Read Online Mirror 04 The Way Between the Worlds by Ian Irvine - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Ian Irvine
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Ghashad racing up the stairs. 'To me!'
Rulke roared, and they ran to his aid with swords and spears. Together they
forced Karan's assailant back through the Wall.
Karan picked herself up, wondering if her ribs were broken. Now only Rulke's
strength held back the things that clawed at the Wall. If he were overcome,
they would pour in until they choked all Santhenar. And she had helped to make
this disaster.
Out of the vent surged other beasts, smaller than the thranx but seeming
equally cunning. They appeared more or less human, though immensely hairy.
They separated, one feinting and slashing at Rulke with unnaturally long arms,
while another sprang up on the construct. A third bailed up the Ghashad on the
other side of the room.
'Lorrsk!' said Rulke. 'And I'm already spent.'
These were not dumb beasts either. The one on top slammed into the seat and
gripped the levers of the construct in a very knowing way, with feet that were
like huge clawed hands. Its bucket-sized mouth grinned at Rulke, flashing many
yellow teeth.
Rulke swung a jagged length of wood at the first lorrsk, clouting it over the
side of the head and sending it sprawling into the rubble. It staggered out,
blood pouring from a gash in its thigh to pool on the floor, then abruptly
flung itself on Rulke and wrestled him to the ground. They rolled over and
over, grunting and groaning. Karan found another billet of
wood and whacked the lorrsk over the head, but it hardly noticed.
The other beast banged the levers forward. The construct groaned, lurched
backwards and sideways, then began to sink down until the lower side was below
the level of the floor. The stone appeared to have softened beneath it. The
lorrsk chittered, flinging the levers opposing ways. The construct bucked and
blurred, seemingly trying to rearrange its component atoms. Molten yellow
gushed out of an aperture at the front, splashing golden on the floor.
Karan had not appreciated how the Forbidding protected them. Fragments of
tales burst in her mind - myths and fairy stories from the distant past. This
was all too horrible! She danced around the wrestling pair like a dervish and,
seeing an opportunity, stabbed the lorrsk in the ear with the jagged end of
her billet. It yelped.
It was the chance Rulke needed. Gaining the upper hand in his wrestling match,
he slammed the lorrsk down on its back. He manipulated something with his
fingers, whereupon the construct bucked. The second lorrsk described an arc in
the air, still holding onto one lever. The construct flung itself upwards. The
lorrsk soared through the air to land on its hairy backside right in the
molten puddle. It screamed so harsh and shrill that Karan had to stop her
ears. An awful smell of burnt hair and charred flesh filled the room. The
lorrsk moved away, its buttocks sweating blood like meat on a hotplate, and
fell through the embrasure.
The other lorrsk flung Rulke on his back, slammed its knee into his belly then
lunged, trying to bite his throat. Karan yelled and pronged it in the ear
again, snapping its head sideways so hard that its teeth jarred. With a
superhuman effort Rulke hurled it off him into the rubble. He staggered to his
feet, wrenched a long jagged beam hanging down from the roof and tried to
spear the creature with it. It yelped, rolled flat head over pointy heels,
ended up near an embrasure and tumbled out head first.
Karan slid to the floor, panting, wrung dry. The broken roof groaned where
Rulke had pulled the beam out. Two of the Ghashad and the third lorrsk lay
dead. Three Ghashad heaved the body out the window while the others tried to
hold the roof from collapsing completely. Rulke flopped on his face, so
exhausted that he could not even stand. I'm free, she thought, if I can hold
off the aftersickness.
Rulke's vacant stare touched her. 'Too. .. hard,' he gasped, scarcely able to
frame the words. 'I was not strong enough.'
'You overreached yourself and
Rulke roared, and they ran to his aid with swords and spears. Together they
forced Karan's assailant back through the Wall.
Karan picked herself up, wondering if her ribs were broken. Now only Rulke's
strength held back the things that clawed at the Wall. If he were overcome,
they would pour in until they choked all Santhenar. And she had helped to make
this disaster.
Out of the vent surged other beasts, smaller than the thranx but seeming
equally cunning. They appeared more or less human, though immensely hairy.
They separated, one feinting and slashing at Rulke with unnaturally long arms,
while another sprang up on the construct. A third bailed up the Ghashad on the
other side of the room.
'Lorrsk!' said Rulke. 'And I'm already spent.'
These were not dumb beasts either. The one on top slammed into the seat and
gripped the levers of the construct in a very knowing way, with feet that were
like huge clawed hands. Its bucket-sized mouth grinned at Rulke, flashing many
yellow teeth.
Rulke swung a jagged length of wood at the first lorrsk, clouting it over the
side of the head and sending it sprawling into the rubble. It staggered out,
blood pouring from a gash in its thigh to pool on the floor, then abruptly
flung itself on Rulke and wrestled him to the ground. They rolled over and
over, grunting and groaning. Karan found another billet of
wood and whacked the lorrsk over the head, but it hardly noticed.
The other beast banged the levers forward. The construct groaned, lurched
backwards and sideways, then began to sink down until the lower side was below
the level of the floor. The stone appeared to have softened beneath it. The
lorrsk chittered, flinging the levers opposing ways. The construct bucked and
blurred, seemingly trying to rearrange its component atoms. Molten yellow
gushed out of an aperture at the front, splashing golden on the floor.
Karan had not appreciated how the Forbidding protected them. Fragments of
tales burst in her mind - myths and fairy stories from the distant past. This
was all too horrible! She danced around the wrestling pair like a dervish and,
seeing an opportunity, stabbed the lorrsk in the ear with the jagged end of
her billet. It yelped.
It was the chance Rulke needed. Gaining the upper hand in his wrestling match,
he slammed the lorrsk down on its back. He manipulated something with his
fingers, whereupon the construct bucked. The second lorrsk described an arc in
the air, still holding onto one lever. The construct flung itself upwards. The
lorrsk soared through the air to land on its hairy backside right in the
molten puddle. It screamed so harsh and shrill that Karan had to stop her
ears. An awful smell of burnt hair and charred flesh filled the room. The
lorrsk moved away, its buttocks sweating blood like meat on a hotplate, and
fell through the embrasure.
The other lorrsk flung Rulke on his back, slammed its knee into his belly then
lunged, trying to bite his throat. Karan yelled and pronged it in the ear
again, snapping its head sideways so hard that its teeth jarred. With a
superhuman effort Rulke hurled it off him into the rubble. He staggered to his
feet, wrenched a long jagged beam hanging down from the roof and tried to
spear the creature with it. It yelped, rolled flat head over pointy heels,
ended up near an embrasure and tumbled out head first.
Karan slid to the floor, panting, wrung dry. The broken roof groaned where
Rulke had pulled the beam out. Two of the Ghashad and the third lorrsk lay
dead. Three Ghashad heaved the body out the window while the others tried to
hold the roof from collapsing completely. Rulke flopped on his face, so
exhausted that he could not even stand. I'm free, she thought, if I can hold
off the aftersickness.
Rulke's vacant stare touched her. 'Too. .. hard,' he gasped, scarcely able to
frame the words. 'I was not strong enough.'
'You overreached yourself and
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