[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
he'd get a second punch between the legs if he made another sound. That sh
ut him up completely and he lay silent as I searched him for those items of
mine he'd claimed for himself out of the robbery, namely a gold snuff box
and my money purse. I also found another pocketful of coins, and a surprisi
ng quantity at that, which I thought might have come from other victims. Th
is I put in with my own money. I had no need of it, but intended to turn it
over to Father with the request that he donate it to our church. Doubtless
that good place could put the funds to a better use than any Ash had ever
planned.
It was growing lighter by the minute. If I was to try my influence with Ash
, it would have to be
" 'Old right there, you!"
I looked up to see Abel and Seth standing just this side of the kneeling D
rummond. Abel had a pistol of his own, and it was pointed at me. I hadn't
heard their approach. I wondered how long they'd been watching and how muc
h they'd seen. Too much, from the stricken looks they wore. Abel kept tryi
ng to steal glances at the oblivious Drummond, which made it hard for him
to hold his weapon level.
"Devi/!" he shrieked when he saw the blood on Drummond's throat. "Ye filthy
devil!" His hatchety face went red with outrage and disgust and fear. The
gun went off. It may have been an accidental firing or not, but he was so u
pset that it spoiled
his aim. The thing roared and the air was clouded with sudden smoke, but the
ball completely missed me. He had one instant to regret it, less than a bli
nk of an eye, and I was upon him.
A clout on the jaw was all that was needed. He was stunned, senseless and
unresisting. I turned on Seth, but he'd backed away, jaw sagging and eyes
popping, too frightened to move. As he watched, I dragged my cloak from hi
s brother's body.
Ash was on his hands and knees and bellowing at Drummond, who looked to b
e waking up. Damnation to them. If I had more time I could have stayed, c
hanged their memories to my advantage, but the dawn was against me. I had
ten minutes, no more and very probably much less. It was hard to tell fo
r the clouds.
I had to get out.
Slogging away from them over the open snow field was the best I could do.
I threw the cloak around my shoulders and pulled it close, grateful for th
e brothers' greed. The only reason I could think why they'd followed out a
fter us was for Seth to lay claim to my boots before his friends dropped t
hem along with my body into the Sound. Abel may have come to try for them
himself one more time, that, or to enjoy the execution.
I walked as quickly as possible, wanting distance between myself and the gr
owing row behind me. Ash's voice rose high over the wind, suffused with ang
er. I looked back once and saw him on his feet, shaking a fist at me. Witho
ut a doubt, he was a dangerous man, but also stupid and incredibly foolish;
I still had the pistol.
A perverse fancy took me. I stopped and turned, arm out in the best dueling
style, my pose and posture unmistakable. He ceased moving, caught between ho
rror and surprise. I pulled the trigger and felt the recoil jolt up my arm.
The thing made a grand roar and I had the satisfaction of seeing Ash and the
others duck in dismay. They weren't injured, I'd aimed just over their head
s, but by the time they found enough courage to look again, they'd not be ab
le to see me. I took that moment as the right time to vanish.
The thought belatedly came that they'd follow my trail. They'd find the disc
arded pistol and my tracks ending in the middle of the field as though I'd v
anished into the air, which, indeed, I had. Well, it was too late now. Let t
hem puzzle it out and be damned.
Glad I was that the wind had died. There was just enough of it now to give me
a direction to push against, which I did with all my strength and will. I sp
ed south and then west toward home, though I had not the faintest possibility
of reaching it in time.
Panic?
Very likely.
There was also the hope that once I'd put enough distance between myself an
d that band of patriotic cutthroats, I could go solid, get my bearings and
find some shelter for the day. All I needed was a shack or barn, someplace
to hide from the approaching sun.
I hurtled forward for as long as I dared, then re-formed. The light was nearl
y blinding. The snow-blanketed fields reflected it, increased it. I shaded my
eyes and searched all around for cover. Nothing, absolutely nothing, present
ed itself.
For want of anything better to do besides stand and gibber with fear, I vani
shed and continued forward. There were some trees in the distance, widely sp
aced and naked of leaves. Probably useless. Faster and faster I went until s
uch senses as were left to me in this form gave me warning that I'd reached
my goal.
This next re-forming was more difficult. The light much worse. My fear all
but choked me. The trees were useless. Even in the high summer with their l
eaves, their shade would not have been sufficient. They were too far apart.
There was no other choice, though. Perhaps my cloak would help ...
