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anybody which way I was headed.
Jorken noticed me as I kicked Trog's hand away from me. He lost his
concentration for an instant as he turned my way.
Wham! Trog gave new meaning to the expression "pound him into the ground." He
was winding up for another swing when last I saw him.
I got the hell out of there fast.
Daiged and Rhogiro arrived just as I did my fade. Then the masonry really
started to fly.
Something flapped past. I dodged, afraid I had an owl girl after me. "Awk!"
The flyer smacked into a brick wall. "This thing cannot see in the dark."
Flap-flap. "Garrett?"
"Where the hell have you been?" I felt around till I found the bird. It was
really dark out now.
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"You lost me when you stopped to eat. I had to tend to business elsewhere. I
returned to a situation fraught with anticipation. As I flew up to reconnoiter
it, the excitement began in earnest. I managed to trace you by staving close
to the ugly one."
I muttered something about pots and kettles, got the critter installed on my
shoulder, and resumed moving.
"Gotten real exciting, hasn't it?"
"They have begun to indulge in brutal destruction, like petulant children.
Make for the park. And do move faster if you wish to get away."
"I can't go any faster." I was slipping and sliding all over, barely keeping
my footing. The water under the sleet had frozen into a treacherous glaze.
And then it started to snow.
Snow leaves great tracks unless it comes down real heavy. It began to look
like this was just the night for that.
Another big blockbluster of a battle shaped up behind us. The gods shrieked
and squawked like divine fishwives.
"I need warmer clothes," I said. "I'm going to freeze my butt off."
"You can afford to lose some of it. Head for the park. Miss Cat should meet
us there. She will take us to safety." The bird was shaking too.
The snowfall lessened as we distanced ourselves from the battle, where
thunder and lightning had begun to lark about. In fact, for a while that got
so enthusiastic I figured Imar and Lang must be working it out god to god.
Them dancing gave us a chance to grab a new lead.
"I don't got much go-power left," I whimpered at the Goddamn Parrot as I
stumbled into the park. The snow there was ankle deep and rising fast, but
there was no ice or sleet underneath. It had to be real nasty back where it
all started.
A breeze was rising, speeding toward the center of conflict. It slammed
snowflakes into my face. They were big wet ones. I muttered and cursed. The
Goddamn Parrot, just to be difficult, cursed and muttered. I trudged in what I
guessed to be the general direction of the place where Cat had landed before.
I couldn't tell anything for sure. It was darker than the inside of a
shylock's heart.
47
"Garrett! Over here!"
Cat. I turned my head right and left to get a sense of her direction. I
caught a toe on something, tumbled into a low place where snow had gathered
eight inches deep. The Goddamn Parrot cussed me for being clumsy.
Cat appeared out of the milky shower. "Here." She offered me a blanket. I
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noticed that she was dressed for the weather. Which suggested she had an idea
what was going on. But I didn't get a chance to ask. "Get up!" she barked. "We
have to hurry. Come on! Some of them are on your trail again."
Her name was apt. She could see in the dark. She seemed to have trouble
hearing in the dark, though. My "What the hell is going on?" fell into the
snow without so much as a muted thump.
Cat led me about a hundred yards at right angles to my previous course. And
there stood all her winged sidekicks, muttering seditiously amongst
themselves. The weather didn't seem to bother Fourteen. The horses awarded me
equine looks more laden than usual with the semi-intelligent malice of their
tribe. But we did have something in common at last. They weren't happy about
being out here, either.
"Shake your tail, Sugar Hips. Ya got bottom feeders headed your way."
I got a look at Cat's crew because way up in the snow clouds a pinpoint of
light brighter than any noonday sun had popped and had taken a dozen seconds
to fade away.
Cat helped me mount one of her beasts. It seemed to be the same one as
before. And, behold! For the second time running I managed to get on top
facing the same direction he was. It was an age of great wonders.
The Goddamn Parrot wanted to say something but couldn't squeeze it out. He
couldn't control his shivering. Parrots are not meant for cold weather. I
tucked him inside my blanket. He slithered around till he found a way inside
my shirt. Then he settled down to shiver and mutter to himself.
"Cat, will you please tell me . . . "
Somewhere a wolf howled. Somewhere something named Nog polished its only
thought. I didn't catch Cat's shout, but it was no answer. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]