immense, sharply pointed, and hung with thick gold rings.
The long snout was full of scimitarlike teeth, and sulfurous
eyes centered on tiny black pupils glared downward. Gray
smoke encircled and obscured the behemoth’s waist, rising
lazily from Snooth’s pouch. Gorillalike arms hung to the
floor, where backturned knuckles rested on the smooth
stone.
A bright crimson band encircled the huge forehead. It
was inscribed with glowing symbols drawn from an an-
cient place and time. A thin silken vest flapped in an unfelt
wind against the mountainous chest.
And there was the voice. Not gentle and matronly like
Snooth’s, but awesome in its depth and richness. The
apparition spoke, and the earth trembled.
“BEHOLD, ODIOUS IMP, TOILER IN OBSCURITY, MED-
THE DAY OF THE DISSONANCE
281
DLER IN INEFFECTUALITY: I AM HARUN AL-ROOJINN,
MASTER OF ALL THE SPIRITS OF TIME PAST AND TIME
FUTURE WHERE MARSUPIALS RULE AND ALL OTHERS ARE
BUT TINY SCURRYING THINGS THAT HIDE IN ROCKS AND
FEED ON WORMS! BEHOLD, AND BE AFRAID!” A hand big
enough to sail the Glittergeist if fitted out with sails and
rigging reached for Zancresta.
The sorcerer cowered back against the shelving. His
expression was desperate as he sought refuge and found
none. He dropped to his knees and begged.
“Forgive me, forgive me, I did not know!”
“IGNORANCE is THE EXCUSE OF THE CONTEMPTUOUS,”
bellowed the djinn. “ABUSERS OF KNOWLEDGE RARELY
SEEK ENLIGHTENMENT FROM OTHERS. THOSE WHO TRAM-
PLE CONVENTION DESERVE NO PITY. THOSE WHO DO NOT
PAY WHAT THEY OWE DESERVE TO PERISH.”