The Buttoned Sky

  CHAPTER VIII

  The Mink he seeks the gentrylass; He eyes the gods above; He laughs their might to scorn, the while He hunts his highborn love.

  A fearsome lion bars the way, The Mink he cannot pass; He lifts his pick with fearful rage, And blood besmears the grass!

  --Ruck's Ballad of the Mink

  Revel was plowing through the brush like a wound-crazed bear. Jerrancame behind, shouting directions, for Revel's impatience would not bestilled enough for him to follow anyone, especially the small Jerran,whose head rang, he said, from the skull-cracking blow he'd been givenby Rack, and who was slowed as a consequence.

  Revel got farther and farther in advance, tearing with his pick at vinesand creepers, trampling small trees, making enough noise for seven men.Dimly he remembered much of the trail hereabouts, and at last he was sofar ahead of Jerran that he couldn't hear him.

  He came into a tiny glade, ceilinged with branches of the oaks. Acrossits width, some twenty feet from him, a huge woods lion lay above thetorn corpse of a man. One of the rebels from the meeting, thought Revel,who wasn't so lucky as most. The lion looked up and growled.

  Its mane was long and bur-tangled, black as sin; its body seven hundredpounds of muscle and bone, was longer than Revel was tall. He greeted itjoyously, a foe to grapple with at last!

  It came to its feet, challenge on challenge rumbling in its massivechest. He drew a gun, then stuck it back. His hands ached for work, morework than the pulling of a trigger. He ported his pickax. "Come along,old monster," he said. "We'll see how a mink and a lion can mix it!"

  It stalked two steps, gathered itself for a leap; he didn't wait, butsprang forward to meet it. The lion rose, checking its pounce withsurprise, for surely no man had ever charged _it_ before. The pick swungdown as it struck sideways at Revel, catching it in one shoulder,tearing the flesh like dough. It screeched, clawing for him.

  One of the scimitar claws caught his side, gashing shirt and skin. Revelwhirled, yelling, flung himself on the animal's back, grabbed a handfulof mane with his left hand, and buried the pick in the center of thewoods lion's skull. The carcass lost its stiffness, sagged and fell, legbones cracking like gun shots as the tremendous body came down uponthem. Revel sprang to one side, lighting on his feet.

  "Not bad," said Jerran drily, coming into the glade. "If you're quitethrough, Revel, we might be going along?"

  "I had to find out if I'm really the Mink," explained Revel, retrievinghis pick from the splintered bone of the lion's head. "The Mink couldslay a woods lion with one blow, it says in the ballads. This fellowtook me two blows."

  Jerran said, his face twisted, "Damn you, don't get cocky on me! You'reimportant now, no dirty miner, but a leader! If you haven't got thebrains to lead, at least keep still, follow my orders, and be afigurehead. But don't take chances for the fun of it, because your lousyhulk may be the salvation of man, despite yourself!"

  Revel hung his head. Jerran looked at him a moment. "Nerves, that's it,and excitement, and eagerness to do something with your big hands.You're young, and I shouldn't expect strict attention to duty of you.But I _do_, blast it! Now march!"

  When they had traversed the forest, they emerged a little west ofDolfya, on a stretch of dirt road bordered by maples. The lane seemeddeserted. Here and there in the buttoned sky were the bright dots ofgods passing back and forth between their abodes. Jerran led himpurposefully down the road.

  * * * * *

  Suddenly a man came bursting out from the maples and ran headlong intothem, knocking the small man back into Revel's arms. It was Dawvys,clothing disheveled, mouth agape with running. "They are after me!" hepanted. "Ewyo sentenced me to the hounds. I ran, but they're after me!"

  Revel hauled out his pick. "Look there," he said, jerking his headupward. "Concentration of orbs above us."

  "They point the way for the squires," grunted Jerran. "I don't hear thedogs, though."

  "Ewyo wants me alive."

  "He won't get you!"

  "Will I not?" Ewyo himself had stepped quietly out from the trees,directly in their path. In puce velvet, a great trumpet-mouthed gun inhis hands, he stood beefy and menacing before them. "Do you tell me Iwon't, Revel the Mink?" He chuckled icily at the looks of amazement."D'you think I wouldn't have rucker spies? D'you think we don't knowabout your foolish hideaway in the forest, and couldn't clap our handsdown on all of you in an hour if we wished to?" Two more squires, talland red-faced and prominently armed, came out behind him, "Gentles,"said Ewyo with mock politeness, "I give you Revel, the Mink, and twominor henchmen."

  Revel lifted his pick and came forward, roaring defiance. Ewyo's gunthrust out at his belly. "Don't die now," said the big squirepleadingly. "I want you for a fox, Revel."

  Jerran snatched a handgun from his belt. One of the squires loosed offat him instantly, the slug striking the handgun more by accident thandesign, sending it spinning as Jerran howled and gripped his numbedfingers.

  "Nice shooting, Rosk," said Ewyo. Revel still stood with his pickraised, wondering what his chances of a swipe at Ewyo would be. "Put itdown," said the squire. "Drop it!"

