The Beasts Of Valhalla

30

The dragon was dead and decomposing-a condition that enabled Garth, following his nose, to lead us on the last leg of our journey out of Mount Doom. The way out of the final labyrinth of mine tunnels and caves was marked by a beacon of strong, fresh breezes blowing in our faces, rushing past us to feed the ravenous, fiery beast at our backs and beneath our feet.

Now we stood at the far end of the valley of black stone, watching the final destruction of Ramdor. The ranch house and barn were gone, leaving black, smoldering holes in the face of the escarpment. Somehow-probably through the elevator shaft-fire had gotten into the laboratory building at the brink of the escarpment; black, foul-smelling smoke leaked from the seams of the windowless building, staining the morning, blocking out the sun.

Then, suddenly, it exploded.

"Jesus!" I said, startled as flaming debris rained on and scattered the odd assortment of people gathered in the valley below. "What the hell was that?"

"Probably incendiary bombs," Lippitt answered. "The same as at Volsung, in Nebraska. The people involved in this wanted to ensure there was no evidence left lying around when they finished. The easiest way to get rid of something is to blow or burn it up."

"They put incendiary bombs in a building that sits on top of burning coal mines?!"

Lippitt shrugged, smiled thinly. "How could they know you'd be along to light a match to the whole escarpment?"

I felt a tug at my sleeve, turned to look at Golly.

FUCKING THANKS FOR SAVING US

"Thank you for coming down to help me. If it hadn't been for you, we'd have probably been eaten."

?

GOLLY STAY WITH FUCKING MONGO

"You have to stay with me, sweetheart. Who else would put up with a foul-mouthed gorilla?"

FUCKING THANKS

"Thank you, Hugo, for believing in me and taking the chance you did," I said to the giant. "I'm sorry you were burned. The medics in the ambulance down there will treat you. I'm sure your friends will be glad to see you. One more favor: Please don't tell anyone what really happened. We'd just as soon that the people we're going to visit next didn't expect to see us."

Hugo refused to shake my hand, and he scowled a very serious giant scowl. "I want to come with you. These people used and made a fool of me."

"Being a fool is one thing, my friend; being dead is quite another. We keep right on truckin', but the chances for our survival aren't very good."

"What difference does it make?" Hugo said, his face still set in a scowl. "I heard you and Mr. Lippitt talking; if these people aren't stopped, there may not be a decent world left for anyone to live in-or we may all be dead. Let me help."

FUCKING HUGO WANTS TO COME

GOOD FUCKING IDEA TO HAVE A GIANT

"The lovely lady is right," Lippitt said, ending the debate. "Your offer of assistance is accepted, Hugo, and we thank you. Now we have to figure out a way to get some money."

"Mongo and I still have almost half a bag of gold coins stashed in the van," Garth said. "If nobody found and took the van, there's easily enough there to get us to California."

Lippitt stood looking down the valley for a long time, thinking. "We should split up," he said at last. "Garth, you take Hugo and Golly with you in the van to the Institute. Do what you can to size up the situation, play it by ear. I understand that you want to wring an antidote out of Loge, but I know that you also understand it's even more important to stop the Valhalla Project."

"Where are you and Mongo going?"

"Washington."

"Why?"

"With Hugo and Golly, the only safe way to travel is in the van. It will take at least four days of hard driving for you to get to the Institute. London's plane has probably already landed, and Siegmund Loge may be working on your biosamples right now. We're running out of time. Mongo is walking proof of the danger we're all up against; with him, I should be able to get the right people to listen to me. Then we'll have heavy help."

Garth shoved his hands in his pockets, shook his head uncertainly. "That's assuming the 'right people' you want to talk to haven't been behind this thing from the beginning."

"Right."

"That's a big assumption, Lippitt," I said.

"It's a correct one. In any case, it's the only logical move at this time. Alone, we're still up against impossible odds. This way, we at least have a chance to turn everything around. I might even be able to expose the cabal I believe exists. We can't all go, because then we risk total defeat if we're captured or killed before we sort out the good guys from the bad guys. This way, each group will have a backup in the event the other fails. Garth, Hugo and Golly attack the brain of the operation while you and I, Mongo, attack the heart."

Garth and I looked at each other, nodded in agreement.

"There's one more reason we have to split up," Lippitt continued. "Mongo and I have to see someone in New York before we go to Washington. If this man agrees to help us in Washington, it will narrow the odds against Mongo and me considerably."

Feeling the hair on the back of my neck rise, I looked at Lippitt to see if he meant the man I thought he meant. He did.

"Who?" Garth asked.

"I'm sorry, Frederickson, but we can't tell you without his permission. I told you what I did just now because I believe there's hope we can not only succeed, but survive; I wanted to share that hope with you."

Garth looked at me, hurt in his eyes. "Mongo?"

"He's right, Garth," I said, feeling an ache in my belly. "We can't tell you-not now. But it's the best reason of all for splitting. Lippitt and I have to go to New York alone."

Garth stared at me for some time. When he did speak, the hurt had moved to his voice. "This has something to do with what happened in New York years ago-the killings, the torture, the gun fight and explosion on the waterfront. Right?"

"Yes," I replied softly.

"That's the bond between you and Lippitt-this secret you share."

"Right," Lippitt said tersely. "And don't blame Mongo for not sharing it with you; he was doing you a favor. The secret is a compact which can't be broken without the consent of all three parties-Mongo, this man, and myself. The man has lived up to his bargain; Mongo and I must continue to live up to ours." Lippitt paused, gazed hard at Garth. "This man could start World War Three. In a way, he controls a power that's as awesome as what Loge threatens to unleash."

Now Garth seemed impressed. "And you think he'll help us nail Siegmund Loge?"

"All Mongo and I can do is ask him."

Garth shrugged, smiled thinly. "Tell your man he'll be joining a pretty strange Company."

"Oh, I will. And I'll tell him we're on a pretty strange Quest." On the very rare occasions when he chose to display it, Lippitt had a rather pleasant smile.

"Where do you want us to drop you off?"

"We'll cruise the airport. If there aren't any black gloves there, maybe Mongo and I will see if we can get on a plane."

GOLLY NOT TELL FUCKING SECRET

GOLLY GO WITH FUCKING MONGO

"No, Golly," I said, patting the gorilla's shoulder. "You go with Garth and Hugo. They need a beautiful lady to keep their minds off their troubles."

Walking across the sulphurous, burning landscape back toward where Garth and I had left the van, I caught Lippitt's eye, indicated that he should join me behind the others. He fell into step beside me as I slowed my pace even further.

"What is it, Frederickson?" Lippitt asked in a low voice.

"I've got a problem, and I don't want Garth to know about it-there's nothing he can do, and he has enough to worry about."

"What's the problem?"

"After they drop us off, do you think you can rig a battery pack and heating elements inside my parka and clothing? It has to be unobtrusive; we can't afford to have me looking like an astronaut, but I have to keep my body temperature elevated."

Lippitt touched my cheek with the back of his hand. "You're going cold-blooded, aren't you?"

"Right. I'm okay now, but I'll get sleepy the moment we hit the cold."

"How long?"

"It's a fairly recent symptom-a couple of days. But it's developing quickly. I had a real problem with the cold areas in the mines. If I fall asleep and get really chilled, I'm not going to wake up again. I want to be around to see how this all comes out."