Journey to the Heart of Luna - Andy Frankham-Allen [50]
Now they stood at the mouth of another cavern, flat against the tunnel wall. Nathanial could feel the vibration of the machine against his back. K’chuk made to move into the cavern but Folkard reached forward and grasped one of the Selenites fore-legs.
“K’chuk, no!” he said with a hiss of breath. “We must do this with stealth. If the Russians are alerted to our arrival, your people will be in danger.”
K’chuk lowered his head and pulled back against the wall. “Selenites in danger now.”
“Yes, but still they live. Let us keep it that way.”
The rumbling ceased presently, and Folkard peered around the corner. “Excellent. Professor, K’chuk, please remain here. I will signal you momentarily.” With that Folkard slung his carbine over his shoulder and snuck around the corner.
Nathanial edged past K’chuk to see what Folkard was doing.
In the next cavern stood a large, fearsome looking vehicle. Nathanial had not seen its like before, although he was put in mind of a locomotive engine, albeit one without a chimney. Black smoke emerged from a small pipe at the rear, situated above the door which was, even now, being lowered. Constructed with panels of steel, the vehicle stood on four large iron wheels, with an elongated drill head attached to the front.
A Russian soldier, dressed in the uniform of the Russian Imperial Army, emerged from the rear of the vehicle, unaware of Folkard who was crouched by the side of the machine. By the time he became aware it was too late. Folkard moved swiftly, bringing the butt of his carbine smashing down on the back of the Russian’s head. Folkard grabbed the Russian under the arms and gently lowered him to the dusty floor.
“Spokoinoi nochi, sladkih snov,” Folkard said quietly.
He glanced over at Nathanial, and was about to say something but before he could a second Russian, this time unseen by Folkard, had emerged from the drilling vehicle and had drawn his own gun. This he aimed directly at Folkard.
“Ne tak tiho kak ty dumal, Britanskaya shval!”
Once again Nathanial wished he had a weapon. The Russian had his back to Nathanial, and so Nathanial quietly stepped into the cavern with the intention of catching the Russian unaware. He was no expert at fisticuffs, but he would give it his all if he could catch Folkard’s would-be killer unawares…
A rusty blur of colour whizzed past him.
It took Nathanial a few moments to realise what it was, and by then K’chuk had already sprung on to the back of the Russian. The man staggered forward, trying to shake off the giant insect. K’chuk held on tight, his six tarsal claws digging in to the skin under the uniform. Blood seeped through, and still the Russian struggled. Folkard stood aside, bracing himself against the drilling vehicle, and watched, as fascinated as Nathanial, as K’chuk opened his powerful triangular mandibles. With a snap, faster than the eyes could follow, the mandibles met and the Russian’s head, in an explosion of blood, was severed.
The body, with K’chuk still on top, dropped, the head landing next to it. For a moment longer Nathanial stood where he was, his eyes locked on the severed head. Then, as the bile began to rise in his mouth, he turned away and deposited the contents of his stomach on the cavern floor. The sight, and the cloying stench of the blood, was just too much for him.
4.
THEY PASSED through a hive, where they were practically ignored by the Selenites there (Annabelle wished she had time to stop and observe, since she had learned much from K’chuk, but second-hand information was no substitute for first-hand experience), and continued on a downward slope into a small, narrow, tunnel. Grey fungus filled almost every inch of the wall.