The League of Doorways (A Book of Vampires, Werewolves & Black Magic) (The Doorways Trilogy - Book Two) by Tim O'Rourke
Authors: Tim O'Rourke
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doorway flew open.
“Get him!” Tanner roared as he raced towards the door.
Fandel looked back, and fixing Anna with his beady black eyes, he smiled. Then a hand appeared from the other side, took hold of Fandel by the collar, and dragged him through it. The doorway slammed shut as the stakes from the peacekeepers’ crossbows bounced off it. Then the door was gone, and so was Fandel.
Chapter Sixteen
The beet-wagon crawled to a stop. Smoke poured up from the front of the creature and it made a rattling sound deep within its body. Its black insect-like legs skittered in the sand, and the machine almost seemed to collapse with exhaustion.
“That’s as far as it’s going to take us,” Faraday said, pushing back the creature’s shell and climbing from the vehicle.
Zach and the others clambered out into the night.
“So, what now?” Bom grumbled.
“We walk from here,” Faraday told him.
“How far is this Clockwork City?” Zach asked, looking up at the sky, wondering how long they had before daybreak.
Faraday shrugged his shoulders and said, “I don’t know. Is it important?”
“Kinda,” Neanna said. “Let’s just say the sun doesn’t agree with me.”
Faraday looked at her blankly with his dead , black eyes.
“I’m a Slath,” she told him.
“I thought that race was extinct?” Faraday said, moving away from the giant, dead beetle.
“I’m all that’s left,” she said thoughtfully.
Zach looked at Neanna and could see her eyes cloud over – grow darker – as she remembered how Throat had tricked her race of people. Zach moved closer to her. He wanted to put his arm around her, comfort her. But he didn’t. Zach didn’t know if he should. William did though, and Zach watched her squeeze one of his giant paws with affection.
With his chainmail armor clinking, Bom made after Faraday as he strode away across the desert. The others caught up with him.
“So, how long?” Zach asked, worried about Neanna.
“Until what?” Faraday asked back, never taking his eyes off the dark horizon.
“Until we reach the city?” Zach pushed, feeling frustrated that he was placing his trust and friends’ lives in the hands of an emotionless machine.
“We’ll reach it by daybreak,” Faraday said back.
“Do you even know where we are going to find the house of this man – Der Cribbot?” William woofed.
“No,” Faraday said, as if he didn’t have a care in the world.
“Oh, great,” Bom blustered. Then turning to look at Zach, he added, “I know you are meant to be some kind of leader or something, but I think you are making a big mistake by following this thing, boy.”
Zach knew that Bom was cowardly, but he was starting to think that perhaps he was right – could Faraday be trusted? Did he have the faintest idea where he was heading? How long had he been out in the desert? Zach wondered. Were all of the mechanical man’s cogs and parts, working correctly? Then, before he had a chance to say anything, Faraday had pulled an odd-looking compass from one of the many pockets on his flight suit. He held it out in the palm of his hand and said , “The Outer-Rim, Clockwork City, locate Cribbot residence.’
The lid of the compass flipped open, and a small dragonfly-looking bird sprung out and buzzed about just above Faraday’s open hand. A column of green light then arced out of the compass and formed a map of Endra. The dragonfly-type bird twitched, fluttered, and then zoomed into the holographic image that hovered above them.
“What is that?” Zach asked Faraday in wonder.
“It’s called a Seek-Wasp!”
“What does it do?” William asked, as he watched it rocket over the holographic image of Endra.
“It seeks out any location you request…”
“Like a Sat-Nav?” Zach pondered, aloud.
“Sat-Nav?” Neanna asked, glancing sideways at her friend.
“It doesn’t matter,” Zach whispered, unable to take his eyes off the creature that fluttered and buzzed overhead.
“Get him!” Tanner roared as he raced towards the door.
Fandel looked back, and fixing Anna with his beady black eyes, he smiled. Then a hand appeared from the other side, took hold of Fandel by the collar, and dragged him through it. The doorway slammed shut as the stakes from the peacekeepers’ crossbows bounced off it. Then the door was gone, and so was Fandel.
Chapter Sixteen
The beet-wagon crawled to a stop. Smoke poured up from the front of the creature and it made a rattling sound deep within its body. Its black insect-like legs skittered in the sand, and the machine almost seemed to collapse with exhaustion.
“That’s as far as it’s going to take us,” Faraday said, pushing back the creature’s shell and climbing from the vehicle.
Zach and the others clambered out into the night.
“So, what now?” Bom grumbled.
“We walk from here,” Faraday told him.
“How far is this Clockwork City?” Zach asked, looking up at the sky, wondering how long they had before daybreak.
Faraday shrugged his shoulders and said, “I don’t know. Is it important?”
“Kinda,” Neanna said. “Let’s just say the sun doesn’t agree with me.”
Faraday looked at her blankly with his dead , black eyes.
“I’m a Slath,” she told him.
“I thought that race was extinct?” Faraday said, moving away from the giant, dead beetle.
“I’m all that’s left,” she said thoughtfully.
Zach looked at Neanna and could see her eyes cloud over – grow darker – as she remembered how Throat had tricked her race of people. Zach moved closer to her. He wanted to put his arm around her, comfort her. But he didn’t. Zach didn’t know if he should. William did though, and Zach watched her squeeze one of his giant paws with affection.
With his chainmail armor clinking, Bom made after Faraday as he strode away across the desert. The others caught up with him.
“So, how long?” Zach asked, worried about Neanna.
“Until what?” Faraday asked back, never taking his eyes off the dark horizon.
“Until we reach the city?” Zach pushed, feeling frustrated that he was placing his trust and friends’ lives in the hands of an emotionless machine.
“We’ll reach it by daybreak,” Faraday said back.
“Do you even know where we are going to find the house of this man – Der Cribbot?” William woofed.
“No,” Faraday said, as if he didn’t have a care in the world.
“Oh, great,” Bom blustered. Then turning to look at Zach, he added, “I know you are meant to be some kind of leader or something, but I think you are making a big mistake by following this thing, boy.”
Zach knew that Bom was cowardly, but he was starting to think that perhaps he was right – could Faraday be trusted? Did he have the faintest idea where he was heading? How long had he been out in the desert? Zach wondered. Were all of the mechanical man’s cogs and parts, working correctly? Then, before he had a chance to say anything, Faraday had pulled an odd-looking compass from one of the many pockets on his flight suit. He held it out in the palm of his hand and said , “The Outer-Rim, Clockwork City, locate Cribbot residence.’
The lid of the compass flipped open, and a small dragonfly-looking bird sprung out and buzzed about just above Faraday’s open hand. A column of green light then arced out of the compass and formed a map of Endra. The dragonfly-type bird twitched, fluttered, and then zoomed into the holographic image that hovered above them.
“What is that?” Zach asked Faraday in wonder.
“It’s called a Seek-Wasp!”
“What does it do?” William asked, as he watched it rocket over the holographic image of Endra.
“It seeks out any location you request…”
“Like a Sat-Nav?” Zach pondered, aloud.
“Sat-Nav?” Neanna asked, glancing sideways at her friend.
“It doesn’t matter,” Zach whispered, unable to take his eyes off the creature that fluttered and buzzed overhead.
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