THE ISLAND OF HYBRAS
WHILE Artemis and company had been zooming1 around the time tunnel, Leon Abbot had been in Council with the pride elders. Council was where all the big decisions were made, or more accurately2, where Abbot made all the big decisions. The others thought they were participating, but Leon Abbot had a way of bringing them round to his way of thinking.
If only they knew, he thought, biting the inside of his cheek to prevent a smug grin spreading across his face. They would eat me alive. But they can never know, because there is nobody left alive to tell them. That dolt3 Number One was the last, and he's gone. What a pity.
Abbot had something big for planned for today. A big departure for the pride, the dawn of a new era. The Leon Abbot era.
He looked down the table at his fellow demons4, suck-ing the bones from a bucket of recently live rabbits that he had laid on for the meeting. He despised the other Council members. Every one. They were weak stupid creatures, ruled by their baser appetites. What they needed was lead-ership. No arguments, no debates, just his word was law, and that was that.
Of course, under normal circumstances, the other demons might not share his vision of the future. In fact, if he suggested it, then they would most likely do to him what they were currently doing to the rabbits. But these were not normal circumstances. He had certain advantages when it came to negotiating with the Council.
At the far end of the table, Hadley Shrivelington Basset, a recent addition to the Council, stood and growled7 loudly. The signal that he wished to speak. In truth, Basset worried Abbot slightly. He was proving a little resistant8 to Abbot's regular powers of persuasion9, and some of the others were beginning to listen to him. Basset would have to be handled soon.
Basset growled again, cupping both hands round his mouth to ensure that the sound travelled to the head of the table.
'I would speak, Leon Abbot. I would have you listen.'
Abbot sighed wearily, waving at the demon5 to go ahead.
The young ones certainly loved their formality.
'Things are happening that worry me, Abbot. Things are not as they should be with the pride.'
There were murmurs10 of assent11 from round the table. Not to worry. The others would soon change their tune12.
'We are known by human names. We venerate13 a human book. I find this sickening. Are we to become human alto-gether?'
'I have explained this, Basset. Perhaps a million times. Are you so dull-witted that my words do not penetrate14 your skull15?'
Basset growled low in his throat. These were fighting words. And pride leader or not, Abbot would soon find those words rammed16 down his throat.
'Let me try one more time,' continued Abbot, plonk-ing his boots on the table, a further insult to Basset. 'We learn the human ways so we can better understand them, and so more easily defeat them. We read the book, we prac-tise with the crossbow, we bear the names.'
Basset would not be cowed. 'I have heard these words a million times, and each time they seem ridiculous to me. We do not give each other rabbit names when we hunt rabbit. We do not live in foxholes17 to hunt the fox. We can learn from the book and the bow, but we are demon, not human. My family name was Gristle. Now that's a real demon name! Not this stupid Hadley Shrivelington Basset.'
It was a good argument, and well presented. Maybe in different circumstances Abbot would have applauded and recruited the young demon as a lieutenant18, but lieutenants19 grew up to be challengers and that was one thing Abbot did not want.
Abbot stood, walking slowly down the length of the table, gazing into the eyes of each Council member in turn. At first their eyes blazed with defiance20, but as Abbot began to speak, this fire faded to be replaced by a dull sheen of obedience21.
'You are right, of course,' said Abbot, running a talon22 along one curved horn. An arc of sparks followed the path of his nail. 'Everything you say is exactly right. The names, that ridiculous book, the crossbow. Learning the language of English. It's all a joke.'
Basset's lips curled back over pointed23 white teeth, and his tawny24 eyes narrowed. 'You admit this, Abbot? You hear him admit it?'
Before, the others had grunted25 their approval of the young buck6's challenge, but now it was as if the fight had gone out of them. All they could do was stare at the table, as if the answers to life's questions were etched into the wood grain.
'The truth is, Basset,' continued Abbot, drawing ever nearer. 'That we're never going back home. This is our home now.'
'But you said…'
'I know. I said that the spell would end, and we would be sucked back to where we came from. And who knows, it may even be true. But I have no idea what will actually happen. All I know is that for as long as we are here, I intend to be in charge.'
Basset was stunned26. 'There will be no great battle? But we've been training for so long.'
'Distraction28,' said Abbot, waving his fingers like a magi-cian. 'Smoke and spells. It gave the troops something to concentrate on.'
'To what on?' asked Basset, puzzled.
'Concentrate, you moron29. Think about. As long as there's a war to be planned, demons are happy. I provided the war, and I showed them how to win. So, naturally, I am a saviour30.'
'You gave us the crossbow.'
Abbot had to stop and laugh. This Basset really was a prize fool. He could almost pass for a gnome31.
'The crossbow,' he panted at last, when his mirth had petered away. 'The crossbow! The Mud Men have weapons that shoot death. They have iron birds that fly, dropping exploding eggs. And there are millions of them. Millions! All they would have to do is drop one egg on our little island and we would disappear. And this time, there would be no coming back.'
Basset did not know whether to attack or flee. All these revelations were hurting his brain, and all the other Council members could do was sit there drooling. It was almost as if they were under a spell…
'Come on,' said Abbot mockingly. 'You're getting there. Wring32 out that sponge of a brain.'
'You have bewitched the Council.'
'Full marks!' crowed Abbot. 'Give that demon a raw rabbit!'
'B-but that can't be,' stammered33 Basset. 'Demons are not magical creatures, except the warlocks. And warlocks do not warp35.'
Abbot spread his arms wide. 'And I am so obviously a magnificently warped36 creature. Does your brain hurt? Is this all too much for you, Basset?'
Basset pulled a long sword from its scabbard.
'My name is Gristle!' he roared, lunging at the pride leader.
Abbot batted the blade aside with his forearm, then pounced37 on his opponent. Abbot may have been a liar38 and a manipulator, but he was also a fearsome warrior39. Basset may as well have been a dove attacking an eagle.
Abbot drove the smaller demon to the stone floor, then squatted40 on his chest, ignoring the blows Basset drove into his armoured plates.
'Is that the best you can do, little one? I have had better tumbles with my dog.'
He grabbed Basset's head between his hands and squeezed until the younger demon's eyes bulged41.
'Now I could kill you,' said Abbot, and the thought gave him obvious pleasure. 'But you are a popular buck among the imps42, and they would pester43 me with questions. So I will let you live. After a fashion. Your free will shall belong to me.'
Basset shouldn't have been able to speak, but he managed to moan one word.
'Never.'
Abbot squeezed harder.
'Never? Never, you say? But don't you know that never comes quickly here in Hybras?'
Then Abbot did what no warped demon should be able to do: he summoned magic from inside himself and let it shine through his eyes.
'You are mine,' he said to Basset, and his voice was layered with magic, and irresistible44.
The others were so conditioned that they succumbed46 to just a tinge47 of the mesmer in his voice, but for Basset's fresh young mind, Abbot was calling forth48 every spark of magic in his system. Magic that he had stolen. Magic that, by fairy law, was never to be used to mesmerize49 another fairy.
Basset's face was turned red, and his forehead plate cracked.
