Read Online Fall of Angels by L. E. Modesitt Jr. - Free Book Online
Authors: L. E. Modesitt Jr.
Tags: Speculative Fiction
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decide to wait a while before taking us on."
"Either that, or they'll all be up here on some sort of holy war against their version of the demons. That's what we probably look like to them."
Nylan laughed.
"What's so funny?"
"We got here because we were fighting the demons, and as soon as we land, we're fighting more demons."
"You think this place was a Rationalist colony?" Ryba's eyebrows knit together.
"How could it be? It's not even in our universe," snapped Gerlich.
"Maybe they got here like we did," suggested Saryn.
"We don't even know how we got here, not for sure," pointed out Nylan. "Or where here even is."
"You obviously have some ideas, O Bright One," snapped Gerlich. "So how do you think we got here?"
"We were at the focus of a lot of energy, more than enough to blow the boards and the Winterlance right out of existence. We're still around, even if it's someplace strange-"
"Are you sure we're just not dead, or imagining things?" asked Ayrlyn.
"The physical sensations seem rather intense for being merely spiritual and mental. . . and I explained the limitations of a net..."
"So you did."
Nylan turned to look fully at the taller man. "So . . . listen. I'll listen to your knowledge. If we don't listen and save every bit of knowledge we have to share, we'll be dead-or our descendants will suffer more than they have to:-or both."
"That assumes we'll live that long," snapped Gerlich.
Ryba's blade flickered again, and the cold steel touched Gerlich's neck. "I'm getting very tired of having to use force to keep you in line, but it seems like that's all you respect."
"Without that blade . .."
Ryba handed the blade to Istril, the small marine. "Hold this."
Gerlich looked puzzled.
"Some people never learn." Ryba's foot lashed out across the bigger man's thigh.
"Missed, bitch." Gerlich charged.
Ryba danced aside, and her hands blurred. Gerlich slammed facefirst into dirt and clover, then scrambled up and took a position, feet wide, hands in guard position.
Ryba feinted with her shoulder, once, twice.
Gerlich did not move.
The captain seemed to duck, then with a sweep kick knocked Gerlich off his feet, although the brown-haired man scrambled and slashed at her arm. Ryba took the arm, and Gerlich went flying into the meadow.
He rose slowly, holding his arm.
"It's only dislocated," snapped Ryba. "I could have broken your worthless neck. So could most of the marines."
"Why didn't you?"
"Because you have some stud value. But I could break both your arms and keep that."
Nylan shivered at the chill in Ryba's voice. He looked up at the unfamiliar stars. They looked very cold, and very distant.
Gerlich slumped and slowly walked forward toward the fire.
"Jaseen, can you snap that back in place?" asked Ryba.
"Yes, ser."
"Do it."
Gerlich sat down on a boulder, while Ryba reclaimed her blade and sheathed it. Nylan glanced across the faces of the twenty-two women-all but the two standing in the rocks as sentries-and then at Gerlich. Things were going to be different. . . very different. He repressed a shudder.
XI
NYLAN LAY ON his side of the couch in the darkness listening to Ryba's soft and even breathing. A faint cold breeze wafted forward from the open lander door, bringing with it the scent of fire smoke and evergreens.
The engineer closed his eyes, then opened them. Less than six hundred rounds of ammunition-that was what stood between them and being captured or killed by the locals. The battle laser might be good for another skirmish, but it wouldn't be much good once the fighting reached the hand-to-hand stage, and that meant a cold decision to wipe out the locals before they even charged the angels.
And after that? The locals wouldn't go away. It might be a few seasons or years before they attacked again, but given human nature, they would. Then what would the angels have left for defense? Ryba had agreed to build a tower, and that meant he had to design one that was simple and
"Either that, or they'll all be up here on some sort of holy war against their version of the demons. That's what we probably look like to them."
Nylan laughed.
"What's so funny?"
"We got here because we were fighting the demons, and as soon as we land, we're fighting more demons."
"You think this place was a Rationalist colony?" Ryba's eyebrows knit together.
"How could it be? It's not even in our universe," snapped Gerlich.
"Maybe they got here like we did," suggested Saryn.
"We don't even know how we got here, not for sure," pointed out Nylan. "Or where here even is."
"You obviously have some ideas, O Bright One," snapped Gerlich. "So how do you think we got here?"
"We were at the focus of a lot of energy, more than enough to blow the boards and the Winterlance right out of existence. We're still around, even if it's someplace strange-"
"Are you sure we're just not dead, or imagining things?" asked Ayrlyn.
"The physical sensations seem rather intense for being merely spiritual and mental. . . and I explained the limitations of a net..."
"So you did."
Nylan turned to look fully at the taller man. "So . . . listen. I'll listen to your knowledge. If we don't listen and save every bit of knowledge we have to share, we'll be dead-or our descendants will suffer more than they have to:-or both."
"That assumes we'll live that long," snapped Gerlich.
Ryba's blade flickered again, and the cold steel touched Gerlich's neck. "I'm getting very tired of having to use force to keep you in line, but it seems like that's all you respect."
"Without that blade . .."
Ryba handed the blade to Istril, the small marine. "Hold this."
Gerlich looked puzzled.
"Some people never learn." Ryba's foot lashed out across the bigger man's thigh.
"Missed, bitch." Gerlich charged.
Ryba danced aside, and her hands blurred. Gerlich slammed facefirst into dirt and clover, then scrambled up and took a position, feet wide, hands in guard position.
Ryba feinted with her shoulder, once, twice.
Gerlich did not move.
The captain seemed to duck, then with a sweep kick knocked Gerlich off his feet, although the brown-haired man scrambled and slashed at her arm. Ryba took the arm, and Gerlich went flying into the meadow.
He rose slowly, holding his arm.
"It's only dislocated," snapped Ryba. "I could have broken your worthless neck. So could most of the marines."
"Why didn't you?"
"Because you have some stud value. But I could break both your arms and keep that."
Nylan shivered at the chill in Ryba's voice. He looked up at the unfamiliar stars. They looked very cold, and very distant.
Gerlich slumped and slowly walked forward toward the fire.
"Jaseen, can you snap that back in place?" asked Ryba.
"Yes, ser."
"Do it."
Gerlich sat down on a boulder, while Ryba reclaimed her blade and sheathed it. Nylan glanced across the faces of the twenty-two women-all but the two standing in the rocks as sentries-and then at Gerlich. Things were going to be different. . . very different. He repressed a shudder.
XI
NYLAN LAY ON his side of the couch in the darkness listening to Ryba's soft and even breathing. A faint cold breeze wafted forward from the open lander door, bringing with it the scent of fire smoke and evergreens.
The engineer closed his eyes, then opened them. Less than six hundred rounds of ammunition-that was what stood between them and being captured or killed by the locals. The battle laser might be good for another skirmish, but it wouldn't be much good once the fighting reached the hand-to-hand stage, and that meant a cold decision to wipe out the locals before they even charged the angels.
And after that? The locals wouldn't go away. It might be a few seasons or years before they attacked again, but given human nature, they would. Then what would the angels have left for defense? Ryba had agreed to build a tower, and that meant he had to design one that was simple and
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