第12节

illac's thighs with paralysing blows then threw his whole weight

upon him. Cadillac squirmed wildly, arcing his body like a speared

fish, clawing at Shakatak's eyes but in a matter of seconds, Shakatak

was sitting astride his chest, with his knees pinning Cadillac's arms

to the ground, and with Cadillac's knife in his hand.

Shakatak grabbed Cadillac's hair, forcing his head back, and pressed

the sharp edge of the blade under Cadillac's left ear. 'You fight

well, wordsmith,' he gasped hoarsely. 'Well enough to have earned the

life I now hold in my hands. The D'Vine have no tongues that can

pierce the mysteries of the world. The past is darkness. Our fire

songs are not remembered. If you would weave them for us so that the

bright thread of our bravery endures, you and the fox shall have meat,

shelter and standing."

Cadillac struggled against the crushing weight on his chest and dragged

air down his battered throat. 'I would sooner have eagles tear out my

tongue than poison the air with your name,' he snarled, haft-choking on

the words.

'So be it, coyote,' said Shakatak. 'I have no past, you have no

future." He raised the knife high into the air. Cadillac saw the late

afternoon sunlight flash off the blade as it hung poised ready to

plunge into his throat. He suddenly felt drained of fear; was filled

instead with a great sadness at leaving the world; at being parted from

Clearwater. But it would not be for ever. He would roam the sunset

islands in the sky until his spirit was poured into a new earth-mother,

re-entering the world in another skin to fulfill his destiny, sharing

the triumph of Talisman's ultimate victory.

In the split-second before the knife fell, Clearwater wrenched her head

free of Cannonball's grip and let out a piercing cry; a blood-curdling

half-scream, half-shout - the dreaded ululation that was the mark of a

summoner.

In'the same instant, Clearwater became the epicentre of a mini-tornado

which hurled her three captors from her in a shower of dust, stones and

uprooted grass. The claim-stick wavered, was wrenched from' the

ground, spun wildly up into the air then drove itself through Torpedo's

chest as he tried to strike Clearwater with the stone flail.

Cannonball and Freeway crouched low, vainly trying to shield themselves

against the shower of stones that rained on them.

Cadillac was terrified too. He covered his ears but the intensity of

the sound coming from Clearwater's throat grew, percing his brain.

An instant later, the spiralling wind enveloped him and Shakatak, still

seated on his chest, arm upraised. The power that Clearwater had

unleashed seemed to imbue the knife he held with a life of its own. It

vibrated wildly in Shakatak's fist but instead of breaking free of his

grip, the awesome force in the wind caused his fingers to lock tighter

round the handle. Sensing the danger, the now-terrified warrior threw

up his other hand in a desperate effort to force the knife loose but as

he touched it, his fingers closed round those already gripping the

knife. Shakatak let out a howl of fear.

The muscles on his neck and shoulders bulged as he strained to hold the

knife above his head. The vortex of force increased in power, the

swirling &and howled, drowning out Clearwater's wavering, unearthly

cry. With one swift, unstoppable movement, the knife in Shakatak's

hands curved downwards in front of Cadillac's horrified face and

buried itself up to the hilt in the warrior's solar plexus.

Shakatak gave a harsh, gasping scream and fell forward across Cadillac,

his hands still clasped around the knife.

Cannonball and Freeway scrambled to their feet and took off across the

grass like stampeding fast-foot, closely followed by the howling

twister. The sound coming from Clearwater's throat faded. She fell to

her knees, eyes glazed as if in a trance.

Wriggling out from under Shakatak's lifeless body, Cadillac stumbled

across to Clearwater on his numbed legs and gathered her in his arms.

Her body felt cold; drained of life. He laid her down gently and

caressed her face, not knowing what to do, completely overawed by the

deadly nature of the power that had come from within her. A power he

had not suspected she possessed; that she had never given the slightest

hint of possessing.

After a few minutes, the grey veil lifted from her eyes. He felt the

warmth flood back into her body. She smiled at him, then a look of

alarm crossed her face. She sat up quickly then relaxed as she

realised that they were both out of danger.