[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
attacked again by one or one thousand, I cry doom on the Min of the Mountains.
If I am attacked again, I will loose the Ever-Hunger. I swear it by Gather and
by Blood. I will loose the Hunger on you and you will know terror all your
days and horror all your nights. I am Ykx. Hear me." She spread her flight
skins; the cold gray light of the sun, the warm gold light of the lift field
shone on her shimmering silver-gray fur. For one last breath, she hung there
under the clouds, then she dropped swiftly into the cart.
As soon as she was down, Timka slapped the reins on the team's haunches and
gave them a needle that sent them into a long lope which made things highly
uncomfortable for everyone in the cart.
Sometime later when the team had settled back to a steady walk and talking was
possible, Lipitero smiled with satisfaction. "Am I right, Ti? Two of them have
left us. At least I got that much reaction from them. Do you think it means
anything?"
Timka twisted round. "Can you loose the Hunger from here?"
"Why?"
"If you can't, you've just issued a call for Telka and the Holavish to take
you out before you do get close enough."
"Ungh. I didn't think of that. Yes, Ti, I can loose it from here. Matter of
fact, given proper atmospherics, the Sydo Ykx could loose it from Sydo Gather.
They couldn't corral it again from there. That's why they sent the others.
Mmmh, I can prod the Hunger a bit without actually loosing it. They'll feel it
stirring. That help?
"It might keep them off our necks for a while longer, might even start some
arguments. Will it stop them? No. Because it's not just Telka, though she's
one of the drivers. The Holavish want the old days back, the old ways. The
weaker converts might hold back, but the true believers don't care how much
destruction they cause. Death or glory, death and glory, it's the same thing.
I don't understand that. I don't want to understand that."
Skeen stirred, stretched. "It happens," she said drowsily. "You Min've got no
monopoly on airheads."
"That's a very helpful comment, Skeen. Got any more of them?"
"My, we're snappish today."
Timka clamped her teeth on her lip, holding back the words crowding her
tongue. She focused on the bobbing heads of the horses and settled for
interior monologue. So you're the only one allowed unreasonable irritation; so
you're the only one allowed to scratch at whoever's nearest you; so you're the
only one who can get edgy and show it. The litany went on and on until she'd
worked through her anger and was merely tired and disheartened.
Around an hour after Lipitero's speech, a small swarm of Min came winging from
the west. They were agitated and angry, fear hanging round them like a bitter
fog; Timka probed with as much energy as she could spare, but she got nothing
more definite from them. She thought about warning Skeen that the newcomers
might try some sort of attack, but they continued their agitated loops with no
sign they intended anything more intrusive than a stringent watch with
possibilities of a raid to snatch the Ykx if she and Skeen gave them the
slightest chance of bringing it off. She glanced over her shoulder. Lipitero
was curled in a tight knot and seemed to be sleeping, Skeen was definitely
asleep, her face slack, her mouth dropped open. Ah, well, time to make a fuss
when the Holavish snowed signs of doing something drastic.
Page 132
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
Later still, it started raining, a cold steady drizzle.
The horses plodded on, the cart creaked along, lurching over ruts and sinking
perilously in the glutinous red mud; Skeen and Lipitero huddled under an old
sail Skeen bought from Brampon, Timka took off her blouse and skirt and grew a
coat of sleek fur. The talent she'd discovered in herself was proving useful
for more than battles and rescue missions. On and on, deep into the night,
deep into the Mountains. When the track got so rough it was dangerous to
continue without more light, Timka tied the team to a stout tree, taking no
chances the watching Min would try to spook them; she joined Skeen and
Lipitero under the sail which Skeen had converted into a crude tent. Lipitero
was building a small fire with the last of the dry wood. She fanned the smoke
out of her face, nodded to Timka and moved aside to let her help with the
meal.
They ate, then sat huddled in blankets watching the fire die, listening to the
patter of rain on the canvas.
Lipitero cleared her throat but it was a moment before she spoke. "How far is
the Gate from here?"
Skeen scratched at the film over her stump. "Three, four hours. No more than
that."
"The Gate will take about half an hour to power up. When do you want me to
activate it?"
"Does the Gate have to be working when you release the Hunger?"
"Yes."
"Ti, what about your Holavish army? If they're here, they're hiding."
"They're all around us now. I almost can't think for them pressing on me. The
main body is ahead, though."
"What the hell they waiting for? By the way, how many?"
"Like leaves on the trees, mmmm, I can't say exactly, maybe four to five
hundred. What are they waiting for? The Ever-Hunger is raging, you can't feel
it? Ah, I remember, you're not as attuned to it as us. Petro? No? I can feel
the barrier creaking as it lunges against it. That's& terrifying. You don't
know how hard it is to keep going toward that thing, even when I know Petro
will protect us from it. Them out there, they don't have a hope of avoiding
it. They're working themselves up to the attack, but they're not ready yet.
Another thing, not that it counts for much except as another stone in the
balance pan, it's raining. Hard to fly in the rain. They're waiting for it to
stop." She passed a hand over the short plushy fur on her face. "I could give
you maybe a minute's warning before they come at us."
"Every little bit helps. Petro, if they haven't attacked by morning, and we'd
better keep watch to make sure they don't try surprising us, activate the Gate
as soon as we move out of camp. Let me think& um& there's a recent burn-over
about an hour from the Fountain Glade. Flattish land, some sapling thickets, a
lot of open space. Were I their warleader that's the place I'd choose; their
numbers will count for a lot more in that kind of terrain. Can't be sure
that's the place it might be, that's all. Ti gives the word, you turn the
Hunger loose. Be a good idea to have the excavator ready. Will the rain damage
it?"
"No. Now?"
"Out in the rain again, sorry." Skeen sighed, looked up at the sagging canvas
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]