The Seadragon's Daughter (41 page)
Read The Seadragon's Daughter Online
Authors: Alan F. Troop
“I had not expected to meet you here. . . .”
“I didn’t expect you to go after my wife.”
“Undrae,”
Mowdar mindspeaks.
“I do what I must to protect my people.”
Mowdar mindspeaks.
“I do what I must to protect my people.”
“As do I—to protect my family.”
“I admire your bravery, but not your intelligence. It would have been better for you to stay in my daughter’s bed.”
“But it would not have been better for my wife,”
I mindspeak.
I mindspeak.
“Undrae, you are a difficult creature. Your wife is going to die. There is time yet for you to choose to live. Stop opposing us. Go back to the srrynn. Let Lorrel comfort you. Let Malka’s antidote tend to your poison. Be a father to my unborn grandson.”
“Malka is dead. I killed her,”
I mindspeak.
“Now, why don’t you go home? I’m willing to promise I won’t attack you.”
I mindspeak.
“Now, why don’t you go home? I’m willing to promise I won’t attack you.”
“Withdraw on your promise? I am afraid not,”
Mowdar mindspeaks.
“I cannot chance it. I fear we will have to kill you both.”
Mowdar mindspeaks.
“I cannot chance it. I fear we will have to kill you both.”
Responding no doubt to Mowdar’s masked mindthoughts, the Pelk warriors mass at the end of the dock, ready their tridents and prepare to rush at me again. I face them, trying to will my body to heal, Max and the remainder of the dogs getting up, gathering around me, teeth bared, snarling.
“Try it,”
I mindspeak.
“But please show yourself and give this Undrae the pleasure of killing you.”
“Try it,”
I mindspeak.
“But please show yourself and give this Undrae the pleasure of killing you.”
{
Peter,
} Chloe mindspeaks, masked. {
The switches. Now. Behind you.
}
Peter,
} Chloe mindspeaks, masked. {
The switches. Now. Behind you.
}
I wonder how she knows, but glance back and see the two fuel pump switches and flick them on. Grinning at the twin drone that follows and the smell of gasoline that begins to rise into the air, I look down and try to locate one of the lighters Derek and I left on the deck.
Max growls and I glance up. On the dock, the Pelk have already begun to advance, moving slowly, their tridents held out in front of them. I sigh. I may have enough strength left to defeat two or three of them, but I doubt whether I can handle any more.
{
Peter!
} Chloe mindspeaks. {
Up here!
}
Peter!
} Chloe mindspeaks. {
Up here!
}
I look up at the veranda, behind the Pelk, and smile. Chloe, now in her natural form, stands at the top of the steps, watching the Pelk too, an Uzi held in each foreclaw.
She mindspeaks, {
Now?
}
Now?
}
{
Please.
}
Please.
}
Both barrels spit fire at once, the noise shattering the night, nine-millimeter bullets thudding into the Pelk, tearing through them. A third of the warriors fall. The rest scatter, some running up onto the island, dogs in pursuit, and the others diving into the water.
Looking down again, I finally spot a lighter. Scooping it up, I hobble toward the steps, each movement sending jolts of agony through my body. Whining, Max limps after me. Chloe throws down the Uzis when I reach the veranda. {
They’re empty,
} she mindspeaks. {
You’re bleeding!
}
They’re empty,
} she mindspeaks. {
You’re bleeding!
}
{
I know. I haven’t had enough time to heal,
} I mindspeak. {
Get the shotguns.
}
I know. I haven’t had enough time to heal,
} I mindspeak. {
Get the shotguns.
}
She nods and rushes toward the house, mindspeaking, {
I did good, right?
}
I did good, right?
}
{
You did good.
}
You did good.
}
Yanking a torch from the wall, I light it with the Zippo, staring at it as it begins to burn bright.
“Undrae! There are too many of us for you to resist, even with your guns,”
Mowdar mindspeaks.
Mowdar mindspeaks.
I stare at the harbor, the water rippling as Pelk warriors swim through it.
“Perhaps,”
I mindspeak.
“And then again, maybe not.”
I grunt as I throw the torch as hard as I can.
“Perhaps,”
I mindspeak.
“And then again, maybe not.”
I grunt as I throw the torch as hard as I can.
What a pretty sight it makes, arcing through the air, its light sparkling on the dark water as it falls. It splashes down, and for a moment I worry that it’s gone out. Then everything turns bright with a sudden
woosh.
woosh.
Fire engulfs the harbor. Its light exposes other Pelk making their way toward the veranda by land. Chloe rejoins me with both loaded shotguns and I point to the Pelk. {
Shoot as many as you can,
} I mindspeak, masked.
Shoot as many as you can,
} I mindspeak, masked.
She lays one shotgun down on the deck and aims at the Pelk with the other. Her shotgun booms, one round after another, until it clicks empty. Discarding it, she picks up the other shotgun and begins to fire again.
