Descending Road - NO WEAPON EXCEPT HER KNIVES by Dana W. Paxson

NO WEAPON EXCEPT HER KNIVES

1563 4D

Explosions woke her. She struggled to sit up, and her eyes opened on a tiny cubby no wider than she was tall. A dim ceiling lamp showed her a blanketed pallet under her and a closed steel door two steps away. The rough stone walls sweated moisture; the floor looked wet. She was alone, and dressed. Crashes and thumps shook the air.

She stood up, her knees complaining. Colors registered strangely, as if she tasted something unlike anything she’d ever had in her mouth. She fumbled with the blanket, dark and yet shining roughly in, was it blue? The walls’ gray carried a green-brown layer of tone that seemed to ride above the plain surface like thin fog. A streak of tan-gold shrieked through her field of vision in a flash. The room canted to one side, and she braced herself. More explosions.

Voices babbled outside the door. Ezzar fumbled her way to the handle and opened it.

“We’re under attack. Follow me.” At her left, a young man in a pale gray coverall beckoned her down a narrow corridor, its lights flickering uncertainly.

“Where’s Rennie— Grendel?” Ezzar stared back to the right. Her lips moved heavily, massively. Brilliant light stabbed the door’s edges, five strides away.

The man reached for her shoulder as she advanced toward the door, saying, “He must be out there. Don’t go, no, they threw gas, wait!”

Ezzar, stumbling toward the right, fell, her legs seized. “Let me go! He’s out there and I’ve got to help him.” Not yet strong again, she kicked and writhed. A rattle of explosions shook the door. Pale mist leaked under the door’s edge.

“You’ll die! It’s Tardikon. He’ll get out, it won’t affect him. Come on.” The man released her legs and dived forward to embrace her on the floor. His eyes stared into hers. “Let’s go, come on.” He pulled them both up to stand, and dragged her back.

She wrenched free, staggering. “Rennieeeeeee!” Silence. She moved slowly to the door as the young man came up behind her. “Where’s my helm?” she muttered. She turned, limped as fast as she could back past the man to the cubby and found her Angie under the blanket at the pallet’s end. The helm stank of burned flesh. Biting her tongue to keep from retching, she rammed it on her head. “Angie, can you handle Tardikon?”

“Sure. You’re back so soon? Let me check you out.”

“No time. Rennie‘s outside, alone.”

“He’s fine, so far. Want to talk to him?”

Ezzar called, “Rennie, what’s happened?”

“Ezzar! You’re up again? Your eyes—“

“I’m fine. She fixed me. I’m coming.”

“No, don’t. There’s a shaft full of bugboys and they’re about to throw something big. They’re andros. Not aliens at all. For the Engarnas, they said.” Rennie‘s voice sounded surprised.

“Get out and get back here. Everybody’s leaving.”

“Ellichik‘s out here with me. He got cooked, like you but worse.”

“Come on. Any worse than me and he’d be dead. Come on, get out. I’m right behind the door.” Ezzar reached for her carapiece, found nothing. No weapon except her knives. The young man was gone.

“Go! I’m right behind you! Don’t wait, just go!” Rennie, raw and urgent.

She turned, put her hand on the door as if to go to him, but fear and hope and horror overcame her; she turned the way the young man had taken, and as the world exploded behind her, she ran and ran.

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


	NO WEAPON EXCEPT HER KNIVES 1563 4D Explosions woke her. She struggled to sit up, and her eyes opened on a tiny cubby no wider than she was tall. A dim ceiling lamp showed her a blanketed pallet under her and a closed steel door two steps away. The rough stone walls sweated moisture; the floor looked wet. She was alone, and dressed. Crashes and thumps shook the air. She stood up, her knees complaining. Colors registered strangely, as if she tasted something unlike anything she’d ever had in her mouth. She fumbled with the blanket, dark and yet shining roughly in, was it blue? The walls’ gray carried a green-brown layer of tone that seemed to ride above the plain surface like thin fog. A streak of tan-gold shrieked through her field of vision in a flash. The room canted to one side, and she braced herself. More explosions. Voices babbled outside the door. Ezzar fumbled her way to the handle and opened it. “We’re under attack. Follow me.” At her left, a young man in a pale gray coverall beckoned her down a narrow corridor, its lights flickering uncertainly. “Where’s Rennie— Grendel?” Ezzar stared back to the right. Her lips moved heavily, massively. Brilliant light stabbed the door’s edges, five strides away. The man reached for her shoulder as she advanced toward the door, saying, “He must be out there. Don’t go, no, they threw gas, wait!” Ezzar, stumbling toward the right, fell, her legs seized. “Let me go! He’s out there and I’ve got to help him.” Not yet strong again, she kicked and writhed. A rattle of explosions shook the door. Pale mist leaked under the door’s edge. “You’ll die! It’s Tardikon. He’ll get out, it won’t affect him. Come on.” The man released her legs and dived forward to embrace her on the floor. His eyes stared into hers. “Let’s go, come on.” He pulled them both up to stand, and dragged her back. She wrenched free, staggering. “Rennieeeeeee!” Silence. She moved slowly to the door as the young man came up behind her. “Where’s my helm?” she muttered. She turned, limped as fast as she could back past the man to the cubby and found her Angie under the blanket at the pallet’s end. The helm stank of burned flesh. Biting her tongue to keep from retching, she rammed it on her head. “Angie, can you handle Tardikon?” “Sure. You’re back so soon? Let me check you out.” “No time. Rennie‘s outside, alone.” “He’s fine, so far. Want to talk to him?” Ezzar called, “Rennie, what’s happened?” “Ezzar! You’re up again? Your eyes—“ “I’m fine. She fixed me. I’m coming.” “No, don’t. There’s a shaft full of bugboys and they’re about to throw something big. They’re andros. Not aliens at all. For the Engarnas, they said.” Rennie‘s voice sounded surprised. “Get out and get back here. Everybody’s leaving.” “Ellichik‘s out here with me. He got cooked, like you but worse.” “Come on. Any worse than me and he’d be dead. Come on, get out. I’m right behind the door.” Ezzar reached for her carapiece, found nothing. No weapon except her knives. The young man was gone. “Go! I’m right behind you! Don’t wait, just go!” Rennie, raw and urgent. She turned, put her hand on the door as if to go to him, but fear and hope and horror overcame her; she turned the way the young man had taken, and as the world exploded behind her, she ran and ran.