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Flood Tide

Page 26

by C. J. Cherryh


  To see her means that the Fever has come; where she walks is where it will strike. Occasionally she can be seen to turn aside and touch someone or something; boat or dwelling. The Fever will strike there, and carry off at least half the inhabitants.

  There is one strange sidelight to M'sera—very occasionally she will be seen to follow young men and women at a discreet distance. When the person in question has parted from companions, she will accost that person—and contrive to touch or kiss him. Such a one is doomed, but strangely doomed. His (or her) candle will burn briefly, but very bright— she (or he) is destined to become a brilliant artist, poet, musician, composer—and die at the height of fame.

  MEROVINGIAN SONGS

  Revenantist Man

  by Anonymous

  (A drinking song)

  He was a Revenantist man, lived a Revenantist life,

  He surely was a Revenantist with a Revenantist wife.

  He had Revenantist karma and it piled up by the day,

  He drowned and came around again, and it was all to pay.

  He was a . . .

  Verses ad infinitum (Adventist; New Worlder; Adventist Revisionist; Sword of Godder; Janist; Sharrist; descending in social acceptability until final verse:

  He was a little bitty worm, he lived a wormy life

  He surely was a bitty worm with a wormy wife,

  He had wormy karma and it piled up by the day,

  He died and came around again and it was all to pay,

  He was a . . .

  [Fill in religions in reverse: at which point begin all over again ad nauseam.]

  Baby, Baby

  by Unknown*

  Baby, baby whoa-oh, baby baby yeah, yeah, oh yeah,

  Come on, baby, whoa-oh, sweetest lovin' you'll ever see.

  Baby, baby whoa-oh, baby baby yeah, yeah, oh yeah,

  Baby, baby whoa-oh, baby baby yeah, yeah, oh yeah,

  Sweet lovin', whoa-oh—

  Baby, baby whoa-oh, baby baby yeah, yeah, oh yeah,

  Baby, baby whoa-oh, baby baby yeah, yeah, oh yeah,

  Yeah, baby, whoa-oh, baby, yeah.

  *Lyrics believed to date from the 20th century.

  Index to City Maps

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  WHERE IN HELL AM I?

  C.J. CHERRYH invites you to enter the world of MEROVINGEN NIGHTS!

  Title

  FLOOD TIDE Copyright © 1990 by C.J. Cherryh

  CONTENTS

  MAPS

  FLOOD TIDE

  THE TESTING

  FLOOD TIDE (REPRISED)

  THE TESTING (REPRISED)

  FLOOD TIDE (REPRISED)

  THE TESTING (REPRISED)

  DONT LOOK BACK

  FLOOD TIDE (REPRISED)

  THE TESTING (REPRISED)

  WALKING ON THE WAVES

  WHERE'S THE FIRE?

  WHEELS WITHIN WHEELS

  MARRIAGE

  WITH FRIENDS LIKE THESE

  FLOOD TIDE REPRISED

  RAPPROCHEMENT

  FLOOD TIDE (REPRISED)

  APPENDIX

  MEROVINGIAN SONGS

  Index to City Maps

 

 

 


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