In the Moons of Borea Read Online Free Page A

interrupted, 'but I'm glad to see you anyway.'
    'The feeling,' de Marigny wholeheartedly, bone wearily agreed, 'is mutual, Hank, to say the very least!'
    He gazed then at Silberhutte's brawny companions —two bronze-skinned Indians and an olive Eskimo — and at the monster bear which stamped and roared now at the edge of the pool. 'But where in all the corners of space and time are we?' -
    Knowing that the newcomer to Borea was suffering from shock, Silberhutte carefully released him, nodding in satisfaction as de Marigny staggered a little but somehow managed to stay on his feet. 'We're on Borea, Henri, one of the worlds of an alien universe. I've been here some time now, since Ithaqua brought me here. And you . . well, I saw your arrival. So Crow was right about that old clock of his, eh?' The effect of Silberhutte's words on the other man was immediate and electric.
    'The clock?' de Marigny's jaw dropped and the colour drained from his face. 'The time-clock!' He whirled about, staggering wildly, his eyes frantically searching the glade for his fantastic machine.
    In the sand he saw a deep indentation where the clock had stood; leading from it, twin tracks cut deep grooves in the gritty soil, terminating where they entered the abrupt shade of the forest. Beyond, a trail of crushed leaves and grasses led away into the undergrowth. Again de Marigny whirled, once more facing Silberhutte and his polyglot companions.
    'No, no!' he cried, shaking his head in denial. 'I've got to get the clock back. I '
    But finally he had exerted his already overtaxed body and mind beyond their limits. Bright lights flashed inside his head as, with unspoken protests still whispering on his lips, he reeled and toppled. Already unconscious, he was not to know how easily Silberhutte caught him up in massive arms to bear him out of the glade and away from the pool of the leech-things.

3 The Pursuit
    De Marigny dreamed of ice stars and planets, all frozen in galactic glaciers that flowed out of deepest infinities of lost dimensions. The Hounds of Tindalos chased him along corridors of ice between razor-sharp cliffs that reached blue-rimmed needles high overhead. Without warning an avalanche of huge, jagged ice splinters crashed down upon him, cracking the time-clock open like a nutshell and spilling him out onto the ice. The Hounds were on him at once, black rags of death whose lusting, ethereal feelers found and held him fast. He fought madly to escape them, but -
    -- He threw his arms wide and awakened with a cry of horror, only to find himself held down by Silberhutte's huge, strangely cold hands. The Texan held him until his body relaxed, only then allowing him to fall back into a deep warm bank of furs. De Marigny felt the furs move against him and saw that his head rested against a forepaw as big as a real pillow. The warmth he felt was the body heat of Silberhutte's vast bear! He instinctively drew away from the creature where it reclined beside him on the forest's floor.
    `You were cold,' Silberhutte explained from where he kneeled beside him. 'Morda was the only one who could warm you. Kota'na has rubbed you with the body grease he uses. Morda won't harm you — he thinks you're the bear keeper's little brother!' The grin quickly faded from the Texan's face as he asked: 'How do you feel now, Henri? The wolf-warriors gave you a pretty rough time.'
    'Wolf-warriors? Yes, they certainly did,' the other slowly answered, tut I feel better now.' He licked his lips and frowned at an unfamiliar but not unpleasant taste.
    'Kota'na got a little soup down you and some of his tea,' Silberhutte explained. 'The tea is good; it would straighten out a corkscrew!'
    `My head still feels a bit loose,' de Marigny answered, but apart from that . . . I expect I'll live.' He stood up unaided and the great bear's paw closed possessively around him. He carefully extricated himself as Kota'na approached and ordered the bear up onto its feet.
    `Morda,' Silberhutte