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Rover was in sight. Would the GC shoot? Or would they just arrest them?
Rayford would rather be in heaven than endanger his loved ones.  Let's make
them shoot, he rasped and tried to rise. But Leah had drawn up on all fours
and was staring toward the car through strands of hair in her face.
Rayford looked back. The guards were gone. He looked the other way, where
Leah's eyes were transfixed. And there were the horses, not ten feet from
him" monstrous, muscular things twice the size of any he had ever seen.
huge,
Leah was right, their feet were not on the ground, yet they shifted and
stepped back and forth, turning, turning.
Flames came from their nostrils and mouths, and thick yellow smoke billowed.
The fire illuminated their majestic wide heads, the heads of lions with
enormous canines and flowing manes. Rayford slowly, painfully rose, no longer
surprised that Leah had been rendered helpless when first she had seen them.
 They won't hurt us, he said weakly, hopefully, panting.
He trembled, trying to take in the scene. The first flank of steeds was backed
by hundreds, skittish and moving in place as if eager to charge and run. The
riders were proportioned every bit as large as the animals. They appeared
human but each had to be ten feet tall and weigh five hundred pounds.
Rayford swallowed, his chest heaving. He wanted to check on Leah, but he could
not look away. The horse in front of him, hardly three paces away,
stutter-stepped and turned in a circle. Rayford gaped at a tail consisting not
of hair but rather a writhing, sinewy serpent with a head twice the size of
Rayford's fist. It writhed and bared its fangs.
The riders seemed to gaze miles into the distance, high over Rayford's head.
Each horseman wore a breastplate that, illumined by the flames, shone
iridescent yellow, deep navy, and fiery red. Massive biceps and forearms
knotted and rippling, the riders seemed to work to keep the animals from
stampeding.
Rayford neither heard nor smelled the horses or the fire and smoke. He only
knew they whinnied and snorted because of the flame and clouds. No sound of
reins, saddles, breastplates. And yet the lion/horses and their riders were
more vivid than anything he had ever seen before.
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Rayford finally stole a glance at Leah. She appeared catatonic, unblinking,
mouth open.  Breathe, he told her.
Had God provided these beings to protect them? Surely the guards had run for
their lives. Rayford turned again and at first saw nothing between him and the
garage.
But then he noticed all four guards on the ground, perfectly still.
He heard sirens, saw helicopters with searchlights, heard guards running,
shouting.
 We have to go, Leah, he said.  We can walk right through the horses. They're
not physical.
 You there!
Rayford whirled. Two guards nudged the fallen four with their boots while
shouting at Rayford and Leah,  Stay where you are!
They approached cautiously, and Leah finally turned from the horses to look
over her shoulder. She whispered,  I think I broke a rib. She squinted at the
guards.
 Aren't they afraid of the horses?
What was wrong with these two? As they drew near" who appeared in their
men
early twenties" leveled high-powered weapons at Rayford and Leah. Rayford
they
knew the horses were still behind him because of the reflection of the flames
dancing off the guards' faces.
 What do you know about those dead security guards? one said.
 Nothing, Leah said, still on all fours.  What do you think of our army?
 Stand up, ma'am.
 They can't see them, Rayford said.
 Can't see who? the guard said.  Come with us.
 You don't see anything, Rayford said without inflection.
 I told you to stand up, ma'am! the other shouted. As he stepped toward her,
Rayford stepped in front of him.
 Son, let me warn you. If"

 Warn me? I could shoot you and never have to answer for it.
 You're in danger. We didn't kill those g"

The guard burst into flames, his screaming, spinning body lighting the area
like day.
A horse moved past Rayford and silently spun, its tail striking the other
guard on the forehead. He flew like a rag doll, his head crushed, into a tree
ten feet away.
Leah slowly came to her feet, sweat dripping from her chin. She reached for
Rayford as if in slow motion.  We're . . . going ... to ... die, she managed.
 Not us, Rayford said, finding his breath.  Where does it hurt? Press your
palm over the pain.
She held her left rib cage, and Rayford wrapped his arm around her waist,
walking
toward the car. He squinted against the flames, walking through the horses as
if through a hologram. Leah hid her face behind his shoulder.
 Are they in another dimension? What is this?
 A vision, he said, knowing for the first time that they would escape.  Tsion
was right. They're not physical.
They were in the middle of the herd now, Rayford unable to see the end,
feeling like a child in a sea of adults. Finally they passed through the last
row of horses and saw the Rover a hundred feet away.
 You all right? he asked.
 Except that I'm dreaming, she said.  I'll never believe this tomorrow. I
don't believe it now.
Rayford pointed half a mile to the west where another cavalry of fiery horses
and riders mustered. Leah pointed the other way, where there were yet more. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]