The Warrior Sheep Go West by Christopher Russell

Author:Christopher Russell
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc.
Published: 2011-10-26T04:00:00+00:00

14

The Meadows

Sitting on the back seat of the bus, heading for Las Vegas, the Warrior Sheep were thinking of only one thing: Red Tongue.

“We’re gonna have to be cunning, right,” Links was saying. “He must be quick on his feet the way he keeps movin’. Brute force won’t be enough.”

“Will be when I catch him,” growled Oxo.

Jaycey yawned. “What do you think, Wills?”

But for once Wills couldn’t offer guidance. Exhausted by his efforts in getting them this far, he’d fallen asleep.

“Such a lambkin,” sniffed Jaycey.

But very soon she was nodding too. And so were the others. The bus drove steadily through the desert with its load of dozing people and sheep. The sun set and stars began to twinkle in the dark night sky.

High above them, a plane began its descent into Las Vegas airport.

***

“Wakey-wakey, folks,” was the next thing the sheep heard. “Welcome to Las Vegas! Wakey-wakey!”

The warriors followed the human passengers to the front of the bus and waited their turn to get off. The driver was in mid-yawn when he noticed them. He finally shut his mouth then opened it again, blinking as he did so.

“When did you guys get on?” he demanded.

But the sheep were already jumping down from the bus into a hot Las Vegas night.

The sky was darkest blue-black, but everywhere lights blazed and danced and twinkled. The bus had stopped in the main street, outside the biggest building the warriors had ever seen. Except maybe for the building next door to it. Every building on the street was enormous and they were all pulsing with colored lights and neon signs. Fountains sent jets of water almost as high as the buildings themselves, and thousands of people surged in and out of the open doorways. The warriors stood in a cluster, staring around, bewildered.

Jaycey was the first to speak. “Ohmygrass…it’s…it’s fleecetastic…”

Oxo was less impressed. He’d woken up looking forward to a quick snack.

“Funny kind of meadows,” he grunted. “I can’t see a blade of grass anywhere.”

Just then the ground beneath his hooves began to move. The sheep looked down. They were standing on a silvery metal strip that stretched from the pavement to the nearest huge building. And it was indeed moving, drawing them slowly past slanting glass walls toward an enormous doorway.

“Whoa, man,” cried Links. “Where we goin’?”

Wills looked up at the glittering sign above the doorway and read aloud as they glided beneath it.

“Hotel English Meadows.”

A huge fountain in the center of the reception lobby shot jets of purple and green water high into the air. Gentle music played and slot machines around the walls jingled and flashed. The space was filled with people: visitors with suitcases, coming and going, waiters dressed like shepherds, carrying trays of food, musicians in old-fashioned costumes, playing flutes, and girls in long skirts and bonnets, handing out flowers.

“Well, at least it’s nice and cool,” said Sal, thankfully.

Jaycey sighed again, starry-eyed. “It’s just…”

“Fleecetastic,” grunted Oxo. “You already told us.”

He’d just tried a nibble of the grass-green floor and discovered it was made of plastic.

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