Pilgrims, The-Jack Vance novelette, later as a chapter of a novel

Pilgrims, The-Jack Vance novelette, later as a chapter of a novel

AKA: Cugel the Clever, chapter V

The Eyes of the Overworld, chapter V

Tales of the Dying Earth, Book II, chapter V

The Pilgrims is a 33/40 page novelette that appeared initially in June, 1966 in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction and was included later that same year as part of the novel The Eyes of the Overworld, chapter V.  Vance’s preferred title for The “Eyes of the Overworld” is “Cugel the Clever.” 

In The Pilgrims story Cugel continues his journey home when he encounters some pilgrims and hears about various strange religions including the "Funambulous Evangels”

who tell Cugel that “from respect to the dead, we walk aloft, on ropes and edges, and when we must travel, we use specially sanctified footgear.” Here we have an interesting, often humorous exchange of religious beliefs including Cugel's which he admits is "somewhat inchoate" because he has "assimilated a variety of viewpoints, each authoritative in its own right: from the priests at the Temple of Teleologies; from a bewitched bird who plucked messages from a box; from a fasting anchorite who drank a bottle of pink elixir which I offered him in jest.  The resulting visions were contradictory but of great profundity.  My world-scheme, hence is syncretic."  Later Cugel bribes a priest so that he is able to trick some pilgrims into crossing the Silver Desert and the Songan Sea with him.  During the crossing they encounter a series of strange adventures.  In one village the locals and guests have to each cut off one of their own fingers to add to the communal cooking pot to "demonstrate our common heritage and our mutual dependence."  At another village he encounters “folk of ferocious aspect. Black hair in spikes surrounded the round clay-colored faces; coarse black bristles grew off the burly shoulders like epaulettes. Fangs protruded from the mouths of male and female alike and all spoke in harsh growling shouts.” Then he meets some “graceful golden-haired people” who declare, "We worship that inexorable god known as Dangott.  Strangers are automatically heretics, and so are fed to the sacred apes."  Cugel’s encounters are all fascinating and frequently very satirical and funny. Rated 5.

Included in the Jack Vance collection titled Green Magic: The Fantasy Realms of Jack Vance (2012)