“Thestrangers are welcome to live amongst us, enjoying all the comforts andprotection of the yeti, but they have seen too much. If they fall into enemyhands, they will be forced to give up our lair, and then we will all be doomed.They can live here, but they can never leave. Any attempt to escape will resultin their death, do you understand?”
Runastared hard at the three newcomers.
Cyrusturned to Edward and Fibian. Both looked back withuneasy eyes. They could not hide down there forever. Death threat or no, Cyrusthought, they had to escape.
Chapter 6
ON THE MEND
FOR THREE WEEKS the trio slept, ate andrecovered their strength. They gorged on deer meat, nuts and stewed roots.Cyrus was not sure, but he felt his hands and shoulders had grown thicker, andhis chest seemed larger than before.
He and Fibian spent much of their time repairing their tatteredclothes and stitching themselves new jackets, pants and boots, using furblankets and Edward’s thread. At first, Runa forbid the clothing, saying thetrespassers would only use them to escape, but Cyrus argued that they could notspend the rest of their lives beside the fire. Surely, they would have to learnto hunt and gather in the forest alongside the yeti, if they were to survivethe north and contribute to the troop. Many yeti agreed, and finally, Runaconceded. One woman even made Cyrus and Fibian longwool underwear.
During thistime, Cyrus and Fibian began to conspire. They had tofind a way to escape. They had to find the one called Gammal.Edward offered little. He just stared at the burning coals as if under a trance.
As the yetigrew more comfortable with their presence, Cyrus began to explore the cavern.
About fortyyeti occupied the cave in total. At least twenty-five were adults. Some hadmade homes of wood and leather, shaped like large cones; others had hung hammocksfrom the thick roots supporting the ceiling.
In a darkalcove, along an eastern wall, several large instruments hid under a dustycanvas. Cyrus spied one angular piece that peeked out from under the covers. Itsat six feet high, on a three-legged stand. Its base was a golden triangle.Cyrus reached up and touched its silver scope. The spyglass pivoted on agear-like semicircle mounted to the base.
“It is one ofthe few instruments we salvaged from the attack,” a familiar voice said, “It isused for star gazing.”
Cyrus looked tohis left. Runa sat at a long, U-shaped, workbench bolted to the north wall. Toher left was a barrel of water, a stone fire pit and a sheet-metal chimneyrising through the roof. To her right was what looked like a massive iron anvil.
“What are therest for?” Cyrus asked.
“There aremore devices like that one for searching the stars, but many are for studyingelements such as earth and fire, and others are for architecture and the arts.”
Cyrus spied whatlooked like several old maps lying within a small iron lockbox at the far endof the wooden countertop. On the bench in front of Runa lay a tool fashionedfrom wood, steel and silver. To her right sat a bowl of black powder.
Tier entered thealcove gripping a clay mold with steel tongs.
“What are youworking on?” Cyrus asked.
The device onthe counter lay in several pieces. It consisted mainly of a single steel tubethat fit length-wise into a wooden staff. A small hammering mechanism pluggedinto a socket at the staff’s opposing end.
“Just anidea,” Runa said, covering the parts under a sheet of leather.
Tier dunkedthe mold into the water barrel. Vapor hissed into the acrid-smelling air. Thenshe knocked the mold against the countertop. A dozen lead balls steamed ontothe workbench.
“And what isthis?” Fibian asked, emerging from the shadows, “Itappears to work like a bow and arrow.”
The froskman picked up a mechanism similar to the one Runa hadcovered up, but this one was single-handed and had a bow attached to one end.
“It is acrossbow,” Tier said, taking the weapon from Fibian.
She drew abolt from the stalk, charged the string, and loaded the projectile.
“This releasesthe bowstring,” she said, fingering a trigger near the weapon’s handle.
Runa snatchedthe crossbow out of her daughter’s hand, glaring at all three.
“Wouldn’t yourather show them the hand?” she said, unloading the weapon.
“It is nottested,” Tier said.
“What are youtalking about?” Cyrus asked.
“I did notwant to get Fibian’s hopes up, then have it fail,”Tier replied.
Runa stared ather daughter but said nothing. Tier hesitated, then reached towards a dustyshelf. In her large, furry hand she brought down a cylindrical contraption madeof wood, copper, steel and cable. One end was hollow and lined with suede; theother had a steel clamp.
“Could I seeyour right arm please?” Tier asked Fibian.
Fibian held out his stump, looking curious. Tier fit the hollow end over theremainder of Fibian’s forearm, then secured it aroundhis arm and elbow using leather straps.
“You chargethe water pressure using this pump,” she said.
Tier unfoldeda metal rod from the artificial forearm and pumped it several times.
“Then you flexyour arm as if to open and close your hand.”
Fibian folded the lever back into the arm and held out the hand. The clampsnapped open. Cyrus jumped back. The hand snapped shut. Fibianlooked around, his eyes bright.
“It works,” hesaid, seeming surprised.
“It will needto be recharged after several uses,” Tier added.
“Thank youvery much,” Fibian said, inspecting his new hand.
Again, Cyrusnoticed the pile of maps lying within the iron box. Was the one on top a map ofthe mountains?
“That is enoughfor one day,” Runa said, slamming the box shut and locking it, “It is best youtwo return to your friend and get some rest.”
She rose fromher seat and ushered Cyrus and Fibian back towardsthe fire. They had seen too much for Runa’s liking, Cyrus figured. He and Fibian turned and left the room. Cyrus looked to his rightand glanced down a darkened corridor. Two hairy giants stood just beyond theshadows.
“There alwaysseems to be two armed yeti guarding the exit,” Cyrus whispered.
He continuedthrough the cavern and sat down beside Edward, who lay balled up on a largerock near the glowing embers.
“I have notfound an alternate route of escape,” Fibian added,sitting on the opposite side of the stone.
“Your arm?”Edward asked.
The
