Paul Collins - Earthborn The

Easily defended, Elab thought, although the clergy of this diocese had never intended them to be used for that purpose. He looked back at the ornamental wrought-iron gates and the surrounding picket fence.

The gardens had once been well tended. The weeds that now grew in clumps could have come up as recently as two weeks ago. The populace had apparently been in no fear of attack from Colony.

Elab followed the gravel path to the entrance. Its front doors were made from some hardwood that had once been painted green. Elab was tempted to knock on the doors, but instead he pulled them open and they swung on well-oiled hinges.

A skylight in the roof provided most of the daylight. Dust motes swirled in lazy motion across the bar of light that shone through.

Some sixth sense told him something was wrong, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. He sat in a pew and rubbed his head. It was damn hard to think of anything very much when so many questions were bombarding him.

Elab heard gravel crunching and judged by the swift steps that it was Zocky.

"Hiya," he said. "Skyborn never say prayers. But you can, if you want."

Zocky smiled briefly. "Lars reckons the left ears are missing off those bodies. He says the remaining ears look weird, too."

Elab lost his smile. "What the hell would anyone want ears for? And what does he mean 'weird'?"

"Devan reckons they've been taken for trophies. Harry said something about people collecting scalps once upon a time. That's not right, is it?"

Elab knew as much Earth history as any other Skyborn. "Scalphunters," he said slowly. He ran a hand through his hair. "They used to sell the scalps as proof to collect. . . bounty."

"What's bounty?" Zocky asked. The deeply troubled expression on Elab's face caused her heart to quicken. "What's bounty, Elab?" she demanded.

"It's money, Zocky," Elab said in a hollow tone. "Or something of equal value."

Zocky cocked her head quizzically. "Who'd pay for ears? You're putting me on, aren't you?"

"Nope." Elab headed for the door where the last of the daylight was fading. Outside he could see Lars and Devan tossing soil into a pit. Devan had a scowl on his face. Lars was talking a lot. Probably giving Devan a running commentary on how ears could be lopped from heads. He was one sick boy, Elab concluded.

"So who would buy ears?" he heard Zocky demand stridently.

"The Skyborn," Elab said after a moment's silence. Unease crept over him. The Skyborn. Bruick.

Immortality. The thoughts tumbled around in his head like dice. Divide and conquer. Key personnel. The fittest. Extermination . . .

Elab found himself beneath the archway. "Hey, Lars. Devan." He waved them over.

"Almost done, boss," Lars called languidly.

"NOW!" Elab yelled. He glanced around and saw Harry look up. A sudden nervousness took hold of him and he started to walk back. Then he was running. Lars and Devan had stopped shoveling and, almost as though Harry's unease was contagious, they too began to walk hurriedly over.

"Elab?" Zocky said, her voice tight.

Elab waved his hand for quiet. He was listening for something. It was hard to concentrate with everyone jabbering. Then he heard it. Harry had stopped and cupped a hand to his ear.

Lars gripped Devan's shoulder, and the pair stood motionless while they searched the darkening sky.

The thin whistling sound soon became a thick roar. The Earthborn identified the noise as belonging to propulsion thrusts. The realizationgalvanized Harry into action. He ran back to where he had left his knapsack, swooped it up in midflight, and had reached the church before Elab had pushed Zocky back inside.

"In!" Elab called. "Lars! Get in here. Now!"

Devan loped ahead of Lars and they cleared the leaning fence as two cruisers swooped low over a rooftop and landed somewhere out of sight.

Elab slammed the great doors shut. He bolted them and with his elbow smashed two pieces of plywood from the leaded windows. He took a quick look outside, then pulled his head back behind the wooden frame.

"What are they doing?" Zocky said over his shoulder.

"How many?" Devan wanted to know.

Elab swung on them, ready to tell them to shut up for a moment. But their frightened faces reminded him suddenly of their youth. Lars was the only one not intimidated by the cruisers. He was cradling the laserlite as though it alone would save them from whatever it was that fate had in store for them.

"Settle down," Elab snapped. "I think there's only a couple of them out there."

"They'll radio for backup," Lars said. "They always do when they're outnumbered."

"Keep thinking that way, Lars," Elab said. "You'll die an optimist."

"You got us into this mess, boss," Lars began.

"You call me 'boss' one more time, Lars, and I'll wring your—"

"Guys, cut it out," Zocky said. She strode between the pair as they took a step toward each other.

Devan took Blab's place beside the window. "Nothing happening," he announced.

"Why should it?" Harry said. "They could starve us out if they wanted."

"They won't do that," Elab said, keeping an eye on Lars. "No need. With their cruisers they could reduce this place to rubble in a matter of minutes."

"Then why haven't they?" Devan asked.

"They want our ears intact," Lars said pointedly. "Have to dig through too much rubble if they buried us."

"Lars—" Elab began, but Zocky swiped her hand through the air to indicate silence.

"The ear lopping mightn't have been the Skyborn," she said, glancing furtively at Elab. "Lars, why are you such an idiot?"

Lars gripped the laserlite closer to his chest. "I'm not the one who got us trapped in here," he said.

"That right . . . Elab?"

"You want to take your chances outside, Lars, you go right ahead." Elab grinned. "We'll follow you if you get past that first building across the square."

"You're all heart," Lars said. "But you're the fearless leader. I'm just a foot soldier."

"Remember it," Elab told him.

Before Zocky could intervene again, a booming, electronic voice seemed to emanate from within the room. The clarity of that voice even fooled Elab into thinking someone had sneaked inside the church with them.

The team sprang into defense postures. In one fluid motion they each swung around and down, presenting as minimal a target as possible. In that same movement, they had drawn their bows and were sweeping ready-cocked arrows to and fro across the room.

"You are surrounded," the voice said dispassionately. "Discard your weapons and come out with your hands raised in the air. Do it now or we shall commence firing."

"That's so weird," Lars said. "That voice seems to be coming from right out of the air next to me."

"And me," Devan added uneasily. "Whoever he is, he sounds angry-"

"Really pissed off with us," Zocky said as though in a trance.

"You have one minute before we commence firing," the voice said firmly. "We'll bury you heathens."

"That's spooky," Harry said.

"Heathens? You'd think he'd have noticed we're hiding in a church" Devan said indignantly.

"There's only two of them, right, Elab?" Zocky said. "And five of us."

"Numbers don't count," Lars said. "Weapon power does."

Elab ignored their chatter. He went to the back of the church. There was a rear door, all right, but it was bolted tight. The Skyborn weren't to know that, though. So one would be guarding the front door, while the other would be out back. Elab tried to picture the rear. Probably an empty paddock, with nowhere to run. Out front was the square, but it was girthed by sheds and huts. They wouldn't all make it, of course. But some of them might.

What would Sarah have done? Damn, he cursed himself. If Sarah had been leading them, this would never have happened. She'd always been such a clever strategist—none of them would ever fill her place. She'd have scouted the entire area before chancing being boxed in; she'd have known precisely what was outside that rear door and how far it was to cover and in which direction. Elab would too, next time. If there was a next time . . .