April 1997
Prologue: The Making of Puppa and FawnIt is known that Puppa was made daughter of the Gods of Light, to be beautiful and good and with gifts of magic and healing; and that Fawn was made son of the Gods of Night, to be beautiful and evil and with gifts of cruelty and killing. And for a bet the Gods sent Puppa and Fawn to war and to slavery, to see who would be constant. And they wagered their children on the bet.
But neither Puppa nor Fawn was constant: for Puppa is no longer wholly good, and Fawn is not entirely evil. And so the bet was neither won nor lost; and while the Gods were arguing over them, they fell in love. And then the pair stood before the Gods and would not be parted; and that was a lesson for the Gods, and they were shamed of themselves. And so Puppa and Fawn were allowed to spend some time in the world until mortal Fawn must die; and this is one of their adventures. Now read on
Now one of the Choosers of the Dead is the Grey Man; and he was angry with Puppa and with Fawn because they had saved people he had chosen to die and had slain others instead; and he was jealous of their power and he wanted to destroy them. But he was afraid of them also, for there is no magic in the Grey Man.
And the Grey Man went begging to the Gods of Night; but they would not help him because Puppa and Fawn were doing good work for them and were sending them many Masters and many other evil people. But one of the Gods of Night came secretly to the Grey Man, and that was the Lord Koma. And the Lord Koma was an enemy of Fawn, who in the Forest War had never slept. And he betrayed to the Grey Man the secret word of power that will kill Fawn wherever it is said twice together. And the price of his help was that the Grey Man had to promise himself to the Lord Koma, to be his thrall.
And the Lord Koma forced a sleep on Fawn, and he slept in a field and could not waken; and the Grey Man covered his eyes and bound his hands and his feet and cast him into a pit full of rocks, so that all his bones were broken. And the Grey Man summoned all his people, and he set his house with tricks and traps, and he commanded Fawn to call Puppa to him: but he would not. And then the Grey Man threatened Fawn with the word of power, but still he would not call. So then the Grey Man threw a great slab over Fawn and set his people to send a slow stream to run into the pit and fill it, for he was still afraid to go close to Fawn even as he was. And the Grey Man went out himself to look for Puppa and bring her to the traps.
But Puppa had already missed Fawn and was in search of him. And Puppa knows everything that happens above the ground, and Fawn was not there. So then Puppa went alone to the House of the Dead; and the guards at the Gates of Death stood on the path to ban her the way, for Puppa was alive and had no right to enter. But the people of the House of the Dead are all shades, and they can not hurt the living except by fear; and Puppa has no fear of anything, except that Fawn might die.
And one of the guards touched Puppa with a hand: and where the flesh on that hand was withered, it grew again; and where there was no flesh, new flesh grew. And the guard was made whole again and came back to life, and he ran away living to escape the House of the Dead. And then the second guard touched Puppa also, and he too came alive and ran away: and Puppa went in through the Gates of Death.
Now the entrance to the House of the Dead is a long dark tunnel, and it is damp and filthy, and it stinks of all that is foul, and its floor is puddled in bile: and that is the most wholesome part of the House of the Dead. But where Puppa walked there was the scent of Springtime and the light of a silver sun. And many of the shades cowered away from that light and hid themselves; and some of them fled from her beauty, for they knew that they were ugly now; but others went purposely to see Puppa and to touch. And the Lord of Death sent his shadowsoldiers to halt Puppa; but all those who touched her were made alive, and they fled the House of the Dead in fear and in joy.
And then the Lord of Death himself came forward. And of all creatures he is the most hideous, and the sight of him is more than living men can bear. And the Lord of Death commanded Puppa to stop, and he threatened her with terrors. But Puppa laughed at his terrors and gazed at him until he turned aside. And Puppa said:
"You know that if you touch me you will live."
And the Lord of Death measured his power, and then he measured his fear; and it gave him to think. And then he asked: "What do you want?"
And Puppa answered: "I am looking for Fawn, and I know that he is not above the ground, so I am come here."
And the Lord of Death said: "I do not have him yet, but I can tell you where he is. But you must leave my people alone, for they belong to me."
And Puppa answered: "I have sent many more to you before their time than I have taken away yet, and you owe me favour. But I will leave your people alone if you will help me, for there is only one heart I will hold."
And the Lord of Death told Puppa everything, and then he said: "Because my cousin the Lord Koma has helped the Grey Man, so I will help you. But first you must promise that you will never enter my House again, not even for Fawn; for you have no right to pass my Gates unless you yourself are slain and become one of my people."
And he smiled as he said that, for he lusted for Puppa as all men do. And his offer was a deceit, for he knew that Puppa could not lift the slab that lay over Fawn; for her magic is not of that sort.
And Puppa said: "I promise."
But not even the Lord of Death can hold any secret from Puppa. And Puppa said: "Lend me now the dragon-stone."
Now the dragon-stone is one of the treasures of the Lord of Death, and a property of his throne; for it was he who took it out of the world when he first became what he is; and even to lend it is a weakening of his reign. But he was snared by his own word, and thus he placed the stone in a box of glass so that Puppa might not touch it, for then it would lose its power and be no more than a jewel of the night. And he asked for a promise not to touch it, but Puppa only smiled, and took the box of glass and ran from the House of the Dead: and the mercy of darkness returned.
And Puppa dropped the dragon-stone into the water which fed the pit, for not even Puppa could have come to Fawn before he drowned. And the dragon-water entered the pit, and Fawn drank it even as he was drowning, and he became a dragon.
And then Fawn became a dragon and split the slab asunder, and he rose up out of the pit. And the people of the Grey Man heard the noise and they ran to fight with him. And they believed that they could, for they were many and they thought that he was dying.
But Fawn threw lightning from his eyes, and he spat fire from his mouth, and his claws were the blades of night, and his skin was stronger than any weapon could break; and no trap could hold him, nor any trick deceive him. And Fawn ran wild in the House of the Grey Man and he slew all his people, for none could escape his wrath; and he burnt the House of the Grey Man into ashes, and rolled in them.
And Puppa sat in a tree and watched, laughing.
And the Grey Man hastened home only in the time that the dragon rose up out of the ashes and saw him: and the Grey Man knew that it was Fawn and he fled in terror, forgetting the word of power; and he hid himself deep underground so that Puppa might never find him.
And Puppa embraced Fawn and healed him with magic, and they collected the dragon-stone inside the box of glass and sent it back to the Lord of Death, and they went their way singing.
But they both know that one day the Grey Man will remember the secret word. And then he will say it, though it will bring his own death; for he hates both Puppa and Fawn. And on that day Fawn will have to die. And that is why they are so much together: for Puppa is immortal and Fawn is not.
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