HOLLY1 Short was lying in bed having a silent fume2. Nothing unusual about this. Leprechauns in general were not known for their geniality3. But Holly was in an exceptionally bad mood, even for a fairy. Technically4 she was an elf, fairy being a general term. She was a leprechaun too, but that was just a job.
Perhaps a description would be more helpful than a lecture on fairy genealogy5. Holly Short had nut-brown skin, cropped auburn hair and hazel eyes. Her nose had a hook and her mouth was plump and cherubic, which was appropriate considering that Cupid was her greatgrandfather. Her mother was a European elf with a fiery6 temper and a willowy figure. Holly, too, had a slim frame, with long tapered7 fingers perfect for wrapping around a buzz baton8. Her ears, of course, were pointed9. At exactly one metre in height, Holly was only a centimetre below the fairy average, but even one centimetre can make an awful lot of difference when you don't have many to spare.
Commander Root was the cause of Holly's distress10. Root had been on Holly's case since day one. The commander had decided11 to take offence at the fact that the first female officer in Recon's history had been assigned to his squad12. Recon was a notoriously dangerous posting with a high fatality13 rate, and Root didn't think it was any place for a girlie. Well, he was just going to have to get used to the idea, because Holly Short had no intention of quitting for him or anybody else.
Though she'd never admit it, another possible cause for Holly's irritability14 was the Ritual. She'd been meaning to perform it for several moons now, but somehow there just never seemed to be time. And if Root found out she was running low on magic, she'd be transferred to Traffic for sure.
Holly rolled off her futon and stumbled into the shower. That was one advantage of living near the earth's core - the water was always hot. No natural light, of course, but that was a small price to pay for privacy. Underground. The last human-free zone. There was nothing like coming home after a long day on the job, switching off your shield and sinking into a bubbling slime pool. Bliss15.
The fairy suited up, zipping the dull-green jumpsuit up to her chin and strapping16 on her helmet. LEPrecon uniforms were smart these days. Not like that top-o'-the-morning costume the force had had to wear back in the old days. Buckled17 shoes and knickerbockers! Honestly. No wonder leprechauns were such ridiculous figures in human folklore19. Still, probably better that way. If the Mud People knew that the word 'leprechaun' actually originated from LEPrecon, an elite20 branch of the Lower Elements Police, they'd probably take steps to stamp them out. Better to stay inconspicuous and let the humans have their stereotypes21.
With the moon already rising on the surface, there was no time for a proper breakfast. Holly grabbed the remains22 of a nettle23 smoothie from the cooler and drank it in the tunnels. As usual there was chaos24 in the main thoroughfare. Airborne sprites jammed the avenue like stones in a bottle. The gnomes25 weren't helping27 either, lumbering28 along with their big swinging behinds blocking two lanes. Swear toads29 infested30 every damp patch, cursing like sailors. That particular breed began as a joke but had multiplied into an epidemic31. Someone lost their wand over that one.
Holly battled through the crowds to the police station. There was already a riot outside Spud's Spud Emporium. LEP Corporal Newt was trying to sort it out. Good luck to him. Nightmare. At least Holly got the chance to work above ground.
The LEP station doors were crammed32 with protesters. The goblin/dwarf33 turf war had flared35 up again, and every morning hordes36 of angry parents showed up demanding the release of their innocent offspring. Holly snorted. If there actually was an innocent goblin, Holly Short had yet to meet him. They were clogging37 up the cells now, howling gang chants and hurling38 fireballs at each other.
Holly shouldered her way into the throng39. 'Coming through,' she grunted40. 'Police business.'
They were on her like flies on a stink-worm.
'My Grumpo is innocent!'
'Officer, could you take my baby in his blanky? He can't sleep without it.'
Holly set her visor to reflect and ignored them all. Once upon a time the uniform would have earned you some respect. Not any more. Now you were a target. 'Excuse me, Officer, but I seem to have misplaced my jar of warts42.' 'Pardon me, young elf, but my cat's climbed a stalactite.' Or, 'If you have a minute, Captain, could you tell me how to get to the Fountain of Youth?' Holly shuddered43. Tourists. She had troubles of her own. More than she knew, as she was about to find out.
In the station lobby, a kleptomaniac44 dwarf was busy picking the pockets of everyone else in the booking line, including the officer he was handcuffed to. Holly gave him a swipe in the backside with her buzz baton. The electric charge singed45 the seat of his leather trousers.
'Whatcha doing there, Mulch?'
Mulch started, contraband46 dropping from his sleeves.
'Officer Short,' he whined47, his face a mask of regret, 'I can't help myself. It's my nature.'
'I know that, Mulch. And it's our nature to throw you in a cell for a couple of centuries.'
She winked48 at the dwarf's arresting officer.
'Nice to see you're staying alert.'
The elf blushed, kneeling to pick up his wallet and badge.
Holly forged past Root's office, hoping she would make it to her cubicle49 before ...
'SHORT! GET IN HERE!'
Holly sighed. Ah well. Here we go again.
Stowing her helmet under her arm, Holly smoothed the creases50 from her uniform and stepped into Commander Root's office.
Root's face was purple with rage. This was more or less his general state of existence, a fact that had earned him the nickname 'Beetroot'. There was an office pool running on how long he had before his heart exploded. The smart money was on half a century, at the outside.
Commander Root was tapping the moonometer on his wrist. 'Well?' he demanded. 'What time do you call this?'
Holly could feel her own face colouring. She was barely a minute late. There were at least a dozen officers on this shift who hadn't even reported in yet. But Root always singled her out for persecution51.
'The thoroughfare,' she mumbled52 lamely53. 'There were four lanes down.'
'Don't insult me with your excuses!' roared the commander. 'You know what the city centre is like! Get up a few minutes earlier!'
It was true, she did know what Haven54 was like. Holly Short was a city elf born and bred. Since the humans began experimenting with mineral drilling, more and more fairies had been driven out of the shallow forts and into the depth and security of Haven City. The metropolis55 was overcrowded and under-serviced. And now there was a lobby to allow automobiles56 in the pedestrianized city centre. As if the place wasn't smelly enough already with all those country gnomes lumbering around the place.
Root was right. She should get up a bit earlier. But she wouldn't. Not until everybody else was forced to.
'I know what you're thinking,' said Root. 'Why am I picking on you every day? Why don't I ever bawl57 out those other layabouts?'
Holly said nothing, but agreement was written all over her face.
'I'll tell you why, shall I?'
Holly risked a nod.
'It's because you're a girl.'
Holly felt her fingers curl into fists. She knew it!
