Warlock - The Warlock Enraged Part 4

Then both her arms snapped out straight, fingers point- ing-The rabbits leaped together, melded, coalesced, me- tamorphosed-and a lion, wolf, and bear whirled about, to turn on Rod.

He howled in rage and glee as the blood-haze enfolded him again, obscuring all but the monsters. They were re- lease; they were justification for las.h.i.+ng out with his power.

He would blast them; then his path would be clear, to smear the woman over the meadow gra.s.s.

The wolf was gaunt, with eyes of fire, impossibly huge.

The bear, shambling upright, had a human face; and the lion's mane was flame, its teeth and claws were steel.

Rod hauled on the reins and Fess dug in his hooves, throwing his weight back, plowing up the meadow in his halt, as Rod rose in the stirrups, stiffened arm spearing out.

The wolf exploded.

Rod's head pivoted deliberately.

The lion's mane expanded, flame sweeping out to en- velop its body. But the beast didn't seem to notice; it bounded on toward Rod, roaring.

Rod's eyebrows drew down, his brow furrowing.

The lion's head whipped around in a full turn and whirled spinning away. Fess sidestepped, and the body hurtled on by, to collapse in a writhing heap.

Rod pivoted toward the bear, his sword hissing out of its sheath; then the beast was on him. A great paw slammed against the side of Rod's head. For a moment, he was loose in s.p.a.ce, the blackness shot with tiny sparks; then the earth slammed into his back, and his insides knotted, driving the breath out of him. But the blood-haze still filled his sight; he saw Fess rearing up to slam forehooves into the bear's shoulder. It stumbled, but came on, manlike face contorted in a snarl.

Rod clenched his jaw, waiting for breath, and glared at his sword-blade. Flame shot down its tip, billowing outward as though it were a blowtorch with a three-foot blast.

The bear halted, and backed away, snarling.

27.

Rod's diaphragm unkinked, and he drew a labored breath, then thrust himself to his feet, staggering toward the bear.

It threw itself on him with a roar.

He swung aside, squinting against pain, glaring at it. It flared like magnesium; but it had barely begun its death- howl when its fires flickered, guttered, and went out. Where it had stood, only ashes sifted to the ground.

Rod stood alone in the darkness, swaying, as the haze that filled him darkened, faded, and retreated back within him. He began to realize that a breeze was blowing...

Fire.

He'd left a burning corpse. The breeze could spread that flame over all the meadow, and into the woods.

He swung toward the remains of the lion-and saw Gregory floating near it, ten feet away, staring at the charred hulk. Even as Rod watched, bits of it were breaking loose, and moving off through the meadow gra.s.s. He turned toward the bear, and saw Geoffrey turning it into a herd of toy horses, which galloped toward the wood.

"We cannot leave such large ma.s.ses of witch-moss whole,"

Gwen's voice said softly behind him, "or the first old aunt, telling of a frightful tale, will bring it up unwittingly, in some horrible guise."

"No." The last of the anger ebbed, and remorse rushed in to fill its place. Rod spoke roughly to counter it. "Of course you couldn't. What happened to the witch?"

"She fled," Gwen said simply.

Rod nodded. "You couldn't follow her."

"We could not leave thee here, to fight unaided." Cordelia clung to her mother, watching her father out of huge eyes.

"No." Rod turned to watch his two youngest dismember the remains of what had been horrors. "On the other hand, if I hadn't stayed to fight them, you could've just taken them apart, and still had time to follow her."

Gwen didn't answer.

"Where's Magnus?" Rod sighed.

"He did follow the witch," Cordelia answered.

Air blew outward with a bang, and Magnus stood beside them. Rod usually found his sons' appearances and disap- pearances unnerving, but somehow, now, it seemed remote, inconsequential. "She got away?"

28 Magnus bowed his head. "She fled into the forest, and I could no longer see her from the air."

Rod nodded. "And it would've been foolish for you to try to follow low enough for her to get at you. Of course, if I'd been following on Fess, it would've been another matter."

n.o.body answered.

He sighed. "How about her thoughts?"

"They ceased."

Gwen stared down at Magnus. "Ceased?" She looked up, eyes losing focus for a few seconds; then her gaze cleared, and she nodded affirmation. " "Tis even as he saith.

But how... ?"

"Why not?" Rod shrugged. "I was telephathically invis- ible for years, remember? Sooner or later, somebody was bound to learn how to do that whenever they wanted."

"My lord," Gwen said softly, "I think there is more dan- ger in these Northern witches, than we had thought."

Rod nodded. "And, at a guess, they're better mind read- ers than we gave them credit for-'cause they certainly knew we were coming."

Gwen was silent, digesting that.

