Doorways in the Sand Read online

  He thinks of these and many other things behind the sky, within it. He recalls his departure.

  Charv had said, “You smoke too much, you know. Perhaps you can cut down on this trip, or quit entirely. At any rate, have a lot of good, clean fun. Along with hard, honest work, it makes the worlds go round.”

  Nadler had shaken his hand firmly, smiled perfectly and said, “I know you will always be a credit to the corps, Doctor Cassidy. When in doubt invoke tradition and improvise. Always remember what you represent.”

  Merimee had winked and said, “We’ll be opening a string of cat houses around the galaxy, for traveling earthmen and adventuresome extees. It won’t be long. Cultivate philosophy in the meantime. And if you get in any trouble, remember my number.”

  “Fred, my boy,” his uncle had said, flipping his blackthorn aside to squeeze his shoulders, “this is a great day for the Cassidys! I always knew that you would meet your fate somewhere among the stars above. Second sight, you know. Godspeed, and a copy of Tom Moore here for company. I’ll be in touch about the Vibesper office and maybe be sending Ragma along later. You’ve been a proud investment, boy!”

  He smiles at the absurdity, the traditions, the intentions. He feels the emotions.

  I am sorry about that spasm back on the bus, Fred. It was just that I was trying to learn how your body worked in case I had to do any repairs. I was handicapped by the handedness barrier.

  “I guessed as much—later.”

  This world is an interesting place, Fred. We have been here only a day and I can already predict, with high reliability, that we are going to have some unusual experiences.

  “What sort of satisfaction do you get out of all this, Speicus?”

  I am a recording and analyzing device. The best comparison, I suppose, is that I am a combination of the tourist and his camera. At those moments when they function together, I imagine that their sensations are akin to my own.

  “I suppose it feels good to know yourself so thoroughly. I doubt that I ever will.”

  He lights a cigarette. He gestures.

  “Well, was it worth the trip?” he asks.

  You already know the answer to that.

  “Yes, I guess that I do.”

  The people who climbed up and decorated all those rocks and cave walls had the right idea, he decides. Yes, they did.

  Why he decides this I am not certain. I know him well, of course. But I doubt that I will ever know him thoroughly either. I am a recording . . .

  Note from the Publisher

  Theodore Sturgeon once wrote in the New York Times Book Review: “One of the highest tributes I have ever heard paid to a writer lies in the words of a young lady who said, ‘I knew, halfway through the second paragraph, that I was in good hands.’ Science fiction has produced many such hands, and I genuinely envy those who encounter Roger Zelazny.”

  Of all Zelazny’s standalone works, Doorways in the Sand is perhaps the most accessible – and for many the most entertaining. If you enjoyed the story, we would be thrilled if you could leave a short review. Getting feedback from readers makes all the difference and can help persuade others to pick up Zelazny's work for the first time.

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  In the murky London gloom, a knife-wielding gentleman named Jack prowls the midnight streets with his faithful watchdog Snuff—gathering together the grisly ingredients they will need for an upcoming ancient and unearthly rite. For soon after the death of the moon, black magic will summon the Elder Gods back into the world. And all manner of Players, both human and undead, are preparing to participate. Some have come to open the gates. Some have come to slam them shut. And now the dread night approaches—so let the Game begin.

  “The last great novel by one of the giants of the genre.” George R.R. Martin

  “A madcap blend of horror tropes and fantasy. . . There aren’t many authors who would set out to write a novel in which the Wolfman and Jack the Ripper were the two heroes . . . And I’m not sure anyone else could have made it work.” Science Fiction Chronicle

  “Sparkling, witty, delightful. Zelazny’s best for ages, perhaps his best ever.” Kirkus Reviews

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  About Roger Zelazny

  Roger Zelazny (1937-1995) is one of the most revered names in SF and fantasy. During his lifetime he was honoured with numerous prizes, including six Hugo and three Nebula Awards. He wrote more than fifty books, including the Amber novels, Lord of Light, and A Night in the Lonesome October.

  This edition published in 2017 by Farrago, an imprint of Prelude Books Ltd

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  This work was originally published serially in Analog Science Fiction/Science Fact

  Copyright © 1976 by Roger Zelazny

  The right of Roger Zelazny to be identified as the author of this Work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs & Patents Act 1988.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of the publisher.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places and events other than those clearly in the public domain, are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  ISBN: 978-1-911440-43-7

  Version 1.0