'You are mine!' repeated Abbot, staring straight into Basset's captive eyes. 'You will never question me again.'
To Basset's credit, he fought the enchantment50 for several seconds, until the magic's power actually burst a blood vessel51 in his eye. Then, as the blood spread across the orange sclera of his eye, Basset's resolve faded, to be replaced by docile52 dullness.
'I am yours,' he intoned. 'I will never question you again.'
Abbot closed his eyes for a moment, drawing the magic back into himself. When he opened them again, he was all smiles.
'That's good. I am so glad to hear that, Basset. I mean, your option was quick and painful death, so you're better off as a mindless lapdog anyway.'
He climbed to his feet and graciously helped Basset to his.
'You've had a fall,' he explained, in a doctor—patient voice. 'And I'm helping53 you to your feet.'
Basset blinked dreamily. 'I will never question you again.'
'Oh, never mind all that now. Just sit down and do what-ever I say.'
'I am yours,' said Basset.
Abbot slapped his cheek gently. 'And the others said we wouldn't get along.'
Abbot returned to his own chair at the head of the lodge54. The chair was high-backed and made from various animal parts. He settled into it, paddling the armrests with his palms.
T love this chair,' he said. 'Actually it's more of a throne than a chair, which brings me to our main business here today.' Abbot reached under a leather flap in the chair and pulled out a roughly fashioned bronze crown.
'I think it's about time the Council declared me king for life,' he said, fixing the crown on his head.
This new king-for-life idea would be a tough sell. A demon pride was always ruled over by the fittest, and it was a very temporary position. Abbot had only survived as long as he had by mesmerizing55 anyone who dared chal-lenge him.
Most of the Cquncil had been under Abbot's spell for so long that they accepted the suggestion as if it were a royal decree, but some of the younger ones shuddered56 with violent spasms57 as their true beliefs wrestled58 with this new repugnant idea.
Their struggles didn't last long. Abbot's suggestion spread like a virus through their conscious and subcon-scious, subduing59 revolution wherever it was found.
Abbot adjusted his crown slightly. 'Enough debate. All in favour, say graaarghl'
'GRAAARGH!' howled the demons, battering60 the table with gauntlets and swords.
'All hail King Leon,' prompted Abbot.
'ALL HAIL KING LEON!' mimicked61 the Council, like trained parrots.
The adulation was interrupted by a soldier demon, who burst through the lodge's flap.
'There's a… there was a big…'
Abbot whipped off the crown. The general population wasn't ready for that yet. 310
'There's a what?' he demanded. 'A big what?'
The soldier paused, catching62 his breath. He realized suddenly that he'd better communicate the bigness of what had happened on the mountain, or else Abbot was liable to behead him for interrupting the meeting.
'There was a big flash.' A big flash? That didn't sound big enough.
'Let me start again. A huge flash of light came from the volcano. Two of the hunting party were nearby. They say someone came through. A group. Four beings.'
Abbot frowned. 'Beings?'
'Two demons, maybe. But the other two. The hunter doesn't know what they are.'
This was serious. Abbot knew it. These beings could be humans, or worse still, surviving warlocks. If it was a warlock, he would surely guess Abbot's secret. All it would take was one demon with some real power, and his hold on the pride would be gone. This situation had to be contained.
'Very well. The Council will investigate. Nobody else goes up there.'
The soldier's Adam's apple bobbed nervously63, as if he was about to bear bad news. 'It's too late, Master Abbot. The entire pride is climbing the volcano.'
Abbot was halfway64 to the door before the soldier finished his sentence.
'Follow me!' he shouted to the other demons. 'And bring your weapons.'
'GRAAARGH!' roared the spellbound Council members.
Artemis was surprised at how calm he felt. You would think that a teenage human would be terrified at the sight of a pride of demons climbing towards him, but Artemis was more nervous than terrified, and more curious than nervous.
He glanced backwards65 over his shoulder, into the crater66 they had just climbed out of.
'The pride comes before a fall,' he said softly, then smiled at his own joke.
Holly67 overheard. 'You certainly pick your moment to develop a sense of humour.'
'Usually I would be planning, but this is out of my hands. Qwan is in charge now.'
No.l led them along the rim68 of the crater towards a low rocky ledge69. There was a wooden rod jammed into the ground beside the ledge, and hooked over the rod were dozens of silver bangles. Most tarnished70 and soot-caked. No.l wiggled a bunch over the top of the rod. 'Dimension jumpers leave these here,' he explained, passing them out. 'Just in case they make it back. No one ever did, until now. Except Leon Abbot of course.'
Qwan slipped a bangle on to his wrist. 'Dimension jump-ing is suicide. Without silver, a demon will never be able to stay in one place for more than a few seconds. They will drift between times and dimensions until they are killed by exposure or starvation. Magic is the only reason we're here. I am amazed this Abbot person made it back. What is his demon name?'
No.l squinted71 down the mountain pathway.
'You can ask him your self. That's him, the big one elbow-ing his way to the head of the group.'
Holly squinted down at the pride leader.
'The one with the curved horns and big sword?' she asked.
'Is he smiling?'
'No.'
'That's Abbot.'
It was a strange reunion. There was no hugging, no cham-pagne and no teary-eyed reminiscing. Instead there were bared teeth, drawn72 swords and threatening behaviour. The latest batch73 of imps were especially eager to skewer74 the newcomers and prove their valour. Artemis was the number one target in the group. Imagine, an actual live human here on Hybras. He didn't look so tough.
Artemis and company had stayed put on the ledge, wait-ing for the demons to come to them. They didn't have to wait long. The imps arrived first, breathless from the climb and just dying to kill something. If it hadn't been for Qwan, Artemis would have been ripped to shreds75 on the spot. In fairness, Holly had something to do with keeping Artemis alive too. She tagged the first half-dozen imps with a charge from her Neutrino strong enough to send them scurrying76 back to what they thought was a safe distance. After that, Qwan managed to hold their attention by conjuring77 a multi-coloured dancing monkey in the air.
Soon every demon who was able to climb the mountain had done so, and they were all staring at the magical monkey.
Even No.l was entranced. 'What is that?' Qwan fluttered his fingers, causing the monkey to somersault.
'It's a simple magical construct. Instead of allowing the sparks to roam on instinct, I marshal them into a recog-nizable form. It takes time and effort, but in time you will have this micro-control too.'
'No,' said No.l. I mean what is that?' Qwan sighed. 'It's a monkey.'
As their numbers grew, the demons became more and more agitated78. The warriors79 crashed horns in a show of strength. They bashed each other's chest plates with their forearms and made a big show of sharpening their swords on stones.
'I miss Butler,' said Artemis.
'Me too,' said Holly, scanning the crowd for the greatest threat. It wasn't easy to decide. Every demon in the crowd seemed as though he was on the verge80 of hurling81 himself at the new arrivals. Holly had seen three-dimensional models of demons, of course, but she had never seen the real thing. The models were accurate enough, but they couldn't capture the bloodlust in the creatures' eyes, or the eerie82 whines83 that curled out of their noses as battle fever possessed84 them.
Abbot barged through to the front of the group and Holly instantly trained her weapon on his chest.