Ignoring my pain, I light another torch and limp from cannon to cannon, setting each one off, fire and lead belching from their barrels, each blast shaking the deck. I turn to the rail guns next, ignoring the incredible heat of the fire, firing into the water at anything that moves.
Max barks and I whirl around to see four Pelk climbing over the veranda wall. They rush me. Grabbing the shaft of the leading one’s trident, I yank it from his grasp and turn it on him, ripping him open. But the other three get behind me, each one plunging his trident deep into my back.
Pain overwhelms me. I howl into the night and collapse.
{
Peter!
} Chloe mindspeaks. {
What have they done to you?
} She rushes toward me, her shotgun at ready.
Peter!
} Chloe mindspeaks. {
What have they done to you?
} She rushes toward me, her shotgun at ready.
The Pelk yank their tridents from my body and turn toward her. She aims her shotgun, pulls the trigger and the hammer clicks on an empty chamber. Dropping the shotgun, baring her teeth, unfolding her claws, Chloe braces for their assault.
An enormous explosion roars up from the dock, a fireball shooting into the sky as the two fuel tanks finally overheat and explode. The shock wave blasts across the veranda, knocking down Chloe and all the Pelk.
By the time the warriors regain their feet, Chloe has disappeared from sight. She emerges from Henri’s room a moment later, the last loaded Uzi in her foreclaws. Roaring, she fires into them, emptying the clip, replacing it with another and firing again until the last Pelk falls. She reloads again and fires until her gun clicks on its empty chamber.
None of them yet dead, all three Pelk writhe on the deck, moaning. {
I was afraid of that,
} I mindspeak. {
If you shoot enough nine-millimeter bullets, you can stop them—but the bullets aren’t always powerful enough to kill them the way the shotgun slugs can.
}
I was afraid of that,
} I mindspeak. {
If you shoot enough nine-millimeter bullets, you can stop them—but the bullets aren’t always powerful enough to kill them the way the shotgun slugs can.
}
Chloe shrugs. {
Then I’ll do it the old-fashioned way.
} She walks over to the closest Pelk and rips his throat open with her claws.
Then I’ll do it the old-fashioned way.
} She walks over to the closest Pelk and rips his throat open with her claws.
{
No! We don’t have time!
} Groaning, I try to stand, but as soon as I put weight on my legs, they buckle. {
You need to reload the shotguns now. The Pelk may attack again any moment.
} I sigh and begin pulling myself toward the Pelk I killed. {
Right now you can’t count on me. Until I take some time to eat and heal, I won’t be able to help at all.
}
No! We don’t have time!
} Groaning, I try to stand, but as soon as I put weight on my legs, they buckle. {
You need to reload the shotguns now. The Pelk may attack again any moment.
} I sigh and begin pulling myself toward the Pelk I killed. {
Right now you can’t count on me. Until I take some time to eat and heal, I won’t be able to help at all.
}
A small explosion rocks the air. Everything brightens for a moment. Chloe turns toward the dock. {
That was my Donzi’s gas tank. All the boats are on fire, the dock too. Peter, I don’t think we have to worry about any of the Pelk left on the dock or in the water.
}
That was my Donzi’s gas tank. All the boats are on fire, the dock too. Peter, I don’t think we have to worry about any of the Pelk left on the dock or in the water.
}
She bends down by the next Pelk and rips him open too. {
I don’t know if there’s going to be another attack, Peter. They may all be dead.
}
I don’t know if there’s going to be another attack, Peter. They may all be dead.
}
The smell of Pelk blood, even intermixed as it is with the foul aromas of burnt fuel and singed vegetation, makes my stomach tighten with hunger. {
And they may not be,
} I mindspeak. {
I didn’t see Mowdar and his lieutenants anywhere.
}
And they may not be,
} I mindspeak. {
I didn’t see Mowdar and his lieutenants anywhere.
}
“Mowdar!”
I mindspeak.
“You’ve been beaten. Come show yourself! Call out to me!”
I mindspeak.
“You’ve been beaten. Come show yourself! Call out to me!”
When no answer comes, Chloe smiles. {
They could have been part of the group attacking the veranda from the land. I killed eight of them with the shotguns.
} She goes to the remaining Pelk and rakes him open with her claws. {
That makes twelve we’ve killed up here. Between you, me and the fire, at least another dozen have been killed down by the harbor. How many do you think there were?
}
They could have been part of the group attacking the veranda from the land. I killed eight of them with the shotguns.
} She goes to the remaining Pelk and rakes him open with her claws. {
That makes twelve we’ve killed up here. Between you, me and the fire, at least another dozen have been killed down by the harbor. How many do you think there were?
}
{
Probably not much more than two dozen,
} I mindspeak. {
But we should still mask our thoughts, and you should still reload the shotguns.