'But not for the reasons you think,' continued Root. 'You are the first girl in Recon. Ever. You are a test case. A beacon58. There are a million fairies out there watching your every move. There are a lot of hopes riding on you. But there is a lot of prejudice against you too. The future of law enforcement is in your hands. And at the moment, I'd say it was a little heavy.'
Holly blinked. Root had never said anything like this before. Usually it was just 'Fix your helmet', 'Stand up straight', blah blah blah.
'You have to be the best you can be, Short, and that has to be better than anybody else.' Root sighed, sinking into his swivel chair. 'I don't know, Holly. Ever since that Hamburg affair.'
Holly winced59. The Hamburg affair had been a total disaster. One of her perps had skipped out to the surface and tried to bargain with the Mud People for asylum60. Root had to stop time, call in the Retrieval Squad, and do four memory wipes. A lot of police time wasted. All her fault.
The commander took a form from his desk. 'It's no use. I've made up my mind. I'm putting you on Traffic and bringing in Corporal Frond61.'
'Frond!' exploded Holly. 'She's a bimbo. An airhead. You can't make her the test case!'
Root's face turned an even deeper shade of purple.
'I can and I will. Why shouldn't I? You have never given me your best ... Either that or your best just isn't good enough. Sorry, Short, you had your chance ...'
The commander turned back to his paperwork. The meeting was over. Holly could only stand there, aghast. She'd blown it. The best career opportunity she was ever likely to get and she'd tossed it in the gutter62. One mistake and her future was past. It wasn't fair. Holly felt an uncharacteristic anger take hold of her, but she swallowed it. This was no time to lose her temper.
'Commander Root, sir. I feel I deserve one more chance.'
Root didn't even look up from the paperwork. 'And why's that?'
Holly took a deep breath. 'Because of my record, sir. It speaks for itself, apart from the Hamburg thing. Ten successful recons. Not a single memory wipe or time-stop, apart from ...'
'The Hamburg thing,' completed Root.
Holly took a chance. 'If I were a male - one of your precious sprites - we wouldn't even be having this conversation.'
Root glanced up sharply. 'Now, just a minute, Captain Short -'
He was interrupted by the bleeping of one of the phones on his desk. Then two, then three. A giant viewscreen crackled into life on the wall behind him.
Root jabbed the speaker button, putting all the callers on conference.
'Yes?'
'We've got a runner.'
Root nodded. 'Anything on Scopes?'
Scopes was the shop name for the shrouded63 trackers attached to American communications satellites.
'Yep,' said caller two. 'Big blip in Europe. Southern Italy. No shield.'
Root cursed. An unshielded fairy could be seen by mortal eyes. That wasn't so bad if the perp was humanoid.
'Classification?'
'Bad news, Commander,' said the third caller. 'We got us a rogue64 troll.'
Root rubbed his eyes. Why did these things always happen on his watch? Holly could understand his frustration65. Trolls were the meanest of the deep-tunnel creatures. They wandered the labyrinth66, preying67 on anything unlucky enough to cross their path. Their tiny brains had no room for rules or restraint. Occasionally one found its way into the shaft68 of a pressure elevator. Usually the concentrated air current fried them, but sometimes one survived and was blasted to the surface. Driven crazy by pain and even the tiniest amount of light, they would generally proceed to destroy everything in their path.
Root shook his head rapidly, recovering himself.
'OK, Captain Short. Looks like you get your chance. You're running hot, I take it?'
'Yes, sir,' lied Holly, all too aware that Root would suspend her immediately if he knew she'd neglected the Ritual.
'Good. Then sign yourself out a side-arm and proceed to the target area.'
Holly glanced at the viewscreen. Scopes were sending high-res shots of an Italian fortified69 town. A red dot was moving rapidly through the countryside towards the human population.
'Do a thorough reconnaissance and report in. Do not attempt a retrieval. Is that understood?'
'Yessir.'
'We lost six men to troll attacks last quarter. Six men. That was below ground, in familiar territory.'
'I understand, sir.'
Root pursed his lips doubtfully.
'Do you understand, Short? Do you really?'
'I think so, sir.'
'Have you ever seen what a troll can do to flesh and bone?'
'No, sir. Not up close.'
'Good. Let's not make today your first time.'
'Understood.'
Root glared at her. 'I don't know why it is, Captain Short, but whenever you start agreeing with me, I get decidedly nervous.'
Root was right to be nervous. If he'd known how this straightforward71 Recon assignment was going to turn out, he would probably have retired72 there and then. Tonight, history was going to be made. And it wasn't the discovery-of-radium, first-man-on-the-moon happy kind of history. It was the Spanish-Inquisition, here-comes-the-Hindenburg bad kind of history. Bad for humans and fairies. Bad for everyone.
Holly proceeded directly to the chutes. Her normally chatty mouth was a grim slash73 of determination. One chance, that was it. She would allow nothing to break her concentration.
There was the usual queue of holiday visa hopefuls stretching to the corner of Elevator Plaza74, but Holly bypassed it by waving her badge at the waiting line. A truculent75 gnome26 refused to yield.
'How come you LEP guys get to go topside? What's so special about you?'
Holly breathed deeply through her nose. Courtesy at all times. 'Police business, sir. Now if you could just excuse me.'
The gnome scratched his massive behind. 'I hear you LEP guys make up your police business just to get a look at some moonlight. That's what I hear.'
Holly attempted an amused smile. What actually formed on her lips resembled a lemon-sucking grimace76.
'Whoever told you that is an idiot ... sir. Recon venture only above ground when absolutely necessary.'
The gnome frowned. Obviously he had made up the rumour78 himself and suspected that Holly might have just called him an idiot. By the time he'd figured it out, she had skipped through the double doors.
Foaly was waiting for her in Ops. Foaly was a paranoid centaur79, convinced that human intelligence agencies were monitoring his transport and surveillance network. To prevent them reading his mind, he wore a tinfoil80 hat at all times.
He glanced up sharply when Holly entered through the pneumatic double doors.
'Anybody see you come in here?'
Holly thought about it.
'The FBI, CIA, NSA, DEA, MI6. Oh and the EIB.'
Foaly frowned. 'The EIB?'
'Everyone in the building,' smirked81 Holly.
Foaly rose from his swivel chair and clip-clopped over to her.
'Oh, you're very funny, Short. A regular riot. I thought the Hamburg affair might have knocked some of the cockiness out of you. If I were you, I'd concentrate on the job in hand.'
Holly composed herself. He was right.
'OK, Foaly. Fill me in.'
The centaur pointed to a live feed from the Eurosat, which was displayed on a large plasma82 screen.
