Part 17 (2/2)
But he hadn't.
Even as the dream scenario unfolded, Tony knew it for falsehood. He had never even suspected that Finiah was under attack until the ragtag Hidden Springs troops broke into the pleasure dome, dispatched his Tanu bedmate with an iron-studded mace, and hustled him off to judgment. Dream-Tony, defying this contradiction, fought on until the moment that the sleeper opened his eyes to reality-to lurid smoke clouds rolling above the boat's bubbletop roof, to martial shouts and screams faintly heard, to the unmistakable battle-reek that smote his nostrils and shocked him into alertness.
He was alone in the after cabin of the boat. It was moored in the midst of papyrus plants so tall and densely crowded that he could see no details of the region on either side. The view forward was less restricted and he could see a dock area with devastated buildings ablaze; and when the air cleared momentarily he caught sight of a Tanu citadel with scorched walls and broken towers and a single defiant blue beacon against the lowering sky. Pulses of multicoloured light sparked fitfully behind the fortress windows. There were random small explosions that uncannily resembled heavy calibre rifle fire.
This, beyond a doubt, was Bardelask. And it seemed as though the battle was nearly over.
How long had he been asleep?
Wondering if the monsters had abandoned him, he began to make his way forward. And then he heard indeterminate soft noises and muttered speech coming from up there, and a sudden burst of choked laughter. Tony stood stock-still.
”Marvellous. Terrific!” The voice was that of Karbree the Worm.
”No turn-on like a good bit of warfare,” Skathe agreed. ”Just enough to whet the old lower appet.i.tes.”
Karbree giggled hideously. ”Still say you should have taken yours, too.
Any which way.”
”My turn's coming, c.o.c.kie. I have my own style.”
”You watched me, I get to watch you. Fair's fair.”
”Shares on your leftovers, then,” Skathe demanded.
The Worm growled, then waxed jovial. ”Oh, why the h.e.l.l not? Here-try these toes.” There came a distinct crunch.
Tony felt his guts trans.m.u.te into a frigid lump. Fee fie ...
Tanu lies ... fo fum ... propaganda, on my honour as a member of the Gnomish Council ...
Somebody emitted a colossal belch. Somebody else vented a replete sigh. The voices of the Firvulag seemed to recede to a great distance.
”Great little battle, all right,” said Karbree. ”Discipline in the ranks pretty well fell apart after the brewery was taken, but you can't expect miracles.”
Skathe murmured a.s.sent. ”I'll give old Mimee the Bird high marks for the main action, though. And I thought his special forces did particularly well, considering the small number of high-technology weapons we were able to send to Famorel.”
A guffaw broke from the Worm. ”And didn't the Exalted Lady Armida look surprised when Anduvor Doubleta.r.s.e put that steel-jacketed bullet into her gizzard! Pity the body fell into the main fermentation vat. Contaminated the whole batch.”
The ogres chortled in reminiscence. There was a loud splash, followed by a number of small ones. Tidying up time, no doubt.
Karbree uttered a huge yawn.
”Why not catch a little zizz?” Skathe said. ”I've got a lot of female-type preliminaries I want to enjoy before getting around to my own main event. Tease my miminy-piminy poppet before letting him have his little souvenir of Bardelask. Keep him begging. Take my time in the buildup. But you'll be waked up when the real fun starts-no fear!”
Energized at last by sheer panic, Tony spun wildly about and staggered toward the stern. There was no way he could escape overboard. Abaft the wheelhouse, the boat was still securely roofed over, the pla.s.s panels held in place by stubborn little clips. To hide then ... but the big deck hatches wouldn't budge, and the lockers were too small to hold him, and the pedestals of the benches were already stuffed with marine paraphernalia.
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