Rod shrugged, irritably. "Oh, sure, it's possible this one sorceress has a hatred for tinkers, especially when they come in families-but, somehow, I doubt that. Conjuring up a Black Annis for the average wanderer is a bit elaborate, No, they've spotted us."

He straightened his shoulders and clapped his hands. "All right, so much for our night's adventure! Everybody back to bed."

The children looked up, appalled.

"Don't worry, Mommy'11 give you a sleep spell." Gwen's lullabies were effective projective telepathy; when she sang, "Sleep, my child," they really did.

"My lord," Gwen said softly, "if they do know of our presence..."

"We'd better post sentries. Yes." Rod sat down cross- legged. "I'll take first watch. I haven't been sleeping well lately, anyway."

29.

When the night noises prevailed again, and the only child-sound was deep and even breathing. Rod said softly, "They're being very good about it-but the fact is, I blew it."

"But it is distinctly improbable that you could have caught the projective, in any event," Fess's voice answered him.

"Banished her, certainly-possibly even destroyed her, though that certainly would have been quite dangerous. But attempting to immobilize an esper, without killing her, would be ten times more dangerous."

Rod frowned. "Come to think of it, why didn't she just hop the next broomstick?" He had a sudden, vivid vision of Gwen in an aerial dogfight, and shuddered.

"Why leave her caravan, if she did not have to?" Fess countered.

Rod winced. "That hurts-that my rage hamstringed things so much that she didn't even have to strain to get away!"

"Still, that is only a blow to your pride," Fess reminded him. "The object was accomplished; the danger was ban- ished."

"Only temporarily," Rod growled, "and the next time, it might banish us, if I let my rage block off my brain again."

"That is possible," Fess admitted. "And the danger must be considered greater, now that there is reason to believe the enemy knows your ident.i.ties and direction."

"And can guess our purpose," Rod finished. "Yes, we can be sure they'll attack again, and as soon as possible.

... Fess?"

"Yes, Rod?"

"Think it's time yet to send Gwen and the kids home?"

The robot was silent for a moment; then he answered, "a.n.a.lysis of available data does not indicate a degree of danger with which your family, as a unit, cannot cope."

"Thank Heaven," Rod sighed. "I don't think they'd be very easy to send home, just now."

"Your children have become intrigued."

"Children, my eye! It's Gwen I'm worried about-her dander's up!"

Fess was silent.

T.

30 Rod frowned at the lack of response; then his mouth tightened. "All right, what am I missing?"

The robot hesitated, then answered, "I don't think they trust you out alone. Rod."

3.

"We're getting pretty close to the Romanov border now, aren't we?"

"Aye, my lord. 'Tis mayhap a day's journey further."

Gwen was holding up bravely, but she did seem tired.

Rod frowned. "Look-they know we're coming; there's no point in keeping our disguise. Why're we still walking?"

"To save fright. Papa," Gregory looked down at his fa- ther, from his seat on Fess's pack. "If the good peasant folk see us flying north, they would surely take alarm."

Rod stared at his youngest for a moment, then turned to Gwen. "How old did you say he was? Three, going on what?"

But Gwen frowned suddenly, and held up a hand. "Hist!"

Rod frowned back. "The same to you."

"Nay, nay, my lord! 'Tis danger! Good folk come, but flee toward us in full terror!"

Rod's face went neutral. "What's chasing them?"

Gwen shook her head. "I cannot tell. 'Tis human, for I sense the presence-yet there's a blank where minds should be."

Rod noted the plural. "All right, let's prepare for the worst." He put two fingers to his mouth, and blasted out a shrill whistle.

31.

32 Like tandem firecrackers, Magnus and Geoffrey popped out of nowhere, and Cordelia swooped down to hover behind them. "Why didst thou not but think for us. Papa?" Magnus inquired.

"Because we're up against an enemy that can hear thoughts farther than whistles. All right, kids, we've got to set up an ambush. I want each of you high up in a tree, doing your best imitation of a section of bark. Your mother and I'll take the ground. When the enemy shows up, hit 'em with everything you've got."

"What enemy. Papa?"

"Listen for yourself. Mama says it's human, but nothing more."

All four children went gla.s.sy-eyed for a moment, then came out of their trances with one simultaneous shudder.

"Tis horrible," Cordelia whispered. "'Tis there, but-'tis not!"

"You'll know it when you see it," Rod said grimly, "and just in case you don't, I'll think 'Havoc!' as loudly as I can. Now, scoot!"

They disappeared with three pops and a whoosh. Looking up. Rod spotted three treetops suddenly swaying against the wind, and saw Cordelia soar into a fourth. "Which side of the road do you want, dear?"