in particular. It passed a huge feline creature who seemed to have no eyes, so they thought it safe to tiptoe by. Then it yawned, and there were eyes in its mouth: eye teeth. They hurried on, before the eyes could focus on them.
There was a sign saying BOWLING. That seemed safe. Then a bowl flew by Sink's head. Someone was throwing bowls at them!
They ran on, escaping the bowls. There was a cat staring at them.
ZOMBIfc LOVFR 77
It scanned Bink, then Dolph, then Dor, as if it could see their innards: the process was disquieting.
"It's a cat scan, dummy," a little figure with a big mouth said, and ran on.
Next were several little dogs running in circles. "Lap dogs," the figure said. "Doing their laps."
Beyond them were other dogs that just lay in the way. There were too many to step over, so Dolph bent down to lift one out of the way. "Ouch!" he exclaimed. "It's burning hot!"
"Hot dogs," the running figure explained.
There was a cacophony of barking as mud puppies formed from nearby mud, and suds puppies formed from soap bubbles. Then it stopped as a hush puppy commanded silence.
"What gives with all these animals?" Dor demanded.
"It was just raining cats and dogs," the big mouth answered.
"I think I'm beginning to appreciate why we were warned against the comic strip," Dor muttered.
They managed to get beyond the animals, but were not clear of the strip. Dolph saw a purse lying in the path, so he bent to pick it up— and it exploded, spattering him with dirt. "That's a disperse, dummy." the mouthy figure said, chucking. "So now are you going to try to play the lute?"
Sure enough, there was a stringed musical instrument there. "Let me try it," Bink said, and picked it up.
The strings of the lute snapped free of their moorings and tried to wrap themselves around him. But he happened to be standing beside a wall of colored blocks, and the strings got tangled around the blocks instead. Suddenly the blocks moved, manifesting as a big snake composed of blocky segments. It looped away, dragging the lute.
"Sidewinder captures disso-lute," the figure said gleefully.
"We've got to get out of here!" Dolph cried. "Let's follow that snake."
They charged after the sidewinder, but it swerved back into the center of the strip. They were in danger of losing the footprints, so they stopped and looked for them.
The prints led to the side, but that trail was blocked by a big picture of a collection of pins, labeled TING. "We'll have to move that out of the way," Dor said.
"Uh-uh-iih!" the running figure said. "This is a pain-ting."
78 PIERS ANTHONY
''Just what are you?" Bink demanded of the little creature.
"I thought you'd never ask! I'm a running commentary. If you think I'm bad, you should meet my cousin the running gag. You can get rid of him only by telling lame jokes, so his legs stop working."
"So can you tell us how to get out of this comic strip?" Dolph demanded. But the commentary had already run away.
"There's an open space," Dor said, peering to the side.
They made for it. It turned out to be a square section paved with linoleum. It looked harmless.
Then a wild-eyed woman appeared with wild roses in her hair. Her body was luscious, but there was something dangerous about her. "Hi! I'm Meriel Maenad. Do any of you want to indulge in floor-play with me?"
"No!" Bink said quickly. He knew about the maenads; they were bloodthirsty wild women who loved to tear men apart, literally.
"Just as well," the running commentary remarked, reappearing. "Those who indulge on that floor get trampled by the families of their partners, who don't much like them."
"How do we get out of here?" Dolph demanded, but again the commentary had run off.
Then a large serpentine head loomed over them. ' That looks like a hydra," Dor said nervously. Sure enough, in a moment several more heads
There was a sign saying BOWLING. That seemed safe. Then a bowl flew by Sink's head. Someone was throwing bowls at them!
They ran on, escaping the bowls. There was a cat staring at them.
ZOMBIfc LOVFR 77
It scanned Bink, then Dolph, then Dor, as if it could see their innards: the process was disquieting.
"It's a cat scan, dummy," a little figure with a big mouth said, and ran on.
Next were several little dogs running in circles. "Lap dogs," the figure said. "Doing their laps."
Beyond them were other dogs that just lay in the way. There were too many to step over, so Dolph bent down to lift one out of the way. "Ouch!" he exclaimed. "It's burning hot!"
"Hot dogs," the running figure explained.
There was a cacophony of barking as mud puppies formed from nearby mud, and suds puppies formed from soap bubbles. Then it stopped as a hush puppy commanded silence.
"What gives with all these animals?" Dor demanded.
"It was just raining cats and dogs," the big mouth answered.
"I think I'm beginning to appreciate why we were warned against the comic strip," Dor muttered.
They managed to get beyond the animals, but were not clear of the strip. Dolph saw a purse lying in the path, so he bent to pick it up— and it exploded, spattering him with dirt. "That's a disperse, dummy." the mouthy figure said, chucking. "So now are you going to try to play the lute?"
Sure enough, there was a stringed musical instrument there. "Let me try it," Bink said, and picked it up.
The strings of the lute snapped free of their moorings and tried to wrap themselves around him. But he happened to be standing beside a wall of colored blocks, and the strings got tangled around the blocks instead. Suddenly the blocks moved, manifesting as a big snake composed of blocky segments. It looped away, dragging the lute.
"Sidewinder captures disso-lute," the figure said gleefully.
"We've got to get out of here!" Dolph cried. "Let's follow that snake."
They charged after the sidewinder, but it swerved back into the center of the strip. They were in danger of losing the footprints, so they stopped and looked for them.
The prints led to the side, but that trail was blocked by a big picture of a collection of pins, labeled TING. "We'll have to move that out of the way," Dor said.
"Uh-uh-iih!" the running figure said. "This is a pain-ting."
78 PIERS ANTHONY
''Just what are you?" Bink demanded of the little creature.
"I thought you'd never ask! I'm a running commentary. If you think I'm bad, you should meet my cousin the running gag. You can get rid of him only by telling lame jokes, so his legs stop working."
"So can you tell us how to get out of this comic strip?" Dolph demanded. But the commentary had already run away.
"There's an open space," Dor said, peering to the side.
They made for it. It turned out to be a square section paved with linoleum. It looked harmless.
Then a wild-eyed woman appeared with wild roses in her hair. Her body was luscious, but there was something dangerous about her. "Hi! I'm Meriel Maenad. Do any of you want to indulge in floor-play with me?"
"No!" Bink said quickly. He knew about the maenads; they were bloodthirsty wild women who loved to tear men apart, literally.
"Just as well," the running commentary remarked, reappearing. "Those who indulge on that floor get trampled by the families of their partners, who don't much like them."
"How do we get out of here?" Dolph demanded, but again the commentary had run off.
Then a large serpentine head loomed over them. ' That looks like a hydra," Dor said nervously. Sure enough, in a moment several more heads
Similar Books
The Evil That Men Do: FBI Profiler Roy Hazelwood's Journey Into the Minds of Sexual Predators
Stephen G. Michaud, Roy Hazelwood
