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.It had startedout as a half-baked idea, a goal so far-fetched as to be all but impossible.But she thought now that itactually might be within reach.She took her hand away from Kett's mouth."Tell him to wait a moment," she whispered.He did so.When he finished speaking, she rolled him over swiftly, pressed her knee into his spine, laidthe dagger between his shoulder blades, and pulled his hands behind his back.Using a leather tie shecarried in her belt, she fastened his hands securely in place.Then she rose, the dagger in hand again, andhauled him to his feet."Tell him to enter," she whispered.He did as he was told, and the crewman opened the door and stepped inside.He froze instantly whenhe saw her with the dagger at his commander's throat and the pilot sprawled motionless on the floor. Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html"Not a sound," she hissed at the crewman, making an unmistakable gesture with the dagger.She waitedfor his nod of agreement, then indicated Donell Brae."Pick him up.Quick!"Kneeling, the crewman pulled the unconscious pilot over one shoulder and stood up again."Walk downthe hall to the sleeping quarters," she ordered him."I'll be right behind you.One sound, one wrong move,and your commander and your pilot and probably you, as well, are dead men.Tell him, Aden."Aden Kett grunted, feeling the dagger point dig into him."Do as she says."They went out from the cabin and into the dimly lit corridor, the crewman carrying Donell Brae, and RueMeridian following with Aden Kett.They wound silently through the airship's lower levels toward thesleeping quarters forward.When they reached the door to the sleeping quarters, she stopped them outside.She turned Aden Kettaround so he could see her clearly."Inside, Aden," she ordered."Stay put until I come down to let youout again.The door will be locked behind you, and I expect it to stay that way.If I hear anything I don'tlike, I'll set fire to the ship and burn her to the waterline with you and your crew still inside her." She heldhis gaze."Don't test me."He nodded, a hint of fresh anger in his eyes."You're making a mistake, Little Red.The Ilse Witch ismuch more dangerous than you think.""Inside."She opened the door, let them enter, closed it again, and threw the locking bolt.She took an extramoment to secure it by wedging a dagger blade into the slide so it could not be pried open.The portholescut into the hull to admit fresh air were not large enough for a man to crawl through.For the moment, atleast, she had the commander and crew of Black Moclips trapped.She went up the ladder through the hatchway to the main deck on the fly, found the last sentry at the aftrail, and went after him.She already knew he was too far away for her to reach before he saw hercoming, but she went anyway.There was no time left for stealth.She had to hope he was all that was leftof the crew. Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmlOut of the corner of her eye, she saw the approaching raft and the bulky forms of the Mwellrets itcarried, closing fast.She could feel the ache of her injured leg and side as she ran, a fresh tearing of herwounds, but she pushed aside her pain and quickened her speed.The crewman turned at the sound of her approach, weapons lifting.She was too slow and still too faraway!Then abruptly, he crumpled to the deck, and Hunter Predd stepped from behind the mainmast, sling inhand."Cut the anchor lines!" she called, changing direction for the pilot box.She heard muffled shouting, sibilant and angry, from the raft.She gained the box and sprang to thecontrols, drawing down ambient light from the single sail already set in place to keep Black Mo-dipsaloft, throwing the levers to the parse tubes, opening them up all the way.The airship lurched with theinfusion of power.She heard Hunter Predd cut the aft anchor line, then run forward to cut the bow one,as well.Faster!The Wing Rider's sword rose and fell twice.Slowly, ponderously, Black Moclips rose into the air,severed anchor ropes trailing from her decking, arrows and javelins thudding into the underside likehailstones.The raft with its furious, helpless Mwellrets fell away and disappeared into the darkness.She closed down the parse tubes and eased off on drawing down ambient light for power.The ship wasan old friend and responded well to her touch.But maneuvering her alone was rough and uncertain.Without help, Rue Meridian could not manage a ship of that size for very long.She would need help, aswell, with the dozen Federation soldiers she had trapped in their sleeping quarters below.She recognizedthe situation readily enough and knew that before long Aden Kett and his men would find a way toescape.She slowed the airship to a crawl and brought her about, pointing her inland toward Castledown.Somewhere ahead, the Ilse Witch was hunting Walker, Bek was running for his life, and whoever stilllived of the company of the Jerle Shannara waited for a rescue. Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmlA rescue that perhaps only she could manage.She watched Hunter Predd approach, saw the questioning look in his dark eyes, and shook her head.She wished she had a better answer to give him.She knew she had better find one soon.TWENTY-FOURQuentin Leah was listening so intently that he started in surprise when Tamis touched his arm in warning."He's coming," she whispered.Consumed by the fact that Ard Patrinell's mind was still alive inside, she was still calling the wronk herather than it-as if the human part mattered more.The rest of it might be mechanical- armor, wires, andmachine parts, cold and emotionless metal-but not its mind, trapped as it was, whole and intact, thinkingArd Patrinell thoughts, using Ard Patrinell skills, hunting them with a determination that was relentless andimplacable.Heeding her warning, Quentin listened for its coming.Try as he might, he still could not hear it.In the twilight he glanced over at her.Her roundish, pixie face was sweaty and her short brown hairtangled with bits of debris.Her clothing was torn and bloody and as dirty as the rest of her.She had thelook of a hunted thing, a creature run to earth by something as inescapable as the coming of night.A mirror of himself, he allowed.He did not need to see what he looked like to know it was so.Theywere a matched set, fugitives from a fate that neither could escape, that both were forced to confront.They had been running from it all day, running since the coming of dawn had persuaded them they mustfind a way to kill it.All through the forests surrounding Castledown's ruins they had played cat and mousewith the inevitable, marking time as they searched for a way to put an end to the creature.It was a chasemarked by fits and starts, by schemes and subterfuges, by equal parts skill and blind luck.The wronk Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmlwas a terrifying adversary, made more dangerous by the fact that Ard Patrinell's thinking guided it.Sometimes it would come after them in direct pursuit, a hunter using strength and stamina to run themdown.Sometimes it would circle around to lie in wait, a predator set to pounce [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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.It had startedout as a half-baked idea, a goal so far-fetched as to be all but impossible.But she thought now that itactually might be within reach.She took her hand away from Kett's mouth."Tell him to wait a moment," she whispered.He did so.When he finished speaking, she rolled him over swiftly, pressed her knee into his spine, laidthe dagger between his shoulder blades, and pulled his hands behind his back.Using a leather tie shecarried in her belt, she fastened his hands securely in place.Then she rose, the dagger in hand again, andhauled him to his feet."Tell him to enter," she whispered.He did as he was told, and the crewman opened the door and stepped inside.He froze instantly whenhe saw her with the dagger at his commander's throat and the pilot sprawled motionless on the floor. Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html"Not a sound," she hissed at the crewman, making an unmistakable gesture with the dagger.She waitedfor his nod of agreement, then indicated Donell Brae."Pick him up.Quick!"Kneeling, the crewman pulled the unconscious pilot over one shoulder and stood up again."Walk downthe hall to the sleeping quarters," she ordered him."I'll be right behind you.One sound, one wrong move,and your commander and your pilot and probably you, as well, are dead men.Tell him, Aden."Aden Kett grunted, feeling the dagger point dig into him."Do as she says."They went out from the cabin and into the dimly lit corridor, the crewman carrying Donell Brae, and RueMeridian following with Aden Kett.They wound silently through the airship's lower levels toward thesleeping quarters forward.When they reached the door to the sleeping quarters, she stopped them outside.She turned Aden Kettaround so he could see her clearly."Inside, Aden," she ordered."Stay put until I come down to let youout again.The door will be locked behind you, and I expect it to stay that way.If I hear anything I don'tlike, I'll set fire to the ship and burn her to the waterline with you and your crew still inside her." She heldhis gaze."Don't test me."He nodded, a hint of fresh anger in his eyes."You're making a mistake, Little Red.The Ilse Witch ismuch more dangerous than you think.""Inside."She opened the door, let them enter, closed it again, and threw the locking bolt.She took an extramoment to secure it by wedging a dagger blade into the slide so it could not be pried open.The portholescut into the hull to admit fresh air were not large enough for a man to crawl through.For the moment, atleast, she had the commander and crew of Black Moclips trapped.She went up the ladder through the hatchway to the main deck on the fly, found the last sentry at the aftrail, and went after him.She already knew he was too far away for her to reach before he saw hercoming, but she went anyway.There was no time left for stealth.She had to hope he was all that was leftof the crew. Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmlOut of the corner of her eye, she saw the approaching raft and the bulky forms of the Mwellrets itcarried, closing fast.She could feel the ache of her injured leg and side as she ran, a fresh tearing of herwounds, but she pushed aside her pain and quickened her speed.The crewman turned at the sound of her approach, weapons lifting.She was too slow and still too faraway!Then abruptly, he crumpled to the deck, and Hunter Predd stepped from behind the mainmast, sling inhand."Cut the anchor lines!" she called, changing direction for the pilot box.She heard muffled shouting, sibilant and angry, from the raft.She gained the box and sprang to thecontrols, drawing down ambient light from the single sail already set in place to keep Black Mo-dipsaloft, throwing the levers to the parse tubes, opening them up all the way.The airship lurched with theinfusion of power.She heard Hunter Predd cut the aft anchor line, then run forward to cut the bow one,as well.Faster!The Wing Rider's sword rose and fell twice.Slowly, ponderously, Black Moclips rose into the air,severed anchor ropes trailing from her decking, arrows and javelins thudding into the underside likehailstones.The raft with its furious, helpless Mwellrets fell away and disappeared into the darkness.She closed down the parse tubes and eased off on drawing down ambient light for power.The ship wasan old friend and responded well to her touch.But maneuvering her alone was rough and uncertain.Without help, Rue Meridian could not manage a ship of that size for very long.She would need help, aswell, with the dozen Federation soldiers she had trapped in their sleeping quarters below.She recognizedthe situation readily enough and knew that before long Aden Kett and his men would find a way toescape.She slowed the airship to a crawl and brought her about, pointing her inland toward Castledown.Somewhere ahead, the Ilse Witch was hunting Walker, Bek was running for his life, and whoever stilllived of the company of the Jerle Shannara waited for a rescue. Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmlA rescue that perhaps only she could manage.She watched Hunter Predd approach, saw the questioning look in his dark eyes, and shook her head.She wished she had a better answer to give him.She knew she had better find one soon.TWENTY-FOURQuentin Leah was listening so intently that he started in surprise when Tamis touched his arm in warning."He's coming," she whispered.Consumed by the fact that Ard Patrinell's mind was still alive inside, she was still calling the wronk herather than it-as if the human part mattered more.The rest of it might be mechanical- armor, wires, andmachine parts, cold and emotionless metal-but not its mind, trapped as it was, whole and intact, thinkingArd Patrinell thoughts, using Ard Patrinell skills, hunting them with a determination that was relentless andimplacable.Heeding her warning, Quentin listened for its coming.Try as he might, he still could not hear it.In the twilight he glanced over at her.Her roundish, pixie face was sweaty and her short brown hairtangled with bits of debris.Her clothing was torn and bloody and as dirty as the rest of her.She had thelook of a hunted thing, a creature run to earth by something as inescapable as the coming of night.A mirror of himself, he allowed.He did not need to see what he looked like to know it was so.Theywere a matched set, fugitives from a fate that neither could escape, that both were forced to confront.They had been running from it all day, running since the coming of dawn had persuaded them they mustfind a way to kill it.All through the forests surrounding Castledown's ruins they had played cat and mousewith the inevitable, marking time as they searched for a way to put an end to the creature.It was a chasemarked by fits and starts, by schemes and subterfuges, by equal parts skill and blind luck.The wronk Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmlwas a terrifying adversary, made more dangerous by the fact that Ard Patrinell's thinking guided it.Sometimes it would come after them in direct pursuit, a hunter using strength and stamina to run themdown.Sometimes it would circle around to lie in wait, a predator set to pounce [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]