Bruce Balfour by Prometheus Road

Author:Prometheus Road
Language: eng
Format: mobi, pdf
Published: 2012-02-08T23:09:14+00:00

Tempest raised an eyebrow. “Why is that?”

“We have accepted you as one of us. Tomorrow, you must demonstrate your loyalty.”

9

AFTERa meager dinner of dried meat and other unidentifiable things that Magnus pulled out of his backpack, Tom hunted around for a safe place to sleep inside the rotting hulk of the battleship. Armed with a flashlight, he snooped through the small gray rooms, fascinated by the almost decorative patterns of rust on the metal walls. As he walked the narrow corridors, stepping through watertight hatchways, his hollow footsteps were accompanied by the constant sound of creaking, punctuated by the gurgling and sloshing of water in the lower decks, and he finally decided that he’d feel safer sleeping beneath the stars on the gun deck. Out in the open air, he tried to find a comfortable spot on the bumpy plates, but none of the surfaces were smooth, so he couldn’t go to sleep. He enjoyed the cool breeze, but he was still worried about the possible return of the deadly fog. He took off his shirt and used it for a pillow, but that left his back bare against the cold metal. Would it make any difference if the fog returned while his shirt was off, or while he was asleep? Were there other creatures of the elements out there that might sneak up on a sleeping person and eat them? He decided that there were too many things he didn’t understand, and that worried him. If he wasn’t so exhausted from hiking all day, he’d give up and try to stay awake all night. He sat up and looked overhead at the three massive gun barrels silhouetted in the moonlight, thinking maybe he could hide inside one of those, when his thoughts were interrupted by Helix.

“Try to relax,” Helix said, sniffing the air. “You smell tired.”

Tom’s eyes widened as he looked down at the little dog in his lap, who stared up at him with a concerned expression. Tom didn’t like the possibilities in this situation: Either he was going crazy and hearing voices in his head, or his dog had learned how to talk.

“I’ll protect you,” Helix said. “Get some sleep.”

Now Tom was really worried. The dog’s mouth wasn’t moving, and Tom seemed to be hearing the rough, low-pitched voice inside his head. The dog’s words came in short bursts, almost as if he were barking. Tom jumped to his feet, dumping Helix on the deck in the process. Helix didn’t seem to mind; he lay down on his stomach in a sphinx pose and tipped his head, looking up at Tom. “I smell fear. I hope I didn’t cause that. Have you got food?”

“Are you hungry? You had dinner,” Tom said before he realized he was answering the dog. Or was it his dog, he wondered? Had some fog or wind creature taken over Helix’s body?

Helix wagged his tail. “I just like to eat.”

Tom displayed his empty hands, reassured by Helix’s familiar interest in food. “Sorry. I feel like I should reward you for speaking.

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