Dancers in the Afterglow (25 page)
Read Dancers in the Afterglow Online
Authors: Jack L. Chalker
And then, even more strangely, he seems to do a few small dance steps.
Walk, walk, walk! Pivot step! Turn! Clap! Clap! Link!
The VIPs are watching the last of the dance.
"Funny," says one. "I know how hot it is, but for some reason I'm feeling chilly."
"How about a few drinks?" the admiral suggests. "The Marquis has reopened, you know."
"Terrific!" the politician enthuses. "We can make a real party out of it. I could go for some good old-fashioned
human
fun right now."
They start off toward the boardwalk. The dance is almost over anyway.
Kick! Kick! Step! Kick! Jump! Jump! CLAP!
The dance is over now. The people, laughing, prepare for sleep.
A little over a kilometer out in the dark ocean, the sea people watch, concerned, as the last dancer in the afterglow suddenly stiffens and falls woodenly into the embrace of the cool, silent sea.
About the Author
JACK L. CHALKER
was born in Norfolk, Virginia, on December 17, 1944, but was raised and has spent most of his life in Baltimore, Maryland. He learned to read almost from the moment of entering school, and by working odd jobs had amassed a large book collection by the time he was in junior high school, a collection now too large for containment in his present quarters. Science fiction, history, and geography all fascinated him early on, interests which continue.
Chalker joined the Washington Science Fiction Association in 1958 and began publishing an amateur SF journal,
Mirage,
in 1960. After high school he decided to be a trial lawyer, but money problems and the lack of a firm caused him to switch to teaching. He holds B.S. degrees in history and English, and an M.L.A. from the Johns Hopkins University. He has taught history and geography in the Baltimore public schools since 1966, but is now writing full-time. Additionally, out of the amateur journals he founded a publishing house, The Mirage Press, Ltd., devoted to nonfiction and bibliographic works on science fiction and fantasy. This company has produced more than twenty books in the last eight years. His hobbies include working on science-fiction convention committees, guest lecturing on SF to institutions like the Smithsonian, esoteric audio, and travel. He is an active conservationist and National Parks supporter, and he has an intensive love of ferryboats, with the avowed goal of riding every ferry in the world. He
is single, and still lives and works in Baltimore,
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