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Anana. She would have been above him because, being lighter, she would not have fallen so fast. That is,
she would not have if she had not arranged for her rip-panels to be somewhat larger than his. She, too,
hung like a piece of dead meat.
One of the things that had worried him was that they might encounter a strong updraft which
would delay their landing even more. But they had continued to fall at an even pace.
Below them were mountains and some small plains. But by the time they'd reached four thousand
feet, they were approaching a large body of water. It was one of the many great hollows temporarily
filled with rainwater. At the moment the bottom of the depression was tilting. The water was draining out
of one end through a pass between two mountains. The animals on land near the lower end were running
to avoid being overtaken by the rising water. What seemed like a million amphibians were scrambling
ashore or waddling as fast as they could go towards higher ground.
Kickaha wondered why the amphibians were in such a hurry to leave the lake. Then he saw
several hundred or so immense animals, crocodilian in shape, thrashing through the water. They were
scooping up the fleeting prey.
He yelled at Anana and pointed at the monsters. She shouted back that they should slip out some
air from the wings. They didn't want to land anywhere near those beasts.
With a great effort, he pulled on the shrouds. He fell ten seconds later into the water near the
shore with Anana two seconds behind him. He had cut the shrouds just in time to slip out of the harness.
The water closed over him, he sank, then his feet touched bottom, and he tried to push upwards with
them.
They failed to obey him.
His head broke surface as he propelled himself with his fatigue-soaked arms. Anana was already
swimming towards the shore, which was about thirty feet away. Her legs were not moving.
They dragged themselves onto the grass like merpeople, their legs trailing. After that was a long
period of intense pain as the circulation slowly returned. When they were able, they rose and tottered
towards the high ground. Long four-legged and finned creatures, their bodies covered with slime, passed
them. Some snapped at them but did not try to bite. The heavier gravity, after their many months of
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lightness on the moon, pressed upon them. But they had to keep going. The hippopotamus-sized
crocodiles were on land now.
They didn't think they could make it over the shoulder of a mountain. But they did, and then they
lay down. After they'd quit panting, they closed their eyes and slept. It was too much of an effort to be
concerned about crocodiles, lions, dogs, or anything that might be interested in eating them. For all they
cared, the moon could fall on them.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
KICKAHA AND ANANA ran at a pace that they could maintain for miles and yet not be worn
out. They were as naked as the day they came into the world except for the belts holding their knives and
the Horn and the device strapped to her wrist. They were sweating and breathing heavily, but they knew
that this time they could catch the palace-if nothing interfered.
Another person was also in pursuit of the colossus. He was riding a moosoid. Though he was a
half a mile away, his tallness and red-bronze hair identified him. He had to be Red Ore.
Kickaha used some of his valuable breath. "I don't know how he got here, and I don't know
what he expects to do when he catches up with the palace. He doesn't know the codewords."
"No," Anana gasped. "But maybe that man we saw will open a door for him."
So far, Ore had not looked back. This was fortunate, because, ten minutes later, a window.
French door rather, swung open for him. He grabbed its sill and was helped within by two arms. The
moosoid immediately stopped galloping and headed for a grove of moving plants. The door shut.
Kickaha hoped that the unknown tenant would be as helpful to them. But if Ore saw them, he'd
be sure to interfere with any efforts to help.
Slowly they neared the towering building. Their bare feet pounded on the grass. Their breaths
hissed in and out. Sweat stung their eyes. Their legs were gradually losing their response to their wills.
They felt as if they were full of poisons which were killing the muscles. Which, in fact, they were.
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To make the situation worse, the palace was heading for a mountain a mile or two away. If it
began skimming up its slope, it would proceed at an undiminished speed. But the two chasing it would
have to climb.
Finally, the bottom right-hand corner was within reach. They slowed down sobbing. They could
keep up a kilometer an hour, a walking pace, as long as they were on a flatland. But when the structure
started up the mountain, they would have to draw on reserves they didn't have.
There was a tall window at the very corner, its glass or plastic curving to include both sides.
However, it was set flush to the building itself. No handholds to draw themselves up.
They forced themselves to break from a walk to a trot. The windows they passed showed a
lighted corridor. The walls were of various glowing colors. Many paintings hung on them, and at intervals
statues painted flesh colors stood by the doors leading to other rooms within. Then they came to several
windows which were part of a large room. Furniture was arranged within it, and a huge fireplace in which
a fire burned was at the extreme end.
A robot, about four feet high, dome-shaped, wheeled, was removing dust from a large table. A
multi-elbowed metal arm extended a fat disc which moved over the surface of the table. Another arm
moved what seemed to be a vacuum cleaner attachment over the rug behind it.
Kickaha increased his pace. Anana kept up with
him. He wanted to get to the front before the palace began the ascent. The front would be only a
foot from the slope, but, since the building would maintain a horizontal attitude, the rest would be too far
from the ground for them to reach it.
Just as the forepart reached the bottom of the mountain, the two attained their objective. But now
they had to climb.
None of the windows they had passed had revealed any living being within.
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They ran around the corner, which was just like the rear one. And here they saw their first hope
for getting a hold. Halfway along the front was a large balcony. No doubt Urthona had installed it so that
he could step out into the fresh air and enjoy the view. But it would not be a means of access. Not unless
the stranger within the palace had carelessly left it unlocked. That wasn't likely, but at least they could
stop running.
Almost, they didn't make it. The upward movement of the building, combined with their running in
front of it, resulted in an angled travel up the slope. But they kept up with it, though once Kickaha
stumbled. He grabbed the edge of the bottom, clung, was dragged, then released his hold, rolled
furiously, got ahead, and was seized by the wrist by Anana and yanked forward and upward. She fell [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]