'This red dot is the troll. He's moving towards Martina Franca, a fortified town near the city of Brindisi. As far as we can tell, he stumbled into vent77 E7. It was on cool-down after a surface shot, that's why the troll isn't crispy barbecue right now.'
Holly grimaced83. Charming, she thought.
'We've been lucky in that our target has bumped into some food along the way. He chewed on a couple of cows for an hour or two, so that bought us a bit of time.'
'A couple of cows?' exclaimed Holly. 'Just how big is this fellow?'
Foaly adjusted his foil bonnet84. 'Bull troll. Fully70 grown. One hundred and eighty kilos, with tusks86 like a wild boar. A really wild boar.'
Holly swallowed. Suddenly Recon seemed a much better job than Retrieval.
'Right. What have you got for me?'
Foaly cantered across to the equipment table. He selected what looked like a rectangular wristwatch.
'Locator. You find him, we find you. Routine stuff.'
'Video?'
The centaur clipped a small cylinder87 into the accommodating groove88 on Holly's helmet.
'Live feed. Nuclear battery. No time limit. The mike is voice-activated89.'
'Good,' said Holly. 'Root said I should take a weapon on this one. Just in case.'
'Way ahead of you,' said Foaly. He picked a platinum90 handgun from the pile. 'A Neutrino 2000. The latest model. Even the tunnel gangs don't have these. Three settings, if you don't mind. Scorched91, well done and crisped to a cinder92. Nuclear power source too, so plug away. This baby will outlive you by a thousand years.'
Holly strapped93 the lightweight weapon into her shoulder holster.
'I'm ready ... I think.'
Foaly chuckled94. 'I doubt it. No one's ever really ready for a troll.'
'Thanks for the confidence booster.'
'Confidence is ignorance,' advised the centaur. 'If you're feeling cocky, it's because there's something you don't know.'
Holly thought about arguing, but didn't. Maybe it was because she had a sneaking95 suspicion that Foaly was right.
The pressure elevators were powered by gaseous96 columns vented97 from the earth's core. The LEP tech boys, under Foaly's guidance, had fashioned titanium eggs that could ride on the currents. They had their own independent motors, but for an express ride to the surface there was nothing like the blast from a tidal flare34.
Foaly led her past a long line of chute bays to E7. The pod sat in its clamp, looking very fragile to be rocketing about on magma streams. Its underside was charred98 black and pockmarked from shrapnel.
The centaur slapped it fondly on a fender. 'This baby's been in service for fifty years. Oldest model still in the chutes.'
Holly swallowed.The chutes made her nervous enough without riding in an antique.
'When does it come off-line?'
Foaly scratched his hairy belly99. 'With funding the way it is, not until we have us a fatality.'
Holly cranked open the heavy door, the rubber seal yielding with a hiss100. The pod was not built for comfort. There was barely enough space for a restraining seat among the jumble101 of electronics.
'What's that?' asked Holly, pointing at a greyish stain on the seat's headrest.
Foaly shuffled102 uncomfortably.
'Erm ... brain fluid, I think. We had a pressure leak on the last mission. But that's plugged now. And the officer lived. Down a few IQ points, but alive, and he can still take liquids.'
'Well, that's all right then,' quipped Holly, threading her way through the mass of wires.
Foaly strapped the harness on to her, checking the restraints thoroughly103.
'All set?'
Holly nodded.
Foaly tapped her helmet mike. 'Keep in touch,' he said, pulling the door behind him.
Don't think about it, Holly told herself. Don't think about the white-hot magma flow that's going to engulf104 this tiny craft. Don't think about hurtling towards the surface with a MACH 2 force trying to turn you inside-out. And certainly don't think about the blood-crazed troll ready to disembowel you with his tusks. Nope. Don't think about any of that stuff ... Too late.
Foaly's voice sounded in her earpiece. 'T-minus twenty,' he said. 'We're on a secure channel in case the Mud People have started underground monitoring. You never know. An oil tanker105 from the Middle East intercepted106 a transmission one time. What a mess that was.'
Holly adjusted her helmet mike.
'Focus, Foaly. My life is in your hands here.'
'Uh ... OK, sorry. We're going to use the rail to drop you into E7's main shaft, there's a surge due any minute. That should see you past the first hundred klicks, then you're on your own.'
Holly nodded, curling her fingers around the twin joysticks.
'All systems check. Fire it up.'
There was a whoosh107 as the pod's engines ignited. The tiny craft jostled in its housing, shaking Holly like a bead108 in a rattle109. She could barely hear Foaly speaking into her ear.
'You're in the secondary shaft now. Get ready to fly, Short.'
Holly pulled a rubber cylinder from the dash and slipped it between her teeth. No good having a radio if you've swallowed your tongue. She activated the external cameras and put the view on screen.
The entrance to E7 was creeping towards her. The air was shimmering111 in the landing-light glow. White-hot sparks tumbled into the secondary shaft. Holly couldn't hear the roar, but she could imagine it. A raw skinning wind like a million trolls howling.
Her fingers tightened112 around the joysticks. The pod shuddered to a halt at the lip. The chute stretched above and below. Massive. Boundless113. Like dropping an ant down a drainpipe.
'Right-o,' crackled Foaly. 'Hold on to your breakfast. Rollercoasters ain't got nothing on this.'
Holly nodded. She couldn't speak, not with the rubber in her mouth. The centaur would be able to see her in the podcam anyway.
'Sayonara, sweetheart,' said Foaly, and pressed the button.
The pod's clamp tilted114, rolling Holly into the abyss. Her stomach tightened as G-force took hold, dragging her to the centre of the earth. The seismology section had a million probes down here, with a 99.8 success rate at predicting the magma flares115. But there was always that point two per cent.
The fall seemed to last for an eternity116. And just when Holly had mentally consigned117 herself to the scrap118 heap, she felt it. That unforgettable vibration119. The feeling that, outside her tiny sphere, the whole world was being shaken apart. Here it comes.
'Fins120,' she said, spitting the word around the cylinder.
Foaly may have replied, she couldn't hear him any more. Holly couldn't even hear herself, but she did see the stabilization121 fins slide out on the monitor.
The flare caught her like a hurricane, spinning the pod at first until the fins caught. Half-melted rocks pelted122 the craft's underside, jolting123 it towards the chute walls. Holly compensated124 with bursts from the joysticks.
