hen come on!’ yelled Connor. ‘Band together! Quick! Now go! Go!’
And they charged, yet Ulf the Fat stopped dead, and every man was jerked into a tight knot around him.
‘Ulf! Move!’ bellowed Searle.
How pretty.’ said Ulf,
For in truth he saw but the dazzling raiment of angels hovering there, and any man who looked then saw the glittering array which swooped toward him and was blinded and knew neither which way was forward, nor which back, and knew only fear.
Yaaa-a-a-a-h!’ screamed Arno, and broke, and ran, whereupon such a cacophony of hoots and screaming broke out as might be made in hell. For these were no angels, but indeed were fiends with bright swords of light, and winking teeth.
‘Jesus!’ cried Connor, and every hair on his body stood up as that hideous pack engulfed them. ‘Run! No! Stop!’
For they came in ranks, as thick and swift as a volley of arrows, and to run was to die, yet the miners could dodge, and jump. and so they did, while around
them was a whelming roar, and they did scream instruction to one another, and each man did look out for the other, and pulled him back, or pushed him on.
‘Look out! Watch it, Martin.’ ‘Go! Stop! Another one!’ ‘Behind you, Con!’ ‘Whoa! Wait! The gap! Go!’
And though Arno had darted through alone, the others were the first to stumble onto the safety of a strip of grass, and Martin sank to his knees and kissed it, then closed his eyes and began to pray. And then Arno staggered in, and began to retch.
No!’ screamed Connor, for now he saw they were but halfway, and more came on from an opposing direction
and sought to trap them upon this island. ‘Keep going!’
And he jerked Arno upright, and kicked Martin, and grabbed for Griffin’s hand, and shouted at Searle. ‘Now! There’s a gap! Go!’ And they jumped, and hopped, and jerked, and ran for their lives, and fell at last upon the far side of that Styx.
ut one was missing, and in seeing that, Searle rose, and gripped his pick, and cried in anguish….
Ulf! Where’s Ulf?
How many will be sacrificed to the journey?
Picked off one by one as they strive to fulfill the prophesy…