"Chalker, Jack L - DG1 - The River of the Dancing Gods" - читать интересную книгу автора (Chalker Jack L)

"Dreams," Ruddygore mused. "No, this is no dream, but
think of it that way if you like. For, in a sense, we're all just
dreams. The Creator's dreams. And where we travel to is out
there." He gestured with a cane, gold-tipped and with a drag-
on's head for a handle. "Out across the Sea of Dreams and
beyond to the far shore. So take it as a dream, the both of you,
if you wish. As a dream, you have even less to lose."

The pistol finally went down and was replaced in Joe's
pocket. He looked back at the truck. "Maybe we should get
our things."

"You won't need them," Ruddygore told him. "All will be
provided to you as you need it. That's part of the bargain."
The whistle sounded a third time, very close now, and Ruddy-
gore turned to face the dark direction of its cry. "Come. Just
follow me."

Joe looked back at his truck again. "I should at least kill
the motor and the lights," he said wistfully. "That truck's the
only thing I got, the only thing I ever had in my whole life
that was real. This ferry -- I don't suppose...?"

Ruddygore shook his head sadly. "No, I'm afraid not. Your
truck wouldn't work over there. The captain would never allow
it, anyway, because we couldn't get it off the boat and it would
take up too much room. But don't worry about it, Joe. It's not
really here, you see. It's somewhere back there, on your In-
terstate 10."

With that the truck faded and was gone, lights, engine noise,
and all, and they were in total darkness.

The whistle sounded once more, and it seemed almost on
top of them.

CHAPTER 2

ACROSS THE SEA OF DREAMS

Travel between universes shall be difficult and highly restricted.
-- XXI, 55, 44(b)

THE FERRY CAME OUT OF THE DARKNESS, FLOATING ON A SEA

of black. It surprised them that it looked very much like the
old ferryboats -- an oval-shaped, double-ended affair with a
lower platform for cars, and stairways up both sides to the
upper deck, where the twin pilothouses, one at each end of the