Part 93 (1/2)

I looked at d.i.c.kon. ”Superst.i.tion?”

”Could be. They've never seen one of these creatures.”

”Exactly. And if they've seen some prints in the snow-well, when snow melts so do the prints. Outwards. So a small print would look bigger after an hour or so. Right?”

”Could well be wolves, as you suggested.”

”Wrong time of the year for them to be hungry. Shall we chance it? It'd save three or four days' travel. . . .”

”Why not? I'm game if you are.”

”Of course!” At least I would have if my ring hadn't kept on insisting that somewhere ahead lay the possibility of danger. But this way would save so many days, and if we were careful . . .

In order to try and reach the gap before nightfall, we set off before dawn.

None of the villagers came to see us off. At first it was easy, a clear track leading up towards the forest, which we hoped to skirt to the east. On the fringes we could see where the villagers below had started to clear the wood for fuel, for we came across chippings, a discarded and broken axe, a couple of sleds they used for transporting the wood.

d.i.c.kon pointed to one of these. ”Why shouldn't we borrow one? It would make carrying all this stuff much easier. Quicker, too. The runners on the underside are obviously meant for snow.”

Growch c.o.c.ked his leg, then thought better of it. ”Good for a lift, too, for those poor critturs as 'as short legs . . .”

”We can't just steal it. . . .”

”I said 'borrow,' ” said d.i.c.kon quickly. ”Once we get to the top we can send it back down. The slope'll carry it back.”

”All right, we'll haul it unladen till we get to the snow line, to preserve the runners, then we'll load it up.”

When we stopped to eat the sun was already high in the sky, and I reckoned we were nearly halfway to the summit. For some reason, although nothing stirred except a couple of eagles taking advantage of the thermals high above, we all felt irritable and uneasy. d.i.c.kon kept glancing over his shoulder in the direction of the forest we were skirting, my ring was getting more uncomfortable by the minute, although I reckoned any threat would come from the trees and we were giving them a wide berth. Growch said his mind felt ”itchy.” I knew exactly what he meant.

We carried on climbing. The forest thinned out to the left of us, and we came across the first patches of snow as the air grew colder. To our left the sun began its western descent and I realized it would be a race for the gap between us and the dark. We stopped briefly for food again, and this time we loaded the sled with everything portable, including Growch.

I looked up. Another couple of hours should do it, and there would be the valley I had dreamed of for so long, the valley that cus.h.i.+oned the fabled Blue Mountain. ”Here be Dragons. . . .”

”Let's go,” I said. ”Let's go!”

Now we were crunching our way through real snow, unmelted all the way through summer, not the slush we had encountered on the lower slopes. The sled slid easily in our wake; we had attached the rope so that we could both pull it. The slope however grew steeper, and now we were bending forward, me at least wis.h.i.+ng I had stouter boots: the cold was already striking through the soles and I had hardly any grip, but at least we were nearly there. The thinning forest was behind us and the gap was only some half mile away. The last bit looked the worst; the incline became so steep that it looked as though we should have to crawl on hands and knees.

We took a final breather; less than a half hour should do it. The breath plumed from our nostrils like smoke. Growch's eyebrows, such as they were, were rimed with frost. The sun was near gone, a red ball waiting to slide down the western mountains.

”Right,” I said. ”One more push should do it. . . . What's the matter?” d.i.c.kon was staring at something in the snow just ahead of us. With a sudden look of horror he backed away, his hands held out in front as though he was pus.h.i.+ng the sight away from him.

”Look, Summer,” he said. ”Look there! It was true what they said!”

And there, clear as crystal in hitherto untrodden snow, was the print of an enormous eight-toed foot.

Chapter Twenty.Three I clapped my hands to my mouth and stepped back in unconscious repudiation, but there was no denying what I had seen. It was as clear as the ice that lined it, reflecting the last of the red sun so it looked as though the giant that made the print had bled into the snow. d.i.c.kon pointed out another print, another and another. They came from just above us and then went away down towards the forest.

I swallowed, hard. Those footprints were just as large and terrifying as the villagers had indicated, and I couldn't begin to imagine the height and breadth of a creature who boasted feet that big. And eight toes . . .

