Quest for the Well of Souls - Jack L. Chalker [87]
"Look who's talking about devious minds," Renard said wryly, looking over his shoulder at Trelig. "I've been told that nobody holds a candle to you in that department."
"Stop that!" the Ghiskind ordered. "It will simply get us killed if we start in on one another. Why do their job for them?"
"Relax," Faal the Dillian cautioned. "Remember, we outnumber them. Chang and her mate are no threat, they won't even be in on it. That's just three of them against seven of us."
Renard suddenly stirred and jumped up, looking around.
"What is it?" several of them said at once.
He looked around, a slightly puzzled expression on his blue devil's face. "I'm not sure," he responded carefully. "Something funny. You know how aware I am of electrical things. I'd swear the lights flickered for a moment, then became brighter."
They were all suddenly awake again, and tense, even though none of the others felt what he did.
Against the brightness of the lights, none had noticed a strange shape, faded almost to invisibility, flow under a room partition that was only two or three centimeters off the ground, and silently move along the baseboard toward the door until it reached the big male centaur, Makorix, standing pistol at the ready.
It flowed into the body of the Dillian, instantly striking at nerve centers, paralyzing movement. The Dillian brain was related to the human brain, and the Dillian central nervous system was a good compromise between human and horse. The Torshind had become familiar with equine movements while transporting Mavra and Joshi to Yugash; except in size Yulin's Dasheen brain was very close to the Dillian brain. The Torshind had no trouble locating the correct spots.
Slowly the hand holding the pistol moved and readjusted. A thumb kicked the little control lever up two notches. The energy density would be greatly lowered, but still enough to paralyze; the beam would now be much wider.
The barrel moved ever so slightly away from the door toward the left of the room, where Renard, Vistaru, and Burodir sat waiting.
Suddenly Vistaru noticed the new targets. "Look out!" she screamed, and took off straight up.
Renard's reflexes were tremendously fast; he kicked off on his powerful goatlike legs, soaring into the air as Makorix's pistol fired.
The beam sprayed the room, and struck the Ghiskind and Burodir full on. It had no effect on the Yugash, but the great female frog gave a strangled croak and pitched forward.
Suddenly, the door exploded as a huge orange shape burst through it, followed quickly by a squat, humanlike powerfully built form, shooting wide scatter bursts.
Vistaru reached Makorix in an instant and knocked the pistol from his hand. The Dillian reached up for her with a snarl, and she obliged, stabbing him with her stinger.
The centaur gave a surprised cry, then collapsed in a heap.
Faal, hardly comprehending what was happening or why, swung her pistol at the orange shape and was gunned down almost immediately by Yulin.
Renard had lost his tast and had almost run straight up the wall in his escape from the initial shot; fully charged, he whirled and leaped for the orange shape, but the Yaxa saw him and spit a thick, brown fluid, catching him in midleap. It burned like fire when it hit and he plunged helplessly to the floor.
The Torshind left the unconscious body of the centaur and was headed for the Ghiskind when Trelig opened up. He was like a madman, capable of leaping ten meters or more. Coming to rest on any surface—even walls or ceiling—for an instant, he would fire. Suddenly he dropped directly onto the Yaxa.
The Ghiskind's crystal form leaped now, crashing into them, jarring them away from each other.
Vistaru, flying about, was afraid to move close in for fear of hitting a friend. She looked anxiously about and screamed, "Where's the damned Torshind?"
Wooley shouted something and Yulin ran out the door. Spitting and using fore-tentacles as whips, the Yaxa also retreated beyond the door, which banged back down noisily.