The Buttoned Sky

  CHAPTER IV

  The Mink has come to the bright sun's light, His pick is lifted high; He hears the gentry's whooping yell, And sees them gallop by.

  "Now all too long we've felt the yoke, And cringed and fawned and died! 'Tis time we turned upon the squire, To skin his rotten hide!"

  --Ruck's Ballad of the Mink

  Revel was sitting beside the hole in the wall, now filled with rocks, ofcourse; he had replaced the four small guns in his belt and found, bybreaking open the chest they'd lain on, a number of boxes of ammunition,with which he'd stuffed his pockets. Experiment had shown him how toload, and tradition of the ruck told him that to shoot, one pointed theend at something (or someone, he told himself grimly) and pulled thesmall curved projection. The woman should have helped him, but she wassulking in a corner, weeping. She had not wept an hour before!

  He wondered if he were the first rucker to hold a gun. Surely the firstto have four such tiny weapons, at least.

  He heard voices from beyond the wall, filtering in, oddly distorted,through the air spaces between rocks. That was Jerran.

  "Yes, he came down here, and threatened me with his pick all drippingyellow, said he'd killed a lot of gods. Crazy, that's what he was!"Jerran's voice broke, a neat bit of acting. "Sure there's an emotiontrail! You think I wasn't scared of that maniac? Wasn't he excited? Hestayed here a minute and then left again."

  That was clever. Jerran had explained away the psychic scent left by theLady Nirea. He must be talking to a god. But another voice spoke now,and Revel sat up, thinking, The gods don't make sounds!

  "Was there a girl with him, a girl of the gentry in a silver gown?"

  "No, Lord Ewyo--" it was her father, then!--"he was alone."

  "He may have hidden her body somewhere," said a heavy voice. Rack, bythe Orbs, Revel's brother Rack! "He's turned violent today."

  "I understand he's your brother?" said Ewyo.

  "Aye. A strong violent man, but worse today than ever he's been."

  "No rucker would dare harm Lady Nirea," whined Jerran.

  "No rucker should dared have touched her," barked the squire. Then, hisvoice respectful, he asked, "Can you tell me if she's dead, priest?"

  There was a croak like a bull-frog's, a chugarum with words in it. "Shelives."

  "Where?"

  Revel sucked in his breath. If the priest could see all, as they'd beentaught, he was doomed. Then, before any other voices beyond the wallcould speak, Nirea--he had been a muddleheaded and drooling fool not toseal her mouth--Nirea screamed. "In here, father! Tear down thebarricades!"

  Revel was on her in two bounds and hit her a crack on the jaw, a viciousblow that sprawled her into a pile of clay tablets (inscribed withwriting she had refused to read to him), dead to the world. Then Revelwas at the hole, waiting tensely with a gun in his hand.

  "What can lie in the rocks?" he heard Jerran say. "The voice was aghost's."

  "Hold your tongue," roared Ewyo. "You'll make a fox for the hunt, smallyellow man!"

  * * * * *

  A gap appeared. "Look in there," said Ewyo, and a head came thrustingin, the head of a squire's servant topped with the distinctive peakedcap and green ear flaps. Revel could not shoot a rucker. He hit the manfull in the mouth, and the head disappeared with a howl.

  "Tear them down, he's in there. We'll let the zanphs harry him a bit,"said Ewyo. "Hear that, rebel?"

  "Send in your zanphs," yelled Revel, grinning. "Let 'em come in,squire!"

  The gap grew. Up over the rocks charged a zanph, its six legs scrabblingfrantically, its snake's head darting back and forth to search him out.He let it see him and utter its war cry, a hiss that became a growl.Then he pointed the gun's muzzle at its face and calmly pulled thecurved metal below the barrel. There was a crash as of a mountainfalling; dust rained on him from the roof, echoes raged together; andthe zanph, its skull fragmented all over four yards of floor, sank tothe furred belly and slowly rolled over.

  "Send me a globe!" roared Revel, delirious with glee. "Send me a god,Ewyo!"