The heat was tremendous in the confined space, enough to fry a human. But fairy lungs are made of stronger stuff. The acceleration125 dragged at her body with invisible hands, stretching the flesh over her arms and face. Holly blinked salty sweat from her eyes and concentrated on the monitor. The flare had totally engulfed126 her pod, and it was a big one too. Force seven at the very least. A good 500-metre girth. Orange-striped magma swirled127 and hissed128 around her, searching for a weak point in the metal casing.
The pod groaned129 and complained, fifty-year-old rivets130 threatening to pop. Holly shook her head. The first thing she was going to do on her return was kick Foaly straight in the hairy behind. She felt like a nut inside a shell, between a gnome's molars. Doomed131.
A bow plate buckled, popped in as though punched by a giant fist. The pressure light blinked on. Holly could feel her head being squeezed. The eyes would be first to go - popping like ripe berries.
She checked the dials. Twenty more seconds before she rode out the flare and was running on thermals132. Those twenty seconds seemed like an age. Holly sealed the helmet to protect her eyes, riding out the final barrage133 of rocks.
And suddenly they were clear, sailing upwards134 on the comparatively gentle spirals of hot air. Holly added her own thrusters to the upward force. No time to waste floating around on the wind.
Above her, a circle of neon lights marked the docking zone. Holly swivelled horizontal and pointed the docking nodes at the lights. This was delicate. Many Recon pilots had made it this far, only to miss the port and lose valuable time. Not Holly. She was a natural. First in the academy.
She gave the thrusters one final squeeze and coasted the last hundred metres. Using the rudders beneath her feet, she teased the pod through the circle of light and into its clamp on the landing pad. The nodes revolved135, settling into their grooves136. Safe.
Holly smacked137 herself on the chest, releasing the safety harness. Once the door seal was open, sweet surface air flooded the cabin. There was nothing like that first breath after a ride in the chutes. She breathed deeply, purging138 the stale pod air from her lungs. How had the People ever left the surface? Sometimes she wished that her ancestors had stayed to fight it out with the Mud People, but there were too many of them. Unlike fairies, who could produce only a single child every twenty years, Mud People bred like rodents139. Numbers would subdue140 even magic.
Although she was enjoying the night air, Holly could taste traces of pollutants141. The Mud People destroyed everything they came into contact with. Of course they didn't live in the mud any more. Not in this country, at least. Oh no. Big fancy dwellings142 with rooms for everything - rooms for sleeping, rooms for eating, even a room to go to the toilet! Indoors! Holly shuddered. Imagine going to the toilet inside your own house. Disgusting! The only good thing about going to the toilet was the minerals being returned to the earth, but the Mud People had even managed to botch that up by treating the ... stuff ... with bottles of blue chemicals. If anyone had told her a hundred years ago that humans would be taking the fertile out of fertilizer, she would have told them to get some air holes drilled in their skull143.
Holly unhooked a set of wings from their bracket. They were double ovals, with a clunky motor. She moaned. Dragonflies. She hated that model. Petrol engine, if you don't mind. And heavier than a pig dipped in mud. Now the Hummingbird144 Z7, that was transport. Whisper silent, with a satellite-bounced solar battery that would fly you twice around the world. But there were budget cuts again.
On her wrist, the locator began to beep. She was in range. Holly stepped out of the pod and on to the landing bay. She was inside a camouflaged145 mound146 of earth, commonly known as a fairy fort. Indeed, the People used to live in these until they were driven deeper underground. There wasn't much technology. Just a few external monitors, and a self-destruct device should the bay be discovered.
There was nothing on the screens. All clear. The pneumatic doors were slightly askew147 where the troll had barged through, but otherwise everything seemed operational. Holly strapped on the wings, stepping into the outside world.
The Italian night sky was crisp and brisk, infused with olives and vine. Crickets clicked in the rough grass and moths148 fluttered in the starlight. Holly couldn't stop herself smiling. It was worth the risk, every bit of it.
Speaking of risk ... She checked the locator. The bip was much stronger now. The troll was almost at the town walls! She could appreciate nature after the mission was over. Now it was time for action.
Holly primed the wings' motor, pulling the starter cord over her shoulder. Nothing. She fumed149 silently. Every spoilt kid in Haven had a Hummingbird for their wilderness150 holidays, and here were the LEP with wings that were junk when they were new. She yanked the cord again and then again. On the third wrench151 it caught, spewing a stream of smoke and fumes152 into the night. 'About time,' she grunted, flicking153 the throttle154 wide open. The wings flapped their way up to a steady beat and, with not a little effort, lifted Captain Holly Short into the night sky.
Even without the locator, the troll would have been easy to follow. It had left a trail of destruction wider than a tunnel excavator. Holly flew low, skipping between mist hazes155 and trees, matching the troll's course. The crazed creature had cut a swathe through the middle of a vineyard, turned a stone wall to rubble156 and left a guard dog gibbering under a hedge. Then she flew over the cows. It was not a pretty sight. Without going into details, let's just say that there wasn't much left besides horns and hooves.
The red bip was louder now. Louder meant closer. She could see the town below her, nestled on top of a low hill, surrounded by a crenellated wall from the Middle Ages. Lights still burned in most windows. Time for a little magic.
A lot of the magic attributed to the People is just superstition157. But they do have certain powers. Healing, the mesmer and shielding being among them. Shielding is really a misnomer158. What fairies actually do is to vibrate at such a high frequency that they are never in one place long enough to be seen. Humans may notice a slight shimmer110 in the air if they are paying close attention - which they rarely are. And even then the shimmer is generally attributed to evaporation159. Typical of Mud People to invent a complicated explanation for a simple phenomenon.
Holly switched on her shield. It took a bit more out of her than usual. She could feel the strain in the beads160 of sweat on her forehead. I really should complete the Ritual, she thought. The sooner the better.
Some commotion161 below broke into her thoughts. Something that didn't gel with the night-time noises. Holly adjusted the trim on her backpack and flew in for a closer look. Look only, she reminded herself, that was her job. A Recon officer was sent up the chutes to pinpoint162 the target, while the Retrieval boys took a nice cushy shuttle.
The troll was directly below her, pounding against the town's outer wall, which was coming away in chunks163 beneath his powerful fingers. Holly sucked in a startled gasp164. This guy was a monster! Big as an elephant and ten times as mean. But this particular beast was worse than mean, he was scared.
'Control,' said Holly into her mike. 'Runner located. Situation critical topside.'
Root himself was on the other end of the comlink.
'Clarify, Captain.'
Holly pointed her video link at the troll.
'Runner is going through the town wall. Contact imminent165. How far away are Retrieval?'
'ETA five minutes minimum. We're still in the shuttle.'
Holly bit her lip. Root was in the shuttle?
'That's too long, Commander. This whole town is going to explode in ten seconds ... I'm going in.'
