"Let me go, Phoenix!" David cried. "Let me by! I want to run, I must
run!"

He made a desperate effort to push past the outstretched wings. But
the Phoenix flung him to the ground, picked him up before he could
kick once, and threw him on its back. Then they were flying at full
speed, dodging through gaps in the branches and between close-set
trunks, with leaves and twigs slashing them from every side. They
burst out of the wood and sped over a meadow. David saw below them a
huge Faun-like figure pacing majestically across the sward. A flaming
wreath encircled its brow, garlands of flowers hung from its arms and
shoulders, and those enchanted pipes were lifted to its lips. Around
the cloven hooves, and trailing out behind, danced a multitude of
creatures--lambs and kids gamboling, goats and rams tossing their
horns, foxes, furry waves of squirrels, rabbits kicking up their
heels, Fauns and Nymphs rollicking, frogs and crickets and serpents.
Above them flew birds and butterflies and beetles and bats in swirling
clouds. Full-voiced, the glorious pipes sang. "Come, come, run, run!
Follow, leap and dance, adore and obey! Run, oh, run, heed me before
all passes! Follow, before it is too late, too late, too late...."

[Illustration]

And David, in a delirium of desire, shouted "I'm coming!" and jumped
from the Phoenix's back.

For an instant, as he fell through the air, he thought he would
succeed in joining the dancing throng. But the Phoenix, plunging after
him falconwise with folded wings, seized his collar in its talons, and
snatched him up from the very arms of the Faun, who had recognized him
and called his name as he fell.

Up toward the cloudless sky they soared. David cried, pleaded,
pommeled the Phoenix with his fists. The Phoenix ignored his
struggling and continued to climb with tremendous wing strokes. Up and
up and up.... The piping grew fainter in the distance, its magic
weakened. The enchanted dancers diminished into specks, the valley
fell away until it was only a green splash nestled among the jagged
peaks. And David burst into tears ... and then wondered why he was
crying ... and tried to remember, and could not. The trembling left
his body, and he dangled limply. His eyes closed.

10: _In Which a Five Hundredth Birthday Is Celebrated, and the Phoenix
Bows to Tradition_

[Illustration]

"That's funny," said David, rubbing his eyes and looking around in a
puzzled way. "Where are we, Phoeni