Read Online The Warlock Rock by Christopher Stasheff - Free Book Online
Authors: Christopher Stasheff
Tags: Fiction, General, Science-Fiction, Fantasy, Science Fiction - General, Fiction - Science Fiction, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Fantastic fiction, Rock Music, Gallowglass; Rod (Fictitious character)
Ads: Link
Fess knew he had to be mistaken; the noise of their passage couldn't truly have had an undertone of disappointment. "They have passed! You may come up!"
Four waterspouts erupted with four children inside them, exhaling explosively and gulping air like landed fish. They fell back into the water with cries of relief. Rod and Gwen followed with a little more dignity.
"They were chasing us!" Now that the crisis was over, Geoffrey could afford to be angry. "They truly did chase us!"
"Go rebuke them, then, brother," Magnus said, disgusted.
"Who could have set them on us?" Gregory wondered.
Page 40
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
The four young Gallowglasses were silent, staring at one another.
"We do have a few enemies," Fess admitted.
"And these fireballs, like the rocks, have sprung from one of them!" Geoffrey slapped the water. "Did I not say 'twas an enemy behind it?"
"We do not know that, and… Out of the water !"
"Wherefore?" Geoffrey asked, peering around him. "I see naught to fear."
"Aye," Magnus agreed. "There is naught but those four bumps on the water's surface."
"Those four bumps approach," Cordelia said nervously,
"and there is a log on our other side that doth likewise come nearer!"
"Out!" Gwen snapped, and gave them a head start with telekinesis as Fess explained, "Those are no logs, but giant amphibians! And they are hungry! Quickly, children! Out of the water!" The family shot out like pellets from a blowpipe, looking rather bedraggled; the ladies' brooms were definitely not at their best with soggy straw. The collection of bumps and the log shot toward each other, slammed together, and climbed halfway out of the water, following them in a crescendo of flashing teeth and writhing serpentine bodies. But the huge jaws snapped shut a good yard short of anyone's heels, and the two great lizards fell back on top of each other and lay glaring up at the children.
"Don't just sit there like a bump on a log," the bottom one grumbled, "go get them!"
"I didn't come equipped with wings, fishface!"
" Fishface? Who do you think you're calling fishface, snaketail?"
"What are they, Fess?" Cordelia stared down at them fearfully.
"Why, I do know them!" Magnus said, staring too. "Thou didst show them me in my bestiary—though we have never seen them here, and I had thought them but myths! They are crocodiles from Terra!"
"Very good, Magnus!" Rod said, impressed.
"However," said Fess, "only one is a crocodile. The other is an alligator."
"How canst thou tell?" Gregory demanded.
"The alligator's snout is more rounded at the tip; the crocodile's is more pointed. There are other differences, but those are the most obvious ones."
"They got away," the crocodile groused, glowering up at the children.
"Inflation does it," the alligator answered. "Everything's going up these days—even food." Page 41
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
"Well, it was a nice try." The crocodile sighed, turning away.
"Probably sour children anyway." The alligator turned away, too.
"Well! Such audacity!" Cordelia exclaimed, jamming her fists onto her hips. "I'll have thee know I am quite mmfftfptl !" The last bit of pronunciation was occasioned by the clapping of Magnus's hand over her mouth as he hissed in her ear, "Wilt thou be still! The last we should wish would be to have them think thee sweet and tender!"
Cordelia gave him a murderous glare over the top of his wrist, but held her tongue.
"I'm gonna go hunt up some mud guppies," the crocodile grumped.
"Yeah." The alligator turned away. "Me for some crayfish."
"They'll do in a pinch," the croc agreed. "See you later, alligator."
"With a smile, crocodile."
They swam away, disappearing into the muddy waters of the river.
"Well! Praise Heaven we have survived that!" Cordelia watched the two reptiles depart, still miffed.
"How dare they call me sour!"
"Thou wouldst not wish them to know
Four waterspouts erupted with four children inside them, exhaling explosively and gulping air like landed fish. They fell back into the water with cries of relief. Rod and Gwen followed with a little more dignity.
"They were chasing us!" Now that the crisis was over, Geoffrey could afford to be angry. "They truly did chase us!"
"Go rebuke them, then, brother," Magnus said, disgusted.
"Who could have set them on us?" Gregory wondered.
Page 40
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
The four young Gallowglasses were silent, staring at one another.
"We do have a few enemies," Fess admitted.
"And these fireballs, like the rocks, have sprung from one of them!" Geoffrey slapped the water. "Did I not say 'twas an enemy behind it?"
"We do not know that, and… Out of the water !"
"Wherefore?" Geoffrey asked, peering around him. "I see naught to fear."
"Aye," Magnus agreed. "There is naught but those four bumps on the water's surface."
"Those four bumps approach," Cordelia said nervously,
"and there is a log on our other side that doth likewise come nearer!"
"Out!" Gwen snapped, and gave them a head start with telekinesis as Fess explained, "Those are no logs, but giant amphibians! And they are hungry! Quickly, children! Out of the water!" The family shot out like pellets from a blowpipe, looking rather bedraggled; the ladies' brooms were definitely not at their best with soggy straw. The collection of bumps and the log shot toward each other, slammed together, and climbed halfway out of the water, following them in a crescendo of flashing teeth and writhing serpentine bodies. But the huge jaws snapped shut a good yard short of anyone's heels, and the two great lizards fell back on top of each other and lay glaring up at the children.
"Don't just sit there like a bump on a log," the bottom one grumbled, "go get them!"
"I didn't come equipped with wings, fishface!"
" Fishface? Who do you think you're calling fishface, snaketail?"
"What are they, Fess?" Cordelia stared down at them fearfully.
"Why, I do know them!" Magnus said, staring too. "Thou didst show them me in my bestiary—though we have never seen them here, and I had thought them but myths! They are crocodiles from Terra!"
"Very good, Magnus!" Rod said, impressed.
"However," said Fess, "only one is a crocodile. The other is an alligator."
"How canst thou tell?" Gregory demanded.
"The alligator's snout is more rounded at the tip; the crocodile's is more pointed. There are other differences, but those are the most obvious ones."
"They got away," the crocodile groused, glowering up at the children.
"Inflation does it," the alligator answered. "Everything's going up these days—even food." Page 41
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
"Well, it was a nice try." The crocodile sighed, turning away.
"Probably sour children anyway." The alligator turned away, too.
"Well! Such audacity!" Cordelia exclaimed, jamming her fists onto her hips. "I'll have thee know I am quite mmfftfptl !" The last bit of pronunciation was occasioned by the clapping of Magnus's hand over her mouth as he hissed in her ear, "Wilt thou be still! The last we should wish would be to have them think thee sweet and tender!"
Cordelia gave him a murderous glare over the top of his wrist, but held her tongue.
"I'm gonna go hunt up some mud guppies," the crocodile grumped.
"Yeah." The alligator turned away. "Me for some crayfish."
"They'll do in a pinch," the croc agreed. "See you later, alligator."
"With a smile, crocodile."
They swam away, disappearing into the muddy waters of the river.
"Well! Praise Heaven we have survived that!" Cordelia watched the two reptiles depart, still miffed.
"How dare they call me sour!"
"Thou wouldst not wish them to know
Similar Books