Suddenly the sun was gone, like blowing out half the candles in a room at once, and a cold chill of terror gripped us all. Without realizing it d.i.c.kon and I were holding hands and a trembling Growch was actually sitting on my feet, his hackles raised, moaning softly.

”We-we'd better get going.” I found I was whispering, although there seemed to be nothing moving in the snow. ”It's clear straight up to the gap, and if we .

My voice died away as a hideous ululating howl split the quiet around us, followed by another and another. With one accord we ran, sled forgotten, scrambling on all fours to find a grip. I could feel the hairs rising at the back of my neck and my heart was bounding like a March hare.

The howl came again, and this time it was answered by another-from ahead of us.

We came to a sudden, skidding halt.

”What the devil-!”

And d.i.c.kon's prophetic exclamation was answered by a horrific apparition that rose from behind a huge rock to our right. Nearly twice the size of a man, it was covered in fur-brown, black, gray-and its face was a twisted mask of hate, with huge fangs sprouting from its jaw. Slowly, lumberingly, it left the shelter of the rock and, with arms raised, came down the slope towards us, uttering that hideous howl we had heard before.

As one we fled down the slope towards the shelter of the forest, slipping, stumbling, falling, rolling, all thought gone save the urgency of escape, although something deep inside seemed to tell me to stop, not to run, but it was such a tiny voice that my fear drowned it.

Not looking where I was going I crashed into the trunk of a tree, knocking all the breath from my body, and I whooped and coughed with the effort to draw air into my lungs. I was aware of Growch gasping and panting beside me, and the inert form of d.i.c.kon a few yards away.

I struggled to my feet to see what had happened to him.

”Come on, Growch, we must get-”

”Too late!” he whimpered. ”Look behind you!”

I turned, and found we were surrounded. Not by giants, but by strange, hairy humans holding stone axes and primitive spears. They were no taller than I, slightly hunched, and the hair on their bodies, thick on back and arms, was a reddish-black. Prominent brows and jaws, small eyes and noses, wide mouths with yellow teeth and long, tangled hair were common to all and they were mostly naked, though some of the women had bound their babies to their backs with strips of fur.

These creatures looked at us and chattered to themselves in a series of grunts, sibilants and clicks, and a moment later a couple of them dragged the half- conscious body of d.i.c.kon forward and dumped him without ceremony at my feet. He had a bruise the size of an egg on his temple. As I looked down he stirred, put his hand to his head and sat up, opening his eyes.

”Holy Mary, Mother of G.o.d!”

But he wasn't looking at the strange creatures who now crowded closer till I could smell the rank odor of their bodies; he was staring back up the hill the way we had come. I followed his pointing finger and gasped. Down the hill came striding the giant we had fled from, swaying from side to side, arms spread-Arms? What beast had four arms? I sank to my knees despairingly, clutching Growch for comfort, for surely the hairy people would have no defense against this hideous apparition.

From the giant came that dreadful wolflike howl again, and to my amazement it was answered with like from the hairy people around us, waving their weapons in the air in greeting with what could only be described as grins on their faces.

I scrambled to my feet, pulled d.i.c.kon to his. What the h.e.l.l was happening?

Surely the giant and the hairy people weren't in league with one another?

Why didn't they- d.i.c.kon and I gasped together. The giant careening down the hill towards us had been gathering speed in a more and more wild manner and now, suddenly, it broke in two! No, no, all in bits. Two pieces came rolling towards us, another sheared off to the left, one slithered to a stop against a tree- And the hairy people were laughing, dancing, waving their spears!

”Laugh too,” came a tiny voice from somewhere. ”It's all a big joke to them.

You've been had.”

And I only realized just how much when two of the ”pieces” came to a stop, unrolled, and became two more of the hairy people, one of them still wearing the misshapen boots that had made such a convincing giant's footstep. The other man went back and retrieved the mask that had so horrified us, plus the long cloak that had so convincingly covered one man riding on another's shoulders.

My heart sank even further as our captors, as they must be thought of now, closed in, pointing at the boots, the mask, the cloak, laughing and jeering and miming our terror, confusion and fear when faced with the ”giant.”