Awake in the Night Land by John C. Wright

Author:John C. Wright
Language: eng
Format: mobi, azw3, epub
Publisher: Castalia House
Published: 2014-04-10T05:00:00+00:00

86.

Where the Pyramid base corners, the White Circle is near the Pyramid. But I had crossed where the Pyramid is seen straight on, and the arch of the Circle is at its farthest point. The distance was hard to judge, for the base of the Pyramid is dark, and a skirt of shadow surrounds it, because no lanterns shine from the lowest half mile.

Mingled with the sound of the Millions amid the tumult of joy and cheering, I heard the chanting of Dracaina’s name.

The Last Redoubt had seen the bravery of the beast; mankind had watched her stand loyally by her master for so many months, and save my brother from despoliation, and me from terrible swift Destruction.

That chanting astonished me. For me to hear it, over such a distance, meant that tens of thousands, whole cities of folk, were in unison applauding the Night-Hound.

Surely they were now convinced of the wisdom of my brother’s plan. If not Dracaina, then some Night-Hound in the next fifty years, or the next five hundred, would be brought inside the armor, and raised as a loyal servant of Man, as the dogs in my brother’s dreams once were. The nature of Man is lonely, to live in the Last Redoubt, with nothing but butterflies and ladybugs for companionship. Could there be some primeval urge, a love between man and beast, which even the countless aeons of the Night could not entirely blot out?

I tugged on the neck-bristles and long leathery ears of Dracaina, urging her to slow and stop, now that the danger was past. But she did not stop. She ran toward the Pyramid swiftly.

“We’re safe! We’re safe!” I yelled into her ear. “The gate is yonder; I will tell them to let you in. There will be food and light and clear air for us, and surely Polynices will come back to life again! Surely he must!”

A shivering, shuddering overcame the noble beast. I felt a tumult in the aether.

She turned swiftly and reared up on her hind legs.

Draego, the other beast, the male, was there, racing toward us, growling in hate, bristling and yammering as he came.

The Circle had parted for him. I had spoken in haste, and had not said Dracaina’s name. The Hound of my brother, I said. He was one such as well.

Draego came leaping across the rocks, his hairs flattened by the wind of his swiftness. His eyes blazed like lanterns, and his jaws were as wide as a well, if a well had many concentric rows teeth. In a moment he was upon us.

Snarling and screaming, rearing, Dracaina stumbled backward, overbalanced. I clung to the body of my brother, and, by some quick reflex, severed the straps holding him to Dracaina’s hairy back with a stroke of my Diskos. The blade glanced off her shoulder-bone, drawing blood, but either the weapon energy was weak, or my invitation to cross the Circle had granted certain immunities, or the spirit in the blade recognized her loyalty to Polynices and wished not to slay her.

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