  There was silence beyond the wall; then the priest croaked, "He has agun. Certainly this is more than a matter of a kidnapped daughter,Ewyo!"

  Jerran's voice rose in a laugh. "It is, Lord Ewyo, it is!"

  What the hell did the old fellow mean? Revel shrugged. He'd learn later.Now was the time for action.

  Going to the prostrate girl, he slung her over his shoulder, a limplight weight. The tattered silver gown flapped as he walked to the hole.

  "Stand back," he cried. "I'm bringing your daughter to you, Squire!"

  Another zanph showed its horrible reptilian head; he blasted it out ofexistence with another shot. There were outcries from the squire and hisservants, and the priest rumbled, "Sacrilege!"

  Rack's head showed between the rocks. "Calm down, boy," he said, hisstaring walleye gleaming in the lantern light. "You've been living toofast--"

  "Not fast enough, Redbeard. Out of the way!"

  Rack slowly withdrew, and after kicking a few more boulders from hispath, Revel stooped and went out into the tunnel.

  "At him!" croaked the priest, a thin man in a radiant blue-green robe,the double scalp lock waving like twin plumes on his shaven head. "Pullhim down!"

  "Ewyo dies if I'm touched," said Revel coolly, pointing the handgun atthe squire's belly.

  "Kill him--with that little thing?" said the priest. His voice seemed tocome out of the ground, not from such a gaunt frame as his. "You bluff,rucker."

  "Look at your zanphs if you think so." He glared at them. There wasEwyo, burly in peach satin and white silk, his long-skirted coat pushedback from a lace shirt, skin-tight pants held by knee-high black boots,a cabbage rose thrust into his cocked hat. There was the priest, leanand savage beneath two hovering globes. Three servants of the squire,Jerran and Rack made up the rest.

  "Come here, Jerran," he ordered. Smiling lazily, the little man ambledover. "Take a couple of these miniature guns from my belt. They'reloaded. You point them--"

  "I can use a gun," said Jerran, "though I never had my hands on one thissize."

  "They came to us from the Ancient Kingdom," Revel told him.

  "Ah," said Jerran, nodding as he pulled two guns from the big man'swaistband. "I thought they might have. The ballads say they used suchweapons. Everyone carried 'em." He faced the squire, and his small bodyappeared to swell and toughen as he went on. "Lord Ewyo, please toprecede us with your servants and that feather-brained priest. We'll goto the ladders."

  * * * * *

  Ewyo grunted. Orders from a rucker, to him, _him_, the greatestlandholder in Dolfya! But after another glance at the mutilated zanph,he turned and walked down the tunnel.

  "Wait a minute," said Revel, but Jerran turned to him with a face ashard and ruthless as a woods lion's. "Shut up, lad," he said. "I'llhandle 'em. You just tend to the wench. She's awake, in case you didn'tknow."

  He knew now, for she had just bitten him on the rump. He hoisted her alittle higher and absently smacked her buttocks. "Lie quiet, damn you."She lay quiet. He went on marveling at Jerran's commanding new presence,but said nothing. He was behind a born leader now.

  Jerran said, "Priest, tell your gods to stop trying to get at my mind.I've shut it off from 'em. You follow Ewyo."

  The priest turned on his heel. The servants scuttled after their lord,and Rack sat down on a rock and pulled at his beard, looking thoughtful.

  "I don't think it'd be overstating it," he said mildly, "to tell you twoyou're in trouble."

  "So are the gentry, brother," Revel answered.

  "That'll be seen. Well," Rack said, squinting his good eye, "I'll beseeing you. Or not, as the case may be."

  "Come along," said Jerran, and walked off, followed by Revel with theLady Nirea.

  Ewyo had vanished. His servants, uncertain, were grouped under theladder, and the priest was mounting up, his radiant robe bil
lowing toshow scrawny, hairless legs. The two gods lifted through the murk.

  "Ewyo," said Revel, and Jerran interrupted. "Is gone. Did you expect tohold him captive, lad?" He shook his yellow skull. "Too much trouble fortwo men. Up you go."

