Menagerie - Martin Day [93]
There were screams from the edge of the park. Near a metal framework of open boxes shots were being fired, tiny flares in the perpetual darkness. A number of Taculbain were hovering like hawks and then swooping down towards the ground.
The scout had already covered the distance between the leaders' forum and the armoury. Jamie watched him push his way towards the front of the queue and grab two guns.
'Come on, Friend of the Traveller!' he shouted, tossing a revolver towards Jamie.
Jamie caught the gun and followed the Dugraq towards the edge of the park. Five Mecrim had ripped through the railings, silver-grey figures in the darkness. They were already surrounded by tiny corpses. One Dugraq was caught in the vice-like lower arms of a Mecrim. The arm closed, and the bloody, split corpse dropped to the ground.
The much larger Taculbain flying about their heads were providing a diversion, the Mecrim jumping into the air whenever one came close. A ring of Dugraqs with guns had surrounded the beasts. Jamie joined them and let off a couple of shots at the creature closest to him.
As more Taculbain swooped into view the Mecrim seemed barely to know that the other creatures were there.
The bullets dug deep but the Mecrim barely moved. They stared at the flapping moth-men over their heads.
Two Taculbain soldiers, their huge open jaws like stags'
antlers, dived down at a Mecrim that had ended up away from the others. One soldier was caught by the vicious claws of the creature, allowing the other to duck down and lunge at the Mecrim's chest. The Mecrim pushed at the head of the Taculbain in its arms until the neck snapped, and then dropped the huge corpse to the ground.
The second soldier had chewed a hole in the Mecrim's chest. Thick blood was oozing out. The Mecrim lashed out at the Taculbain's shoulder, the arm and wing falling to the floor. Another Mecrim had moved into position and now jumped onto the back of the Taculbain, its mouth parts working at the unprotected neck.
Other Taculbain soldiers swooped to attack just as the second of their number fell away, its corpse sticky with green blood.
Jamie aimed a shot at the wound on the Mecrim but missed, impacting instead upon the strong rib-cage. A couple of brash Dugraqs ran forward shooting, but were thrown high into the air like rag dolls.
Jamie did not even look to see where they landed.
Cosmae had a jumble of uncoordinated memories of their descent into the underground world. He was aware of a cave mouth on the chalky hillside, a natural tunnel, a few chambers full of rushing water, and then finally the dark city, stretching out before them like a reminder of Hell. The roof of stone hung over their heads like the inside of an eggshell, glowing slightly with natural luminescence.
Zaitabor had taken a handful of papers with him from Defrabax's room, and he referred to these often as they crossed the city's streets and walkways.
It was all a blur to Cosmae and, as he stared around him at what appeared to be shops and houses, he was almost thankful for the beating he had already received. It was enough just to concentrate on walking, on breathing. He was glad he would not have to expend too much energy making sense of this benighted place.
'Defrabax's power station,' announced Zaitabor eventually. Before them lay a large building that seemed to have nothing in common with the fire-belching Furnace Cosmae knew from the surface city. 'May this object of contempt bring forth destruction!' Zaitabor handed the city map to Araboam and they walked towards the entrance.
Cosmae shook his head to clear his vision. Zaitabor glanced down at a parchment, and then waved his hands over a black patch on the wall next to the door. The door magically and silently opened.
Araboam pushed Cosmae into the building. Cosmae stood on what felt like seamless