Read Online The Inquisitives [2] Night of Long Shadows by Paul Crilley - Free Book Online Page B

hammer over the side and grabbed hold of the hull with his other hand. He pulled himself up and flopped over the side, landing on his back. Cutter heard the driver shouting something from up front, but couldn’t hear what he was saying. Nothing complimentary, that was sure.
    He pushed himself up against the side of the coach and stared at two young men who were regarding him from their padded seats with looks of irritation.
    “Did you see that?”
    “I did. No consideration. None at all. He made me spill my wine. You.” One of the men prodded Cutter with his foot-a foot shod in a silk slipper. “How dare you jump into our coach like that. Have you no manners?”
    “Of course he doesn’t. Look at him. He’s a brute.”
    “Mmm. Quite tasty though, don’t you think?”
    “I suppose … in a
vulgar
kind of way. If that’s your thing.”
    “Oh, definitely.
If
that’s your thing.”
    Cutter sat up. “One more word from either of you and you’re over the side.”
    “What’s going on back there?” shouted the driver, trying to see over his shoulder and control the coach at the same time.
    Cutter ignored him and got to his knees, looking back at the rooftop.
    The warforged was dropping through the air straight for him.
    Cutter cursed and rolled backward. He pushed the driver aside and grabbed hold of the controls. He yanked them to his chest, pulling the coach into a steep climb.
    He almost made it. The warforged slammed into the side of the coach as it climbed upward. The vehicle shuddered, but Cutter managed to hold it steady. He turned and searched frantically for his hammer. It lay at the feet of the two men. Cutter dived for it, but as soon as he released the controls, the warforged’s weight tilted the coach to the side. He rolled with the movement, banging his head against a seat. He saw the driver tumble over the edge of the coach. Cutter hoped he had a feather fall charm on him. His hammer slid along the deck toward his face. His hand shot out to stop it from breaking his nose, and he grabbed hold of the seat to help him to his feet. The warforged was trying to pull itself into the coach, but it had no leverage now that it was listing so far to the side.
    The hammer slid along the deck toward Cutter’s face. His hand shot out to stop it from breaking his nose, and he grabbed hold of the seat to pull himself to his feet. The warforged was trying to pull itself into the coach, but it had no leverage with the vehicle listing so far to the side.
    Cutter looked frantically for a means of escape. An idea came to him, in the form of the huge tower looming large before him. He took the controls and directed the coach upward, trying to keep it at the same angle so the warforged couldn’t climb in.
    Open balconies revealed rooms and shops in the side of the tower, but that wasn’t what he was looking for.
    As he rose into the mist, he saw it—a bridge that entered awide opening in the tower and tunneled inside.
    “You!” he called one of the men. “Yes you, you idiot. If you don’t want to die, listen to me carefully. When I jump, grab hold of these controls and hold them tight. Understand?”
    “What?” The man looked terrified. “What is that warforged doing?”
    Cutter saw glowing white eyes rise over the edge of the coach. Khyber, he swore silently. He had no choice. Now or never.
    “Grab the controls!” he shouted. Cutter jumped, kicking the levers forward so the coach dropped nose first into a dive.
    The warforged reached out to grab hold of him but was too late. Cutter hit a balcony railing chest first, the breath exploding from his lungs. He couldn’t breathe, let alone hold on. His fingers slipped and he fell backward from the railing.
    He closed his eyes, waiting for the back-breaking impact, but it didn’t come. He forced his eyes open, looking to the side. Nothing was moving. He looked the other way and saw a man with a wand pointed at him. He lowered it and Cutter floated gently to the