Read Online Doom's Break by Christopher Rowley - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Christopher Rowley
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enjoying the triumph. He was still there when General Polluk came up looking very concerned.
"What is it, General?"
"Very strange report, sir. On our new front, the men report seeing some enormous animal in the woods ahead of them."
"What?"
"Yes, sir. It's green and brown and very big. That's what they're telling me."
"Have you seen this thing?"
"No, not yet, but I'm going up to the front now."
"I'm coming with you."
Heuze was determined to see this "animal," or whatever it was, himself.
Was this why there were so few monkeys around? Were they being devoured by some monstrous beast?
The terrain was hard for Heuze here, very broken up with rocks, roots, and hollows. At one point they had to cross a deep gulley with steep walls, and Heuze had to accept a little help from Combliss, but he was well past complaints about that. His stump was sore and his back hurt from the unaccustomed exercise.
They emerged out of the mist into a meadow that was almost completely clear. Men were lined up here by companies. Their officers were gathered in a group, arguing.
Polluk, with Heuze just behind, hurried up to this group.
"Where is this 'animal'?" snapped Polluk.
"Over there, sir." Several lieutenants raised their arms together.
Polluk and Heuze studied the far side of the clearing. There was nothing to be seen but trees.
"You're sure it's over there?" asked Heuze suspiciously. He half suspected the men of malingering. The fog was spooky, and these forests terrified the men. They had fought two campaigns on this land and lost them both. A lot of former comrades were buried in this alien ground.
"We all saw something, sir," said one captain. "We just don't know what we saw."
"It's a beast, I tell you," said another captain. "Lieutenant Grees and I both saw it at the same time. Must be thirty feet long, with the tail. Huge eyes."
"Then where is it?"
They stared across at the wall of trees some fifty yards distant. No "beast" was showing itself right then.
"I see no beast," said Heuze.
"We did see it, sir. Everyone saw something."
"Well, are there monkeys over there?" grumbled Heuze. "Why don't we press on and see what they're getting up to? It's best if we keep the initiative."
The officers hemmed and hawed for a moment or two and then dispersed to their companies. Orders were given for the advance to be continued. Drums beat, and they stepped out into the clearing.
Suddenly, in the trees at the far side, they all saw the huge head poke out from between two massive trees. Behind it slithered a neck ten feet long. The eyes of the monster were the size of dinner plates. It opened a mouth that could easily take a man in a single bite.
The companies ground to a halt.
Heuze stared, muttered an oath, and took a step back. "What in the name of the Great God is that?"
It disappeared again. The woods ahead loomed dark and ominous. Polluk's eyes had grown huge. "A snake? A huge snake?"
Heuze knew there were some gigantic serpents, mostly on the tropical isles, but he'd never heard of anything that large.
"I'd have sworn it was a dragon, but those are strictly creatures of legend."
"So I've always believed, sir." Polluk's voice shook a little.
Heuze realized how ridiculous it looked. A thousand men standing irresolute in the meadow between the trees.
"Goddamn it! Attack! I don't care what it is—if it's alive, we can kill it. Archers! Prepare to take it down if it shows itself again."
The admiral's angry words broke the spell. But the men were still uncertain. The orders went out, the drums beat, and they set off again but at a noticeably slower pace.
They had taken five strides when the head appeared once more, this time about a hundred paces to the left of the previous spot. The huge head slid out of concealment and then rose just like a serpent's might.
The men quailed and came to a halt.
The head rose up, swung from side to side as if it were studying them, sizing them up for its next meal.
Officers shouted at
"What is it, General?"
"Very strange report, sir. On our new front, the men report seeing some enormous animal in the woods ahead of them."
"What?"
"Yes, sir. It's green and brown and very big. That's what they're telling me."
"Have you seen this thing?"
"No, not yet, but I'm going up to the front now."
"I'm coming with you."
Heuze was determined to see this "animal," or whatever it was, himself.
Was this why there were so few monkeys around? Were they being devoured by some monstrous beast?
The terrain was hard for Heuze here, very broken up with rocks, roots, and hollows. At one point they had to cross a deep gulley with steep walls, and Heuze had to accept a little help from Combliss, but he was well past complaints about that. His stump was sore and his back hurt from the unaccustomed exercise.
They emerged out of the mist into a meadow that was almost completely clear. Men were lined up here by companies. Their officers were gathered in a group, arguing.
Polluk, with Heuze just behind, hurried up to this group.
"Where is this 'animal'?" snapped Polluk.
"Over there, sir." Several lieutenants raised their arms together.
Polluk and Heuze studied the far side of the clearing. There was nothing to be seen but trees.
"You're sure it's over there?" asked Heuze suspiciously. He half suspected the men of malingering. The fog was spooky, and these forests terrified the men. They had fought two campaigns on this land and lost them both. A lot of former comrades were buried in this alien ground.
"We all saw something, sir," said one captain. "We just don't know what we saw."
"It's a beast, I tell you," said another captain. "Lieutenant Grees and I both saw it at the same time. Must be thirty feet long, with the tail. Huge eyes."
"Then where is it?"
They stared across at the wall of trees some fifty yards distant. No "beast" was showing itself right then.
"I see no beast," said Heuze.
"We did see it, sir. Everyone saw something."
"Well, are there monkeys over there?" grumbled Heuze. "Why don't we press on and see what they're getting up to? It's best if we keep the initiative."
The officers hemmed and hawed for a moment or two and then dispersed to their companies. Orders were given for the advance to be continued. Drums beat, and they stepped out into the clearing.
Suddenly, in the trees at the far side, they all saw the huge head poke out from between two massive trees. Behind it slithered a neck ten feet long. The eyes of the monster were the size of dinner plates. It opened a mouth that could easily take a man in a single bite.
The companies ground to a halt.
Heuze stared, muttered an oath, and took a step back. "What in the name of the Great God is that?"
It disappeared again. The woods ahead loomed dark and ominous. Polluk's eyes had grown huge. "A snake? A huge snake?"
Heuze knew there were some gigantic serpents, mostly on the tropical isles, but he'd never heard of anything that large.
"I'd have sworn it was a dragon, but those are strictly creatures of legend."
"So I've always believed, sir." Polluk's voice shook a little.
Heuze realized how ridiculous it looked. A thousand men standing irresolute in the meadow between the trees.
"Goddamn it! Attack! I don't care what it is—if it's alive, we can kill it. Archers! Prepare to take it down if it shows itself again."
The admiral's angry words broke the spell. But the men were still uncertain. The orders went out, the drums beat, and they set off again but at a noticeably slower pace.
They had taken five strides when the head appeared once more, this time about a hundred paces to the left of the previous spot. The huge head slid out of concealment and then rose just like a serpent's might.
The men quailed and came to a halt.
The head rose up, swung from side to side as if it were studying them, sizing them up for its next meal.
Officers shouted at
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