I thought back quickly, recalling how long it usually took to get such a weapon cocked. There was no choice, and there was no time to wait if I were to have any chance at all.
I rushed to the head of the ladder, turned, and began my descent. The vicar had already lowered the bow by then and commenced rearming it. I moved as fast as I was able, but as I searched with a hind leg after each wooden crosspiece my back felt terribly exposed. Should I make it to the floor unpierced I knew that I would still be at high risk. I hurried. I saw something black flutter by.
I heard the final click. I heard the sounds of his fitting the quarrel into place. It was still a good distance down. I descended another step. I imagined him raising the weapon, taking a leisurely sighting at an easy target. I hoped that I was right about the fluttering, about Needle. Another step. . . .
I knew that I was right when I heard the vicar utter an oath. I descended one more step. . . . Then I decided I could risk no more. I pushed myself backward, letting myself fall the rest of the way, recalling things Graymalk had said about always landing on her feet, wishing I’d been born with that ability, trying to achieve it this one time, anyway. . . .
I tried to torque my body in the proper direction, along the long axis, relaxing my legs the while. The bolt passed well above me, from the sound I heard of it striking wood. But the man was already cranking the weapon again as I hit the ground. I did land on my feet, but they went out from under me immediately. As I struggled to rise, I saw him finish cocking the thing, now ignoring the black form which darted before him. My left hind leg hurt. I pushed myself upright, anyway, and turned. He had the quarrel in one hand and was moving to fit it into place. I had to rush him, to try knocking him over before he succeeded and got off another shot. I knew that it was going to be close. . . .
And then there was a shadow in the doorway at his back.
“Why, Vicar Roberts, whatever are you doing with that archaic weapon?” came the wonderfully controlled falsetto of the Great Detective in his Linda Enderby guise.
The vicar hesitated, then turned.
“Madam,” he said, “I was about to perform a community service by dispatching a vicious brute which even now is preparing to attack us.”
I began wagging my tail immediately and put on my idiot slobbering hound expression, tongue hanging out and all.
“That hardly seems a vicious beast to me,” the voice of the lady stated, as the Great Detective moved in quickly, passing between the vicar and myself to effectively block a shot. “That’s just old Snuff. Everybody knows Snuff. Not a mean bone in his body. Good Snuff! Good dog!”
The old hand-on-head business followed, patting. I responded as if it were the greatest invention since free lunch.
“Whatever made you think him antisocial?”
“Madam, that was the creature that almost tore my ear off.”
“I am certain you must be mistaken, sir. I cannot conceive of this animal as behaving aggressively, except possibly in self-defense.”
The vicar’s face was quite red and his shoulders looked very tense. For a moment I thought he might actually try angling in a shot at me, anyhow.
“I really feel,” the Linda voice went on, “that if you have any complaints concerning the animal you ought to take them up with his owner first before embarking on a drastic action that might well draw the attention of the Humane Society and not rest well with the parishioners.”
“That man is a godless jackanapes . . .” he began, but then his shoulders slumped. “Perhaps, however, I acted hastily. As you say, the parishioners might view it askance, not knowing the full measure of my complaints. Yes. Very well.” He lowered the weapon and released its tension. “This will be settled,” he said then, “in another day or two. But for now I accept your counsel and will do nothing rash.” He put away the quarrel in a case slung over his shoulder, slinging the weapon, also, moments later. “And so, madam, I thank you again for those cookies you brought by, which I found quite tasty, and I bid you a good day.”