The Armageddon Rag Read online

  CONTENTS

  TITLE PAGE

  DEDICATION

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  THANKS

  THOSE WERE THE DAZE

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  BOOKS BY GEORGE R. R. MARTIN

  PREVIEW OF THE NEXT BOOK IN GEORGE R. R. MARTIN’S

  COPYRIGHT

  To the Beatles,

  to the Airplane and the Spoonful and the Dead,

  to Simon and Garfunkel, Joplin and Hendrix,

  to Buffalo Springfield and the Rolling Stones,

  to the Doors and the Byrds, the Mamas and the Papas,

  to Melanie, to Donovan, to Peter, Paul, and Mary,

  to the Who, and the Moody Blues, and Moby Grape,

  to Country Joe and the Fish, Paul Revere and the Raiders,

  to Bob Dylan and Phil Ochs and Joan Baez and Joni Mitchell

  to the Mothers of Invention and the Smothers Brothers,

  to the Hollies and the Association and the Beach Boys and even Herman and the Hermits,

  to Creedence Clearwater Revival,

  to lost innocence and bright, shining dreams,

  and, especially, to Parris:

  looking at you, I hear the music.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  Quotations from “The Second Coming” by W. B. Yeats appear throughout. Reprinted with the permission of Scribner, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group, from THE COLLECTED WORKS OF W. B. YEATS, VOLUME I: THE POEMS, REVISED, edited by Richard J. Finneran. Copyright 1924 by The Macmillan Company; copyright renewed © 1952 by Bertha Georgie Yeats.

  “Those Were the Daze” (Stephen W. Terrell), copyright © 1981 Stephen W. Terrell, Sidhe Gorm Music, BMI. Used by permission.

  CHAPTER ONE

  “Those Were the Days” (words and music by Gene Raskin), TRO—Copyright © 1962 (Renewed) 1968 (Renewed) by Essex Music, Inc., New York, NY. Used by permission.

  CHAPTER TWO

  “Bad Moon Rising” (John Fogerty), copyright © 1969 by Jondora Music. Used by permission.

  CHAPTER THREE

  “Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind?” (words and music by John Sebastian), copyright © 1965 by Alley Music Corp. and Trio Music Company. Copyright renewed. International copyright secured. All rights reserved. Used by permission of Alley Music Corporation and Trio Music Company.

  “Daydream” (words and music by John Sebastian), copyright © 1966 by Alley Music Corp. and Trio Music Company. Copyright renewed. International copyright secured. All rights reserved. Used by permission of Alley Music Corporation and Trio Music Company.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  “House Burning Down” (Jimi Hendrix), copyright © 1968 by Experience Hendrix, L.L.C. Used by permission/All rights reserved.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  “Yesterday” (John Lennon and Paul McCartney), copyright © 1965 (Renewed) by Sony/ATV Tunes LLC. All rights administered by Sony/ATV Music Publishing, 8 Music Square West, Nashville, TN 37203. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

  “Tombstone Territory” (William M. Backer), copyright © 1957 (Renewed 1985) by EMI UNART CATALOG, INC. All rights administered by EMI UNART CATALOG, INC. (Publishing) and ALFRED PUBLISHING CO., INC. (Print). All rights reserved. Used by permission.

  CHAPTER SIX

  “The Alabama Song” (Kurt Weill and Bert Brecht), copyright © 1928 (Renewed) by Kurt Weill Foundation For Music Inc. (ASCAP) and Bert Brecht (ASCAP). All rights administered by WB Music Corp. (ASCAP). All rights reserved. Used by permission. WARNER BROS. PUBLICATIONS U.S. INC., Miami, FL 33014.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  “Sound of Silence” (Paul Simon), copyright © 1964 by Paul Simon. Used by permission of the Publisher: Paul Simon Music.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  “Don’t Look Now” (John Fogerty), copyright © 1969 by Jondora Music. Used by permission.

