rstacy.doomsdaywarrior-第41章

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birth　…　to　die　at　the　Sacrifice　pool。　They　believed　the　cavern　beings　would　take　us　and　eat　us。　Many　of　the　first　to　be　abandoned　died。　Some　among　us　crawled　away　and　lived　off　the　mushrooms　…　and　survived。　We　took　care　of　the　others　who　were　left　at　the　waters　after　that。　We　are　not　as　young　as　we　look　…　we　age　very　slowly。　I　am　psychic；　you　are　correct　there　…　that　is　why　I　could　immediately　understand　the　peril。　I　know　something　good。　The　canister　is　yet　intact。〃
　There　was　the　noise　of　a　great　flying　thing　swooping　down　from　the　cavern　roof　high　above。　Rock　yelled；　〃BAT！〃　and　went　to　draw　his　pistol。
　〃No；〃　said　the　child。　〃It　is　only　Ra…we…nak。　The　red　bat。　He　is　the　friend　I　whistled　for。　He　will　help　us　find　Stafford　and　retrieve　the　vial。〃
　Rock　flashed　up　his　beam　at　the　monstrous　thing　of　leather　wings　that　now　swooped　down　and　folded　its　wings。　It　waddled　over　to　Starlight　and　nudged　the　girl　child　with　its　big　single…horned　head。
　〃Nice　Ra…we…nak；〃　Starlight　said。　〃You　must　let　us　ride　you；　you　must　follow　the　vampire　bat　that　has　taken　the　man。〃
　If　a　bat　could　look　startled　and　uneasy；　this　one　did。　It　shied　away；　trembled。
　〃Do　not　worry；　Ra…we…nak；〃　said　Starlight。　〃We　have　a　weapon；　a　heat　pistol。　And　you　must　do　this；　so　that　we　can　all　remain　alive。　Please。　If　you　like　me；　and　want　me　to　be　your　friend　anymore；　please　do　this。
　The　creature's　eyes　became　watery　and　it　seemed　to　nod。
　Rockson　was　prompted　by　Starlight　to　mount　the　giant　flying　steed。　He　shrugged；　and　holding　the　horn　of　the　dark　red　saddle；　he　pulled　himself　up　on　the　thing's　back。　This　was　all　a　hallucination　anyway；　he　thought。　One　of　the　Whisperers'　crazy　mind…jokes。　He'd　go　along　for　the　ride。
　Starlight　climbed　aboard；　squeezing　her　cherubic　little　body　in　front　of　his。　Then　they　took　off　at　lightning　speed；　the　giant　red　bat　snapping　its　wings　mightily　to　gain　altitude。
　It　sure　seemed　real　enough；　Rockson　thought；　hanging　on　for　dear　life　as　the　floor　of　the　cavern　disappeared　in　the　darkness。
　Soon　they　were　in　a　dull　fiery　red　light。　They　were　apparently　going　about　a　hundred　miles　an　hour。　Rock　figured　that　from　the　flashing…past　of　a　multitude　of　stalactites　on　either　side　of　their　flight　path。　They　flew　at　the　red　glow　in　the　distance。　He　felt　like　he　was　inside　an　intestine。　And　laughed。　Perhaps　this　twisting　huge　tunnel　was　one　of　the　bowels　of　the　Earth。　Ha　ha；　what　an　illusion。
　And　then　he　saw　it　…　the　huge　black　bat；　floating　along　in　front　of　them；　holding　Stafford's　limp　body　in　its　claws。　And　Stafford's　hand　held　a　long　slender　cylinder。　Factor　Q。
　
　
　CHAPTER　30
　
　Starlight　exclaimed；　〃Yes；　I　see　it　too。〃　The　black　bat　didn't　turn　its　prehistoric　toothy　head；　but　it　must　have　sensed　their　approach；　for　it　squawked　and　veered　off；　making　a　sound　like　a　diving　B…98　bomber。　It　dove　down　a　corkscrewing　fifty…meter…wide　side　tunnel。
　〃Hold　on　tight。〃　Starlight　said。　Rockson　dug　his　heels　as　hard　as　he　could　into　the　side　of　the　giant　red　bat　as　it　swung　to　the　left　and　dropped　like　a　meteor。　Its　wings　had　snapped　shut；　hurtling　them　down　the　precipitous　side　tunnel　in　pursuit　of　the　black　bat　and　its　human　prey。　His　stomach　felt　like　it　did　in　the　high…speed　elevator　at　Century　City　…　queasy。
　Ra…we…nak；　their　steedbat；　snapped　open　its　wings　from　time　to　time　to　change　direction　or　make　a　sudden　spin；　following　the　spiraling　near…vertical　descent　of　the　tunnel。　It　was　gaining　on　the　black　bat；　which　took　another　wild　turn　down　an　even　steeper　pathway　in　the　faintly　luminous　underground　world。
　As　they　continued　plummeting　downward；　the　walls　of　the　tunnel　drew　in　tighter　and　tighter。　Rockson　could　see　it　slipping　by　like　the　corrugated　lining　of　some　giant　dark　intestine　at　a　mile　a　second。　The　red　bat　started　screaming　out　a　high…pitched　sound；　possibly　to　steer　itself；　listening　to　the　echoes　of　its　own　shrill　voice　as　a　form　of　sonar。　The　Doomsday　Warrior's　ears　hurt；　he　wished　he　could　let　go　of　Starlight　and　cover　them；　but　it　was　too　chancy。
