Descending Road - THE BLACK AIR HOWLED OUTSIDE by Dana W. Paxson

THE BLACK AIR HOWLED OUTSIDE

1563 4D

A few minutes later, they stood at an intersection. “Janny,” he said, “oua we go?” She pointed left, down a straight avenue with a high-arched ceiling. They had come from a left-curving street, so this had to be toward the City‘s spine.

The liftway door stood in a niche only a few feet from the corner. Andrew patted the girl on the head. She spit on the floor, then bent down and studied something lying in the shadows. Andrew squatted down beside her. In her hand she held a small polished white lump penetrated by a piece of wire.

“Ma-ma Bonesy,” she said in a high small voice. She looked at the lift, then up.

Andrew called, “Lift?” As if answering him, the lights in the avenue dimmed and went out, leaving a blackness beyond blindness.

Andrew waited, surprised. No sound but his own breathing. “Janny?” A wind began to rise, as if some large trainlike thing approached, pushing all the corridor air ahead of it. He held out his hand in the darkness, groping. Little fingers took his index finger immediately. How did she know? He stood up, feeling for the wall, and nearly fell over. She tugged at him. “What?”

She pulled again. “Onnashak.”

“Get Ezzar and Grendel,” he said.

Tug. The air dragged him back from her. The rock trembled under his feet. A sound beneath sound shook his spine.

“No, gotta go back,” he said.

Tug. Her hand slipped away into the blackness.

“Janny?” Crouching, his hair lashing his face in the blast of wind, he groped until he found the lift doorway. The lift hung open. He reached inside, afraid the door stood open on an empty shaft. A little hand pulled at him; the black air howled outside; he dived into the liftcar.

Story List	SURPRISE ME	Author Page
USER SURVEY	PUZZLE ME	MAKE ELM MARK

HOVER Lucida Bright BARE	HOVER Lucida Bright FULL	HOVER Palatino Linotype BARE
HOVER Palatino Linotype FULL	HOVER Times New Roman BARE	HOVER Times New Roman FULL
PAD Arial BARE	PAD Arial FULL	PAD Lucida Bright BARE
PAD Lucida Bright FULL	PAD Times New Roman BARE	PAD Times New Roman FULL


	THE BLACK AIR HOWLED OUTSIDE 1563 4D A few minutes later, they stood at an intersection. “Janny,” he said, “oua we go?” She pointed left, down a straight avenue with a high-arched ceiling. They had come from a left-curving street, so this had to be toward the City‘s spine. The liftway door stood in a niche only a few feet from the corner. Andrew patted the girl on the head. She spit on the floor, then bent down and studied something lying in the shadows. Andrew squatted down beside her. In her hand she held a small polished white lump penetrated by a piece of wire. “Ma-ma Bonesy,” she said in a high small voice. She looked at the lift, then up. Andrew called, “Lift?” As if answering him, the lights in the avenue dimmed and went out, leaving a blackness beyond blindness. Andrew waited, surprised. No sound but his own breathing. “Janny?” A wind began to rise, as if some large trainlike thing approached, pushing all the corridor air ahead of it. He held out his hand in the darkness, groping. Little fingers took his index finger immediately. How did she know? He stood up, feeling for the wall, and nearly fell over. She tugged at him. “What?” She pulled again. “Onnashak.” “Get Ezzar and Grendel,” he said. Tug. The air dragged him back from her. The rock trembled under his feet. A sound beneath sound shook his spine. “No, gotta go back,” he said. Tug. Her hand slipped away into the blackness. “Janny?” Crouching, his hair lashing his face in the blast of wind, he groped until he found the lift doorway. The lift hung open. He reached inside, afraid the door stood open on an empty shaft. A little hand pulled at him; the black air howled outside; he dived into the liftcar.