'Qwan!' said Abbot, obviously amazed. 'You're alive? I thought the warlocks were all dead.'
'Except the one that helped you,' said No.l before he could stop himself.
Abbot took a step back. 'Well, yes. Except that one.'
Qwan closed his fist and the monkey disappeared. 'I know you,' he said slowly, searching for the memories. 'You were at Taillte. You were a dissenter85.'
Abbot drew himself up. 'That's right. I am Abbot the dissenter. We never should have come here. We should have met the humans head-on. The warlocks betrayed us!' He levelled his sword at Qwan. 'You betrayed us!'
The other demons growled and rattled86 their weapons.
Abbot took a moment to study the other members of the group.
'A human! That's a human. You have brought the enemy to our door. How long before the rest of them follow in their metal birds?'
'Metal birds?' said Artemis in Gnommish. 'What metal birds? All we have are crossbows, remember?'
There followed a collective ooh, as the demons realized that this human spoke87 their language, albeit88 with an accent. Abbot decided89 to change the subject. This boy was pick-ing holes in his story. 'And you brought an elf too, warlock. Armed with a magical weapon. The elves betrayed us at Taillte!'
Qwan was getting bored with all this posturing90. 'I know, everybody betrayed you at Taillte. Why don't you give the order you're working up to? You want us dead. Give the order, and see if our brother demons will attack the only being who can save them.'
Abbot realized that he was on very dangerous ground. This poisonous little bunch had to be dealt with. Quickly and permanently91.
'You want to die so much? So be it, you can die.' He pointed his sword at the small group and was on the verge of roaring 'Kill them!' or perhaps 'Death to the traitors92!' when Qwan snapped his fingers. He did this in a very showy way, setting off a magical mini-explosion.
'I remember you now. Your name isn't Abbot. You're N'zall, the idiot who ruined the time spell. But you seem different. Those red markings.'
Abbot flinched93 as if struck. A few of the older demons sniggered. Abbot's demon name wasn't brought up very much. Abbot was a little embarrassed by it, not surpris-ingly since N'zall meant 'little horn' in the old demon cant94.
'It is you, N'zall. It's all coming back to me now. You and that other moron, Bludwin — you were against the time spell. You wanted to fight it out with the humans.'
'I still do,' roared Abbot, overcompensating after the mention of his true name. 'There's one right here. We can start with him.'
Qwan was angry now, for the first time since he came back to life. 'We had it all worked out. We had a circle of seven in the volcano, the lava95 was rising, and everything was under control, then you and Bludwin hopped96 out from behind a rock and broke the circle.'
Abbot's laugh was hollow. 'This never happened. You have been away too long, warlock. You have gone mad.'
Qwan's eyes burned with blue sparks, and magic rippled97 along the length of his arms. 'I have been a statue for ten thousand years because of you.'
'Nobody believes a word of this, warlock.'
'I believe it,' said No.l. And there were some in the demon camp who believed it too. It was in their eyes.
'You tried to murder the warlocks!' continued Qwan accusingly. 'There was some commotion98 and Bludwin went into the volcano. His energy tainted99 the spell. Then you dragged my apprentice101, Qweffor, into the lava too. Both of you went in. I saw it.' Qwan frowned, trying to piece it all together. 'But you didn't die. You didn't die because the spell had already started. The magic transported you away before the lava could melt your bones. But where did Qweffor go? Where did you go?'
No.l knew the answer to that question. 'He went into the future. He told our secrets to the humans in exchange for one of their storybooks and an ancient weapon from a museum.'
Abbot pointed the sword at him. 'I was going to let you live, impling.'
No.l felt a knot of rage in his stomach. 'Like you let me live the last time? You told me to jump into the crater. You mesmerized102 me!'
Abbot was in a tough spot. He could order the Council to attack, but that would leave many questions unanswered, and he couldn't mesmerize everybody. But if he let Qwan keep talking, every one of his secrets could be exposed. What he needed was some time to think. Unfortunately time was something he did not have. He would have to use his wits and weapons to get out of this situation.
'I mesmerized you! Don't be ridiculous. Demons don't have magic. We abhor103 magic.' Abbot shook his head in dis-belief. 'What am I even doing explaining myself to a runt like you? Shut your mouth, Number One, or I'll stitch it shut and throw you into the volcano.'
Qwan did not appreciate his new apprentice being threatened.
'I have had enough of you, N'zall. You would threaten warlocks? Number One, as you call him, has more power inside him than you will ever have.'
Abbot laughed. 'For once you are right, old warlock. I have no power inside me. Not a single spark of magic. What I do have is the power of my fist, and the strength of the pride behind me.'
Artemis was growing tired of this bickering104.
'We don't have time for this,' he said, stepping out from behind Qwan. 'The time spell is unravelling105 and we need to make preparations for the journey home. For that jour-ney, we need all the magic we can get. Including yours, N'zall or Abbot or whatever your name is.'
'I don't argue with humans,' growled Abbot. 'But if I did, I might repeat that I don't have any magic.'
'Oh, come on,' scoffed106 Artemis. 'I know the side effects of the mesmer. Including ragged100 pupils and bloodshot eyes. Some of your friends here have been mesmerized so much they barely have pupils any more.'
'And where did I get this magic?'
'You stole it in the time tunnel. I imagine you and Qweffor were literally107 melted together by the combination of lava and magic. When you emerged in Earth's recent past, you managed to hold on to some warlock magic.'
This was a bit of a stretch for everyone present. Abbot realized that he wouldn't need the mesmer to convince anybody that the human's theory was ridiculous. He could destroy this human's argument before destroying the human.
Abbot made a great show of scoffing108 at Artemis. He did the whole big tribe leader bit, running his nails along the curves of his horns, and barking out short bursts of laughter. Pretty soon, almost everyone else was laughing along.
'So, human,' said Abbot, when the furore had died down. 'I stole magic in the time tunnel. You must be losing your mind, Mud Boy. Maybe that's because I'm about to order my imps to skin your bones and suck the marrow109 from them. Even if what you say were possible, how would you know? How would a human know?' And Abbot grinned smugly, certain that no satisfactory answer could possibly be forthcoming.
Artemis Fowl110 grinned right back at him and pointed his index finger at the sky. Actually it was his middle finger, due to the time-tunnel switch. From the tip of this finger sprang a small blue spark which exploded like a tiny firework.
'I know magic can be stolen,' said Artemis. 'Because I stole some myself.'
This piece of melodrama111 was greeted by a moment of stunned silence; then Qwan cackled loudly.
'I said you were smart, Mud Boy. I was wrong, you are exceptional. Even in the time tunnel you were plotting. Stole a little magic, did you?'
Artemis shrugged112, closing his fingers on the sparks. 'It was floating around. I wondered what would happen if I embraced it.'
Qwan squinted at him. 'Now you know. You are changed.
A magical creature like us. I hope you will use your gift wisely.'
'Just what we need,' moaned Holly. 'Artemis Fowl with magical powers.'
'I believe that if we count Mister N'zall here that makes five magical beings. Enough to reverse the time spell.'