　They　wove　and　spun；　sometimes　ing　perilously　close　to　a　rocky　wall　of　the　corkscrewing　tunnel。　The　air　grew　fetid　and　hot；　the　sulfurous　smell　increased。　The　Doomsday　Warrior's　ears　popped　again　and　again　as　the　pressure　increased。
　God；　if　this　kept　up；　he　thought；　they　would　soon　reach　the　flaming　hot　magma　lying　miles　under　the　Earth's　crust。
　〃Starlight；〃　Rock　shouted；　〃where　are　we　going？〃
　〃To　hell　itself　…　where　the　dark　creature；　the　ruler　of　all　the　vampire　bats；　nests。〃
　The　bomber…sized　black　bat　disappeared　from　view　momentarily　around　a　sharp　corner；　then　reappeared。　They　were　gaining　on　it。　Rockson's　wind…teared　eyes　squinted　over　the　red　bat's　head　to　see　that　Stafford　was　still　held　in　the　grip　of　the　thing　　…and　the　canister　was　still　in　his　death　grip。
　As　the　suffocating；　sulfurous…smelling　high…pressure　winds　whipped　by；　the　noise　his　steed's　leathery　wings　made　mimicked　a　Stuka　dive　bomber。　The　yawing　and　rolling　of　their　impossible　flight　path　through　volcanic　tunnels　deep　under　the　Earth　continued　until　Rock　felt　his　ears　would　burst。　He　was　near　to　blacking　out。
　Gravity　ceased　to　have　any　meaning。　They　were　upside　down；　then　upright；　then　upside　down　again。　The　Doomsday　Warrior　jammed　his　heels　in　against　the　stiff　body　of　his　unearthly　mount；　wishing　he　had　stirrups；　holding　on　for　dear　life；　his　arms　locked　around　the　small　soft　body　of　Starlight。
　How　far　had　they　e　in　the　five　minutes　of　flight　in　the　glowing　red　dimness？　It　seemed　like　a　thousand　miles。　They　were　somewhere　deep　into　the　Earth's　bowels。　It　was　growing　very　hot　…　perhaps　they　neared　the　source　of　the　volcanic　light。
　Now　they　came　out　in　a　large　cavern　lit　by　the　orange　glow　of　a　flowing　river　of　red　hot　lava。　They　leveled　off；　rode　through　thunder　and　lightning；　swirling　clouds　of　blue　and　gray　smoke。　The　killer　bat　was　less　than　a　hundred　meters　ahead。　Ninety；　eighty。。。　and　slowing。
　And　then　they　lost　it。　Their　red　bat　screeched　and　screeched；　trying　to　get　an　echo　from　the　big　killer；　but　to　no　avail。　There　was　too　much　thunderous　electrical　display　all　around。
　Rockson　asked　that　they　fly　in　a　search　pattern；　over　the　fiery　stream　of　lava；　where　the　clouds　were　less　thick。
　Rock　scanned　the　cavern　as　they　traveled；　soaring　in　large　arcs；　as　he　had　indicated　to　Starlight。
　Starlight　shouted；　〃There　it　is；〃　pointing　over　to　the　right。　At　the　far　end　of　the　chamber；　high　on　a　ledge；　was　a　nest　…　but　not　a　bird's　nest　of　straw。　This　nest　was　of　metal　…　pipes　and　gears　and　other　man…made　things　plucked　from　the　area　near　Eden　and　flown　here；　then　woven　and　bent　into　the　giant　vampire　bat's　nest。
　And　perched　in　that　nest　of　twisted　metal　pipes　on　the　far　ledge　above　the　red　flowing　river　of　lava　was　the　vampire　bat　…and　Stafford。
　Stafford　was　torn　open。　Obviously　dead。　The　canister　containing　Factor　Q　was　nowhere　to　be　seen。
　The　giant　black　bat　was　preoccupied；　too　preoccupied　to　notice　the　approaching　red　bat　and　its　human　cargo。　The　vampire　bat　had　the　man's　carcast　in　its　beak　and　was　shaking　it；　dribbling　its　blood　into　the　jaws　of　its　three　hellish　bat…chicks。
　Rockson　had　his　shotpistol　up；　they　approached　at　enormous　speed。　〃I　have　to　see　if　the　canister　is　in　the　nest　…　attract　its　attention　with　a　near　pass。　Get　it　to　follow　us。〃
　Starlight　whispered　something　into　their　mount's　ear　and　the　red　bat　began　screeching　an　angry　attack　litany。　Now　the　creature　of　darkness　shifted　and　dropped　the　human　body　alongside　the　bat…chicks。　Rockson　could　hear　the　three　smaller　black　bats　screech　for　their　supper；　angry　that　they　had　been　cut　off　from　the　warm　blood　feast。　The　mother　bat　shifted　and　took　to　the　air。
　Rockson　saw　the　canister　teeter…tottering　on　the　edge　of　the　nest　where　it　had　lodged。　If　it　fell　from　its　current　position；　it　would　drop　a　few　hundred　feet　and　hit　sharp　rocks。　And　probably　crack　open；　releasing　its　death　to　the　world。
　But　if　the　canister　could　be　dropped　in　the　fiery　lava　river　it　would　be　instantly　vaporized。　Cleansed。　Destroyed。
　The　red　bat　swung　into　a　long　arc　of　escape　as　the　black　mother　bat　followed；　shrieking。　It　wanted　to　drive　them　from　the　area　of　its　offspring。　Motherly