he thought he wouldn’t be able to stop himself from sliding all the way to the bottom at a speed comparable to a fall. He gripped tighter and braked slightly.
Then he worked out that if he wrapped one of his legs around the rope, he could control his descent even more accurately. He passed the level of Og and snarled at him. Og jerked his head up with a frown but Ug already was below him, the pain of his blisters truly forgotten in the swelling and joyful fury of triumph that suffused his being.
His feet struck the ground with a force that jarred the bones in his hips and he keeled over, grimacing through the agony until it began to fade, to become a comfortable ache, like a frost burn.
The sun flared high overhead. That huge yellow ball had been in a bad mood lately, flinging arcs of fire over itself. Ug could almost hear the sun hissing in the sky as it cast shadows with very sharp definition from every solid object, including himself as he stood up.
He bunched his fists and waited for Og to reach the ground.
“Ra-Kel!” screamed Ug in anticipation.
“Ug!” she responded as she came lower, still on the left shoulder of an ugly brute, a treacherous rival, a predator…
Og jumped the final few feet, landing upright.
Ug bared his teeth and charged.
To Ug’s amazement, Og didn’t brace himself to absorb the impact but turned and ran. He was fleet of foot, even with a woman on his shoulder, and easily outpaced his pursuer. Ug was vaguely aware of the entrance to a cave at the base of the mesa that passed in a blur as he forced himself to increase his speed. He howled in frustration.
But his ululation achieved nothing.
Og didn’t race off across the plain, but circled the massive outcrop, the mighty cliff, keeping close to the root of the sandy rock. Panting, Ug held his aching side and found his vision blurring.
But he didn’t give up. He bit his lip, tasted blood.
The sun beat down in boiling waves.
Sweat made Ug’s eyes smart, as if nettle juice had been squeezed into them, and he wiped both with a hairy forearm. He staggered, the bloated bursting sun seeming to pulse inside his head. Loops of fire leapt from the surface of that relentless orb, chiding tongues of unbearable energy. With a sickening gasp, Ug turned the next corner.
He had completely circled the mesa…
Back to the spot where he had descended; and Og was waiting for him and so was Ra-Kel, but the result was hideous.
Og had made a noose from the end of the long sinew, the rope that Ug had used to descend from the top of the cliff, and had placed it around the neck of Ra-Kel. He was holding the woman up in his burly arms and Ug knew that if he let her go, Ra-Kel would hang.
Ug didn’t know what to do. If he attacked Og, then his woman would choke to death. If he ran to help her, Og would take the opportunity to kill him while he was distracted. He stood still.
But Og made the decision for him. He let Ra-Kel go.
Her scream was cut off, turned into a gargle as the noose tightened and she dangled in mid-air, her feet a few inches above the ground. Og moved aside and beckoned at Ug, mouthing obscenities. Ug ran at him like a bull and Og danced nimbly aside, laughing.
He was standing near the entrance to that other cave, Og was, and with his hands on his hips he was grinning at Ug, mocking him, while Ra-Kel kicked ineffectually in her death throes.
Then something large rushed out of the cave.
A bear! The bear from above…
Ug was sure it was the same beast that he had chased out of the egg. It must have climbed safely down the cliff, using its claws to grip the stone, moving into this new home, making a life for itself here; but always ready to take revenge on humans, those who had evicted it, persecuted it, hurt it with the sharp edges of broken pebbles.
Og didn’t have time to turn, to see what form his death had taken. The bear broke his neck with a single swipe.
Ug ran to help Ra-Kel. Then the sun stopped spitting.
Everything
Then he worked out that if he wrapped one of his legs around the rope, he could control his descent even more accurately. He passed the level of Og and snarled at him. Og jerked his head up with a frown but Ug already was below him, the pain of his blisters truly forgotten in the swelling and joyful fury of triumph that suffused his being.
His feet struck the ground with a force that jarred the bones in his hips and he keeled over, grimacing through the agony until it began to fade, to become a comfortable ache, like a frost burn.
The sun flared high overhead. That huge yellow ball had been in a bad mood lately, flinging arcs of fire over itself. Ug could almost hear the sun hissing in the sky as it cast shadows with very sharp definition from every solid object, including himself as he stood up.
He bunched his fists and waited for Og to reach the ground.
“Ra-Kel!” screamed Ug in anticipation.
“Ug!” she responded as she came lower, still on the left shoulder of an ugly brute, a treacherous rival, a predator…
Og jumped the final few feet, landing upright.
Ug bared his teeth and charged.
To Ug’s amazement, Og didn’t brace himself to absorb the impact but turned and ran. He was fleet of foot, even with a woman on his shoulder, and easily outpaced his pursuer. Ug was vaguely aware of the entrance to a cave at the base of the mesa that passed in a blur as he forced himself to increase his speed. He howled in frustration.
But his ululation achieved nothing.
Og didn’t race off across the plain, but circled the massive outcrop, the mighty cliff, keeping close to the root of the sandy rock. Panting, Ug held his aching side and found his vision blurring.
But he didn’t give up. He bit his lip, tasted blood.
The sun beat down in boiling waves.
Sweat made Ug’s eyes smart, as if nettle juice had been squeezed into them, and he wiped both with a hairy forearm. He staggered, the bloated bursting sun seeming to pulse inside his head. Loops of fire leapt from the surface of that relentless orb, chiding tongues of unbearable energy. With a sickening gasp, Ug turned the next corner.
He had completely circled the mesa…
Back to the spot where he had descended; and Og was waiting for him and so was Ra-Kel, but the result was hideous.
Og had made a noose from the end of the long sinew, the rope that Ug had used to descend from the top of the cliff, and had placed it around the neck of Ra-Kel. He was holding the woman up in his burly arms and Ug knew that if he let her go, Ra-Kel would hang.
Ug didn’t know what to do. If he attacked Og, then his woman would choke to death. If he ran to help her, Og would take the opportunity to kill him while he was distracted. He stood still.
But Og made the decision for him. He let Ra-Kel go.
Her scream was cut off, turned into a gargle as the noose tightened and she dangled in mid-air, her feet a few inches above the ground. Og moved aside and beckoned at Ug, mouthing obscenities. Ug ran at him like a bull and Og danced nimbly aside, laughing.
He was standing near the entrance to that other cave, Og was, and with his hands on his hips he was grinning at Ug, mocking him, while Ra-Kel kicked ineffectually in her death throes.
Then something large rushed out of the cave.
A bear! The bear from above…
Ug was sure it was the same beast that he had chased out of the egg. It must have climbed safely down the cliff, using its claws to grip the stone, moving into this new home, making a life for itself here; but always ready to take revenge on humans, those who had evicted it, persecuted it, hurt it with the sharp edges of broken pebbles.
Og didn’t have time to turn, to see what form his death had taken. The bear broke his neck with a single swipe.
Ug ran to help Ra-Kel. Then the sun stopped spitting.
Everything
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