Abbot was sunk and he knew it. The other demons were looking at him curiously113. Wondering if he had been manipu-lating them magically. Even a few of the mesmerized Council were struggling to shake off their mental chains. It was only a matter of minutes before his dreams of king-ship floated forever out of his reach.
There was only one option left to him.
'Kill them all!' he roared, not quite as fiercely as he would have liked. 'Imps, you have free rein114.'
The mesmerized Council members lurched into action, not quite as graceful116 in battle as they would normally be. The imps were so delighted to be given a chance to kill something with only two legs that they barged forward with unconfined glee.
'Blood and guts117!' howled one, and they all took up the cry. It was not particularly eloquent118, but it got the message across.
Holly was not particularly worried. Her Neutrino could fire as fast as she could aim, and with a wide beam setting she could stun27 the entire line of demons and imps before they could do any damage. In theory.
She elbowed Artemis aside, took a stand and began firing. The beams erupted from the pistol in a spreading cone119 pattern. Blasting the demons off their feet and keeping them down for at least ten minutes. Except for the ones that were getting back up immediately. Which seemed to be most of them. Even the imps were shaking off the blasts as if they were mere34 gusts120 of wind.
Holly frowned. This should not be happening. And she didn't dare raise the setting for fear of doing permanent damage. Something she would not risk under any circum-stances.
'Qwan?' she said. 'My beam's not having much effect. Any ideas?'
Holly knew that warlocks weren't much use in combat situations. It was against their credo to harm, and they would only do so in the most dire121 situations. By the time Qwan overcame his pacifist nature, it would be too late.
While Qwan scratched his chin, Holly kept firing. Each pulse brought down a bunch of demons, but they were back on their feet in seconds.
‘If the Council has been mesmerized, I can heal them,' concluded Qwan. 'But the brain is delicate; I need direct contact.'
'No time for that,' said Holly, loosing another burst. 'Artemis, have you got anything?'
Artemis had his hand on his stomach. T really need to use a bathroom. A second ago I was fine. But now…'
Holly really wished her wings were operational. If she could just get a bird's eye view on the targets, it would be much easier.
'Bathroom, Artemis? Is this really the time?'
One demon made it past the laser bursts. Close enough to smell. Holly ducked under his swinging mace122, kicking him in the chest. The air left his lungs in a whoof, and the demon went down gasping123 for breath.
'I need the bathroom, and your Neutrino is having barely any effect. Time is speeding up. We're in a surge.' Artemis grabbed Holly's shoulder, causing a burst to sail off high and wide.
'I need to get to the bomb. It could explode at any moment.'
Holly shrugged him off. 'Safety tip, Artemis. Don't jiggle me when I'm firing. Qwan, can you buy us some time?'
'Time,' said Qwan, smiling. 'You know, it's ironic124 that we need time because…'
Holly ground her teeth. Why did she always have to end up with the intellectuals?
No.1 had been equal parts terrified and thoughtful during the attack. Terrified for the obvious reasons: dismember-ment, painful death, etc. But also thoughtful. He was a warlock. There must be something he could do. Before he left the island, he would have been stunned into inactivity by the suddenness and ferocity of this attack. Now, it wasn't even the worst thing he'd faced. Those security Mud Men in the chateau125. The big ones with the suits and fire sticks. No.l could see them in his head, as clearly as though they were here.
Instead of allowing the sparks to roam on instinct, I marshal them into a recognizable form.
No.l concentrated on the human figures in his memory, wrapping them with magic, bringing them forth. He felt them solidifying126 as though the blood in his forehead were freezing. When the pressure became too much for his fore-head, he expelled it into reality, conjuring up ghostly images of a dozen human mercenaries, blasting away with auto-matic weapons. It was a spectacular sight. Even Abbot reared back. The rest more than reared back — they turned and ran.
'Nice, Qwan. Good thinking,' said Artemis.
Qwan was puzzled. 'You can read my thoughts? Oh, you mean the soldiers. That was not me. Number One is a very powerful little warlock. In ten years he could move this island on his own.'
Abbot was left standing127 ten paces from the group with his sword in his hand and a hailstorm of blue bullets cascad-ing around him. In fairness to the pride leader, he stood his ground, facing certain death the demon way — with a sword in his hand and a snarl128 on his face.
Qwan shook his head. 'Just look at that. It's that kind of idiocy129 that got us into trouble in the first place.'
Abbot had some experience with magic, and he soon realized that these new humans and their missiles were mere illusions.
'Come back, you fools,' he shouted after his soldiers. 'They can't hurt you.'
Artemis tapped Holly's shoulder. 'Sorry to jiggle you again. But we need to get back to the bomb. All of us. And if possible, lure130 Abbot down there too.'
Holly put several bursts into Abbot's chest to buy them a couple of minutes. The pride leader flew backwards as though a giant had pounded his chest with a mallet131.
'OK. Let's go. Artemis, you go ahead, I'll hold them off from the rear.'
They scrambled132 back into the crater, skidding133 on their heels through the ash crust. They made faster progress on the way down, but it was just as treacherous134. It was hard-est for Holly because she was moving backwards, ready to take a potshot at anyone who poked135 so much as a hair over the crater rim.
It was a scene from a five-year-old's nightmare. Acrid136 smells that burned the eyes and throat, a surface that sucked at the feet, a red sky and the sound of breath and heart-beats. Not to mention the constant fear that the demons were coming.
Things were about to get worse. The release of Qwan's displaced magical energy had accelerated the deterioration137 of the time spell and it was on the point of collapsing138 entirely139. Unfortunately this would happen in reverse order, starting on Hybras. Artemis knew this, but he hadn't had a spare second to run any calculations. Soon, he guessed — it would happen soon. And who could tell when soon was during a time surge?
Artemis realized that it was more than a guess. He knew the collapse140 of the tunnel was imminent141. He could feel it. He was in touch with magic now. He was part of it and it was part of him.
Artemis pulled Qwan's arm round his shoulder, urging him forward.
'Quickly. We need to hurry.'
The old warlock nodded. 'You feel it? Chaos142 in the air. Look at Number One.'
Artemis glanced behind. No.l was on their heels, but his brow was furrowed143 with pain and he knuckled144 his fore-head.
'He's sensitive,' gasped145 Qwan. 'Puberty.'
Suddenly human puberty didn't seem so bad.
Holly was in trouble. Her years of training and experi-ence hadn't prepared her for the moment when she would be retreating into a volcano, guarding a human and two members of a supposedly extinct species during a time surge.
The surge was playing havoc146 with her bodily functions, but it was also having an effect on her gunfire. She was laying down a covering fire on the ridge147 but a cluster of blasts disappeared in mid-air. Where do those shots go? Holly wondered briefly148. Into the past?
Groups of ghost images fizzled into existence for a brief moment, giving the illusion that there were twice as many demons as there had been. Added to this she was suddenly struck with hunger cramps149 and she could swear her fingernails were growing.