  CHAPTER NINE

  “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” (John Lennon and Paul McCartney), copyright © 1967 (Renewed) by Sony/ATV Tunes LLC. All rights administered by Sony/ATV Music Publishing, 8 Music Square West, Nashville, TN 37203. All rights reserved. Used by permission. “Garden Party” (Rick Nelson), copyright © 1972 by Matragun Music. All rights administered by Sony/ATV Music Publishing, 8 Music Square West, Nashville, TN 37203. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

  CHAPTER TEN

  “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In” (Galt MacDermot, James Rado and Gerome Ragni), copyright © 1966, 1967, 1968, 1970 by James Rado, Gerome Ragni, Galt MacDermot, Nat Shapiro and EMI U Catalog Inc., copyright renewed. All rights administered by EMI U Catalog Inc. (Publishing) and Warner Bros. Publications Inc. (Print). All rights reserved. Used by permission. WARNER BROS. PUBLICATIONS U.S. INC., Miami, FL 33014.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  “Volunteers” (Kanter, Balin), copyright © 1969 by Ice Bag Corporation. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission of the publisher.

  “The Circle Game” (Joni Mitchell), copyright © 1966 by Crazy Crow Music. All rights administered by Sony/ATV Music Publishing, 8 Music Square West, Nashville, TN 37203. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  “End of the Night” (words and music by Jim Morrison), copyright © 1967 by Doors Music Co. Copyright renewed. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  “Up from the Skies” (Jimi Hendrix), copyright © 1968 by Experience Hendrix, L.L.C. Used by permission/All rights reserved.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  “Chimes of Freedom” (Bob Dylan), copyright © 1964 by Warner Bros. Inc. Copyright renewed 1992 by Special Rider Music. All rights reserved. International copyright secured. Reprinted by permission.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  “Homeward Bound” (Paul Simon), copyright © 1966 by Paul Simon. Used by permission of the Publisher: Paul Simon Music. “A Hazy Shade of Winter” (Paul Simon), copyright © 1966 by Paul Simon. Used by permission of the Publisher: Paul Simon Music. “I Am a Rock” (Paul Simon), copyright © 1965 by Paul Simon. Used by permission of the Publisher: Paul Simon Music.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  “Mexicali Blues” (Weir, Barlow), copyright © 1972 by Ice Nine Publishing Co., Inc. Used by permission.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  “Let It Be” (John Lennon and Paul McCartney), copyright © 1970 (Renewed) by Sony/ATV Tunes LLC. All rights administered by Sony/ATV Music Publishing, 8 Music Square West, Nashville, TN 37203. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  “What Have They Done to My Song, Ma?” (words and music by Melanie Safka), copyright © 1970 by Kama Rippa Music Inc. and Amelanie Music. All rights for the world assigned to Bienstock Publishing Co. and Quartet Music Inc. Copyright renewed. International copyright secured. All rights reserved. Used by permission of Bienstock Publishing Company.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  “P
urple Haze” (Jimi Hendrix), copyright © 1967, 1968 by Experience Hendrix, L.L.C. Used by permission/All rights reserved.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  “Do You Believe in Magic?” (words and music by John Sebastian), copyright © 1965 by Alley Music Corp., and Trio Music Company, Inc. Copyright renewed. International copyright secured. All rights reserved. Used by permission of Alley Music Corporation and Trio Music Company. “Woodstock” (Joni Mitchell), copyright © 1973 by Crazy Crow Music. All rights administered by Sony/ATV Music Publishing, 8 Music Square West, Nashville, TN 37203. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  “Patterns” (Paul Simon), copyright © 1964, 1965 by Paul Simon. Used by permission of the Publisher: Paul Simon Music.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  “White Rabbit” (Grace Slick), copyright © 1966 by Copperpenny Music. All rights administered by Irving Music, Inc. / BMI. Used by permission. International copyright secured. All rights reserved.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  “Uncle John’s Band” (Hunter, Garcia), copyright © 1970 by Ice Nine Publishing Co., Inc. Used by permission.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  “Who’ll Stop the Rain?” (John Fogerty), copyright © 1970 by Jondora Music. Used by permission.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” (written by Mick Jagger, Keith Richards), copyright © 1969 by ABKCO Music Inc. Published by ABKCO Music Inc. Used by permission.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  “Behind Blue Eyes” (Pete Townshend), copyright © 1971 by Towser Tunes Inc. (BMI)/ABKCO Music Inc./Fabulous Music. All rights for the world on behalf of Towser Tunes Inc. (BMI) administered by BMG Music Publishing International Ltd. (PRS). All rights for the US on behalf of BMG Music Publishing International Ltd. (PRS) administered by Careers-BMG Music Publishing, Inc. (BMI). Used by permission.