'Negative, Holly ... Captain Short. You don't have an invite. You know the law. Hold your position.'
'But, Commander -'
Root cut her off. 'No! No buts, Captain. Hang back. That's an order!'
Holly's entire body felt like a heartbeat. Petrol fumes were addling166 her brain. What could she do? What was the right decision to make? Lives or orders?
Then the troll broke through the wall and a child's voice split the night.
'Aiuto!' it screamed.
Help. An invitation. At a stretch.
'Sorry, Commander. The troll is light-crazy and there are children in there.'
She could imagine Root's face, purple with rage as he spat167 into the mike.
'I'll have your stripes, Short! You'll spend the next hundred years on drain duty!'
But it was no use. Holly had disconnected her mike and swooped168 in after the troll.
Streamlining her body, Captain Short ducked into the hole. She appeared to be in a restaurant. A packed restaurant. The troll had been temporarily blinded by the electric light and was thrashing about in the centre of the floor.
The patrons were stunned169. Even the child's plea had petered out. They sat gaping170, party hats perched comically on their heads. Waiters froze, huge trays of pasta quivering on their splayed fingers. Chubby171 Italian infants covered their eyes with chubby fingers. It was always like this in the beginning: the shocked silence. Then came the screaming.
A wine bottle crashed to the floor. It broke the spell. The pandemonium172 started. Holly winced. Trolls hated noise almost as much as light.
The troll lifted massive shaggy shoulders, its retractable173 claws sliding out with an ominous174 schiiick. Classic predator175 behaviour. The beast was about to strike.
Holly drew her weapon and flicked176 it up to the second setting. She couldn't kill the troll under any circumstances. Not to save humans. But she could certainly put him out until Retrieval arrived.
Aiming for the weak point at the base of the skull, she let the troll have a long burst of the concentrated ion ray. The beast staggered, stumbled a few steps, then got very angry.
It's OK, thought Holly, I'm shielded. Invisible. To any onlookers177 it would seem as though the pulsing blue beam emanated178 from thin air.
The troll rounded on her, its muddy dreadlocks swinging like candles.
No panic. It can't see me.
The troll picked up a table.
Invisible. Totally invisible.
He pulled back a shaggy arm and let fly.
Just a slight shimmer in the air.
The table tumbled straight towards her head.
Holly moved. A second too late. The table clipped her backpack, knocking the petrol tank clean off. It span through the air, trailing flammable fluid.
Italian restaurants - wouldn't you know it full of candles. The tank twirled right through an elaborate candelabrum. It burst into flames, like some deadly firework. Most of the petrol landed on the troll. So did Holly.
The troll could see her. There was no doubt about it. It squinted179 at her through the hated light, its brow a rictus of pain and fear. Her shield was off. Her magic had gone.
Holly twisted in the troll's grip, but it was useless. The creature's fingers were the size of bananas, but nowhere near as pliant180. They were squashing the breath from her ribcage with savage181 ease. Needle-like claws were scraping at the toughened material of her uniform. Any second now, they would punch through, and that would be that.
Holly couldn't think. The restaurant was a carousel182 of chaos. The troll was gnashing its tusks; greasy183 molars trying to grip her helmet. Holly could smell its fetid breath through her filters. She could smell the odour of burning fur too, as the fire spread along the troll's back.
The beast's green tongue rasped across her visor, sliming the lower section. The visor! That was it. Her only chance. Holly wormed her free hand to the helmet controls. The tunnel lights. High beams.
She depressed184 the sunken button and 800 watts185 of unfiltered light blasted from the twin spotlights186 above her eyes.
The troll reared back, a penetrating187 scream exploding from between rows of teeth. Dozens of glasses and bottles shattered where they stood. It was too much for the poor beast. Stunned, set on fire and now blinded. The shock and pain made their way through to its tiny brain, ordering it to shut down. The troll complied, keeling over with almost comical stiffness. Holly rolled to avoid a scything188 tusk85.
There was complete silence, but for tinkling189 glass, crackling fur and the sudden release of breath. Holly climbed shakily to her feet. There were a lot of eyes following her - human eyes. She was 100 per cent visible. And these humans wouldn't stay complacent190 for long. This breed never did. Containment191 was the issue.
She raised her empty palms. A gesture of peace.
'Scusatemi tutti,' she said, the language flowing easily from her tongue.
The Italians, ever graceful192, muttered that it was nothing.
Holly reached slowly into her pocket and withdrew a small sphere. She placed it in the middle of the floor.
'Guardate,' she said. Look.
The restaurant's patrons complied, leaning in to see the small silver ball. It was ticking, faster and faster, almost like a countdown. Holly turned her back to the sphere. Three, two, one ...
Boom! Flash! Mass unconsciousness. Nothing fatal, but headaches all around in about forty minutes. Holly sighed. Safe. For the moment. She ran to the door and slid the latch193 across. Nobody was going in or out. Except through the big gaping hole in the wall. Next she doused194 the smouldering troll with the contents of the restaurant's fire extinguisher, hoping the icy powder wouldn't revive the sleeping behemoth.
Holly surveyed the mess she had created. There was no doubt, it was a shambles195. Worse than Hamburg. Root would skin her alive. She'd rather face the troll any day. This was the end of her career for sure, but suddenly that didn't seem so important because her ribs196 were aching and she had a blinder of a pressure headache coming on. Perhaps a rest, just for a second, so she could pull herself together before Retrieval showed up.
Holly didn't even bother looking for a chair. She simply allowed her legs to buckle18 beneath her, sinking to the chessboard lino floor.
Waking up to Commander Root's bulging197 features is the stuff of nightmares. Holly's eyes flickered198 open, and for a second she could have sworn that there was concern in those eyes. But then it was gone, replaced by the customary vein199-popping fury.
'Captain Short!' he roared, mindless of her headache. 'What in the name of sanity200 happened here?'
Holly rose shakily to her feet.
'I ... That is ... There was ...' The sentences just wouldn't come.
'You disobeyed a direct order. I told you to hang back! You know it's forbidden to enter a human building without an invitation.'
Hollv shook the shadows from her vision.
'I got invited in. A child called for help.'
'You're on shaky ground there, Short.'
'There is precedent201, sir. Corporal Rowe versus202 the State. The jury ruled that the trapped woman's cry for help could be accepted as an invitation into the building. Anyway, you're all here now. That means you accepted the invitation too.'
'Hmm,' said Root doubtfully. 'I suppose you were lucky. Things could have been worse.'
