and that should give him the chance to shoot them.
He reached the tree after a few minutes of careful movement. The donkey was little more now than a pile of bones. They had sucked out the brain and eaten the tongue, gobbled the eyes and gnawed down the ears. Five of the pyluk lay down where they'd eaten and began to drowse. Soon there were loud snores from their direction.
The two remaining, chosen as the watch by some process invisible to Thru, rummaged through the bones for a while, gnawing and sucking on them for any last scraps of the donkey. Soon they tired of this increasingly futile exercise, and turned their attention to Meu.
Thru already had his bow ready and an arrow nocked. He drew and took aim and was interrupted by a gentle tap on the shoulder. He almost released by accident, but looked back and found Utnapishtim there, a finger pressed to his lips in the universal signal for silence.
"Do not shoot," said the Assenzi in a tiny whisper. "Better to free Meu and make a run for it."
Thru's heart was still palpitating in his chest, but he slid back behind the tree where the Assenzi was waiting.
"Free Meu?"
"First, we must take their spears."
Thru nodded. He had considered that, but taking the spears without attracting notice had seemed impossible.
"How?"
The Assenzi waved a hand gently and closed his eyes.
Thru tried to still his heart. In the temple precinct, Meu gave a gasp and then a scream. The other pyluk shifted in their sleep and one of them growled something. The pyluk with Meu growled back. Meu was still sobbing and gasping.
Utnapishtim had gone into a trance state, with one slim hand held out in front of him and the other crossed upon his chest.
A sense of slow-rising tension had developed, as if a storm was gathering. Thru thought he heard odd little sounds, squeaks and cries as if mice were arguing in the undergrowth.
The cries from Meu had ceased. Did he still live? Thru peered around the trunk of the tree. The two pyluk that had been torturing him had nodded off. They were sitting with their backs to the temple, heads on their chests, snoring like the others.
Meu, abandoned once more, was now lying on his front, with his arms pulled behind his back. Thru glanced back at the Assenzi. Utnapishtim's eyes opened, and he gave Thru a nod.
Taking a deep breath Thru stepped out into plain view and took hold of four of the spears. They were even heavier than he had expected, and he almost dropped them, recovering at the last moment. He moved them behind the oak and took them back to the edge of a cliff and tossed them down.
They fell into darkness far below.
Thru was already back at the tree. The pyluk still slept. He seized the other three spears and stepped around the tree, where he tripped on a root and almost fell over. He spun around, wobbled, and felt a small hand grip his shoulder and steady him at the critical moment.
He stood there, breathing hard; the Assenzi was looking back at him with wide-open eyes. Then Utnapishtim cracked a thin smile.
The pyluk continued to snore. Thru swallowed, took a breath, and carefully made his way to the cliff, where he threw the long spears away.
Back behind the old oak tree, the Assenzi was in meditation again.
Thru peered around the tree. The pyluk still slept, gorged on meat, with a little help from the magic of the Assenzi.
Utnapishtim's eyes opened once more.
"Now, young Thru, we must free the donkey, load poor Meu on its back, and get away down the trail. The pyluk will sleep for a while."
"Yes, Utnapishtim. Why not kill them while they sleep?"
"My spell is fragile; they would wake up before we could finish them."
Thru steadied his nerves, but kept his bow drawn, arrow ready as he stepped quietly across the plateau, slipped into the temple precinct, and approached the donkey.
The poor animal had exhausted itself. The rope was wet with foam, its jaw and front similarly soaked. It stood there trembling, eyes rolling a little as he
He reached the tree after a few minutes of careful movement. The donkey was little more now than a pile of bones. They had sucked out the brain and eaten the tongue, gobbled the eyes and gnawed down the ears. Five of the pyluk lay down where they'd eaten and began to drowse. Soon there were loud snores from their direction.
The two remaining, chosen as the watch by some process invisible to Thru, rummaged through the bones for a while, gnawing and sucking on them for any last scraps of the donkey. Soon they tired of this increasingly futile exercise, and turned their attention to Meu.
Thru already had his bow ready and an arrow nocked. He drew and took aim and was interrupted by a gentle tap on the shoulder. He almost released by accident, but looked back and found Utnapishtim there, a finger pressed to his lips in the universal signal for silence.
"Do not shoot," said the Assenzi in a tiny whisper. "Better to free Meu and make a run for it."
Thru's heart was still palpitating in his chest, but he slid back behind the tree where the Assenzi was waiting.
"Free Meu?"
"First, we must take their spears."
Thru nodded. He had considered that, but taking the spears without attracting notice had seemed impossible.
"How?"
The Assenzi waved a hand gently and closed his eyes.
Thru tried to still his heart. In the temple precinct, Meu gave a gasp and then a scream. The other pyluk shifted in their sleep and one of them growled something. The pyluk with Meu growled back. Meu was still sobbing and gasping.
Utnapishtim had gone into a trance state, with one slim hand held out in front of him and the other crossed upon his chest.
A sense of slow-rising tension had developed, as if a storm was gathering. Thru thought he heard odd little sounds, squeaks and cries as if mice were arguing in the undergrowth.
The cries from Meu had ceased. Did he still live? Thru peered around the trunk of the tree. The two pyluk that had been torturing him had nodded off. They were sitting with their backs to the temple, heads on their chests, snoring like the others.
Meu, abandoned once more, was now lying on his front, with his arms pulled behind his back. Thru glanced back at the Assenzi. Utnapishtim's eyes opened, and he gave Thru a nod.
Taking a deep breath Thru stepped out into plain view and took hold of four of the spears. They were even heavier than he had expected, and he almost dropped them, recovering at the last moment. He moved them behind the oak and took them back to the edge of a cliff and tossed them down.
They fell into darkness far below.
Thru was already back at the tree. The pyluk still slept. He seized the other three spears and stepped around the tree, where he tripped on a root and almost fell over. He spun around, wobbled, and felt a small hand grip his shoulder and steady him at the critical moment.
He stood there, breathing hard; the Assenzi was looking back at him with wide-open eyes. Then Utnapishtim cracked a thin smile.
The pyluk continued to snore. Thru swallowed, took a breath, and carefully made his way to the cliff, where he threw the long spears away.
Back behind the old oak tree, the Assenzi was in meditation again.
Thru peered around the tree. The pyluk still slept, gorged on meat, with a little help from the magic of the Assenzi.
Utnapishtim's eyes opened once more.
"Now, young Thru, we must free the donkey, load poor Meu on its back, and get away down the trail. The pyluk will sleep for a while."
"Yes, Utnapishtim. Why not kill them while they sleep?"
"My spell is fragile; they would wake up before we could finish them."
Thru steadied his nerves, but kept his bow drawn, arrow ready as he stepped quietly across the plateau, slipped into the temple precinct, and approached the donkey.
The poor animal had exhausted itself. The rope was wet with foam, its jaw and front similarly soaked. It stood there trembling, eyes rolling a little as he
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