Then I noticed that the trees farther on were strangely shortened. My sight
was getting worse, but I was just able to discern that they were not really
short, but were actually the top branches of other trees growing upon much l
ower ground.
The island was pocked here and there with depressions we called kettles bec
ause of their general shape. Rapelji said that they'd been carved out of th
e earth by ancient glaciers. Some were small, others much larger, with name
s to them. I had no name for this one, but immediately dubbed it "haven."
I charged forward, faded somewhat, and launched my partially visible body o
ver the edge. It was quite different from the tumble I'd taken into one as
a child. The landing was much less abrupt.
The high wall of earth on my left blocked the immediate threat of light; the
other wall was not all that far away. The
bottom would be exposed to sun for only a short time during the day. I could
improve that if I yes, there, where the wall bulged out, creating a little
alcove, but to lie as one dead with only a cloak for covering ... I was afra
id Ash and his crew would come hunting and chance upon me while I lay helple
ss.
The snow. It had drifted in here all throughout the winter, deep and undistur
bed.
It might not work.
Oh, but it had to.
I faded completely and sank beneath its unbroken surface, sank until I touc
hed upon the more solid barrier of the frozen ground beneath and there stop
ped. Then gradually, ever so cautiously, I assumed form once more. Not at a
ll easy, but the hard snow gave way to my frantic pushing and I made myself
a kind of burrow. I twisted this way and that, but saw not the least hint
of light. It would do. It would have to, for all my choices had been stolen
away by the dawn.
It was a grave. No other word could describe this kind of darkness or silen
ce. I was acutely conscious of the great weight of the snow above. Had I ne
eded air, I'd have smothered in a very short time. As it was, my mind was i
n danger of smothering from the memory of my first wretched awakening into
this changed life.
And then ... all my worries ceased for the day.
I awoke to utter blackness, immobile from cold, and just disoriented enough
to leap into a kind of groggy alarm. As my last thought had been about my
hated churchyard coffin, I mentally kicked out in a literally blind panic,
instinctively tried to vanish, and did.
By increments.
Bit by bit, I faded, feeling myself going at the extremities first as hands an
d feet, already numb, lost all further bonding with touch. It seeped past my s [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl exclamation.htw.pl
he'd get a second punch between the legs if he made another sound. That sh
ut him up completely and he lay silent as I searched him for those items of
mine he'd claimed for himself out of the robbery, namely a gold snuff box
and my money purse. I also found another pocketful of coins, and a surprisi
ng quantity at that, which I thought might have come from other victims. Th
is I put in with my own money. I had no need of it, but intended to turn it
over to Father with the request that he donate it to our church. Doubtless
that good place could put the funds to a better use than any Ash had ever
planned.
It was growing lighter by the minute. If I was to try my influence with Ash
, it would have to be
" 'Old right there, you!"
I looked up to see Abel and Seth standing just this side of the kneeling D
rummond. Abel had a pistol of his own, and it was pointed at me. I hadn't
heard their approach. I wondered how long they'd been watching and how muc
h they'd seen. Too much, from the stricken looks they wore. Abel kept tryi
ng to steal glances at the oblivious Drummond, which made it hard for him
to hold his weapon level.
"Devi/!" he shrieked when he saw the blood on Drummond's throat. "Ye filthy
devil!" His hatchety face went red with outrage and disgust and fear. The
gun went off. It may have been an accidental firing or not, but he was so u
pset that it spoiled
his aim. The thing roared and the air was clouded with sudden smoke, but the
ball completely missed me. He had one instant to regret it, less than a bli
nk of an eye, and I was upon him.
A clout on the jaw was all that was needed. He was stunned, senseless and
unresisting. I turned on Seth, but he'd backed away, jaw sagging and eyes
popping, too frightened to move. As he watched, I dragged my cloak from hi
s brother's body.
Ash was on his hands and knees and bellowing at Drummond, who looked to b
e waking up. Damnation to them. If I had more time I could have stayed, c
hanged their memories to my advantage, but the dawn was against me. I had
ten minutes, no more and very probably much less. It was hard to tell fo
r the clouds.
I had to get out.
Slogging away from them over the open snow field was the best I could do.
I threw the cloak around my shoulders and pulled it close, grateful for th
e brothers' greed. The only reason I could think why they'd followed out a
fter us was for Seth to lay claim to my boots before his friends dropped t
hem along with my body into the Sound. Abel may have come to try for them
himself one more time, that, or to enjoy the execution.
