Jack L. Chalker Watchers at the Well 03 Gods at the Well of Souls

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with the other three and scramble back up. She wasn't thinking at all; she
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had this irresistible impulse to follow the horse ahead of her, and she was
going to do it come hell or high water.
Ellerbantan monitors on the other side were far more comfortable but no less
bored than the Verionites opposite. Two of them sat watching control screens
more or less, dreaming about anything but being there, when one of them
suddenly jerked up and punched the other with a tentacle.
"Look at that! It's a whole mob going down there from Verion for the midnight
show!"
The other one devoted all three eyes to the scene, then relaxed. "Don't worry
about it. See how many races are there? It's just one of those damned tour
groups."
"Yeah, I suppose you're right," the other agreed. "Still, it's funny they
didn't follow the usual routine and come over and warn us."
"Aw, you know those Verionites. Walk all the way down, across, and back up
here just for that?"
"Yeah," the other sighed in disgust. "If there was something wrong, they'd be
here in a flash, shoot off one of those flares or something. Heck, if those
were anything more than tourists, they could take 'em out with arrows." "My
point exactly. So relax," said the first one, and went back to its
daydreaming.
On the Avenue floor the colonel and Tony flanked Terry and the baby and
watched with curious apprehension as the great yellowish hex switched on just
in front of them.
Terry seemed to think it was funny. She gave a kind of delighted giggle and
went right up to it, cradling the sleeping baby as she did so. She approached
so closely that she could see her reflection in it, as well as the ghostly
reflections of the pair behind her.
"She's going to do it! She's actually going to do it!" Campos breathed. "I
think she may try," the colonel agreed. At that very moment Mavra Chang,
hoping that ancient instincts and the Well's own aid hadn't failed her,
crossed over into the Avenue's space and tried to center herself as she felt
the lift give out. She was going forward still and reasonably straight, but
there was no way in hell she could climb or in any way pull out of a shallow
but definite forward dive.
Ahead, she saw it. The door to the Well! Open! Waiting for her! If she could
only stay airborne long enough to make it!
It was going to be very close, and ahead now she could see figures standing
there. A Cloptan? Could that be Campos? But who, or what, were the others?
Jeez, that almost looked like a human woman just at the door itself. She
hoped she wouldn't crash behind them; that would be the worst result of all,
to fail so very close to the goal. But if she didn't, she risked knocking
down the woman. Well, the hell with it! Precious little she could do about it
now! What the hell? Suddenly the two Dillians were there, and one of them had
a big lizard on her back. Get out of my way! Get out of my way!
She gave a horrendous, panicked screech that echoed through the whole of the
Avenue. All of the ones inside heard it and turned, as much in curiosity as in
fear. Eyes widened as they saw the huge kite coming, and only Campos had the
presence of mind to realize what it must be.
"It's Chang! Shoot her! Shoot her down!"
Mavra Chang came over the Dillian's head, so close that Anne Marie's hair was
blown by her passing. The four Cloptans who'd just reached the floor
themselves drew their weapons when they heard Campos cry, but the thing was
too low. Not only did the Dillians block any decent shot or view, if they
shot through them, it would be too late.
The colonel sent out a pseudopod that actually touched the kite, wrenching it
a bit, but even though he had hold of it, he was too close to the door and
the thing still had too much momentum for such an unthinking chance grab. The
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girl, having seen what was coming, moved to one side and crouched low so that
first the kite went through the door with Mavra Chang still tied under it,
perhaps a meter off the Avenue floor, then the colonel was dragged in, too,
still clutching it.
Campos had hit the floor when she'd seen that the kite couldn't be slowed. As
she got up, she watched in amazement as the girl looked at the baby, smiled,
and then stepped into the hex opening and vanished.
"No!" Campos cried, and lunged forward, and was herself swallowed up. Tony and
Anne Marie looked at each other quizzically.
"I don't care if you have to throw me, get me the hell in there!" Gus growled
at them.
Anne Marie shrugged, and Tony shrugged, and the two galloped right at the
opening and went through.
The four Cloptans were totally confused by all this, and finally it was Kuzi
who screamed, "I don't give a damn 'bout nothin' no more! I say we follow the
boss!" The others nodded, guns still drawn, but as they ran for the door, they
were almost knocked down by two horses, or something very like them, running
at full gallop toward the Well access. First Lori, then Julian ran right into [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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