Brave Story - Miyuki Miyabe [240]
“Lies, lies, lies!” the beast-man howled, slashing the air with his sharp claws. “Who drove us out of our village home? Who tightened the screws on us until we had to steal and rob to survive? It’s you and your United Southern Nations! You tried to wipe us out! And now you want to take me, the lone survivor of my tribe, and make me the sacrifice! I know what you’re about, I know! The United Southern Nations aren’t going to wait for the Goddess to choose her own sacrifice, they’re going to catch some poor unlucky bastard! A prisoner! You’re going to take a prisoner like me and sacrifice him!”
Captain Ronmel was perfectly still, moving not so much as an eyelash. His eyes, the darkest blue possible, burned with a cold flame.
“More delusions.”
“Lies!” the beastkin shrieked. “I won’t be caught! I won’t go in again!”
Howling, and still desperately clutching his hostage, the beastkin charged toward the window by Wataru. Apparently in his madness, he had forgotten they were on the uppermost floor. Wataru stood stunned for a second, watching Romy, eyes wide with fear, struggle futilely against the powerful clutch of the beastkin. The vibrations of the beastkin’s pounding feet as he charged sent books tumbling. Captain Ronmel, who had leaped for the beastkin as soon as he saw him move, was buried beneath a collapsing stack of leather-bound volumes.
“Woorrrrh!”
The beastkin’s shoulder collided with the window and shattered glass flew everywhere. A moment later he hung suspended in space, many stories off the ground. For a nanosecond, it seemed as though they were stopped there, the beastkin and Romy, hovering in space.
There was a scream.
It was the beastkin. The impact with the window had brought him to his senses, and now he remembered where they were. His ears stood straight up.
And then he began to fall, dragging Romy down with him.
Wataru leaped. Glass crunched beneath his shoes. Flinging aside his sword, arms outstretched, he ran, his abdomen colliding with the bottom of the window frame. Reaching…
The beastkin fell straight toward the ground, but Wataru’s fingers touched something soft. The sleeve of Romy’s shirt fluttered in the air. Wataru grabbed, clutching for her wrist.
Even though she was small, the effect of gravity was unforgiving. Holding the sleeve of her shirt with one hand, the waist of her shirt with the other, Wataru felt his own legs sliding over the frame of the window. I’m being pulled down. She’s pulling me through the window. I’m going to fall…
She had gone through the window and was now looking up at Wataru. Her glasses had flown off her face. She’s next. Then it’s my turn.
What happened next was pure coincidence. Wataru’s toes had been pointing up when he slipped through the window, and now they caught on the frame. He found himself hanging precariously by his feet upside down. Basic physical laws predicted that Romy would swing back and collide with the side of the building—and this is exactly what happened.
We haven’t fallen yet. My foot, my toes—they can’t hold for long. Just a little. My ankle will give. Then we’ll be following, upside down…
He could hear shouting and a tremendous commotion coming from inside the building. Someone was yelling about books and he could hear banging and sliding noises coming closer to the window.
“N-no!” squeaked Romy. “I’m falling! You’ll fall too!”
Wataru couldn’t answer. If he put so much as an ounce of energy into opening his mouth, he knew his ankles would give. His fingers would slip.
Just thinking about it made his grip loosen ever so slightly. His hand slipped from her shirt and she dropped slightly.
“H-hang on to me!” Wataru said through clenched teeth. “Grab my arm!”
Somebody help! Captain Ronmel! Get over here!
“I-I can’t. I’m going to fall!”
Wataru tried pulling her up with his one hand. Bad idea. The slippery cloth slid underneath his