymphs had beenexpecting to happen, did not happen. Colin did not even bother to smile.

At this same time, a hole opened in the ground directly below me. I did not fall into it, onlybecause my weight was no longer distributed into Earth's time-space.

Far below, I saw a buried river, some huge sewer main with concrete banks. In the middle of theriver, directly below me, was the Argent Nautilus,

Vanity rose up into view. She was wrapped in a chain-mail jerkin. Her expression was thoughtful.

She levitated into a position above and somewhat behind Colin.

With a shrill noise of hate, the white-faced bacchants darted their spears at the hovering girl, orthrew their metal truncheons. The metal objects slowed, and came to rest hanging in a circle inthe air near her.

She made a gesture: And the spears and truncheons tilted left and right, points outward, formingthe pattern of a pentagram in the air, with herself in the midmost A final spear she took in hand,one that had pierced Colin's torn face. Vanity laid the spearshaft across her knee and strained.

The wood snapped in two.

Vanity spoke, and a voice that was not hers came from her mouth: "The power of the bacchantsbreaks. This demonstration involves the moral principle of balance, or quid pro quo. The essentialnature of the wounds just now inflicted, I admix to the humors released into the air by the bloodthus spilled. A sympathetic and contagious connection is formed to those who made the wounds.

Clearly this assault has dissolved the wards that might otherwise deflect the returning, orresponsive counterinfluence. Any questions... ?"

Utter silence had fallen across the maenads.

The nymphs raised their willow wands. Oenone said, 'This is a sorceress! Sisters! Chant thecounterspell, and infuse the furious spirits once again into the maenads!"