The Menagerie by Martin Day

Author:Martin Day [Day, Martin]
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Tags: Fiction, General, Science Fiction
ISBN: 9780426204497
Publisher: Doctor Who Books
Published: 1995-05-17T07:00:00+00:00

'Did we?'

'Yes. Araboam, for reasons of his own, seemed not to make the connection. But there is a very famous man in our city, a huge hairy great thing. His name is Argaabil, and he works in the Furnace.'

Jamie nodded, carefully testing the sword's blade with his thumb. 'Let's ask him some questions. Perhaps he knows who's been playing tricks on my mind.'

The savannah walker was an elephant-sized creature, covered with short white fur. Large, timorous eyes dominated its broad face. Its huge legs fidgeted with nervous energy.

Like most of the massive animals it was kept in a rough corral towards the edge of the circus. Horses and a number of creatures that Zoe did not recognize paced about apprehensively.

The twins approached the savannah walker and made soothing noises, stroking its pale cheek and inspecting the saddle-like arrangement still fixed in place just behind the animal's shoulders.

It was quieter now. Most of the people seemed to have dispersed, the circus ground resembling a battle field after the armies have moved on. Zoe watched for their pursuer, trying to see if the deadly creature was still tracking them.

'You're not going to sacrifice this poor animal, are you?'

asked Diseaeda, panting from the exertion of the run.

'I have no intention of sacrificing anything,' said Zoe. 'But think for a moment what we know of the creature. It detects its prey by their heat emissions, and kills because it is strong and cunning. It seems to have no concept of technology and intellect. In which case, if its number one priority is self-preservation at the expense of all living things, what would it be most interested in attacking first?'

The strongest creature in the area?' suggested the circus master.

'And how would it tell that if it can't see in the same way as you and I?'

'I don't know,' said the man without really thinking. 'This is hardly the time for a test.'

'It would hunt down and kill the animal with the largest heat signature, thinking it almost certain also to be the strongest,' continued Zoe, unperturbed.

'Thus the savannah walker.'

'That's right. I suspect that the monster followed us for a while, confused by the torch we were carrying, but now it's probably closing in on this enormous animal.'

'So we'd better get out of here,' suggested Raitak.

As she spoke a group of horses towards the edge of the corral began neighing and flicking their feet in fear. Zoe glimpsed a humanoid figure moving towards the animals.

She nodded. 'You're right.'

Diseaeda jumped up on to the walker, gripping its stunted mane in his hands. 'Just about enough room for us all up here.' He reached down and pulled Zoe up on to the beast's broad back. The twins scuttled quickly into position behind her.

Diseaeda snapped the reins and the savannah walker began to move just as their pursuer emerged into the centre of the corral. The horses and other animals scattered, some trying to clear the low fence in their desperation. Behind the monster was the usual collection of twitching, bloody corpses.

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