I walked as quickly as possible, wanting distance between myself and the gr
owing row behind me. Ash's voice rose high over the wind, suffused with ang
er. I looked back once and saw him on his feet, shaking a fist at me. Witho
ut a doubt, he was a dangerous man, but also stupid and incredibly foolish;
I still had the pistol.
A perverse fancy took me. I stopped and turned, arm out in the best dueling
style, my pose and posture unmistakable. He ceased moving, caught between ho
rror and surprise. I pulled the trigger and felt the recoil jolt up my arm.
The thing made a grand roar and I had the satisfaction of seeing Ash and the
others duck in dismay. They weren't injured, I'd aimed just over their head
s, but by the time they found enough courage to look again, they'd not be ab
le to see me. I took that moment as the right time to vanish.
The thought belatedly came that they'd follow my trail. They'd find the disc
arded pistol and my tracks ending in the middle of the field as though I'd v
anished into the air, which, indeed, I had. Well, it was too late now. Let t
hem puzzle it out and be damned.
Glad I was that the wind had died. There was just enough of it now to give me
a direction to push against, which I did with all my strength and will. I sp
ed south and then west toward home, though I had not the faintest possibility
of reaching it in time.
Panic?
Very likely.
There was also the hope that once I'd put enough distance between myself an
d that band of patriotic cutthroats, I could go solid, get my bearings and
find some shelter for the day. All I needed was a shack or barn, someplace
to hide from the approaching sun.
I hurtled forward for as long as I dared, then re-formed. The light was nearl
y blinding. The snow-blanketed fields reflected it, increased it. I shaded my
eyes and searched all around for cover. Nothing, absolutely nothing, present
ed itself.
For want of anything better to do besides stand and gibber with fear, I vani
shed and continued forward. There were some trees in the distance, widely sp
aced and naked of leaves. Probably useless. Faster and faster I went until s
uch senses as were left to me in this form gave me warning that I'd reached
my goal.
This next re-forming was more difficult. The light much worse. My fear all
but choked me. The trees were useless. Even in the high summer with their l
eaves, their shade would not have been sufficient. They were too far apart.
There was no other choice, though. Perhaps my cloak would help ...
Then I noticed that the trees farther on were strangely shortened. My sight
was getting worse, but I was just able to discern that they were not really
short, but were actually the top branches of other trees growing upon much l
ower ground.
The island was pocked here and there with depressions we called kettles bec
ause of their general shape. Rapelji said that they'd been carved out of th
e earth by ancient glaciers. Some were small, others much larger, with name
s to them. I had no name for this one, but immediately dubbed it "haven."
I charged forward, faded somewhat, and launched my partially visible body o
ver the edge. It was quite different from the tumble I'd taken into one as
a child. The landing was much less abrupt.
The high wall of earth on my left blocked the immediate threat of light; the
other wall was not all that far away. The
bottom would be exposed to sun for only a short time during the day. I could
improve that if I yes, there, where the wall bulged out, creating a little
alcove, but to lie as one dead with only a cloak for covering ... I was afra
id Ash and his crew would come hunting and chance upon me while I lay helple
ss.
The snow. It had drifted in here all throughout the winter, deep and undistur
bed.
It might not work.
Oh, but it had to.
I faded completely and sank beneath its unbroken surface, sank until I touc
hed upon the more solid barrier of the frozen ground beneath and there stop
ped. Then gradually, ever so cautiously, I assumed form once more. Not at a
ll easy, but the hard snow gave way to my frantic pushing and I made myself
a kind of burrow. I twisted this way and that, but saw not the least hint
of light. It would do. It would have to, for all my choices had been stolen
away by the dawn.
It was a grave. No other word could describe this kind of darkness or silen
ce. I was acutely conscious of the great weight of the snow above. Had I ne
eded air, I'd have smothered in a very short time. As it was, my mind was i
n danger of smothering from the memory of my first wretched awakening into
this changed life.
And then ... all my worries ceased for the day.
I awoke to utter blackness, immobile from cold, and just disoriented enough
to leap into a kind of groggy alarm. As my last thought had been about my
hated churchyard coffin, I mentally kicked out in a literally blind panic,
instinctively tried to vanish, and did.
By increments.
Bit by bit, I faded, feeling myself going at the extremities first as hands an
d feet, already numb, lost all further bonding with touch. It seeped past my s [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]