Shade.
“You bats are no longer protected in the night. Any bat seenin the sky, night or day, is subject to death. We will not tolerate these actions. Our messengers have already been dispatched to all nests in the city, and will travel beyond as fast as our wingbeats.”
“You can’t do this!” Shade shouted in fury.
The nights, closed. That meant none of them were safe now. He thought of his mother and the rest of his colony. Were they far enough away, or would the owls’ decree catch up with them? More than ever, he knew he had to reach them.
“It has already been done, little bat,” said the owl. “And if you value your life, you will tell us where we can find the killers.”
“We don’t know anything.”
The owl turned to the captain. “I must go make my report to the royal assembly. Torture these two until they talk, then send for me.”
“Yes, Ambassador.”
The owl flared her wings, and the pigeons cleared a path for her as she rose regally through the turret and disappeared into the night sky.
“Prepare the bats for amputation,” the captain told his guards.
Shade felt all his joints turn loose and watery.
“What does that mean?” he asked Marina. “Amputation?”
“I don’t know,” she stammered, “I don’t—”
“Peck!” came the low ominous chant from the birds. “Peck, peck, peck, peck.”
Scriiiiiiiitttttcchhhhhh!
Shade’s ears twitched in terror. A group of pigeons were dragging their beaks against the stone.
Scriiiiiiiitttttcchhhhhh! Scriiiiiiiitttttcchhhhhh!
Shade suddenly understood. They were sharpening their beaks.
“Your punishment will be the loss of your wings!” decreed the captain. “You can crawl back to your bat friends and tell themthat the pigeons of this city will not forget this outrage. Take hold of them!”
“Take their wings!” cried the guard on the ground. “Pin them down!”
Pigeons dropped from their perches and began to crowd in. They were going to take away his wings, peck them off so he could never fly, never reach home. He felt powerless and naked in the bright light. The light.
“Follow me!” he hissed to Marina.
He sprang forward, leaping over the ring of pigeons and landing on the floor beyond them, very near the blinding shaft of light. He shut his eyes. Flaring his wings, he tripled his size in an instant, and bared his teeth with a blood-curdling shriek. Three pigeons scattered in astonishment. Marina landed beside him. Shade felt for the rough surface of the tar shingle.
“Push!” he urged her. “Block the light!”
Together they sank their claws in and pushed. The shingle slid quickly across the floor.
“Take hold of them!” roared the captain. “Seize their wings!”
But the turret was plunged into total darkness. Shade knew now was their only chance. The pigeons were momentarily blind.
“Come on,” he hissed to Marina.
Slowly he lifted off the ground, drumming his wings frantically. With his sound vision he scanned the turret: the silver webwork of beams, pigeons fluttering blind in panic, their wings etching ghostly shadows in his mind’s eye. He spotted the nearest window: a beckoning rectangle of blackness. He plotted his course.
The pigeons fluttered in confusion, smacking into one another. Shade veered around one beam, then another, his wings jerking sharply from side to side. From behind, a pigeon knocked him in the side of the head, stunning him. He dropped to a wooden beam.
“Got one!” the pigeon cried.
“Shade!” he heard Marina cry beside him.
“Go!” he shouted. “I’m okay.”
But he felt the bird’s heavy wing press down on him hard, trying to pin him. Instinctively he sank his teeth into the feathers and hit flesh. The pigeon yelped and the wing snapped up.
Shade leaped from the beam, dropping several feet before his wings could lift him again. Where was Marina? He cast a panicked sonic glance around and saw her slender outline, making for the window above him. She flashed
“You bats are no longer protected in the night. Any bat seenin the sky, night or day, is subject to death. We will not tolerate these actions. Our messengers have already been dispatched to all nests in the city, and will travel beyond as fast as our wingbeats.”
“You can’t do this!” Shade shouted in fury.
The nights, closed. That meant none of them were safe now. He thought of his mother and the rest of his colony. Were they far enough away, or would the owls’ decree catch up with them? More than ever, he knew he had to reach them.
“It has already been done, little bat,” said the owl. “And if you value your life, you will tell us where we can find the killers.”
“We don’t know anything.”
The owl turned to the captain. “I must go make my report to the royal assembly. Torture these two until they talk, then send for me.”
“Yes, Ambassador.”
The owl flared her wings, and the pigeons cleared a path for her as she rose regally through the turret and disappeared into the night sky.
“Prepare the bats for amputation,” the captain told his guards.
Shade felt all his joints turn loose and watery.
“What does that mean?” he asked Marina. “Amputation?”
“I don’t know,” she stammered, “I don’t—”
“Peck!” came the low ominous chant from the birds. “Peck, peck, peck, peck.”
Scriiiiiiiitttttcchhhhhh!
Shade’s ears twitched in terror. A group of pigeons were dragging their beaks against the stone.
Scriiiiiiiitttttcchhhhhh! Scriiiiiiiitttttcchhhhhh!
Shade suddenly understood. They were sharpening their beaks.
“Your punishment will be the loss of your wings!” decreed the captain. “You can crawl back to your bat friends and tell themthat the pigeons of this city will not forget this outrage. Take hold of them!”
“Take their wings!” cried the guard on the ground. “Pin them down!”
Pigeons dropped from their perches and began to crowd in. They were going to take away his wings, peck them off so he could never fly, never reach home. He felt powerless and naked in the bright light. The light.
“Follow me!” he hissed to Marina.
He sprang forward, leaping over the ring of pigeons and landing on the floor beyond them, very near the blinding shaft of light. He shut his eyes. Flaring his wings, he tripled his size in an instant, and bared his teeth with a blood-curdling shriek. Three pigeons scattered in astonishment. Marina landed beside him. Shade felt for the rough surface of the tar shingle.
“Push!” he urged her. “Block the light!”
Together they sank their claws in and pushed. The shingle slid quickly across the floor.
“Take hold of them!” roared the captain. “Seize their wings!”
But the turret was plunged into total darkness. Shade knew now was their only chance. The pigeons were momentarily blind.
“Come on,” he hissed to Marina.
Slowly he lifted off the ground, drumming his wings frantically. With his sound vision he scanned the turret: the silver webwork of beams, pigeons fluttering blind in panic, their wings etching ghostly shadows in his mind’s eye. He spotted the nearest window: a beckoning rectangle of blackness. He plotted his course.
The pigeons fluttered in confusion, smacking into one another. Shade veered around one beam, then another, his wings jerking sharply from side to side. From behind, a pigeon knocked him in the side of the head, stunning him. He dropped to a wooden beam.
“Got one!” the pigeon cried.
“Shade!” he heard Marina cry beside him.
“Go!” he shouted. “I’m okay.”
But he felt the bird’s heavy wing press down on him hard, trying to pin him. Instinctively he sank his teeth into the feathers and hit flesh. The pigeon yelped and the wing snapped up.
Shade leaped from the beam, dropping several feet before his wings could lift him again. Where was Marina? He cast a panicked sonic glance around and saw her slender outline, making for the window above him. She flashed
Similar Books