  "Drop it, Revel," said Jerran. The Mink did so, and Rosk picked it up.

  "Come along," said Ewyo then. "I have some excellent torture rooms I'dlike you to inspect. Personally!" With a grin like a weasel's, hemotioned them through the maples. Several others of the gentry came up,and the three rebels were surrounded and marched off to the great houseof Ewyo of Dolfya.

  * * * * *

  The room was large, of field stone, set below the house like a mole'sden; portions of the walls were black with age-old soot, from whathellish fires Revel did not like to guess, and the rafters were grimedand looked like axe-blades, darkened with dry blood, ready to fall uponhim. One wall had thongs hanging from it, beside a nine-lashed whiphanging on a post. Candles illumined other instruments, the purpose ofall of which was torture.

  "Strap him to the wall," said Ewyo. Two of his servants did so; theywere evil-faced ruckers, fat with good living in the squire's huts.Rosk, the lean-jawed, red-cheeked squire who was Ewyo's closest friend,said, "Shall I flay a part of him? The left hand, say, or one foot sohe'll be slow in the hunt?"

  "No. I want him hale and hearty." Revel breathed easier. "The gods wantto do something, though. I'm not sure what. I have my orders." Ewyo tooka seat by the wall, gestured his servants out. As the door closed behindthem, a hideous yell echoed in the vault.

  Ewyo said comfortably, "They are taking the hide off the back of Dawvys,in the next chamber. They'll split his fingernails, too, and perhapstake off an ear. He's the least important of you upstarts, and I don'tcare if he's as slow as a slug tomorrow."

  Revel thrashed impotently in the leather straps.

  Rosk studied the face of the Mink. He opened his gash of a mouth to saysomething, and Revel spat accurately into it. "I wish it were my pick,"he said, as the squire sputtered and backed off.

  "Let be, Rosk," said Ewyo, smiling a little. "He'll pay for ittomorrow." Rosk wiped his lips as the burly squire cocked his head,listening to an unseen command. Then he walked over, opened the door,and let in another yelp of agony, followed by a pair of golden orbs,with their attendant zanphs.

  The globes floated down to the level of the Mink's face, and his skinprickled at the nearness of the energy aura. What now? The long feelerscame darting out, touching his eyelids, his cheeks, and Revel winced,expecting a searing burn. There was only the tingle. They could regulatethe energy, then, burning an opponent only when necessary. But howloathsome their nearness was, to a sane and enlightened man who haddiscarded the creed of their god-hood!

  * * * * *

  Now their minds came probing into his. Automatically he erected therampart of innocuous thoughts. Yet the probing continued; he could feelit as a tangible finger of force, needling here, thrusting in there,pressing aside the thoughts that
meant nothing, feeling out not only histrue thoughts, but his memories, his unconscious hopes, the very traitsof character which made him what he was and of which he was scarcelyaware.

  This was no casually suspicious probing, such as an orb might give a manas it passed him in the mine. This was a brutal wrenching of brain-stuffthat would not be denied. He felt it go into his rebellious brain, pokeand pry, ferret out all he remembered and believed. All the conceitwashed out of Revel the Mink. All the scorn he had felt for thesecreatures turned to fear, and the bitter hatred increased athousandfold. And he knew that they felt it as it happened.

  At last the feelers drew back, and the orbs lifted toward the rafters.Their zanphs lay watching them, and the two squires stood upuncertainly. Then Rosk said in a hollow, unreal voice, "This man is tobe guarded closely. He must not be allowed to escape. It would be betterif he were killed now, rather than kept for the hunt. He is the mostdangerous rebel we have ever found."

  The Mink realized that the gods were using Rosk as a dummy, speakingthrough his lips.

  Ewyo said, looking at the globes, that burnt with a dull golden radiancein the upper gloom, "It would be better if he were hunted down. He isthe 'Savior' the ruck has been waiting for all these years, they think,and if we slew him in this chamber, his death would never be believed.He should be hunted before the whole town, and torn to pieces by thedogs."

  The globes, through Rosk's lips, said, "That is so. Hunt him, then; butif he escapes, you die and your family's status is reduced to that ofthe lowest rucker's." They floated toward the door, which Ewyo hastenedto open for them. The sound of Dawvys' groans came in, and Revelstrained again at his bonds.

  * * * * *

  Ewyo's pale eyes darted toward him. "What a fox you'll make," hegloated. "We'll run you in my own lands, which are the best for the gamein all this country. We'll run you naked, I think, and allow the ruck togather on the hills and watch you scuttle from afar. Their precioussavior! A naked, frightened, harried rabbit, instead of a bold fightingmink! How'll they like _that_? How much talk of treason will there befor the next ten years, after _that_? Precious little, Revel of theRuck!"

  He called his servants. "Take him and bind him with two dozen thickthongs, and have twenty men sit in a circle round him all night. Givehim plenty of food and water--by Orbs, give him a beaker of my wine!We'll have a fox tomorrow to remember for a lifetime!"