The Douglas Convolution by Edward Llewellyn

Author:Edward Llewellyn [Llewellyn, Edward]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, General, Science Fiction
ISBN: 9780879974954
Publisher: DAW
Published: 1979-01-02T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

Selene

The dome was quiet. Padron sat talking to his lieutenants, the others split into small groups. The castrates moved silently between them, pouring wine. The horsemen drank moderately and slowly. A druj, guarding us, shivered.

I looked up and saw its eyes roll back, its nostrils flare, an animal scenting danger. Then I smelled it too—leaf-smoke, from somewhere outside the dome. The druj around us began to shift uneasily. I tensed myself for sudden action and my back muscles, against Jan's knees, alerted him. He put his hand on my shoulder, an affectionate pat which told me he understood.

Outside a horse whinnyed; there was a jingle of harness and a stamping of hooves. A horseman picked up his helmet and crop and strolled out. I heard him shouting at the druj. Then there was a sudden uproar; neighing horses, the bray of a mule, the high yelp of a druj. Our guards began to tremble.

The horseman burst back into the dome. "The zombs— they've got the brush on fire!"

Padron led a rush for the door, then checked and swung on me. "By the Bull's balls, if you've harmed the horses—"

"I have used no magic," I said.

He hesitated. A gout of smoke billowed into the dome. He shouted, "Hold them!" at our guards, and was gone through the door.

The druj who had grabbed us were giving little jumps, like tethered animals starting to panic. I began to walk slowly toward the doorway and Jan followed. Our guards moved ahead of us, as though we were stakes they had pulled up but to which they were still tied. We let them lead us out into the night The cut spoil was ablaze upwind of the dome and the fire was spreading between the piles.

The crackling of burning branches rose to a roar, along with the shouts of the horsemen, the screams of the horses, and the thunder of motors as the gevs were backed down the road. Their movement jerked out the power cables and the dome lights went off, but the whole encampment was lit by the leaping flames and the brilliant moon above.

The horsemen were turning the panicky druj, dividing them into parties to beat at the burning brush, to fetch extinguishers from the gevs, into bucket brigades to bring water from the creek. Padron, calming Satan, shouted to Axe, "Hog-tie those two!"

Axe hit Jan from behind, knocking him forward onto the ground, putting a pistol at his head. "Keep still! Both of you!" He yelled at the guards to tie us up.

Padron slipped the snap from Satan's halter and started to lead the stallion away. A pile of brushwood flared high. The druj cowered, their hands over their faces. A storm of sparks swept over us and against Satan's flanks. The stallion bucked, Padron tried to mount, the loose girth slipped and he fell. The loss of his master's touch sent the horse frantic. He reared, hooves lashing. Then he wheeled and went charging away across the encampment, scattering horsemen and druj.

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