Abbot's demons came fast, and not in a tight group as Holly had hoped. They had ranged themselves along the rim, and came over the top in a co-ordinated wave. It was a fearsome sight — dozens of warriors bounding over the lip, their markings glowing in the red light, teeth bared, horns quivering and bloodcurdling battle cries echoing around the crater walls. This was not like fighting trolls. Trolls had some basic smarts, but these demons were organ-ized and battle ready. Already they knew to spread out and avoid the laser bursts.
Holly picked out the pride leader.
Hello there, Abbot, she thought. Whatever happens here, you’re going home with a headache.
She loosed three bolts at him. Two disappeared, but one connected, sending Abbot tumbling into the dirt.
Holly did her best, widening the spread as much as possi-ble, setting the trigger on automatic. If she'd had her full combat pack, then there wouldn't have been a problem. A few flash grenades at the right moment would have stunned the entire wave of demons, and a pulse assault rifle could have held them back for a few hundred years if necessary. As it was, she had one handgun, no back-up and a time surge gobbling half her rays. It seemed an impossible task to slow down Abbot and his goons long enough for Artemis to reach the bomb. And even if she did manage it, what then?
The demons kept coming, bent150 low and bobbing. They loosed bolts from their crossbows on the run, none of which were affected151 by the surge. Of course they wouldn't be. The rays from her Neutrino were calibrated152 to have a short life: once they made contact with air, they would dissipate after five seconds unless specifically reset153 to hold together for longer.
Thankfully the bolts were falling short, but not as short as they had been a few moments earlier. Time was running out in more ways than one.
A group of especially daredevil imps made it past Holly's arc of fire. Their method of travel was foolhardy and suici-dal. Only idiot luck saved them from crushed skulls154. Using a hide shield as a sled, three of them skidded155 down the crater's inner slope, being tossed hither and thither156 by rocks and changes in gradient.
One second they were fifty metres away, and the next Holly could smell the sweat glistening157 on their brow plates. Holly swung her gun barrel towards them, but it was too late, she could never make it. And even if she did, the others would use the distraction to make ground.
The imps were leering at her. Lips pulled back over sharp pointed teeth. One was especially agitated and had some kind of slime flowing from his pores.
The imps seemed to hang suspended in the air for the longest time, and then something happened. The air pulsed, and reality momentarily split into coloured pixels like a faulty computer screen. Holly felt sick to her stomach and the imps winked158 out of existence, taking a two-metre diam-eter tube of the crater with them.
Holly fell back from the hole, which collapsed159 in on itself.
No.l fell to his knees and threw up.
'Magic,' he gasped. 'Breaking down. The lure of Earth is stronger than silver now. No one is safe.'
Artemis and Qwan were in slightly better shape, but only slightly.
'I am older and have more control over my empathy,' said Qwan. 'That's why I didn't throw up.' And having said that, he threw up.
Artemis didn't even give the old warlock time to recover himself. There was no time. Time was surging and unrav-elling at the same time.
'Come on,' he said. 'Forward.'
Holly back-pedalled to her feet, pulling No.l to his. Behind them on the slopes, the demons froze at the sight of the disappearing imps, but now were advancing again with renewed determination. No doubt they believed that
Holly was responsible for the disappearance160 of their little brothers.
Temporal booms echoed around the island, as chunks161 of Hybras spun162 into the time tunnel. Some would material-ize on Earth and some in space. It was doubtful that any demons unlucky enough to be transported would survive. Not without concentrated magic to forge a compass for them.
Artemis dragged himself the last few steps to the bomb, dropping to his knees beside it. He wiped ash from the read-out with his sleeve, then spent a while studying it, nodding along with the flickering163 of its digital timer.
The numbers of the timer were behaving seemingly erratically164: jumping forward, slowing down and even back-ing up slightly. But Artemis knew that there would be a pattern in here somewhere. Magic was simply another form of energy, and energy conformed to certain rules. It was simply a matter of watching the timer and counting. It took a while longer than they could afford, but eventually Artemis spotted165 the repeat. He ran the numbers quickly in his head.
'I see it,' he shouted to Qwan, who was on his knees beside him. 'It's mainly forward. An hour per second for a count of forty, followed by a deceleration to thirty minutes per second for a count of eighteen, then a slight jump back-wards in time, one minute per second back for a count of two. Then it repeats.'
Qwan smiled weakly. 'What was the first one again?'
Artemis stood heaving the bomb from its cradle of ash and fungus166.
'Never mind. You need to prepare to transport this place. I'll move this bomb to wherever you need it.'
'Very well, smart Mud Boy. But we still only have four magical beings. We need N'zall.'
Holly backed into the group, still firing. 'I'll see what I can do.'
Qwan nodded. 'I have faith in you, Captain. Then again I am a trusting person, and look where that got me.'
'Where do you want this?'
Qwan considered. 'We need to form a circle round it, so somewhere flat. Look, that level spot. There.'
Artemis began dragging the bomb towards the indicated spot. It wasn't so far. And then they could all stand round in a ring and watch it explode.
Everyone had their jobs to do now. And the chances of their tasks coming to fruition were slightly less than the chances of a dwarf167-goblin marriage ever taking place. And a goblin would rather eat his own feet than marry a dwarf.
Artemis had to position the bomb. N° 1 and Qwan were in charge of spell-casting, and Holly had the unenviable tasks of keeping them all alive, and persuading Abbot to join their group. And all this while the island was disinte-grating around them.
The volcano was literally being torn apart.Huge segments vanished into space like parts of a giant three-dimensional jigsaw168. In minutes, there would be nothing left to transport.
Qwan took No.l's hand in his own, leading him to the small level spot.
'OK, young fellow. That thing you did up there, with the soldiers — that was good. I was impressed. But this is the big time. I know you're in pain. That's just because you are sensitive to the spell's breakdown169. But you have to ignore that. We have an island to move.'
No.l felt his tail vibrate nervously. 'An island? An entire island?'
Qwan winked. 'And everyone on it. No pressure.'
'What do we do?'
'I only need one thing from you. Call up your magic, every drop. Let it pass through me and I'll do the rest.'
That sounded easy enough. But calling up magic when there were arrows flying and chunks of the countryside disappearing was about as easy as going to the toilet on command, with a dozen people watching. Who all hated you.
No.l closed his eyes and thought magical thoughts.
Magic. Come on, magic.
He tried to open the same doors in his mind as he had when he had conjured170 up the human soldiers. To his surprise, he found the magic came easier now, as if it was ready to come out. The cage had been opened and the beast was free. No.l felt the power surge through his arms, animating171 him like a puppet.
'Whoa there, big fellow,' said Qwan. 'No need to blow my head off. Put a leash172 on it until it's time to go.' The old warlock shouted to Artemis, his thin voice almost whipped away by sonic booms. 'How long?'
Artemis was dragging the bomb with some difficulty, digging his heels into the crust and heaving. He couldn't help thinking that Butler would have simply slung173 the bomb and its casing over one shoulder and hefted it on to the plateau.
'Count to three hundred. Maybe two ninety-nine. Providing the deterioration remains174 constant, which it should.'
Qwan had stopped listening after the words three hundred. He gripped No.l's hands tightly.
'Five minutes and we're going home. Time to start the mantra.' Qwan closed his eyes and bobbled his head from side to side, muttering in the ancient demon tongue.
