“Why can’t you just reinvent the dance?” asked Mouche.
“First dance, perhaps, for it was simple and Quaggima was small. Even second, or third. But this is many times one hundred dance, more complicated than you can imagine, and with something … essential (is that word?) about it we cannot remember!” He sighed. “We will talk to Bofusdiaga. Bofusdiaga will consult Kaorugi … “
“When we have completed the voyage,” said Questioner quietly.
“Yes. When we have completed voyage.”
50—The Abduction of Dancers
Ellin and Bao had arrived in the small salon just in time to see the protocol officer’s blue legs being dragged away through an opening in the wall. Without thinking, Bao had thrown himself forward, trying to catch hold of the abductee, but before Bao could get near, he himself was grabbed by a dozen hands, lowered not ungently to the floor, and there tied and gagged. The last sight Bao had of Ellin was of her being similarly treated. The creatures committing the abduction were sylphlike, mankindlike in form, small but energetic, strong, and very set on doing what they were doing as expeditiously as possible.
Thereafter a transportation occurred through such complete darkness and in such complete silence that very little of it was perceptible to either Bao or Ellin. After a time, still in darkness, they were assured in whispers that no one was going to injure them in the slightest, their gags were removed, their arms were untied (though their legs were kept secured) and they were allowed to sit side by side, more or less comfortably, in a conveyance, type indeterminate, that was jerkily and noisily taking them somewhere, presumably away from Mantelby’s.
The moment Bao’s arms were freed he reached out to Ellin, who clung to him, partly in terror and partly in feverish excitement. “Where are we going?” she cried, almost hysterically, with a laugh on top of a sob. “Bao? That is you, isn’t it?”
“Me, yes,” he said, then called into the darkness, “Who’s here?”
“Tim-tim are here,” said someone in the dark. “You people say Timmys.”
Ellin and Bao peered in the direction of the voice, making out a pale shadow against the black. The longer they looked, the brighter it became, an effulgence, an aura of light.
The voice spoke again from the darkness. “Bofusdiaga has sent a legger for you. We are taking you quick as may be to the sea, where is a swimmer waiting, then into a tunneler who will take you down to the Fauxi-dizalonz where you may help us recover the dance.”
This brought so many questions to Ellin’s mind that she couldn’t settle on which to ask first. Bao saved her the trouble.
“What dance?” he asked.
“If we knew what dance, we would not need to recover it,” the voice replied with some asperity. “This is not the time to ask questions about the dance. When we arrive, you may ask all the questions you need. Now is time to ascertain whether you are comfortable. Are you in need of food or drink or excretory privacy?”
The almost hysterical laughter bubbled in Ellin’s throat, and she swallowed it, half choking herself in the process. “Thank you, but no. I’m not hungry or thirsty. Not yet, at any rate.”
“Where’s the other people you were dragging off?” demanded Bao. “Where are Questioner’s people?”
“In another tunneler, going by a slightly quicker route. They are not hurt.”
Since the Timmys would not answer questions about the purpose of the trip, and since there was nothing at all to look at except a dimmish glow that the Timmys were either emitting or crouched within, Ellin sank back onto the rubbery surface with Bao’s arms about her, and the two of them whispered together comfortingly, keeping, so Bao said, their spirits in good form.
“It is being important not to be getting in a state,” he avowed. “We must be keeping our wits about us.”
“Will Questioner come looking for us?”
“I am not doubting she will. She will be making a terrible uproar over this abducting, believe me.”
“These … these people don’t seem to care. Something in their voices … They sound extremely touchy, almost desperate, but not hostile. Not at all. Is it the volcanoes that have them so upset?”