Holly looked around. Things couldn't have been a lot worse. The establishment was pretty trashed and there were forty humans out for the count. The tech boys were attaching mind-wipe electrodes to the temples of unconscious diners.
'We managed to secure the area, in spite of half the town hammering on the door.'
'What about the hole?'
Root smirked. 'See for yourself.'
Holly glanced over. Retrieval had jimmied a hologram lead into the existing electricity sockets203 and were projecting an unbattered wall over the hole. The holograms were handy for quick patches, but no good under scrutiny204. Anyone who examined the wall too closely would have noticed that the slightly transparent205 patch was exactly the same as the stretch beside it. In this case there were two identical patches of spiderweb cracks and two reproductions of the same Rembrandt. But the people inside the pizzeria were in no condition to examine walls, and by the time they woke up, the wall would have been repaired by the Telekinetic Division and the entire paranormal experience would be removed from their memories.
A Retrieval officer bolted from the restroom.
'Commander!'
'There's a human in here, sir. The Concusser didn't reach him. He's coming, sir. Right now, sir!'
'Shields!' barked Root. 'Everyone!'
Holly tried. She really did. But it wouldn't come. Her magic was gone. A toddler waddled207 out of the bathroom, his eyes heavy with sleep. He pointed a pudgy finger directly at Holly.
'Ciao, folletta,' he said, before climbing into his father's lap to continue his snooze.
Root shimmered208 back into the visible spectrum209. He was, if possible, even angrier than before.
'What happened to your shield, Short?'
Holly swallowed.
'Stress, Commander,' she offered hopefully.
Root wasn't having any of it. 'You lied to me, Captain. You're not running hot at all, are you?'
Holly shook her head mutely.
'How long since you completed the Ritual?'
Holly chewed her lip. 'I'd say ... about ... four years, sir.'
Root nearly popped a vein.
'Four ... Four years? It's a wonder you lasted this long! Do it now.Tonight! You're not coming below ground again without your powers. You're a danger to yourself and your fellow officers!'
'Yessir.'
'Get a set of Hummingbirds210 from Retrieval and zip across to the old country. There's a full moon tonight.'
'Yessir.'
'And don't think I've forgotten about this shambles. We'll talk about it when you get back.'
'Yessir. Very good, sir.'
Holly turned to go, but Root cleared his throat for attention.
'Oh, and Captain Short ...'
'Yessir?'
Root's face had lost its purple tinge211 and he almost seemed embarrassed.
'Well done on the life-saving thing. Could have been worse, an awful lot worse.'
Holly beamed behind her visor. Perhaps she wouldn't be kicked out of Recon after all.
'Thank you, sir.'
Root grunted, his complexion212 returning to its normal ruddy hue213.
'Now get out of here, and don't come back until you're full to the tips of your ears with magic!'
Holly sighed. So much for gratitude214.
'Yes, sir. On my way, sir.'
收听单词发音 |
1
holly
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| n.[植]冬青属灌木 | |
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fume
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| n.(usu pl.)(浓烈或难闻的)烟，气，汽 | |
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geniality
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| n.和蔼，诚恳；愉快 | |
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technically
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| adv.专门地，技术上地 | |
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genealogy
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| n.家系，宗谱 | |
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fiery
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| adj.燃烧着的，火红的；暴躁的；激烈的 | |
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tapered
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| adj. 锥形的，尖削的，楔形的，渐缩的，斜的 动词taper的过去式和过去分词 | |
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baton
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| n.乐队用指挥杖 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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distress
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| n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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squad
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| n.班，小队，小团体；vt.把…编成班或小组 | |
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fatality
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| n.不幸，灾祸，天命 | |
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irritability
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| n.易怒 | |
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bliss
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| n.狂喜，福佑，天赐的福 | |
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strapping
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| adj. 魁伟的, 身材高大健壮的 n. 皮绳或皮带的材料, 裹伤胶带, 皮鞭 动词strap的现在分词形式 | |
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buckled
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| a. 有带扣的 | |
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buckle
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| n.扣子，带扣；v.把...扣住，由于压力而弯曲 | |
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folklore
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| n.民间信仰，民间传说，民俗 | |
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elite
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| n.精英阶层；实力集团；adj.杰出的，卓越的 | |
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stereotypes
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| n.老套，模式化的见解，有老一套固定想法的人( stereotype的名词复数 )v.把…模式化，使成陈规( stereotype的第三人称单数 ) | |
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remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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nettle
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| n.荨麻；v.烦忧，激恼 | |
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24
chaos
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| n.混乱，无秩序 | |
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25
gnomes
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| n.矮子( gnome的名词复数 )；侏儒；（尤指金融市场上搞投机的）银行家；守护神 | |
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gnome
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| n.土地神；侏儒，地精 | |
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helping
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| n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的 | |
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lumbering
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| n.采伐林木 | |
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toads
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| n.蟾蜍，癞蛤蟆( toad的名词复数 ) | |
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infested
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| adj.为患的，大批滋生的（常与with搭配）v.害虫、野兽大批出没于( infest的过去式和过去分词 )；遍布于 | |
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epidemic
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| n.流行病；盛行；adj.流行性的，流传极广的 | |
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crammed
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| adj.塞满的，挤满的；大口地吃；快速贪婪地吃v.把…塞满；填入；临时抱佛脚( cram的过去式) | |
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dwarf
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| n.矮子，侏儒，矮小的动植物；vt.使…矮小 | |
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34
flare
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| v.闪耀，闪烁；n.潮红；突发 | |
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Flared
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| adj. 端部张开的, 爆发的, 加宽的, 漏斗式的 动词flare的过去式和过去分词 | |
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hordes
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| n.移动着的一大群( horde的名词复数 )；部落 | |
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clogging
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| 堵塞，闭合 | |
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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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throng
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| n.人群，群众；v.拥挤，群集 | |
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40
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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brutality
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| n.野蛮的行为，残忍，野蛮 | |
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warts
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| n.疣( wart的名词复数 )；肉赘；树瘤；缺点 | |
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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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44
kleptomaniac
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| n.有偷窃狂的人 | |
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45
singed
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| v.浅表烧焦( singe的过去式和过去分词 )；（毛发）燎，烧焦尖端[边儿] | |
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46
contraband
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| n.违禁品，走私品 | |
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47
whined
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| v.哀号( whine的过去式和过去分词 )；哀诉，诉怨 | |
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48
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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49
cubicle
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| n.大房间中隔出的小室 | |
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50
creases
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| （使…）起折痕，弄皱( crease的第三人称单数 )； （皮肤）皱起，使起皱纹 | |
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51
persecution
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| n. 迫害,烦扰 | |
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52
mumbled
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| 含糊地说某事，叽咕，咕哝( mumble的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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53
lamely
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| 一瘸一拐地，不完全地 | |
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54
haven
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| n.安全的地方，避难所，庇护所 | |
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55
metropolis
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| n.首府；大城市 | |
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56
automobiles
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| n.汽车( automobile的名词复数 ) | |
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57
bawl
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| v.大喊大叫，大声地喊，咆哮 | |
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58
beacon
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| n.烽火，（警告用的）闪火灯，灯塔 | |
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winced
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| 赶紧避开，畏缩( wince的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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60
asylum
