Weighty footsteps sounded just over the hill, along with a deep-throated growl. Then a ferocious saurian head appeared above the line of the hilltop, its fiery eyes sweeping the field below. The rest of the monster came into view as it topped the rise. At least twenty feet tall, it vaguely resembled a Tyrannosaurus rex, but differed chiefly by virtue of its fully prehensile, thickly muscled upper limbs, at the ends of which sprouted huge curving talons. Its eyes glowed like yellow beacons, and faint red flames shot from its mouth as it took each whistling breath.
“On second thought,” Incarnadine said.
They dashed off in opposite directions, both heading for woods on either side. The monster swung its gaze between them, pondering which quarry would make the tastiest morsel.
Then it made its decision and sprang forward to give chase.
Twenty-six
Castle
They found more dead Bluefaces everywhere they went. Blue corpses littered the rooms and corridors, lay like butchered meat in the great halls and stairwells. They marveled at the slaughter, surprised to be feeling a tinge of pity. It seemed certain that none of the invaders were left alive. If any had survived, they were likely in hiding or had beat a hasty retreat back to their world.
“Serves ’em right, I guess,” Gene said.
“They didn’t have to kill all of them,” Linda said.
“Yeah, but who are ‘they’?”
“Good fighters,” Snowclaw commented.
Gene whistled. “Sure are. That means we’re in a worse situation than we were with these guys.”
“Same difference,” Linda said. “Both ways, we’re out of the castle.”
“I don’t know,” Gene said as he bent to inspect a charred and blackened corpse. “Incarnadine and his Guard might have been able to take the castle back from the Bluefaces. But against whoever or whatever did this, I’m a little pessimistic of their chances. Very pessimistic, actually.”
They walked on a little farther, coming into a large empty dining hall. A few more dismembered cadavers lay about.
“We’d better find a good aspect fast,” Gene said, keeping his voice low. “I think this is the King’s Hall. Isn’t it?”
“Looks like. That means we’re near the Guest areas,” Linda said. “But I don’t see a darn thing.”
“Let’s get the hell away from here and back into the wild regions.”
“But we need a stable aspect.”
“I think it’s boiling down to this — we’re going to have to pick the least objectionable wild aspect we can find and make the best of it. I really think the castle is a lost cause.”
Linda’s face fell. “I suppose you’re right.”
“But before we do that, we have to make sure that this carnageisn’t the work of the King and his Guardsmen.”
“Do you think there’s a chance?” Sheila asked.
“No. But we have to be absolutely positive before we exile ourselves again.”
“We might be better off back in the jungle,” Linda said. “If it weren’t for Snowy not being able to take the heat.”
“Linda’s right,” Snowclaw said. “Don’t put yourselves in danger on my account. Go back to that place. With Sheila along, you’ll be able to get back into the castle anytime you like. I’ll stay here and scout around.”
“I can’t take the heat, either,” Gene said. “Sorry, Snowclaw, that’s real noble of you, but I’m not going to leave you here alone.”
“Remember,” Snowclaw said, “I have a stable aspect to slip into anytime I want.”
Gene laughed. “I thought you said you couldn’t make it back in the real world?”
“Well, maybe I did, and maybe I can’t. But it’s no big thing one way or the other. Actually I never really —”
Snowy was silenced by a horrible, blood-chilling yell that seemed to echo throughout the castle. They all stopped, stunned by the sound of it.
It took a few moments before any of them could speak. “My God,” Linda whispered, her face gone a bit gray. “Gene, what was it?”
“Uh … I hope I never find out. This way.”
Gene led them down a short hallway that made an L to the left. After peeking around the corner, he beckoned to his companions, and they followed him up another short corridor, passing a stairwell.
The horrible yowl came again, and this time it seemed to boom from around the corner ahead. They hastily backtracked and took the stairwell, which led up. But more strange cries assailed their ears up on the next floor, so they climbed six more flights until the sounds diminished.
Linda gasped, “Think … think we’re safe?”
“I dunno,” Gene said, a little out of breath.
More bellowing came to their ears, but from a distance.
“Maybe,” Gene said. “Whatever that is, I do not want to meet up with it.”
“You mean with them,” Sheila said. “It sounds like there are hundreds of them, all over.”
“I don’t want to think about that today,” Gene said airily. “After all, tomorrow is another day. I think.” He slapped himself on the face. “Shut up, you’re babbling.”
“I’m going nuts, too,” Linda said. “Gene, I’m scared. I want to get out of here.”
“Righto! We’ll take the first portal.” He looked around and gave a sardonic grunt. “Wouldn’t you know, when you need one of the goddamn things, suddenly everything’s normal. Like Sunday in the park.”
Sheila began, “I think … ” Then she trailed off.
They waited. Then Gene said, “What is it, Sheila?”
Sheila closed her eyes, holding her breath. She held it for a good fifteen seconds. Then she breathed out and opened her eyes, looking disappointed. “Thought I had it. For a second there, anyway.”
“Keep working on it. I’m for heading that way, folks, but if anyone has a better idea, I believe in democracy and the principle of one man, one vote. Or one being, one vote.”
Everyone accepted Gene’s autocracy and followed him down the dim corridor. They crept along, wary of every shadow, Sheila hanging on to a tuft of Snowy’s fur.
Gene saw something ahead and stopped, holding out a hand. A strange, hulking shadow lay across the floor, the thing it shadowed obviously standing just around the corner. The thing, whatever it was, stood motionless.
They flattened against the wall and froze. Sheila could hear her heart banging against her sternum like some wild frightened thing. She felt only numbness and an overwhelming sense that they would never get out of the castle alive. This was it; this was the end of her life. And she could not bring herself to be frightened.
Silence hung like a boulder precariously balanced. Then a rumbling murmur came from around the corner. It rose in pitch to become something far removed from a human voice yet somehow akin to it, eventually turning into an evil chuckling, a mocking laugh.
Then the form stepped out from behind the corner. The eyes of it were evil, and held them all. It raised its fiery sword.
Linda screamed. Gene’s hand went to his sword but he had trouble pulling it free, as if his arm had suddenly turned to rubber.
Snowy charged past and engaged the thing. Metal clashed and sparks flew. Snowy exchanged a few strokes with it before the blade of his longsword snapped in two, singing its distress as it glanced off the wall and clattered to the floor. The demon swung viciously and Snowy jumped, doing two quick backward somersaults before rolling to his feet. A long diagonal line of singed fur ran across his chest, wisps of smoke rising from it.
“Run, everybody!” Snowy yelled.
They needed no coaxing. Sheila ran as fast as she had ever run in her life, even passing up Snowclaw. A demonic howl came at their backs and sped them on.