Carson of Venus: The Edge of All Worlds (Edgar Rice Burroughs Universe) by Carey Christopher Paul & Betts Matt

Author:Carey, Christopher Paul & Betts, Matt [Carey, Christopher Paul]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc.
Published: 2020-04-21T00:00:00+00:00

12

Forest Fight

We scattered again in the wake of another blast from the machine. Some ran for the cover of rocks and others for the safety of the trees. While I recognized the latter as members of the same enormous species common to most Amtorian forests, these must have been mere saplings, as they rose only a thousand feet into the air and were not quite a hundred feet in diameter. On closer inspection, I decided that they were probably members of a variant species, for unlike the mature colossi with which I was familiar, their branches ran up the trunk almost from the base.

As I settled behind a boulder, I heard shouts. Duh-nee and the others were pleading with Haln to stop. I peeked from cover to see the giant warrior running alone toward the massive, towering machine, swinging her huge sword over her head as she charged. The lanjotar was still some distance away, leaving plenty of time for the Linneaun gunners to get their sights on her.

I could spy several warriors on top of the machine, much as they were when I first encountered one of their tanks. I lifted my r-ray rifle and fired off a few shots. I didn’t have a good angle and my targets were still quite far away, so my shots went wide. I needed a better vantage point, so I examined a tree nearby. The branches were low enough and sufficiently close together that I felt confident I could climb up until I was nearly level with the machine’s upper deck.

As another explosion sent dirt and debris into the air nearby, I shouted to Duare and Ero Shan, who had found shelter a few yards away. “Stay there while I get a better shot!” I ran to the tree and gripped a limb.

“Be careful!” Duare cried, but I was already making my way up the tree.

The tree’s branches were spaced exceptionally well for climbing. As I neared my target area, I found a long, thick branch that allowed me to swing to the next tree, which would serve as an even better roost to get a shot at the Linneauns.

I lost sight of Haln and the tank as they dipped into a small valley and out of my sight. Below me, Ero Shan, Duare, and Nalte took the opportunity to move closer to the machine’s path and find better cover. I saw our new companion, Breemak, preening his injured wing and chewing on some weeds, looking for all the world like a spectator in a sporting match, as he craned his neck to watch the action from behind a large rock.

The enormous tree I had chosen for safety and a good line of sight shook at the approach of the lanjotar. It swayed enough that I feared I might be dislodged, but I clung to the thick, sturdy limb and managed to hold on.

Within moments, the members of my little group were treated to their first look at a mighty Linneaun lanjotar. The craft was just as huge as I’d remembered, boxy with enormous treads on either side.

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