  “Goin’ Back” (words and music by Gerry Goffin and Carole King), copyright © 1973 (Renewed 2001) by SCREEN GEMS-EMI MUSIC INC. All rights reserved. International copyright secured. Used by permission.

  “Up Around the Bend” (John Fogerty), copyright © 1970 by Jondora Music. Used by permission.

  “Those Were the Days” (words and music by Gene Raskin), TRO—copyright © 1962 (Renewed) 1968 (Renewed) by Essex Music, Inc., New York, NY. Used by permission.

  “Stop, Stop, Stop” (Graham Nash, Allan Clark, Tony Hicks), copyright © 1966 by Gralto Music Ltd. All rights in the United States administered by Universal—Songs of Polygram Int., Inc./BMI. Used by permission. International copyright secured. All rights reserved.

  “Witch Doctor” (Ross Bagdasarian), copyright © 1958 by Ross Bagdasarian Music, Adam Bagdasarian Music and Carol Bagdasarian Music. All rights administered by Sony/ATV Music Publishing, 8 Music Square West, Nashville, TN 37203. Used by permission.

  “I-Feel-Like-I’m-Fixin’-to-Die Rag” (words and music by Joe McDonald), copyright © 1965 (Renewed 1993) by Alkatraz Corner Music, BMI. Used by permission.

  “Where Do I Go?” (Galt MacDermot, James Rado and Gerome Ragni), copyright © 1968 by James Rado, Gerome Ragni, Galt MacDermot, Nat Shapiro and EMI U Catalog Inc. Copyright renewed. All rights administered by EMI U Catalog Inc. (Publishing) and Warner Bros. Publications Inc. (Print). All rights reserved. Used by permission. WARNER BROS. PUBLICATIONS U.S. INC., MIAMI, FL 33014.

  “A Hazy Shade of Winter” (Paul Simon), copyright © 1966 by Paul Simon. Used by permission of the Publisher: Paul Simon Music.

  “My Back Pages” (Bob Dylan), copyright © 1964 by Warner Bros. Inc. Copyright renewed 1992 by Special Rider Music. All rights reserved. International copyright secured. Reprinted by permission.

  “Ripple” (Hunter, Garcia), copyright © 1970 by Ice Nine Publishing Co., Inc. Used by permission.

  “Sunshine Superman” (Donovan Leitch), copyright © 1966 by Donovan (Music). Copyright © renewed. International rights secured. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All rights administered by Peermusic (UK).

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  “The End” (words and music by The Doors), copyright © 1967 by Doors Music Co. Copyright renewed. All rights reserved. Used by permission. “Have You Ever Seen the Rain?” (John Fogerty), copyright © 1970 by Jondora Music. Used by permission.

  “Woodstock” (Joni Mitchell), copyright © 1973 by Crazy Crow Music. All rights administered by Sony/ATV Music Publishing, 8 Music Square West, Nashville, TN 37203. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  “Truckin’” (Hunter, Garcia, Lesh, Weir), copyright © 1970 by Ice Nine Publishing Co., Inc. Used by permission.

  THANKS

  The Nazgûl would never have played at all were it not for Gardner R. Dozois, who asked me to write a story for an anthology he hoped to do, and thereby set some wheels to turning. And they would never have sounded as good had it not been for my trio of rock consultants, Lew Shiner of the Dinosaurs, Stephen W. Terrell of the Potato Salad Band, and Parris. To all of them, my thanks.

