[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
She waited for him to return the compliment. Instead, he said, "Love is what makes a lover. I did love
you. Did."
He walked away from her along the edge of the shore. He looked back from time to time. She was
following him at a distance of twenty feet. Now and then, the earth sank beneath his feet. He stopped for
her to catch up with him and said, "There must be many caves on the bottom. How can Theotormon be
called out?"
"He can't. There are many caves, yes. Sometimes a whole group of bladders die, either from disease,
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old age, or from being eaten by a fish which finds them tasty. Then caverns exist for a while, al-though
they're eventually filled up by new growths."
Wolff filed this information away for possible use. If things went too badly, a man could always take
refuge under the island. Vala must have guessed what he was thinking-a gift he had found irritat-ing when
they had been mates-and she said, "I wouldn't go under there. The water swarms with man-eaters."
"How does Theotormon survive?"
"I don't know. Maybe he's too fast and strong for the fish. After all, he's adapted for that kind of life-if
you want to call it a life."
Wolff decided that he would have to give up on Theotormon. He walked back into the jungle with Vala
close behind. By now he per-mitted her to be at his back. She needed him too much to kill him.
He had gone only a few yards when he was knocked down from behind. At first, he thought that she
had leaped upon him. He rolled away from her, trying to draw his beamer from its holster at the same
time. He saw then that she had been propelled into him by another. The huge glistening wet body of
Theotormon was flying at him. The bulk came flat down on him, and his breath was knocked out by the
impact of 400 pounds. Then Theotormon was sitting on top of him and striking savagely at his face with
the flippers. The first blow knocked him half-unconscious; the second drove him into darkness.
V
Although he had no recollection of the few seconds after his senses had dissolved, he must not have
been entirely unconscious. He had gotten his two arms out from under the pinning mass and seized the
flippers. Slippery as they were, he managed to keep a grip on them. He regained full consciousness just
as he yanked savagely on them, so strongly that Theotormon shrieked with pain and half-rose. That was
enough for Wolff. He shoved against the bulging paunch and thrust himself partly free. He bent his free
right leg and kicked. Now it was Theotormon's turn to gasp for breath.
Wolff rose to his feet and kicked hard again, his shoe driving into the weakest part of the monster, his
head. Theotormon, caught on the forehead, slumped back. Wolff kicked him in the jaw and then
half-buried another kick in the paunch. Theotormon, the moss-green eyes glazed, fell back, his legs
doubled under him.
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Yet he was not out, and when Wolff advanced on him to finish his work, Theotormon kicked with a
huge foot. Wolff caught the foot and so denied its full impact, but he was shoved backwards.
Theotor-mon arose, crouched, and leaped again. Wolff also leaped forward, his right knee driving
upward. It caught Theotormon on his chin, and both fell to the ground again. Wolff scrambled up, felt for
his beamer, and found it was not in his holster. His brother also rose. They faced each other at a distance
of six feet, both breathing heav-ily and just becoming aware of the pain of the blows they had taken.
Wolff's natural strength had been increased twofold by artificial means, and his bones had been
toughened, without being made brit-tle, to match the muscular strength. However, all Lords had
under-gone the same treatment, so that when they engaged in physical combat among themselves, the
original strength was, relatively, the same. Theotormon's body had been reshaped by Urizen, and he
outweighed his brother by at least one hundred and sixty pounds. Apparently, Urizen had not increased
Theotormon's power by much, since Wolff had been able to match him so far. Weight meant much in a
fight, though, and it was this that Wolff had to watch for. He must not give Theotormon another chance to
use it.
Theotormon, his wind having returned, growled, "I will batter you into unconsciousness again, Jadawin.
And then I will carry you into the sea, dive into a cavern, and hold you while my pets eat you alive."
Wolff looked around. Vala was standing to one side and smiling very curiously. He did not waste his
breath or time asking for her aid. He charged Theotormon, leaped high into the air, and kicked out with
both feet. His brother had frozen for a second at the unex-pected attack, then he ducked. Wolff had
hoped that he would. He kicked low, but Theotormon was very fast. Wolff's shoes came down hard on
his back, the shoes slipped on the wet back, and Wolff skidded down the back. He whirled even as he
shot off Theotormon. The monster turned and leaped, expecting, or hoping to find Wolff flat on his back.
Instead, he was caught by another kick in the jaw.
This tune, Theotormon did not get up. His dark seal fur red with blood from a torn lip and gashed jaw
and mashed nose, he lay breathing noisily. Wolff kicked him several times in the ribs to make sure he
stayed down.
Vala applauded Wolff and said, "Well done. You are the man I once loved-still love."
"And why didn't you help me?" he said.
