“My Leader says, ‘Tell that animal not to shoot again, and if it does
so, leave it entirely. We are not Killers, nor do we practise their
ways. Besides, it may cause trouble with the Dwellers, of which we have
prepared sufficient already.’”
I answered in anger at such perversity. “Tell her that if she is not a
Killer, neither am I an Amphibian, and I shall play this game in my own
way.”
“But she is a Leader----”
“She is not mine. Tell her I have the authority of five Leaders, and she
had better do as she is told herself.”
“She says that she has already loosed a bar from the floor, and is
coming herself to take direction.”
“Tell her that if we open the door to let her in we shall have to keep
it open, and how then shall we resist them? If we close it, who will be
left outside to open it, when we are ready? Tell her to stay where she
is.”
“Be quiet, please. She has dived in the boiling tank. We must not divert
her mind. She dare not look nor breathe. Now she has reached the outer
tank. It is worse than she expected, and she is very nearly exhausted.
She has risen to the surface and is looking through the steam for a
place to land. There are Killers on that side. She will dive again, and
swim under the killing-sheds so that she may reach the farther side
before they can run round. You must help her with such will as you have.
She has risen. But it is too soon. There’s a floor above her head, in
the water. She is swimming on. She has struck something under water. It
is one of the boiling bodies. It is a Frog-mouth. It is not quite dead.
It has seized her with its teeth. Now she has willed herself free. She
has risen to the surface. She can breathe, but she can only swim very
slowly. She is exhausted, and she is holding one arm out of the water.
It has been burnt by the water where she was bitten. She is at the edge
now, but the Killers are there also. There are only three yet, and their
wills are not strong enough to resist her. They are confused and
frightened in mind. One has tried to push her back, striking with a
javelin. She has caught it in her hand. He has fallen into the water. I
have not heard one of them squeal quite like that before. She has pulled
him out again, but he is still squealing. I think he will die. More
Killers are coming. She is running here. She says, ‘Have the door
unbarred.’”
I lifted the bars down, though I was far from sure of the wisdom of
opening. Then I went to the window. She was already in view, running at
a great pace, but with an ease and coolness that gave no impression of
being hunted, but rather of one who constrained others to follow. I
cannot easily convey the feeling that came to my mind as I watched her.
They were too far behind to throw to any good purpose.
But round the side of the building from which I watched came another
crowd, forgetful of arrows in their excitement, and were between her and
the door in a moment.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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