James Axler – Bitter Fruit

“Never,” Doc replied. “I had always heard that talking to plants improves their performance, but never anything like this. Dear Ryan, this is full communication, going both ways. The things these people must be able to do.” He shook his head in wonderment.

Tarragon touched a number of the tanglers, soothing them. Docilely the plants pulled back but remained within striking distance.

“It’s all right,” the boy said, turning to them. “They’ll let us pass now.”

Ryan didn’t much like the idea even after he saw the boy standing there unharmed. “Mebbe there’s another way around.”

“No,” Tarragon replied. “Wildroot is surrounded by the tanglers. They are there to keep others out.”

“Jak,” Ryan said softly.

“Ready,” the albino replied.

Carefully Ryan went forward, telling the others to stay behind. He kept the torch and the self-light in his hands, walking on the balls of his feet so he could dodge instantly.

The tangler vines scrambled around him, digging through the loose brush and leaves, slithering through the snow patches. They touched his feet, then turned and ran up his boots.

“Don’t act hostile,” Tarragon advised. “They sense emotions. They know you’re not one of us.”

Ryan moved slowly, bringing the torch level with his face as the tanglers roped around his chest and skated for his head. Three of them drew level with his eye, the poisonous spurs bared and threatening.

“Don’t move,” Tarragon said in a quiet voice. “It’s your only chance.”

Ryan felt his own heart beating at his temples and his neck. He made himself think of Dean, of how getting through the tanglers might allow him to get back to the Deathlands and his son. He thought of Mildred, too.

Tarragon started singing again, and gradually the grip of the tanglers loosened. The spurs dropped away and the vines uncoiled, going back into the shadows and the hiding places they had there.

“They’ll know you now,” Tarragon said. “If you should pass this way again.”

“How?” Doc asked, obviously intrigued.

“Scent,” the Celt boy answered. “They’ve been bred to respond to pheromones.”

“Pheromones? Then the more frightened someone is of them”

“The more vicious and unrelenting their attack would be on a victim.” Tarragon nodded.

“Nasty little buggers, then,” Doc observed.

“Each of you come on through them,” the boy said. “One at a time until I get them used to you.”

Ryan stepped away from the tangler area, feeling the cold sweat dappled along the back of his neck. “Unsaddle the horses,” he told the others. “We can’t take them any farther. And leaving them here is no option, either. Anybody’s tracking us, they’ll know where we came through. If Boldt’s got guards out”

“He does,” Tarragon said.

“They would notice horses tied up out here real easy,” Ryan finished. He walked back to join J.B. while Krysty walked into the deadly embrace of the tanglers.

The Armorer was already unsaddling his mount. “Somebody’s out there.”

“Seen him?” Ryan asked, digging out his night glasses.

“Yeah. Couple times. Being right quiet about it, though.”

Ryan trained the night glasses back along the declining terrain. He spotted nothing but the twisted shadows strewed across the brush and trees.

“Flash every now and then,” J.B. said. “Most likely moonlight on metal.”

“Careless,” Ryan commented.

“Not if they want us to know they’re there.”

“Putting the squeeze on us?”

“Could be. They probably figure we aren’t going to get a welcome from Prince Boldt.”

“Mebbe they got it inside their heads that the boy’s leading us into a trap. Plan on catching us as we’re trying to make a getaway from here.”

The Armorer took his glasses off and cleaned them. “If there isn’t a mat-trans unit inside that fortress, could be exactly what happens.”

THE LAND HOLLOWED OUT over the ridge, becoming a giant cup. A thin stream wound through the flat bed of the cul-de-sac, catching glimmerings of reflected moonlight. Guards moved around the area, too, but none of them appeared especially alert. By his own admission, Gehrig had never penetrated the Celtic ville’s defenses.

Most of Boldt’s patrols seemed to be concentrated around the houses that stood close together along the stream. Fragrant breezes blew back from the gardens. Dawn was still almost two hours away.