FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   21   22   23   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   >>  
They knocked out Tana L'At with a heavy shelling of paralysis gas, evacuated the inhabitants, and dusted the city with radioactive powder to make it uninhabitable for several years. Then they began to march eastward. VI For the first time in his life, Anketam was feeling genuine fear. He had feared for his life before, yes. And he had feared for his family. But now he feared for his world, which was vaster by far. He blinked at the tall, gangling Kevenoe, who was still out of breath from running. "Say that again." "I said that the Invader troops are crossing Benner Creek," Kevenoe said angrily. "They'll be at the castle within an hour. We've got to do something." "What?" Anketam asked dazedly. "Fight them? With what? We have no weapons." "I don't know," Kevenoe admitted. "I just don't know. I thought maybe you'd know. Maybe you could think of something. What about Lady Samas?" "What about her?" Anketam still couldn't force his mind to function. "Haven't you heard? The Invaders have been looting and burning every castle in their path! And the women--" Lady Samas in danger! Something crystallized in Anketam's mind. He pointed in the direction of the castle. "Get back there!" he snapped. "Get everyone out of the castle! Save all the valuables you can! Get everyone down to the river and tell them to hide in the brush at the Big Swamp. The Invaders won't go there. Move!" Kevenoe didn't even pause to answer. He ran back toward the saddle animal he had tethered at the edge of the village. Anketam was running in the opposite direction, toward Basom's quarters. He didn't bother to knock. He flung open the door and yelled, "_Basom_!" Basom, who had been relaxing on his bed, leaped to his feet. "What is it?" Anketam told him rapidly. Then he said: "Get moving! You're a fast runner. Spread the news. Tell everyone to get to the Swamp. We have less than an hour, so run for all you're worth!" Basom, like Kevenoe, didn't bother to ask questions. He went outside and started running toward the south. "That's right!" Anketam called after him. "Tell Jacovik first! And get more runners to spread the word!" And then Anketam headed for his own home. Memi had to be told. On the way, he pounded on the doors of the houses, shouting the news and telling the others to get to the Big Swamp. By the time the Invader troops came, they found the entire Samas barony empty. Not a single soul opposed their m
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   21   22   23   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   >>  



Top keywords:

Anketam

 

Kevenoe

 

castle

 

feared

 

running

 
Invader
 

troops

 

direction

 

Invaders

 

bother


village
 

opposite

 

spread

 

tethered

 

pounded

 

animal

 

runners

 
quarters
 

single

 

opposed


answer

 

saddle

 

relaxing

 

Spread

 

questions

 

runner

 
started
 
shouting
 

telling

 
houses

leaped

 

barony

 

Jacovik

 
entire
 

headed

 

moving

 

rapidly

 

called

 
yelled
 

couldn


family

 

feeling

 

genuine

 

vaster

 

breath

 

gangling

 
blinked
 
paralysis
 

evacuated

 

inhabitants