Titans of Chaos

I looked closer, trying to see the internal nature of what was happening. Something in thecomposition of the earth and air reminded me, strangely, of that primitive version of Abertwyitown I had stumbled across when I was lost in the snow, back during our second escape attempt.

With more senses to analyze it, I could see what it was: a version of man's world occupied not bymen. Its mountains and trees and towns were in the analogous locations to their sister spots onEarth, and this made a Phaeacian space-lapse easy to perform between them. I had not known itat the time, but that fishing village I had so briefly seen had been a by-product of Phaeacianmagic attempting to close time and space around us as we fled, back then. Now I could see whatit was: Our enemies had the power to bend the fabric of the universe to trap us.

The clouds parted like a door opening. I saw the lower slopes of the mountain forested with rankupon rank of black-clad warrior-women on horseback, rifles ready. Field pieces on gun-carriageswere placed here and there among the cavalry squadrons, two-inch and four-inch guns of bluemetal, with caissons standing by. The beautiful armor-clad women sat ahorse, without motion,without noise, awaiting orders.

To either side of the well-ordered squares of Amazonian soldiers were two loud and ragged mobsof maenads. The vine-clad girls were rollicking and cavorting on the grass, some wrestling, somethrowing the discus, many dancing to pounding drums, and bathing in wine, which they drew outof solid rock with their fingernails.

The mist parted further, drawing up the slope, revealing more mountainside. On the upper slopeswere broad designs of chalk cut into the green turf, eerie stick-figure drawings: a man; anelongated bull, crook-legged with crescent horns; a spread-eagle design; a set of curvesrepresenting a snake. In the center of each wide chalk drawing, a coven of nymphs stood in acircle, gathered around altar-stones placed here and there across the slope. Some held silverknives or sickles; others held torches. Burned offerings of sheep and cattle lay on the bloodstainedaltars, and trains of smoke trailed up from them.

On the high slopes, among stands and shards of rock, stood choirs of sirens in austere pale robesof Greek cut, armed with fiddles, recorders, and tambourines. A choir-mistress with a wand stoodbefore them, and the sirens were arranged in a semicircle, three ranks deep around her.