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"You didn't need it. I knew you'd knock that bag of blubber out of his pinhead-mind." [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl chiara76.opx.pl
She waited for him to return the compliment. Instead, he said, "Love is what makes a lover. I did love
you. Did."
He walked away from her along the edge of the shore. He looked back from time to time. She was
following him at a distance of twenty feet. Now and then, the earth sank beneath his feet. He stopped for
her to catch up with him and said, "There must be many caves on the bottom. How can Theotormon be
called out?"
"He can't. There are many caves, yes. Sometimes a whole group of bladders die, either from disease,
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
old age, or from being eaten by a fish which finds them tasty. Then caverns exist for a while, al-though
they're eventually filled up by new growths."
Wolff filed this information away for possible use. If things went too badly, a man could always take
refuge under the island. Vala must have guessed what he was thinking-a gift he had found irritat-ing when
they had been mates-and she said, "I wouldn't go under there. The water swarms with man-eaters."
"How does Theotormon survive?"
"I don't know. Maybe he's too fast and strong for the fish. After all, he's adapted for that kind of life-if
you want to call it a life."
Wolff decided that he would have to give up on Theotormon. He walked back into the jungle with Vala
close behind. By now he per-mitted her to be at his back. She needed him too much to kill him.
He had gone only a few yards when he was knocked down from behind. At first, he thought that she
had leaped upon him. He rolled away from her, trying to draw his beamer from its holster at the same
time. He saw then that she had been propelled into him by another. The huge glistening wet body of
Theotormon was flying at him. The bulk came flat down on him, and his breath was knocked out by the
impact of 400 pounds. Then Theotormon was sitting on top of him and striking savagely at his face with
the flippers. The first blow knocked him half-unconscious; the second drove him into darkness.
V
Although he had no recollection of the few seconds after his senses had dissolved, he must not have
been entirely unconscious. He had gotten his two arms out from under the pinning mass and seized the
flippers. Slippery as they were, he managed to keep a grip on them. He regained full consciousness just
as he yanked savagely on them, so strongly that Theotormon shrieked with pain and half-rose. That was
enough for Wolff. He shoved against the bulging paunch and thrust himself partly free. He bent his free
right leg and kicked. Now it was Theotormon's turn to gasp for breath.
Wolff rose to his feet and kicked hard again, his shoe driving into the weakest part of the monster, his
head. Theotormon, caught on the forehead, slumped back. Wolff kicked him in the jaw and then
half-buried another kick in the paunch. Theotormon, the moss-green eyes glazed, fell back, his legs
doubled under him.
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
Yet he was not out, and when Wolff advanced on him to finish his work, Theotormon kicked with a
huge foot. Wolff caught the foot and so denied its full impact, but he was shoved backwards.
Theotor-mon arose, crouched, and leaped again. Wolff also leaped forward, his right knee driving
upward. It caught Theotormon on his chin, and both fell to the ground again. Wolff scrambled up, felt for
his beamer, and found it was not in his holster. His brother also rose. They faced each other at a distance
of six feet, both breathing heav-ily and just becoming aware of the pain of the blows they had taken.
Wolff's natural strength had been increased twofold by artificial means, and his bones had been
toughened, without being made brit-tle, to match the muscular strength. However, all Lords had
under-gone the same treatment, so that when they engaged in physical combat among themselves, the
original strength was, relatively, the same. Theotormon's body had been reshaped by Urizen, and he
outweighed his brother by at least one hundred and sixty pounds. Apparently, Urizen had not increased
Theotormon's power by much, since Wolff had been able to match him so far. Weight meant much in a
fight, though, and it was this that Wolff had to watch for. He must not give Theotormon another chance to
use it.
Theotormon, his wind having returned, growled, "I will batter you into unconsciousness again, Jadawin.
And then I will carry you into the sea, dive into a cavern, and hold you while my pets eat you alive."
Wolff looked around. Vala was standing to one side and smiling very curiously. He did not waste his
breath or time asking for her aid. He charged Theotormon, leaped high into the air, and kicked out with
both feet. His brother had frozen for a second at the unex-pected attack, then he ducked. Wolff had
hoped that he would. He kicked low, but Theotormon was very fast. Wolff's shoes came down hard on
his back, the shoes slipped on the wet back, and Wolff skidded down the back. He whirled even as he
shot off Theotormon. The monster turned and leaped, expecting, or hoping to find Wolff flat on his back.
Instead, he was caught by another kick in the jaw.
This tune, Theotormon did not get up. His dark seal fur red with blood from a torn lip and gashed jaw
and mashed nose, he lay breathing noisily. Wolff kicked him several times in the ribs to make sure he
stayed down.
Vala applauded Wolff and said, "Well done. You are the man I once loved-still love."
"And why didn't you help me?" he said.
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"You didn't need it. I knew you'd knock that bag of blubber out of his pinhead-mind." [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]