}
Probably not much more than two dozen,
} I mindspeak. {
But we should still mask our thoughts, and you should still reload the shotguns.
}
{
You are a stubborn man, Peter,
} Chloe mindspeaks, ripping a chunk of meat from the Pelk she just killed. She brings it to me, bending beside me, putting it to my lips and holding it until I take it into my mouth and begin to chew.
You are a stubborn man, Peter,
} Chloe mindspeaks, ripping a chunk of meat from the Pelk she just killed. She brings it to me, bending beside me, putting it to my lips and holding it until I take it into my mouth and begin to chew.
I close my eyes as I eat, wish I could just rest and sleep. But I know I must heal and regain my strength. Even with Chloe pulling me along, it takes almost all my energy to drag myself the last few feet to the dead Pelk.
{
Now I’ll go reload,
} Chloe says, ripping a large opening in the Pelk’s side to make it easier for me to feed. I nod, tear out a chunk of meat with my teeth and swallow, my mind for the moment only on the food and my injuries.
Now I’ll go reload,
} Chloe says, ripping a large opening in the Pelk’s side to make it easier for me to feed. I nod, tear out a chunk of meat with my teeth and swallow, my mind for the moment only on the food and my injuries.
By the time I feel strong enough to sit up, only the dock and the boats and a few trees on the far side of the harbor still burn. Though dimmer than the initial conflagration, their flames still throw off enough light for me to inspect the damage done to my island.
Wincing at the stiffness still left from my wounds, I get to my feet and make my way to the veranda wall, where Chloe stands peering across the island toward the Wayward Channel, both shotguns and all three Uzis at her side. I rub my jowl against hers.
{
About time,
} she mindspeaks, laying her tail over mine. {
I was starting to worry that you were going to eat yourself to death.
} She points to the dead Pelk scattered on the ground. {
We’re going to have to do something about them . . . and about the harbor.
}
About time,
} she mindspeaks, laying her tail over mine. {
I was starting to worry that you were going to eat yourself to death.
} She points to the dead Pelk scattered on the ground. {
We’re going to have to do something about them . . . and about the harbor.
}
{
No sign of any more Pelk?
}
No sign of any more Pelk?
}
Chloe shakes her head. {
Just a few dolphins out in the channel,
} she mindspeaks, masked.
Just a few dolphins out in the channel,
} she mindspeaks, masked.
I sigh and mindspeak,{
Pelk change shape into dolphins all the time—just like we do into humans.
}
Pelk change shape into dolphins all the time—just like we do into humans.
}
{
Peter, the best time for them to have attacked would have been while you were healing. They never did. I think they’re all dead. Look out there! Nothing’s moving.
}
Peter, the best time for them to have attacked would have been while you were healing. They never did. I think they’re all dead. Look out there! Nothing’s moving.
}
Staring across the island, I search for any signs of life. Except for a few of our dogs limping from one hiding place to another, nothing moves. Finally I nod and mindspeak, without masking,
“Okay, maybe you’re right.”
“Okay, maybe you’re right.”
Before we do anything else, we carry Max into the house, lay him on a bed of hay in Henri’s room and bandage his wounds as best we can. Then we turn our attention to the outside, digging holes near Pelk bodies with our foreclaws, burying three or four at a time.
We do the same with the burnt carcasses we find in the harbor. Hardly anything remains of the ones who died on the dock, but we bury what we find of that too. Within an hour, no trace of the Pelk remains. We turn to the cannons next, rolling them back into my father’s arms rooms and stowing away the rail guns with them.
We’ve just closed the last of the arms rooms’ doors when Chloe points toward the bay.
“Look,”
she mindspeaks, pointing to boat lights approaching the island.
“I think it’s a patrol boat.”
“Look,”
she mindspeaks, pointing to boat lights approaching the island.
“I think it’s a patrol boat.”
I grin.
“We still have some time,”
I mindspeak, picking up our shotguns.
“They have no idea how to negotiate our channel. They’ll have to come up on our ocean side.”
I nod to Chloe to take the Uzis, and we carry them to Henri’s room. We then shift to our human shapes and dress.
“We still have some time,”
I mindspeak, picking up our shotguns.
“They have no idea how to negotiate our channel. They’ll have to come up on our ocean side.”
I nod to Chloe to take the Uzis, and we carry them to Henri’s room. We then shift to our human shapes and dress.
A few minutes later, a loudspeaker blares, “Is anybody there? Are you alright?”
Chloe looks at me. “You have to go out by yourself,” I say. “I’m not supposed to be here.”
She walks out on the veranda, leaving the door open behind her.
“It’s a marine patrol boat,”
she mindspeaks.
“They’re on the ocean side now, by the beach.”
“It’s a marine patrol boat,”
she mindspeaks.
“They’re on the ocean side now, by the beach.”
“Ma’am, are you all right?” the loudspeaker calls. “If your channel were marked we could have come in sooner to check on you.”
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