The Weird Company Read Online Free PDF Page B

was some consideration going on. The vertically held wing on each creature seemed to expand and then explode with colors, there was apparently some ability to control the chromatic display played across the wing. Then suddenly the display stopped and the wings went dark green, almost black. One of the creatures stepped forward, separating himself from the others and then began to emanate a new sound, an eerie hollow noise like that of wind through an attic window or chimney. The creature swelled up, bloated and then in a burst of speed it launched into the air, a vapor trail of condensed gas and moisture followed in its wake, the five wings spread out like those of some monstrous bat or dragon, guiding it directly into Carroll. In an instant the thing was on Carroll with amazing fluidity, the wings folded up and vanished into the furrows, an equatorial tentacle wrapped around Carroll’s neck, and his head spun off like a bottle cap. The attacking creature turned to his cohorts and sang once more.
    Teke-li-li! Teke-li-li! Teke-li-li!
    I grabbed the injured dog by the collar and as quickly as I could, pulled the poor animal inside the plane. My movements, the sounds, something attracted attention and I saw three of the creatures turn toward me and begin to bloat up. As my hand swung the door shut one of them launched into the air. Panicked I drove my shoulder into the back of the door and just as the latch locked into position I felt the great bulk of one of the things plow into the side of the plane, while I heard two more thump into the ice nearby. There was a purring noise, a soft trilling as the creatures moved back and forth outside the hatch. Something grabbed the handle and turned it, or tried to, for it only rotated a quarter turn before the locking mechanism engaged completely. Metal squealed against metal, as the handle was forced further against the lock. The squealing turned into a creaking and then with an audible pop, the handle separated from the hatch and fell with a thunk to the ice.
    They came through the cockpit next, smashing the windows and tearing through the seats trying to get through the door. The hatch held there as well, and I watched through the porthole as one of them crawled into the cockpit and examined the various controls and instruments. That it knew what the compass was, and perhaps all of the instruments, seemed apparent for it gently tapped the glass coverings on the dials and housings and gauged their reactions or lack thereof. Satisfied it had explored everything, the creature reached beneath the control panel and pulled at the bundles of wires and cables that it found there, in the process rendering the controls, the instruments and the radio useless.
    Under the assault, the cabin rocked back and forth and inevitably I lost my footing and tumbled violently against the edge of a bulkhead. I went unconscious for only a moment and when I came to there was blood in my eyes. Disheartened I slumped back into the main cabin and soon became resigned to my fate. It was then that I picked up pen and journal and began this record. I cannot express the sheer difficulty, the incredible stress that I have been subjected to in the last two hours. As I have written this account of our expedition, of our deceit, of our discoveries and of the terror that followed, the horrors inflicted on our team have not abated. When we discovered these things in the ice there was never any doubt that we would subject them to vivisection, as scientists often must to understand the true nature of a life form. It is not then without some level of understanding on my part that I watched as the Elder Things pulled a plane from beneath its sheltering tent and then began to carry the dead and injured dogs inside. That such actions were taken out of the need for scientific exploration, I can understand, but the dogs were expended, and replaced with the corpses of men, and those were expended, and replaced with the injured and