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| n.避难所，庇护所，避难 | |
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61
frond
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| n.棕榈类植物的叶子 | |
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62
gutter
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| n.沟，街沟，水槽，檐槽，贫民窟 | |
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shrouded
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| v.隐瞒( shroud的过去式和过去分词 )；保密 | |
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rogue
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| n.流氓；v.游手好闲 | |
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frustration
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| n.挫折，失败，失效，落空 | |
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66
labyrinth
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| n.迷宫；难解的事物；迷路 | |
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67
preying
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| v.掠食( prey的现在分词 )；掠食；折磨；（人）靠欺诈为生 | |
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68
shaft
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| n.(工具的)柄，杆状物 | |
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69
fortified
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| adj. 加强的 | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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71
straightforward
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| adj.正直的，坦率的；易懂的，简单的 | |
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retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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73
slash
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| vi.大幅度削减；vt.猛砍，尖锐抨击，大幅减少；n.猛砍，斜线，长切口，衣衩 | |
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74
plaza
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| n.广场，市场 | |
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truculent
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| adj.野蛮的，粗野的 | |
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76
grimace
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| v.做鬼脸，面部歪扭 | |
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vent
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| n.通风口，排放口；开衩；vt.表达，发泄 | |
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rumour
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| n.谣言，谣传，传闻 | |
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centaur
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| n.人首马身的怪物 | |
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tinfoil
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| n.锡纸，锡箔 | |
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81
smirked
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| v.傻笑( smirk的过去分词 ) | |
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plasma
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| n.血浆，细胞质，乳清 | |
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grimaced
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| v.扮鬼相，做鬼脸( grimace的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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bonnet
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| n.无边女帽；童帽 | |
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85
tusk
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| n.獠牙，长牙，象牙 | |
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tusks
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| n.（象等动物的）长牙( tusk的名词复数 )；獠牙；尖形物；尖头 | |
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87
cylinder
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| n.圆筒，柱(面)，汽缸 | |
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groove
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| n.沟，槽；凹线，（刻出的）线条，习惯 | |
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activated
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| adj. 激活的 动词activate的过去式和过去分词 | |
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platinum
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| n.白金 | |
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91
scorched
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| 烧焦，烤焦( scorch的过去式和过去分词 )； 使（植物）枯萎，把…晒枯； 高速行驶； 枯焦 | |
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cinder
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| n.余烬，矿渣 | |
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strapped
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| adj.用皮带捆住的，用皮带装饰的；身无分文的；缺钱；手头紧v.用皮带捆扎(strap的过去式和过去分词)；用皮带抽打；包扎；给…打绷带 | |
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chuckled
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| 轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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sneaking
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| a.秘密的，不公开的 | |
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96
gaseous
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| adj.气体的，气态的 | |
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97
vented
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| 表达，发泄（感情，尤指愤怒）( vent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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98
charred
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| v.把…烧成炭( char的过去式)；烧焦 | |
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99
belly
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| n.肚子，腹部；(像肚子一样)鼓起的部分，膛 | |
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100
hiss
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| v.发出嘶嘶声；发嘘声表示不满 | |
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101
jumble
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| vt.使混乱，混杂；n.混乱；杂乱的一堆 | |
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102
shuffled
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| v.洗（纸牌）( shuffle的过去式和过去分词 )；拖着脚步走；粗心地做；摆脱尘世的烦恼 | |
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103
thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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104
engulf
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| vt.吞没，吞食 | |
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105
tanker
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| n.油轮 | |
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106
intercepted
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| 拦截( intercept的过去式和过去分词 )； 截住； 截击； 拦阻 | |
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107
whoosh
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| v.飞快地移动，呼 | |
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108
bead
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| n.念珠；(pl.)珠子项链；水珠 | |
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109
rattle
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| v.飞奔，碰响；激怒；n.碰撞声；拨浪鼓 | |
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110
shimmer
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| v./n.发微光，发闪光；微光 | |
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111
shimmering
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| v.闪闪发光，发微光( shimmer的现在分词 ) | |
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112
tightened
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| 收紧( tighten的过去式和过去分词 )； （使）变紧； （使）绷紧； 加紧 | |
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113
boundless
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| adj.无限的；无边无际的；巨大的 | |
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114
tilted
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| v. 倾斜的 | |
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115
flares
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| n.喇叭裤v.（使）闪耀( flare的第三人称单数 )；（使）（船舷）外倾；（使）鼻孔张大；（使）（衣裙、酒杯等）呈喇叭形展开 | |
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116
eternity
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| n.不朽，来世；永恒，无穷 | |
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117
consigned
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| v.把…置于（令人不快的境地）( consign的过去式和过去分词 )；把…托付给；把…托人代售；丟弃 | |
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118
scrap
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| n.碎片；废料；v.废弃，报废 | |
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119
vibration
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| n.颤动，振动；摆动 | |
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120
fins
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| [医]散热片；鱼鳍；飞边；鸭掌 | |
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121
Stabilization
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| 稳定化 | |
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122
pelted
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| （连续地）投掷( pelt的过去式和过去分词 )； 连续抨击； 攻击； 剥去…的皮 | |
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123
jolting
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| adj.令人震惊的 | |
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124
compensated
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| 补偿，报酬( compensate的过去式和过去分词 )； 给（某人）赔偿（或赔款） | |
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125
acceleration
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| n.加速，加速度 | |
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126
engulfed
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| v.吞没，包住( engulf的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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127
swirled
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| v.旋转，打旋( swirl的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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128
hissed
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| 发嘶嘶声( hiss的过去式和过去分词 )； 发嘘声表示反对 | |
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129
groaned
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| v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
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130
rivets
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| 铆钉( rivet的名词复数 ) | |
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131
doomed
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| 命定的 | |
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132
thermals
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| 热裂法炭黑； 上升的热气流，温暖内衣裤( thermal的名词复数 ) | |
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133
barrage
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| n.火力网，弹幕 | |
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134
upwards
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| adv.向上，在更高处...以上 | |
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135
revolved
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| v.（使）旋转( revolve的过去式和过去分词 )；细想 | |
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136
grooves
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| n.沟( groove的名词复数 )；槽；老一套；（某种）音乐节奏v.沟( groove的第三人称单数 )；槽；老一套；（某种）音乐节奏 | |
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137
smacked
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| 拍，打，掴( smack的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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138