  Revel sprang at the ladder and was soon crowding the heels of thepriest. That worshipful man reached the top of the ladder, turned andknelt and thrust his face into Revel's. It was a vicious face,hawk-nosed and mean. Now it barred his way, gloating openly.

  "You're dog-meat, rebel. A shame to kill the Lady Nirea with you, butthe gods order it." He reached out a hand and planted it firmly onRevel's face.

  Hanging to the rung with his left hand, balancing the girl on the leftshoulder, Revel shot up his right and gripped the priest's wrist andheaved up and back, ducking his head at the same time.

  The robed man flew into space with a screech.

  "Look out below!" roared Revel, and, chuckling, he finished his climband gave a hand to Jerran. "Where now?" From far below came the crunchof a carcass landing at the foot of the ladders, on the lowest level ofthe mine shaft. "One less priest!"

  "Follow me, lad," said Jerran, and dashed for the entrance. There was nogod on duty there, but the two that had accompanied the priest weremounting into the buttoned sky.

  The girl was light on his shoulder, a delicious burden, he thought. Hehoped he could keep her. Just how, or where, he did not bother toconsider. Things were moving too fast for plans, at least plans aboutwomen.

  * * * * *

  Jerran led him up over the crest of the hill above the mine. Beyond laythe uncharted forests of Kamden. He had hunted mink and set rabbitsnares on the edges of it since boyhood, but had never seen its depths.So far as he knew, no man had.

  As they started toward the wood, the beat of hoofs became audible in thequiet countryside. Revel couldn't see the horses, but he began to run,easily and fast, with Lady Nirea bobbing and swearing on his shoulder.Jerran kept pace.

  Then they came up over the rim of the hill behind him, a pack of thegentry on their huge fierce stallions, with a couple of hundred-poundhunting dogs in advance, baying and yapping. The old terrifying viewingcall rose: "Va-yoo hallo! Va-yoo hallo allo-allo!" Thousands of the ruckhad heard the whooping cry moments before their grisly deaths. Reveltightened his grip on the perfect legs of Nirea, and pounded on. He'dditch her if need be, but as long as he could hang on to her, byOrbs....

  The forest was closer. He could pick out individual trees, oak andsilver birch and poplar, standing thick in the matted carpet of thicketand trash. A broad trail opened to the left.

  "That way," gasped Jerran, pointing.

  "The horses can follow down that road!"

  "Don't argue--damn you--lad--just run!"

  The gentry came yelling in their wake. A gun banged. Were they shootingat him? Not with the woman slung down his back. The priests mightsacrifice a squire's daughter without a murmur, but no gentryman everharmed a gentrywoman under any circumstances. It was likely a warning.That was why they kept whistling the dogs back, too, for the enormousbrutes could rip a human to scarlet rags in twenty seconds, and not evena squire's command stopped them once they'd tasted blood.

  He had reached the trees and the wide path. He plunged into it, Jerranbeside him; the older man was panting heavily now, but running asstrongly as ever. "A little behind me, Revel," he husked out. "See youfollow me close."

  Jerran knew where he was headed ... Revel surrendered all initiative tohim. The ground thundered beneath him to the pounding of the horses. Helooked back as he ran. They were almost upon him, gay and gaudy in theirscarlet, green, fawn and purple hunting clothes; their faces werebloodless, malevolent, and entirely without pity. Several of themcarried guns, the long clumsy weapons handed down to them by theirgrandfathers from the time, a hundred years past, when gun-making wasstill a known art. Ramrods were fitted below the barrels and the muzzlesflared like lilies. He'd back his new-found little guns of the AncientKingdom against any such heavy instrument.

  Jerran dived into what seemed a solid mass of brambles. Revel shiftedthe girl and bent to follow; at that instant she grabbed the back of histhigh and wrenched with all her might. He had been carrying her too lowagain. The tug was just enough to throw him off balance, and rucker andlady sprawled on the forest pathway, entangled together, strugglingfrantically to rise, as the giant stallions of the gentry bore down uponthem.