  George R. R. Martin

  October 1982

  THOSE WERE THE DAZE

  (with apologies to Norman Lear)

  Oh, the way that Hendrix played

  Everyone was getting laid

  Dope was of the highest grade

  Those were the days

  Always knew who you could trust

  Cruising in your micro-bus

  They were them and we were us

  Those were the days

  All the things we’re into then

  Tarot cards, I Ching, and Zen

  Mister, we could use a man like

  Timothy Leary again!

  Hardly needed any cash

  Everybody shared their stash

  Always had a place to crash

  Those were the days!

  ONE

  Those were the days, my friend/

  We thought they’d never end

  It was not one of Sandy Blair’s all-time great days. His agent had picked up the lunch tab, to be sure, but that only partially made up for the way he’d gotten on Sandy’s case about the novel deadline. The subway was full of yahoos and it seemed to take forever to get him back to Brooklyn. The three-block walk to the brownstone he called home seemed longer and colder than usual. He felt in dire need of a beer by the time he got there. He pulled one from the fridge, opened it, and ascended wearily to his third-floor office to face the stack of blank paper he was supposedly turning into a book. Once again, the elves had failed to knock off any chapters in his absence; page thirty-seven was still in his typewriter. You just couldn’t get good elves anymore, Sandy thought morosely. He stared at the words with distaste, took a swig from the bottle in his hand, and looked around for a distraction.

  That was when he noticed the red light on his message machine, and found that Jared Patterson had phoned.

  Actually it had been Jared’s secretary who made the call, which Sandy found amusing; even after seven years, and everything that had happened, Patterson was still a bit nervous about him. “Jared Patterson would like Mister Blair to contact him as soon as possible, in connection with an assignment,” said the pleasant professional voice. Sandy listened to her twice before erasing the tape. “Jared Patterson,” he said to himself, bemused. The name evoked a hell of a lot of memories.

  Sandy knew that he really ought to ignore Patterson’s message. The sonofabitch deserved no more. That was hopeless, though; he was already too curious. He picked up the phone and dialed, mildly astonished to discover that he still remembered the number, after seven years. A secretary picked up. “Hedgehog,” she said. “Mister Patterson’s office.”

  “This is Sander Blair,” Sandy said. “Jared phoned me. Tell the poltroon that I’m returning his call.”

  “Yes, Mister Blair. Mister Patterson left instructions to put you through at once. Please hold.”

  A moment later, Patterson’s familiar mock-hearty voice was ringing in Sandy’s ear. “Sandy
! It’s great to hear ya, really it is. Long time, old man. How’s it hanging?”

  “Cut the shit, Jared,” Sandy said sharply. “You’re no happier to hear from me than I was to hear from you. What the hell you want? And keep it short, I’m a busy man.”

  Patterson chuckled. “Is that any way to talk to an old friend? Still no social graces, I see. All right, then, however you want it. I wantcha to do a story for Hedgehog, how’s that for straight?”

  “Go suck a lemon,” Sandy said. “Why the hell should I write for you? You fired me, you asshole.”

  “Bitter, bitter,” Jared chided. “That was seven years ago, Sandy. I hardly remember it now.”

  “That’s funny. I remember it real well. I’d lost it, you said. I was out of touch with what was happening, you said. I was too old to edit for the youth audience, you said. I was taking the Hog down the tubes, you said. Like shit. I was the one who made that paper, and you damn well know it.”

  “Never denied it,” Jared Patterson said breezily. “But times changed, and you didn’t. If I’d kept you on, we’d have gone down with the Freep and the Barb and all the rest. All that counterculture stuff had to go. I mean, who needed it? All that politics, reviewers who hated the hot new trends in music, the drug stories…it just didn’t cut it, y’know?” He sighed. “Look, I didn’t call to hash over ancient history. I was hoping you’d have more perspective by now. Hell, Sandy, firing you hurt me more than it did you.”

  “Oh, sure,” Sandy said. “You sold out to a chain and got a nice cushy salaried job as publisher while you were firing three-quarters of your staff. You must be in such pain.” He snorted. “Jared, you’re still an asshole. We built that paper together, as a communal sort of thing. It wasn’t yours to sell.”

  “Hey, communes were all well and good back when we were young, but you seem to forget that it was my money kept the whole show afloat.”