No.l could feel the power of the words, shaping the magic into rising circles of blue fire around them. He held on to his new mentor175 and joined in, repeating the mantra as if his life depended on it. Which, of course, it did.
Holly had a new mission now. Somehow she had to draw Abbot into their little group, and persuade him to join the magic circle. It seemed, judging by the way he was waving his fancy sword, highly unlikely that he would do this volun-tarily.
The demon attack was mostly in disarray176 now, what with large tracts177 of the surroundings flashing off into another dimension, but Abbot and his Council members were as dogged as ever, forging ahead with barely a pause when some of their number disappeared.
Holly held her fire, wondering what was the best way to communicate with the pride leader. She was a trained negotiator, and suspected from her own observations and what No.l had told her, that Abbot had Acquired Situational Narcissism178. He was completely in love with himself and his own importance in the community. Narcissists would often chose to die rather than accept what they saw as demotion. To Abbot, Holly would represent someone who was trying to remove him as pride leader, and therefore someone to be dealt with immediately.
Great, thought Holly. No matter what dimension you're in, there's a big-headed male trying to take over the world.
The demons were advancing in a ragged line. Abbot was at the head, waving his fancy sword, urging his mesmer-ized troops forward. The red sky was splitting into inter-woven tendrils behind his head. The world as Abbot knew it was ending, but still he would not give up his position. Death for all before disgrace for him.
'Call off your warriors, Abbot,' shouted Holly. 'We can talk about this.'
Abbot did not reply as such. Not unless howling and waving a sword could count as a reply.
The demons were spreading out even more now. Flanking her and avoiding being sucked off into another dimension all in one group. Abbot skidded ahead, digging his heels through the crust of ash, leaning his torso back to avoid tumbling. He was completely coated in ash now, even his ram's horns were grey. Grey maelstroms trailed behind him as each lurch115 forward threw up a thousand flakes179.
There's nothing I can do, thought Holly. This guy wouldn't listen to his own mother. If he knew who his mother was.
There was no way out. She would have to up the charge and knock him senseless for a couple of hours. Qwan would have to put Abbot in the magic circle unconscious.
'Sorry,' she said, and flicked180 up the power setting above the pistol's thumb-rest.
Holly aimed with practised accuracy. The beam which pulsed from the Neutrino's barrel was a more dangerous red now, and should knock Abbot head over heels a couple of times.
I’ll try not to enjoy that sight, thought Holly.
It was a sight she never got to enjoy, for at that precise moment the time surge reversed for a count of two. The beam disappeared into the past and Holly felt like throw-ing up as her atoms were scrambled once again by time quandary181. She caught a glimpse of her ghostly past self less than a metre to her right. Out-of-focus past versions of the demons scrambled behind them like speed trails. Then the past was gone for another minute.
Abbot was still coming. Dangerously close now. Holly reckoned she had time for another shot. And with any luck, the demon Council would lose their singularity of purpose with their leader out of the picture.
She adjusted her aim, then the world shattered before her like a broken mirror. A curved section of the earth rose above her like a tidal wave, then dematerialized in a glit-tering flurry of sparks. Holly caught a glimpse of alternate dimensions through the gaps. There was sun and space and enormous multi-tentacled creatures.
The sheer amount of magic present in the air squeezed Holly's head like a vice182. She vaguely183 noted184 groaning185 behind her as Artemis and the others succumbed to the magical overload186.
But she could not succumb45. Some of the demons may have been sucked up into the time tunnel, but there could be more left. The air shimmered187 and settled. Rivulets188 of dust and rock spilled from mid-air. Huge chasms189 yawned all around, with nothing below but red space. There was more emptiness now than land.
Most of the demons were gone. Most, but not all. Abbot alone was left. Grinning maniacally190, his sword extended before him.
'Hello, elf,' he said, and plunged191 the sword into Holly's chest.
Holly felt the steel slide through the delicate membrane192 of elfin skin, between the eighth and ninth ribs193 and lodge a millimetre below her heart. It was cold as ice and more painful than words can describe. She fell backwards, slip-ping off the slick blade, crashing through the crust of ash. Blood poured out of her like water from a ruptured194 vessel. Her own heart did gravity's work, emptying her veins195 with every beat.
'Magic,' she gasped, through the pain.
Abbot was jubilant. 'Magic cannot help you, elf. I've been working on this sword for a long time, in case the warlocks ever showed up. There's enough enchantment in this steel to stop an entire magic circle.' He shook the sword as he talked. Spittle sprayed from his mouth, and Holly's blood dripped from the blade, splattering lines on the ash.
Holly coughed, the action felt like it was splitting her in two. Magic could not help her here. There was only one person who could.
'Artemis,' she said, her voice weak and thin. 'Artemis, help me.'
Artemis Fowl glanced her way briefly, then returned his gaze to the bomb's timer, leaving Holly Short to die on the ground. Which she did.
收听单词发音 |
1
zooming
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| adj.快速上升的v.（飞机、汽车等）急速移动( zoom的过去分词 )；（价格、费用等）急升，猛涨 | |
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accurately
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| adv.准确地，精确地 | |
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dolt
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| n.傻瓜 | |
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demons
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| n.恶人( demon的名词复数 )；恶魔；精力过人的人；邪念 | |
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demon
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| n.魔鬼，恶魔 | |
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buck
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| n.雄鹿，雄兔；v.马离地跳跃 | |
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growled
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| v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说 | |
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8
resistant
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| adj.(to)抵抗的，有抵抗力的 | |
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persuasion
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| n.劝说；说服；持有某种信仰的宗派 | |
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murmurs
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| n.低沉、连续而不清的声音( murmur的名词复数 )；低语声；怨言；嘀咕 | |
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assent
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| v.批准，认可；n.批准，认可 | |
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tune
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| n.调子；和谐，协调；v.调音，调节，调整 | |
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venerate
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| v.尊敬，崇敬，崇拜 | |
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penetrate
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| v.透(渗)入；刺入，刺穿；洞察，了解 | |
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skull
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| n.头骨；颅骨 | |
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rammed
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| v.夯实（土等）( ram的过去式和过去分词 )；猛撞；猛压；反复灌输 | |
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foxholes
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| n.散兵坑( foxhole的名词复数 ) | |
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lieutenant
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| n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员 | |
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lieutenants
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| n.陆军中尉( lieutenant的名词复数 )；副职官员；空军；仅低于…官阶的官员 | |
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defiance
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| n.挑战，挑衅，蔑视，违抗 | |
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obedience
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| n.服从，顺从 | |
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talon
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| n.爪；（如爪般的）手指；爪状物 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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24
tawny
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| adj.茶色的，黄褐色的；n.黄褐色 | |
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25
grunted
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| （猪等）作呼噜声( grunt的过去式和过去分词 )； （指人）发出类似的哼声； 咕哝着说 | |
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26
stunned
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| adj. 震惊的，惊讶的 动词stun的过去式和过去分词 | |
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27
stun
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| vt.打昏，使昏迷，使震惊，使惊叹 | |
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28
distraction
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| n.精神涣散，精神不集中，消遣，娱乐 | |
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moron
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| n.极蠢之人，低能儿 | |
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saviour
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| n.拯救者，救星 | |
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gnome
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| n.土地神；侏儒，地精 | |
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32
wring
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| n.扭绞；v.拧，绞出，扭 | |
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33
stammered
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| v.结巴地说出( stammer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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35
warp
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| vt.弄歪，使翘曲，使不正常，歪曲，使有偏见 | |
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warped
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| adj.反常的；乖戾的；（变）弯曲的；变形的v.弄弯，变歪( warp的过去式和过去分词 )；使（行为等）不合情理，使乖戾， | |
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37
pounced
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| v.突然袭击( pounce的过去式和过去分词 )；猛扑；一眼看出；抓住机会（进行抨击） | |
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liar
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| n.说谎的人 | |
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warrior
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| n.勇士，武士，斗士 | |
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40
squatted
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| v.像动物一样蹲下( squat的过去式和过去分词 )；非法擅自占用（土地或房屋）；为获得其所有权；而占用某片公共用地。 | |
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41
bulged
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| 凸出( bulge的过去式和过去分词 )； 充满； 塞满（某物） | |
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42
