Bloodstone

'I am Shorak,' he said, 'First Lieutenant of the Second Corps. This land is now the property of the Lord of Hell.' Beth said nothing as Shorak's gaze raked the building, noting the riflemen at the slits in the upper windows. 'I am here,' he said, returning his stare to Beth, 'to escort you to the Lord Sarento, so that you may pay homage and learn of his greatness at first hand. You will need no possessions, nor weapons of any kind, though you may bring food for the journey.'

Beth looked up at the man, then at the others who sat on their horses silently. 'Never heard of the Lord Sarento,' she told the leader.

He leaned forward, the sun glinting on the golden horns of his helmet. That is your loss, woman, for he is the Living God, the Lord of All. Those who serve him well gain eternal life, and joy beyond imagining.'

'This is my home,' Beth told him. 'I have fought for it, and killed those who would take it from me. I raised children here, and I guess I'll die here. If the Lord Sarento wants me to pay homage he can come here himself. I'll bake him a cake. Now, if that's all you wanted to tell me I suggest you ride off. I've work to do.'

Shorak seemed unconcerned by her refusal. He sat quietly for a moment, then spoke again. 'You do not understand me, woman. I shall make it plain. Gather food and we will escort you to the Lord. Refuse and we will kill you all. And the manner of your passing will be painful. Now, there are others within the house and I suggest you speak to them. Not all of them will wish to die. You have until noon to make a decision. We will return then.'

Wheeling his horse, Shorak led the riders back out to the hillside.

'Polite, wasn't he?' said Clem.

Beth ignored the humour and strode inside. The first person to speak was the young mother, Ruth. ‘I want to go with them, Frey McAdam,' she said. 'I don't want any more fear and fighting.'

'It would seem the only course,' agreed Dr Meredith. 'We can't outfight them.'

Wallace and Nestor came downstairs to join in the discussion. Beth poured herself a mug of water and sipped it, saying nothing. 'How much ammunition we got?' Wallace asked.

Beth smiled. 'A hundred rounds for the rifles. Twenty for my pistol.'

'I've got thirty,' Clem said.

'We mustn't fight them,' said Ruth. 'We mustn't! I've got my baby to think of. What's so hard about paying homage to someone? I mean, it's only words.'

'Speaking of which,' remarked Zerah Wheeler, 'we only have their word for it that paying homage is all they want. Once outside and unarmed, they can do as they damn well please with us.'

'Why would they want to harm us?' asked Dr Meredith. 'It would make no sense.'

'They are Hellborn,' put in Isis, 'and it was their master who sent the wolves against us.'

'I don't care about that!' shouted Ruth. 'I just don't want to die!'

'Nobody wants to die,' snapped Beth. 'Wallace, get back upstairs and watch them. I don't want them sneaking up on us.'

'Yes, Frey,' he said, and returned to his post.

Nestor spoke. 'When we saw them heading towards the town they were leading a group of prisoners.

They didn't kill none of them. Maybe it's just like the man said — just paying homage to their leader.'

Beth turned to Clem. 'You're not saying much?'

Clem shrugged. ‘I don't think there's much to say. I don't know where these Hellborn came from, but if they're anything like the warriors of the First War they're murdering savages: they'll rape and torture the women and mutilate the men. And I'm not surrendering my weapons to the likes of them.'

'You're crazy!' screamed Ruth. 'You'll condemn us all to death!'

'Shut your mouth!' stormed Beth. ‘I won't have it! This is no time for hysterics. What do you think, Zerah?'

Zerah put her arms around Esther's shoulder, Oz moved in close and she ruffled his hair. ‘I got less to lose than the rest of you, being old and worn out. But I've also been trying to keep these children alive, and I'm kind of torn. You look to me, Frey McAdam, like a woman who's been over the mountain a few times. What do you think?'

'I don't like threats,' said Beth, 'and I don't like men who make them. They want us alive. I don't know why; I don't much care.'

'I can tell you why,' said Isis softly. 'When I went out to the wolf-beasts I felt the power of the Bloodstone. He is hungry, and he feeds on souls. To go to him would mean death.'

'What do you mean, feeds on souls?' sneered Ruth. 'That's insane. You're making it up!'

Isis shook her head. 'He was linked to the wolves. Every time they killed, part of the life was fed back through the Stones in their heads. He is a creature of blood and death. All we are to him is food. The Deacon knew that.'

'And where is he?' hissed Ruth. 'Gone and left us days ago. Run away! Well, I'm not dying here. No matter what any of you say.'

'I think we should vote on it,' said Clem. 'It's getting close to noon.'

Beth called out to Wallace and he stood at the top of the stairs, rifle in hand. 'You called the vote, Clem, so what's your view?' she asked.

'Fight,'said Clem.

'Wallace?'

'I ain't going with them,' said the red-headed youngster.

'Nestor?'

The young man hesitated. 'Fight,' he said.

'Isis?'

'I'm not going with them.'

'Doctor?'

Meredith shrugged. ‘I’ll go with the majority view,' he said.

'Zerah?'

The old woman kissed Esther on the cheek. 'Fight,' she said.

'I think that about settles it,' said Beth.

Ruth stared at them all. 'You are all crazy!'

'They're coming back,' shouted Wallace.

Beth moved to the dresser and pulled clear three boxes of shells. 'Help yourselves,' she said. 'You youngsters stay down low on the floor.' Esther and Oz scrambled down below the table. Zerah stood and took up her rifle as Beth walked to the door.

'You're not going out there again?' asked Clem.

Beth pulled open the door and stood leaning against the frame, her rifle cocked and ready, and held across her body.

The Hellborn rode, fanning out as before.

Ruth ran across the room, brushing past Beth and sprinting out into the yard. ‘I’ll pay homage,' she shouted. 'Let me go with you!'

Shorak ignored her and looked at Beth. 'What is your decision, woman?' he asked.

'We stay here,' she said.

'It is all of you or none,' said Shorak. Smoothly he drew his pistol and shot Ruth in the head. The young woman was pole-axed to the ground. Beth swung her rifle and fired, the bullet screaming past Shorak to punch into the chest of the rider beside him and pitch him from the saddle. Clem grabbed Beth, hauling her back inside as bullets smashed into the door-frame and screamed through the room. Nestor kicked shut the door and Clem dropped the bar into place.

Zerah fired three shots through the window, then a bullet took her high in the shoulder, spinning her to the floor. A Hellborn warrior ran to the window. Clem shot him through the face. The door juddered as men hurled themselves against it.

Beth scrambled to her feet. Several more Hellborn reached the window, firing into the room. Zerah, blood drenching her shirt, rolled against the wall beneath the sill. Beth fired, taking a man in the chest. He pitched forward. Another warrior hurled himself against the window, smashing the frame and rolling into the room. Nestor shot him twice. The Hellborn hit the floor face first, twitched, then was still.

Clem ran across the room, tipping the pine table to its side. Shots ripped into the walls of the house, and ricocheted around the room. The door began to splinter. Beth pumped three shots through it, and heard a man scream and fall to the porch.

Nestor ran for the stairs, climbing them two at a time. Bullets struck the wall around him, but he made it to the top and moved to help Wallace. Meredith lay on the floor, holding tightly to Isis, trying to shield her with his body. The two children were crouched down behind the upturned table. In the back of the house the baby started to cry, the sound thin and piercing.