Read Online The League of Doorways (A Book of Vampires, Werewolves & Black Magic) (The Doorways Trilogy - Book Two) by Tim O'Rourke - Free Book Online
Authors: Tim O'Rourke
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breath. He willed himself to stay still, to not move an inch, as he heard those freaky cops marching towards him in the dark. If they had been prepared to murder the hermit for scavenging without permission, what would they do to Zachary and his friends should they be discovered? Bom’s heart slammed away beneath his metal breastplate. Neanna’s heart made a ‘boom-boom’ sound in her ears. It was so loud, she was convinced that they would hear its bloody beat.
As they marched closer to the rocks, Zach released the catch on his holster and drew one of his crossbows. Zach’s left arm was pressed against Bom and he could feel him trembling. Zach couldn’t hear a sound from Faraday, not even his breathing. But then again, did he breathe like the rest of them, Zach wondered. Was he dependent on lungfuls of oxygen to stay alive? Wasn’t he a machine after all?
The freaky cops’ footfalls stopped suddenly, as the sound of rustling could be heard a few feet from where Zach and his friends lay. Torchlight suddenly lit up the ground, only inches from Zach’s head. The light from their torches swept quickly by Zach and his friends, and then stopped.
“It’s just a desert rat,” one of them said , wheezing behind his respirator.
“Are you sure?” asked one of the others.
“It’s gone now.”
There was silence for a moment. Then, “Let’s keep moving.”
Zach continued to lay in the dark behind the rocks. He listened as they mounted the strange tiger-bikes. The sound of the bikes firing up was like a pack of tigers roaring in the night. Then they were gone, the noise of their metal paws bounding away into the dark.
Faraday got to his feet and peered about. Feeling secure that the immediate area was free from danger, he said, “Let’s go.”
Without any hesitation, the others got to their feet and followed him out from behind the rocks. Neanna headed over to the hermit who lay lifelessly on the ground, his face covered with sand, which blew across the floor of the desert.
Then looking back at Faraday, Neanna said, “You’re a doctor, right?”
Faraday just nodded his head.
“See what you can do to help this man, Faraday,” she said.
Faraday knelt down beside the hermit, and taking hold of the hermit’s bony wrist, he felt for a pulse.
“Is he dead?” Zach asked, peering over Faraday’s shoulder.
“No, he still has a faint pulse,” Faraday replied without a hint of emotion in his voice. He then reached into one of his coat pockets and rummaged around. After some searching, he produced a silver-looking object, which looked similar to a thimble. Faraday brushed the dust and sand from the man’s narrow chest, and then pulled the stake from the wound that pumped blood in a thick, black stream. He held it up to reveal that the metal tip of the stake was still lodged in the hermit’s chest. Faraday then placed the silver-looking thimble thing onto the hermit’s naked chest, covering the wound. Then, to Zach’s wonder and disbelief, the thimble-thing sprouted four little metal talons, two on either side. The thimble then began to spin round as it bored its way into the wound. Zach and the others watched as it disappeared into the hermit’s chest and out of sight. Zach glanced at William , who looked completely stunned.
“What’s that ?” Zach asked Faraday in amazement.
“It’s called a surgery-spider,” he said back.
“A surgery-spider?” William woofed.
Then glancing back at Zach, Faraday said, “It’s similar to the keyhole surgery procedures they carry out on the sick on your side of the doorways. It painlessly enters the body and removes tumors, foreign objects…”
“Like the tip of a stake?” Zach breathed in wonder.
“Exactly…and then it repairs any damage to tissue,” Faraday explained.
“Will he survive then?” William was desperate to know.
“Maybe…but then again, maybe not,” Faraday replied, as he studied his patient. “It all depends how much damage
As they marched closer to the rocks, Zach released the catch on his holster and drew one of his crossbows. Zach’s left arm was pressed against Bom and he could feel him trembling. Zach couldn’t hear a sound from Faraday, not even his breathing. But then again, did he breathe like the rest of them, Zach wondered. Was he dependent on lungfuls of oxygen to stay alive? Wasn’t he a machine after all?
The freaky cops’ footfalls stopped suddenly, as the sound of rustling could be heard a few feet from where Zach and his friends lay. Torchlight suddenly lit up the ground, only inches from Zach’s head. The light from their torches swept quickly by Zach and his friends, and then stopped.
“It’s just a desert rat,” one of them said , wheezing behind his respirator.
“Are you sure?” asked one of the others.
“It’s gone now.”
There was silence for a moment. Then, “Let’s keep moving.”
Zach continued to lay in the dark behind the rocks. He listened as they mounted the strange tiger-bikes. The sound of the bikes firing up was like a pack of tigers roaring in the night. Then they were gone, the noise of their metal paws bounding away into the dark.
Faraday got to his feet and peered about. Feeling secure that the immediate area was free from danger, he said, “Let’s go.”
Without any hesitation, the others got to their feet and followed him out from behind the rocks. Neanna headed over to the hermit who lay lifelessly on the ground, his face covered with sand, which blew across the floor of the desert.
Then looking back at Faraday, Neanna said, “You’re a doctor, right?”
Faraday just nodded his head.
“See what you can do to help this man, Faraday,” she said.
Faraday knelt down beside the hermit, and taking hold of the hermit’s bony wrist, he felt for a pulse.
“Is he dead?” Zach asked, peering over Faraday’s shoulder.
“No, he still has a faint pulse,” Faraday replied without a hint of emotion in his voice. He then reached into one of his coat pockets and rummaged around. After some searching, he produced a silver-looking object, which looked similar to a thimble. Faraday brushed the dust and sand from the man’s narrow chest, and then pulled the stake from the wound that pumped blood in a thick, black stream. He held it up to reveal that the metal tip of the stake was still lodged in the hermit’s chest. Faraday then placed the silver-looking thimble thing onto the hermit’s naked chest, covering the wound. Then, to Zach’s wonder and disbelief, the thimble-thing sprouted four little metal talons, two on either side. The thimble then began to spin round as it bored its way into the wound. Zach and the others watched as it disappeared into the hermit’s chest and out of sight. Zach glanced at William , who looked completely stunned.
“What’s that ?” Zach asked Faraday in amazement.
“It’s called a surgery-spider,” he said back.
“A surgery-spider?” William woofed.
Then glancing back at Zach, Faraday said, “It’s similar to the keyhole surgery procedures they carry out on the sick on your side of the doorways. It painlessly enters the body and removes tumors, foreign objects…”
“Like the tip of a stake?” Zach breathed in wonder.
“Exactly…and then it repairs any damage to tissue,” Faraday explained.
“Will he survive then?” William was desperate to know.
“Maybe…but then again, maybe not,” Faraday replied, as he studied his patient. “It all depends how much damage
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