imps
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| n.（故事中的）小恶魔( imp的名词复数 )；小魔鬼；小淘气；顽童 | |
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43
pester
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| v.纠缠，强求 | |
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44
irresistible
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| adj.非常诱人的，无法拒绝的，无法抗拒的 | |
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45
succumb
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| v.屈服，屈从；死 | |
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46
succumbed
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| 不再抵抗（诱惑、疾病、攻击等）( succumb的过去式和过去分词 )； 屈从； 被压垮； 死 | |
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47
tinge
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| vt.(较淡)着色于，染色；使带有…气息；n.淡淡色彩，些微的气息 | |
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48
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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49
mesmerize
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| vt.施催眠术；使入迷，迷住 | |
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50
enchantment
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| n.迷惑，妖术，魅力 | |
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51
vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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52
docile
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| adj.驯服的，易控制的，容易教的 | |
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53
helping
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| n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的 | |
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54
lodge
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| v.临时住宿，寄宿，寄存，容纳；n.传达室，小旅馆 | |
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55
mesmerizing
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| adj.有吸引力的，有魅力的v.使入迷( mesmerize的现在分词 ) | |
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56
shuddered
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| v.战栗( shudder的过去式和过去分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动 | |
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57
spasms
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| n.痉挛( spasm的名词复数 )；抽搐；（能量、行为等的）突发；发作 | |
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58
wrestled
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| v.（与某人）搏斗( wrestle的过去式和过去分词 )；扭成一团；扭打；（与…）摔跤 | |
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59
subduing
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| 征服( subdue的现在分词 )； 克制； 制服； 色变暗 | |
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60
battering
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| n.用坏，损坏v.连续猛击( batter的现在分词 ) | |
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61
mimicked
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| v.（尤指为了逗乐而）模仿( mimic的过去式和过去分词 )；酷似 | |
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62
catching
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| adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住 | |
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63
nervously
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| adv.神情激动地，不安地 | |
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64
halfway
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| adj.中途的，不彻底的，部分的；adv.半路地，在中途，在半途 | |
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65
backwards
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| adv.往回地，向原处，倒，相反，前后倒置地 | |
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66
crater
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| n.火山口，弹坑 | |
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67
holly
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| n.[植]冬青属灌木 | |
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68
rim
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| n.(圆物的)边，轮缘；边界 | |
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69
ledge
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| n.壁架，架状突出物；岩架，岩礁 | |
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70
tarnished
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| （通常指金属）（使）失去光泽，（使）变灰暗( tarnish的过去式和过去分词 )； 玷污，败坏 | |
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71
squinted
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| 斜视( squint的过去式和过去分词 )； 眯着眼睛； 瞟； 从小孔或缝隙里看 | |
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72
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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73
batch
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| n.一批(组，群)；一批生产量 | |
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74
skewer
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| n.（烤肉用的）串肉杆；v.用杆串好 | |
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75
shreds
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| v.撕碎，切碎( shred的第三人称单数 )；用撕毁机撕毁（文件） | |
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76
scurrying
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| v.急匆匆地走( scurry的现在分词 ) | |
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77
conjuring
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| n.魔术 | |
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78
agitated
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| adj.被鼓动的，不安的 | |
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79
warriors
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| 武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
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80
verge
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| n.边，边缘；v.接近，濒临 | |
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81
hurling
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| n.爱尔兰式曲棍球v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的现在分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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82
eerie
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| adj.怪诞的；奇异的；可怕的；胆怯的 | |
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83
whines
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| n.悲嗥声( whine的名词复数 )；哀鸣者v.哀号( whine的第三人称单数 )；哀诉，诉怨 | |
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84
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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85
dissenter
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| n.反对者 | |
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86
rattled
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| 慌乱的，恼火的 | |
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87
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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88
albeit
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| conj.即使；纵使；虽然 | |
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89
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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90
posturing
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| 做出某种姿势( posture的现在分词 ) | |
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91
permanently
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| adv.永恒地，永久地，固定不变地 | |
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92
traitors
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| 卖国贼( traitor的名词复数 )； 叛徒； 背叛者； 背信弃义的人 | |
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93
flinched
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| v.（因危险和痛苦）退缩，畏惧( flinch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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94
cant
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| n.斜穿，黑话，猛扔 | |
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95
lava
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| n.熔岩，火山岩 | |
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96
hopped
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| 跳上[下]( hop的过去式和过去分词 )； 单足蹦跳； 齐足（或双足）跳行； 摘葎草花 | |
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97
rippled
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| 使泛起涟漪（ripple的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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98
commotion
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| n.骚动，动乱 | |
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99
tainted
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| adj.腐坏的；污染的；沾污的；感染的v.使变质( taint的过去式和过去分词 )；使污染；败坏；被污染，腐坏，败坏 | |
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100
ragged
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| adj.衣衫褴褛的，粗糙的，刺耳的 | |
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101
apprentice
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| n.学徒，徒弟 | |
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102
mesmerized
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| v.使入迷( mesmerize的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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103
abhor
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| v.憎恶；痛恨 | |
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104
bickering
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| v.争吵( bicker的现在分词 )；口角；（水等）作潺潺声；闪烁 | |
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105
unravelling
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| 解开，拆散，散开( unravel的现在分词 )； 阐明； 澄清； 弄清楚 | |
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106
scoffed
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| 嘲笑，嘲弄( scoff的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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107
literally
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| adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实 | |
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108
scoffing
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| n. 嘲笑, 笑柄, 愚弄 v. 嘲笑, 嘲弄, 愚弄, 狼吞虎咽 | |
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109
marrow
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| n.骨髓；精华；活力 | |
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110
fowl
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| n.家禽，鸡，禽肉 | |
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111
melodrama
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| n.音乐剧；情节剧 | |
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112
shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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113
curiously
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| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 | |
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114
rein
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| n.疆绳，统治，支配；vt.以僵绳控制，统治 | |
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115
lurch
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| n.突然向前或旁边倒；v.蹒跚而行 | |
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116
graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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117
guts
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| v.狼吞虎咽，贪婪地吃，飞碟游戏（比赛双方每组5人，相距15码，互相掷接飞碟）；毁坏（建筑物等）的内部( gut的第三人称单数 )；取出…的内脏n.勇气( gut的名词复数 )；内脏；消化道的下段；肠 | |
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118
eloquent
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| adj.雄辩的，口才流利的；明白显示出的 | |
