Part 9 (2/2)
Hume fired into the crawling ma.s.s, pausing only once to send another of those flame bombs cras.h.i.+ng to illuminate the scene. The water creatures bewildered, clumsy out of their element, were so far at his mercy. But their numbers, in spite of the piling dead, were still a dangerous threat.
Rynch tore gapping holes in that line of lights. But he could see, through the mist, more floating sparks, gathering to take their places, perhaps herding before them more water things to attack.
Except for those few gaps he had wrought, the islet was now completely enveloped.
”Ahhhh--” Hume's voice arose in a roar of anger and defiance. He stabbed his ray down at a spot just below their ledge. A huge segmented, taloned leg kicked, caught on the edge of the stone at the level of their feet, twisted aloft again and was gone.
”Up!” Hume ordered. ”To the top!”
Rynch caught up two handsful of stones, holding them to his chest with his left arm as he made a last cast to see one light puff out in answer. Then they both scrambled on to that small platform at the top of the islet. By the aid of the burning flame-torches the Hunter had set, they could see that most of the rocky slopes below them now squirmed with a horrible ma.s.s of water life.
Where Hume had fired his ray there was fierce activity, as the living feasted on the slain and quarreled over the bounty. But from other quarters the crawling advance pressed on.
”I have only one more flame flare,” Hume stated.
One more flare--then they would be in the dark with the mist hiding the forward-moving enemy.
”I wonder if they are watching out there?” Rynch scowled into the dark.
”They--or what sent them. They know what they are doing.”
”You mean they must have done this before?”
”I think so. That L-B back there--it made a good landing, and there are supplies missing from its lockers.”
”Which you removed--” Rynch countered.
”No. There might have been real castaways landed here. Not that we found any trace of them. Now I can guess why--”
”But you Guild men were here, and you didn't run into this!”
”I know.” Hume sounded baffled. ”Not a sign then.”
Rynch threw the last of his stones, heard it clink harmlessly against a rock. Hume balanced an object on the palm of his hand.
”Last flare!”
”What's that? Over there?”
Rynch had sighted the flas.h.i.+ng out of the dark from the river bank, making a pattern of flickers which bore no relation to the infernal lights at the water's edge.
Hume's ray tube pointed skyward as he answered with a series of short bursts.
”Take cover!” The call came weirdly out over the water, the tone dehumanized. Hume cupped his mouth with one hand, shouted back:
”We're on top--no cover.”
”Then flatten down--we're blasting!”
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