[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
hundred miles," Tulana said dejectedly, coming up to hover by
Mark's side. "He always does that just when we really get going. We'll never
catch him now."
"Thank the gods," Mark said, in an awestruck whisper.
"Yeah, damn the bastards." Tulana's disappointment was obvious. "Well, let's
get back to the ship, rescue our people, and tow the dead one in." Without
waiting for a reply, the prince dropped and swept across the ocean surface to
where ladultas were busy picking up the survivors of the wrecked launch.
"What a fight. Best time of my life!" Shigeru cried, rising from the spray.
Ikawa cut a path from the wrecked catamaran to draw up alongside Mark. "It's a
miracle no one got killed. A lot of broken bones, but those ladultas picked up
every man."
"Goldberg--anyone see him?" Mark called out.
"Back on the ship already," Leti announced, swinging in to join the group.
Saito, coming up from the wrecked launch, was the last to rally.
"How's your ladulta?" Mark asked.
"Broken fin and some cracked ribs," the sergeant said with tears in his eyes.
"I fell off and he went back in to save me and got hit by a fluke. They're
taking him to the healers in Tulana's city. Damn, those creatures are grand."
His comment was met with a chorus of agreement.
"You know," Leti announced with a smile, "Tulana's been fighting with Naga for
the last two hundred years. If he ever actually killed him, I think he'd be
secretly heartbroken."
Incredulous, Mark looked over at her.
"I think it's sport for both of them," she explained, shaking her head.
"Well, next time," Walker said quietly, "I'll stay home and listen to the game
on the radio."
"It's been great, come back soon," Tulana roared, staggering under the effect
of an all-night drinking bout.
Mark looked around at his companions. More than one of them was leaning over
the side of
Cloud
Dancer, gasping in the cool early morning light.
"Christ, Mark, do we gotta fly?" Walker begged, his face a pale shade of
green.
"It'll clear our heads," Mark said evenly, not really believing his own words.
His nausea was not helped by what was going on astern. The massive bulk of the
Cresus they had killed the afternoon before was hooked to the stern by a
cable, so that the vessel had barely crawled halfway back to the floating
island during the night.
Hundreds of ladultas surged around the half-submerged corpse in a wild frenzy
of feeding, their calls counterpointing the feasting aboard ship. To Mark's
amazement, he had discovered that the ladulta loved beer, and he had shared an
uncounted number of flagons with Sul, to the point that the two had babbled
telepathic endearments of undying friendship.
For the ladulta this was the grand payoff. A hated enemy was dead, there'd be
food enough for weeks, and in return they'd help their surface friends by
herding fish into nets and bringing up zah from the bottom.
In celebration, the ladulta of Tulana had called in their neighbors from
several hundred miles around to join in the festival, so that the ocean was
awash in blood, Cresus meat, beer, ladultas swarming about and tearing off
hunks of meat with their razor-sharp teeth. It was a party Mark knew he would
forever remember with either fondness or disgust--he wasn't quite sure which.
Page 92
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
"Time to be off," Leti announced. The transport sorcerers, who had sat out the
battle at the city and flew out after the fun was over, nodded their good-byes
to Tulana and lifted into the air with Vena, who seemed anything but pleased
with Imada's condition. With teetotalers' disdain for their less disciplined
companions, the sorcerers quietly grinned at each other.
"All right, I hate these damn good-byes," Tulana growled, casting his eyes
over the group.
"Shigeru, anytime you want to come out for a good hunt, you're my honored
guest."
"With pleasure, my lord," Shigeru slurred happily as Tulana slapped him on the
back. Ignoring propriety, Shigeru slapped the prince in return, so that Tulana
staggered and broke out into a delighted grin.
"You're all welcome back, and maybe we'll kill that bastard for sure!" Tulana
roared. "Why, by my hairy jewels, it was the best hunt in years!"
"So long, you beautiful wench." Reaching out, he grabbed Leti's backside and
squeezed. Playfully, she slapped him across the face and finally he let go.
Ikawa, still uncomfortable with the attention Tulana had been showering on his
lover, tried unsuccessfully to force a smile.
"He actually took the crystal back all by himself?" Tulana asked, looking at
Ikawa.
Leti put her arm around Ikawa and smiled at her lover with an admiring gaze.
"Then maybe I'll be your nephew, too," Tulana shouted with a grin, and gave
Ikawa a bear hug.
"Now get the hell out of here. I think I'm going to throw up again and I don't
like my guests to see it."
"There's some other good-byes to attend to first," Mark said.
Tulana smiled indulgently. "Yeah, they do grow on you. If ever you need their
help, just let me know."
Turning, Tulana staggered away, bellowing an obscene chanty which was quickly
picked up by the crew.
Mark leaped over the side of the ship and his companions followed. The cool
water felt good and he found it cleared his head somewhat. He let his
shielding down so the water soaked through his garments to rinse out the after
effects of the feast, then switched the shield back up again.
"Sul, Sul."
A ladulta darted past him, homing in on Shigeru who, bumbling out a string of
endearments, embraced his companion.
"Still drunk like me," Sul's thoughts whispered through Mark's mind.
Turning about, Mark saw his friend hovering in the water before him.
"I came to say good-bye," Mark whispered.
The ladulta drew closer and nuzzled him like an overgrown puppy.
"We good battle team, good friends. You come again we swim together, I show
you my world. You need me, I come, anywhere ocean flow."
Mark reached out and gave him an affectionate embrace.
"You need me, I always come to help," Mark replied.
Sul hiccuped and rolled his eyes.
"Try Cresus meat with me. We make room for you beside body."
"Some other time," Mark groaned. He found it strange to hear laughter echoing
through his mind.
Sul spun around him in a tight arc, his tail gently brushing across Mark's
chest, then the ladulta darted away.
Mark rose from the water and saw his companions forming up, looking at each
other sheepishly.
"Well damn it, they're like underwater Tals, like damn puppies," Goldberg
sniffled.
"All right, let's get going," Mark growled, trying to hide his emotions.
Cursing and groaning, the group lifted into the air and winged over the
Cresus, which was surrounded by ladulta still gorging themselves, while others
Page 93
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
floated lazily alongside, their bellies distended.
"Lord, what a stink!" Walker said, wrinkling his nose.
"My ladulta said they really love it when it's aged for a couple of weeks,"
Goldberg rejoined.
Walker, leaning over, lost what little breakfast he had vainly struggled to
hold, to the delighted hoots of the ladulta circling below.
"Do you really expect me to believe this?" Patrice yelled. The messenger
cowered. "Your ladyship, I am only reporting the information sent back from
Asmara. It's already been crosschecked with another source. She is traveling
with the group, and by now she's halfway across the ocean, with little or no
hope of breaking free."
"Get out of here," Patrice snapped.
The messenger, bowing low, scurried out of the room without looking back.
"Damn them," Patrice snarled, slamming her fist on the table before her.
I've got to get control, she kept trying to tell herself. She could feel the
spasmodic trembling of her hands, knowing that the terrible stress was finally
taking its toll.
How am I going to break this to Gorgon?
The thought made her stomach turn into knots. Already he was roaring about the
damage done to his realms, the ever increasing pressure of Jartan, and the
fact that so far he had borne all the burden of the struggle.
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]