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119
cone
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| n.圆锥体，圆锥形东西，球果 | |
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120
gusts
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| 一阵强风( gust的名词复数 )； （怒、笑等的）爆发； （感情的）迸发； 发作 | |
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121
dire
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| adj.可怕的，悲惨的，阴惨的，极端的 | |
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122
mace
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| n.狼牙棒，豆蔻干皮 | |
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123
gasping
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| adj. 气喘的, 痉挛的 动词gasp的现在分词 | |
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124
ironic
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| adj.讽刺的，有讽刺意味的，出乎意料的 | |
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125
chateau
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| n.城堡，别墅 | |
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126
solidifying
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| （使）成为固体，（使）变硬，（使）变得坚固( solidify的现在分词 )； 使团结一致； 充实，巩固； 具体化 | |
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127
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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128
snarl
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| v.吼叫，怒骂，纠缠，混乱；n.混乱，缠结，咆哮 | |
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129
idiocy
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| n.愚蠢 | |
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130
lure
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| n.吸引人的东西，诱惑物；vt.引诱，吸引 | |
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131
mallet
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| n.槌棒 | |
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132
scrambled
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| v.快速爬行( scramble的过去式和过去分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞 | |
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133
skidding
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| n.曳出，集材v.（通常指车辆） 侧滑( skid的现在分词 )；打滑；滑行；（住在）贫民区 | |
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134
treacherous
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|
| adj.不可靠的，有暗藏的危险的；adj.背叛的，背信弃义的 | |
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135
poked
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| v.伸出( poke的过去式和过去分词 )；戳出；拨弄；与（某人）性交 | |
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136
acrid
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| adj.辛辣的，尖刻的，刻薄的 | |
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137
deterioration
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| n.退化；恶化；变坏 | |
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138
collapsing
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| 压扁[平]，毁坏，断裂 | |
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139
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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140
collapse
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| vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷 | |
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141
imminent
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| adj.即将发生的，临近的，逼近的 | |
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142
chaos
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| n.混乱，无秩序 | |
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143
furrowed
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| v.犁田，开沟( furrow的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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144
knuckled
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| v.（指人）指关节( knuckle的过去式和过去分词 )；（指动物）膝关节，踝 | |
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145
gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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146
havoc
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| n.大破坏，浩劫，大混乱，大杂乱 | |
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147
ridge
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| n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭 | |
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148
briefly
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| adv.简单地，简短地 | |
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149
cramps
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| n. 抽筋, 腹部绞痛, 铁箍 adj. 狭窄的, 难解的 v. 使...抽筋, 以铁箍扣紧, 束缚 | |
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150
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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151
affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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152
calibrated
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| v.校准( calibrate的过去式和过去分词 )；使标准化；使合标准；测量（枪的）口径 | |
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153
reset
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| v.重新安排，复位；n.重新放置；重放之物 | |
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154
skulls
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| 颅骨( skull的名词复数 )； 脑袋； 脑子； 脑瓜 | |
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155
skidded
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| v.（通常指车辆） 侧滑( skid的过去式和过去分词 )；打滑；滑行；（住在）贫民区 | |
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156
thither
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| adv.向那里；adj.在那边的，对岸的 | |
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157
glistening
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| adj.闪耀的，反光的v.湿物闪耀，闪亮( glisten的现在分词 ) | |
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158
winked
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| v.使眼色( wink的过去式和过去分词 )；递眼色（表示友好或高兴等）；（指光）闪烁；闪亮 | |
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159
collapsed
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| adj.倒塌的 | |
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160
disappearance
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| n.消失，消散，失踪 | |
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161
chunks
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| 厚厚的一块( chunk的名词复数 )； （某物）相当大的数量或部分 | |
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162
spun
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| v.纺，杜撰，急转身 | |
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163
flickering
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| adj.闪烁的，摇曳的，一闪一闪的 | |
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164
erratically
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| adv.不规律地，不定地 | |
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165
spotted
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| adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的 | |
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166
fungus
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| n.真菌，真菌类植物 | |
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167
dwarf
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| n.矮子，侏儒，矮小的动植物；vt.使…矮小 | |
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168
jigsaw
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| n.缕花锯，竖锯，拼图游戏；vt.用竖锯锯，使互相交错搭接 | |
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169
breakdown
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| n.垮，衰竭；损坏，故障，倒塌 | |
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170
conjured
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| 用魔术变出( conjure的过去式和过去分词 )； 祈求，恳求； 变戏法； （变魔术般地） 使…出现 | |
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171
animating
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| v.使有生气( animate的现在分词 )；驱动；使栩栩如生地动作；赋予…以生命 | |
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172
leash
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| n.牵狗的皮带，束缚；v.用皮带系住 | |
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173
slung
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| 抛( sling的过去式和过去分词 )； 吊挂； 遣送； 押往 | |
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174
remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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175
mentor
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| n.指导者，良师益友；v.指导 | |
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176
disarray
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| n.混乱，紊乱，凌乱 | |
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177
tracts
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| 大片土地( tract的名词复数 )； 地带； （体内的）道； （尤指宣扬宗教、伦理或政治的）短文 | |
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178
narcissism
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| n.自我陶醉，自恋 | |
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179
flakes
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| 小薄片( flake的名词复数 )； （尤指）碎片； 雪花； 古怪的人 | |
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180
flicked
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| （尤指用手指或手快速地）轻击( flick的过去式和过去分词 )； （用…）轻挥； （快速地）按开关； 向…笑了一下（或瞥了一眼等） | |
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181
quandary
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| n.困惑，进迟两难之境 | |
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182
vice
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| n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的 | |
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183
vaguely
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| adv.含糊地，暖昧地 | |
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184
noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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185
groaning
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| adj. 呜咽的, 呻吟的 动词groan的现在分词形式 | |
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186
overload
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| vt.使超载；n.超载 | |
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187
shimmered
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| v.闪闪发光，发微光( shimmer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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188
rivulets
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| n.小河，小溪( rivulet的名词复数 ) | |
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189
chasms
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| 裂缝( chasm的名词复数 )； 裂口； 分歧； 差别 | |
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190
maniacally
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191
plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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192
membrane
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| n.薄膜，膜皮，羊皮纸 | |
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193
ribs
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| n.肋骨( rib的名词复数 )；（船或屋顶等的）肋拱；肋骨状的东西；（织物的）凸条花纹 | |
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194
ruptured
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| v.（使）破裂( rupture的过去式和过去分词 )；（使体内组织等）断裂；使（友好关系）破裂；使绝交 | |
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195
veins
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| n.纹理；矿脉( vein的名词复数 )；静脉；叶脉；纹理 | |
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