Read Online Quest Beyond Time by Tony Morphett - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Tony Morphett
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YOBBIES?
When daylight came they were still on the river. Mike was steering the boat, allowing the current to take it toward its mouth, and Katrin was curled up, asleep.
As they drifted down the river into the first light before dawn, Mike was amazed at the abundance of bird life on the water. He had never seen anything like it. Clean air, clean water and a small human population had allowed the birds to breed hugely. As the sun came up he watched a flight of black swans, skimming like great darts across the sky, and then from another direction came the halting flight and the high cries of a band of flying foxes heading back toward their daylight camp.
He let Katrin sleep, as the sun rose, striking toward them up the river, and then decided that he needed an expert opinion on what new horrors they would be running into if they just kept drifting like this.
He picked up a skewer of meat, and then reached out with his other hand and tapped Katrin on the arm.
As she woke, her hand went to the hilt of her shortsword, and it was halfway out of the scabbard before she saw Mike and smiled.
The smile warmed him more than the morning sun did. She did not often smile, and when she did it was usually over something that for him had no connexion with humour or pleasure.
He handed her the skewer of meat. ‘Breakfast.’
She began to eat, hungrily. Her eyes scanned the terrain they were drifting through. ‘We’ll have to get off the river soon.’
‘I thought the whole point was to steal a boat.’
‘And it’s helped a lot. Saved us maybe a day. But the River Yobbies control this stretch.’
‘But we got away!’ Mike was proud of how they had stolen the boat from those four monsters and got away with it. It was one of the most exciting things he had ever done.
‘We’re going into their territory. Not away from it.’
‘Into their territory.’ This was like a bad dream.
She nodded, pleased that he had understood the point. ‘Their territory ends about where they were camped on the ford. The good thing is, we’ve got that party’s boat and they can’t have raised the alarm yet.’
‘They could get there by foot.’
‘Not at night. Not fast enough.’
Mike found that thought very comforting. He began to eat meat from his skewer. Then something made him look toward the northern riverbank.
What he saw there caused him to choke. He pointed, but Katrin was already looking.
The river was passing through open country, and two River Yobbies, both of them awfully familiar, were galloping along on horses. It appeared to be more than a social ride. They were shouting and gesticulating at Mike and Katrin as if they wanted to have a conversation. Mike got the impression that the conversation could turn out to be either slow and painful, or quick and violent. Whichever form the conversation took, he did not wish to be there when it happened.
‘I don’t understand this!’ Katrin seemed puzzled.
‘I understand it. They want their boat back.’
‘They can’t ride horses!’
‘What?’
‘It’s a well known fact that River Yobbies can’t ride horses!’
‘No one seems to have told them that!’ Mike had grabbed the oars and was intending to row to the southern bank and start running.
Then Katrin pointed to the southern bank. Two more River Yobbies, recognizable as the other half of the team they had stolen the boat from, were riding along the other bank.
Mike changed plans fast. He guided them into the central channel of the river and rowed hard. The horses easily kept pace with them. ‘Any ideas?’ he said.
As if in answer to his question, one of the Yobbies yelled out that he intended to slice them into pieces.
‘Keep your foul tongue still or I’ll feed it to my dog!’ Katrin replied to him.
‘Don’t. . . get them upset,’ Mike said.
‘The man I will skin and tan for my floor!’ the Yobby went on.
Mike decided to negotiate before Katrin made things any worse. ‘Can’t we discuss this in
When daylight came they were still on the river. Mike was steering the boat, allowing the current to take it toward its mouth, and Katrin was curled up, asleep.
As they drifted down the river into the first light before dawn, Mike was amazed at the abundance of bird life on the water. He had never seen anything like it. Clean air, clean water and a small human population had allowed the birds to breed hugely. As the sun came up he watched a flight of black swans, skimming like great darts across the sky, and then from another direction came the halting flight and the high cries of a band of flying foxes heading back toward their daylight camp.
He let Katrin sleep, as the sun rose, striking toward them up the river, and then decided that he needed an expert opinion on what new horrors they would be running into if they just kept drifting like this.
He picked up a skewer of meat, and then reached out with his other hand and tapped Katrin on the arm.
As she woke, her hand went to the hilt of her shortsword, and it was halfway out of the scabbard before she saw Mike and smiled.
The smile warmed him more than the morning sun did. She did not often smile, and when she did it was usually over something that for him had no connexion with humour or pleasure.
He handed her the skewer of meat. ‘Breakfast.’
She began to eat, hungrily. Her eyes scanned the terrain they were drifting through. ‘We’ll have to get off the river soon.’
‘I thought the whole point was to steal a boat.’
‘And it’s helped a lot. Saved us maybe a day. But the River Yobbies control this stretch.’
‘But we got away!’ Mike was proud of how they had stolen the boat from those four monsters and got away with it. It was one of the most exciting things he had ever done.
‘We’re going into their territory. Not away from it.’
‘Into their territory.’ This was like a bad dream.
She nodded, pleased that he had understood the point. ‘Their territory ends about where they were camped on the ford. The good thing is, we’ve got that party’s boat and they can’t have raised the alarm yet.’
‘They could get there by foot.’
‘Not at night. Not fast enough.’
Mike found that thought very comforting. He began to eat meat from his skewer. Then something made him look toward the northern riverbank.
What he saw there caused him to choke. He pointed, but Katrin was already looking.
The river was passing through open country, and two River Yobbies, both of them awfully familiar, were galloping along on horses. It appeared to be more than a social ride. They were shouting and gesticulating at Mike and Katrin as if they wanted to have a conversation. Mike got the impression that the conversation could turn out to be either slow and painful, or quick and violent. Whichever form the conversation took, he did not wish to be there when it happened.
‘I don’t understand this!’ Katrin seemed puzzled.
‘I understand it. They want their boat back.’
‘They can’t ride horses!’
‘What?’
‘It’s a well known fact that River Yobbies can’t ride horses!’
‘No one seems to have told them that!’ Mike had grabbed the oars and was intending to row to the southern bank and start running.
Then Katrin pointed to the southern bank. Two more River Yobbies, recognizable as the other half of the team they had stolen the boat from, were riding along the other bank.
Mike changed plans fast. He guided them into the central channel of the river and rowed hard. The horses easily kept pace with them. ‘Any ideas?’ he said.
As if in answer to his question, one of the Yobbies yelled out that he intended to slice them into pieces.
‘Keep your foul tongue still or I’ll feed it to my dog!’ Katrin replied to him.
‘Don’t. . . get them upset,’ Mike said.
‘The man I will skin and tan for my floor!’ the Yobby went on.
Mike decided to negotiate before Katrin made things any worse. ‘Can’t we discuss this in
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