purging
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| 清洗； 清除； 净化； 洗炉 | |
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139
rodents
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| n.啮齿目动物( rodent的名词复数 ) | |
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140
subdue
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| vt.制服，使顺从，征服；抑制，克制 | |
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141
pollutants
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| 污染物质（尤指工业废物）( pollutant的名词复数 ) | |
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142
dwellings
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| n.住处，处所( dwelling的名词复数 ) | |
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143
skull
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| n.头骨；颅骨 | |
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144
hummingbird
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| n.蜂鸟 | |
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145
camouflaged
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| v.隐蔽( camouflage的过去式和过去分词 )；掩盖；伪装，掩饰 | |
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146
mound
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| n.土墩，堤，小山；v.筑堤，用土堆防卫 | |
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147
askew
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| adv.斜地；adj.歪斜的 | |
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148
moths
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| n.蛾( moth的名词复数 ) | |
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149
fumed
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| 愤怒( fume的过去式和过去分词 )； 大怒； 发怒； 冒烟 | |
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150
wilderness
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| n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠 | |
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151
wrench
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| v.猛拧；挣脱；使扭伤；n.扳手；痛苦，难受 | |
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152
fumes
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| n.(强烈而刺激的)气味，气体 | |
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153
flicking
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| （尤指用手指或手快速地）轻击( flick的现在分词 )； （用…）轻挥； （快速地）按开关； 向…笑了一下（或瞥了一眼等） | |
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154
throttle
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| n.节流阀，节气阀，喉咙；v.扼喉咙，使窒息，压 | |
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155
hazes
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| n.（烟尘等的）雾霭( haze的名词复数 )；迷蒙；迷糊；（尤指热天引起的）薄雾v.（使）笼罩在薄雾中( haze的第三人称单数 )；戏弄，欺凌（新生等，有时作为加入美国大学生联谊会的条件） | |
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156
rubble
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| n.（一堆）碎石，瓦砾 | |
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157
superstition
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| n.迷信，迷信行为 | |
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158
misnomer
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| n.误称 | |
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159
evaporation
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| n.蒸发，消失 | |
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160
beads
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| n.（空心）小珠子( bead的名词复数 )；水珠；珠子项链 | |
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161
commotion
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| n.骚动，动乱 | |
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162
pinpoint
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| vt.准确地确定；用针标出…的精确位置 | |
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163
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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164
gasp
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| n.喘息，气喘；v.喘息；气吁吁他说 | |
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165
imminent
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| adj.即将发生的，临近的，逼近的 | |
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166
addling
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| v.使糊涂( addle的现在分词 )；使混乱；使腐臭；使变质 | |
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167
spat
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| n.口角，掌击；v.发出呼噜呼噜声 | |
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168
swooped
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| 俯冲，猛冲( swoop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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169
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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170
gaping
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| adj.口的；张口的；敞口的；多洞穴的v.目瞪口呆地凝视( gape的现在分词 )；张开，张大 | |
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171
chubby
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| adj.丰满的，圆胖的 | |
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172
pandemonium
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| n.喧嚣，大混乱 | |
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173
retractable
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| adj.可收回的；可撤消的；可缩回的；可缩进的 | |
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174
ominous
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| adj.不祥的，不吉的，预兆的，预示的 | |
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175
predator
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| n.捕食其它动物的动物；捕食者 | |
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176
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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177
onlookers
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| n.旁观者，观看者( onlooker的名词复数 ) | |
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178
emanated
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| v.从…处传出，传出( emanate的过去式和过去分词 )；产生，表现，显示 | |
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179
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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180
pliant
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| adj.顺从的；可弯曲的 | |
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181
savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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182
carousel
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| n.旋转式行李输送带 | |
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183
greasy
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| adj. 多脂的，油脂的 | |
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184
depressed
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| adj.沮丧的，抑郁的，不景气的，萧条的 | |
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185
watts
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| （电力计量单位）瓦，瓦特( watt的名词复数 ) | |
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186
spotlights
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| n.聚光灯（的光）( spotlight的名词复数 )；公众注意的中心v.聚光照明( spotlight的第三人称单数 )；使公众注意，使突出醒目 | |
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187
penetrating
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|
| adj.（声音）响亮的，尖锐的adj.（气味）刺激的adj.（思想）敏锐的，有洞察力的 | |
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188
scything
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| v.（长柄）大镰刀( scythe的现在分词 ) | |
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189
tinkling
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| n.丁当作响声 | |
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190
complacent
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| adj.自满的；自鸣得意的 | |
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191
containment
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| n.阻止，遏制；容量 | |
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192
graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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193
latch
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| n.门闩，窗闩；弹簧锁 | |
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194
doused
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| v.浇水在…上( douse的过去式和过去分词 )；熄灯[火] | |
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195
shambles
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| n.混乱之处；废墟 | |
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196
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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197
bulging
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| 膨胀； 凸出（部）； 打气； 折皱 | |
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198
flickered
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| （通常指灯光）闪烁，摇曳( flicker的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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199
vein
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| n.血管，静脉；叶脉，纹理；情绪；vt.使成脉络 | |
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200
sanity
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| n.心智健全，神智正常，判断正确 | |
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201
precedent
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| n.先例，前例；惯例；adj.在前的，在先的 | |
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202
versus
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| prep.以…为对手，对；与…相比之下 | |
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203
sockets
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| n.套接字，使应用程序能够读写与收发通讯协定(protocol)与资料的程序( Socket的名词复数 )；孔( socket的名词复数 )；（电器上的）插口；托座；凹穴 | |
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204
scrutiny
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| n.详细检查，仔细观察 | |
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205
transparent
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| adj.明显的，无疑的；透明的 | |
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206
sergeant
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| n.警官，中士 | |
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207
waddled
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| v.（像鸭子一样）摇摇摆摆地走( waddle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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208
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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209
spectrum
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| n.谱，光谱，频谱；范围，幅度，系列 | |
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210
hummingbirds
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| n.蜂鸟( hummingbird的名词复数 ) | |
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211
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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212
complexion
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| n.肤色；情况，局面；气质，性格 | |
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213
hue
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| n.色度；色调；样子 | |
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214
gratitude
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| adj.感激，感谢 | |
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