THRESHOLD OF ETERNITY by John Brunner

Author:John Brunner [Brunner, John]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

It was getting dark, but the three remaining Croceraunians were keeping a stern look-out. The noise of Red’s awkward arrival brought one of them sharply to his feet, and after he had looked round and seen nothing, he ordered one of his companions to scout the sound.

Nothing could have been more convenient. Red’s club rose and fell on the back of the man’s neck the moment he was hidden from the others.

And a howl filled the air. A jet aircraft diving…!

There was the sound of rapid explosions, and the ship over them staggered, exactly like a man who has had a blow. Red’s goggles had slipped a little, and he was amazed to look up and find that he could see the retreating plane quite clearly through the ship without them. The magnitude of the technical achievement shook him.

Another plane dived, and another, and the two surviving Croceraunians raised small weapons and fired on it with no effect, of course, for they were hitting the screens of the hovering ship. Red found a stone and threw it to one side, distracting their attention; with a gesture to Chantal, he rose and ran down the slope.

But tiredness slowed them both, and at the sound of their feet the barbarians swung round. It was very nearly dark now, and they obviously felt prepared to take on opponents they couldn’t see. He thought for a horrible instant that Chantal had been hit, but she had only stumbled, and then he was on his own man in a tangle of arms and legs.

The man was strong, and an able fighter, but the moment he realised he could not see his antagonist he faltered long enough to let Red club him.

Rising, Red looked round for Chantal. She had been less lucky; her man, who had an air of authority, had set his jaw grimly and was throwing punches by guesswork—she had knocked his weapon flying with her club. One of them connected just as a further blast of cannon shells hammered on the ship above, and Chantal staggered back. At the same moment a Russian sniper found that the Croceraunian, who was of course not screened, was visible to him, and a bullet whined off a rock into the air.

Still backing, Chantal’s foot found the outstretched leg of a man who had been lying on the ground since before the struggle started. She fell to the earth.

The Croceraunian’s next blow found only air; off balance, he too lost his footing, and Red was on top of him. In a moment, he was ready to be hauled aboard the ship with the rest of his war party, leaving only corpses marked with Russian bullets behind. An explanation would be found for them—somehow.

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