Forest Kingdom Trilogy 3 - Down Among the Dead Men

his sides. MacNeil lurched to his feet, but even as he started forward again, he saw that Hammer’s face was cold and calm and empty of all emotion. Hammer had lost his last battle, and now only the Beast looked out through his eyes. The outlaw struggled furiously to break Jack’s hold, but the strength of the tall trees surged through Jack’s arms, and Hammer couldn’t break free. MacNeil slammed a punch into Hammer’s gut. The outlaw stared coldly back at him, and struggled to raise the Device and cut him down. MacNeil hit him as hard as he could on the jaw, snapping Hammer’s head back. It had no effect at all. MacNeil did it again and again, and Hammer just ignored him. And slowly, despite everything Jack could do to hold him, he began to raise the Infernal Device.
    “Do something!” panted Jack. “I can’t hold him much longer.”
    MacNeil lifted his sword and cut Hammer’s throat with a single stroke. Blood gushed into the air, spattering MacNeil’s chest and arms, but the outlaw didn’t fall. He went on struggling even as the color drained from his face and the blood pumped more and more feebly. Finally the blood stopped coming and he stopped breathing, but still he stood there, gripping the Infernal Device and fighting to break free. MacNeil stood gaping, and in that moment Hammer broke Jack’s hold and sent him staggering backward. Hammer spun around to face him. Jack tripped and fell, and again the Device missed its target by only a fraction of an inch. MacNeil yelled and stamped his foot on the ledge to draw Hammer’s attention away from Jack, and the outlaw turned back to face him. Hammer’s chest was soaked with his own blood, but the dead eyes watched MacNeil’s every movement with unblinking intensity.
    He belonged to the Beast now.
    MacNeil backed slowly away along the narrow ledge. He daren’t meet Wolfsbane with his own blade; the Device would shear through the simple steel as though it were paper. But he couldn’t just keep backing away, or Hammer would either rush him or turn on Jack. He was still groping desperately for a plan when he saw Jack move silently in behind Hammer and crouch down. MacNeil realized immediately what he had to do. He held his sword with both hands and charged straight at Hammer, roaring at the top of his voice. Hammer stepped back to brace himself to meet MacNeil’s rush, and tripped over Jack, crouching down behind him. He toppled helplessly backward, and Jack gave him the last little push that sent Hammer flying away from the ledge and out into the long drop. MacNeil stepped quickly forward and brought his blade flashing down in one last, desperate stroke. The blade caught Hammer’s right arm against the brink of the ledge and sheared clean through the wrist. The Infernal Device clattered safely onto the ledge, with Hammer’s right hand still wrapped around the hilt. Jack and MacNeil watched Hammer’s body fall until the distant speck disappeared into the brilliant light of the Beast’s eye.
    Finally they both turned away from the edge and leaned against the cavern wall while they got their breath back. MacNeil felt dizzy and lightheaded from the strain, and his leg muscles were trembling with fatigue, but he knew he couldn’t rest yet. He looked down at the Infernal Device, glowing brightly on the ledge before him. Hammer’s severed hand slowly relaxed its grip on the hilt.
    “All right,” said Jack hoarsely, “now what are we going to do?”
    “Kill the Beast,” said MacNeil.
    Jack looked down at the great staring eye and then back at Wolfsbane. A sudden chill ran down his spine as he realized what MacNeil meant to do, and he stared respectfully at the Ranger.
    “You don’t have, to do this.”
    “Yes, I do. Its my job. My duty.”
    Jack looked at him for a moment and then nodded briefly. “You’re a brave man, Sergeant. Good luck.”
    “Thanks. I’m going to need it. Now get the hell out of here. The tunnel that brought us down here was a part of the Beast’s dreams. There’s no telling what’ll happen to it when the Beast dies.”
    “Sergeant … are you sure the Device can kill it?”
    “Why else would the Beast be so afraid of it? Now go on. I’ll join you later.”
    “Yeah,” said Jack quietly. “Sure. Goodbye, Sergeant.”
    He gave MacNeil a quick salute, picked up the lantern, and then padded along the ledge and into the tunnel. MacNeil stood alone on the ledge and listened to the sound of Jack’s footsteps fading