Virginia Hamilton Read Online Free PDF

his futile attempt to outrun her and give up.
    Take the route of least suffering, she traced to him. Let Miacis take you back as fast as I can.
    But the prey also had power. Thomas ripped her probe to shreds and flung it back at her. He had bound the shreds in his deepest feelings, flinging the sorrowing bundle at her before she could properly shield against it. Miacis bowed down under the pressure of his terrible longing for home. For the first time, she felt sympathy for the prey.
    Was not she free to range as she pleased? Even though she knew a master, the Watcher, was not she still free to be where she liked?
    Thomas traced in her mind: As long as you stick around Justice, you’re caught by the Watcher the same as me. You don’t know it, but you’re never going to be free again.
    Thomas’ mind-signal had come like a feeble whisper on fading strength.
    She was touched by the prey’s longing.
    She trotted lightly, her huge ears held high, which made thought transference from a mind such as the prey’s much easier.
    You’ll have to take me, traced the prey. I’m ready for you. I’ll not give up. I still have my weapons.
    Miacis whined. She panted, then clamped her muzzle shut. She wouldn’t allow herself to think to the prey and risk having him see into her plans. Trotting faster, she noticed that she raised dust with each step, for it tickled her nostrils. She made no sound.
    She was aware. Distinguishing the slight but steady rise of land by the heightened tone of her muscles and the gradual changing of the dustland to a more rocky terrain. All around her like a second coat over her fur was the absolute darkness of the land. There was no brownscape. No tinges of red of fading Star. For Star had gone and would come again only with Graylight.
    She was aware. She talked to Star, but had never seen It. Aware that her coatfur color and the color of Star were often the same intensity. Behind all in Dustland was Star. When Nolight was near, Star began to fade. Finally It slept, as now—as Miacis would have, save for the chase. All things slept; even the Master, Justice. But the Master with her unit did mostly as she pleased.
    The terrain now revealed boulders and broken slabs of rock. Even in the dullness the boulders glinted, for they were made smooth and shiny by ferocious, gritty Roller storms. The Rollers came without warning. They came vivid with lightstreaks and rolling noise. They did not frighten Miacis. It was by means of them that she was delivered unto Star.
    Living beings sensed it was best to stay out of Miacis’ territory. The trouble was, she changed her territory at will. Groups in her path had no sense of her power unless she let them know it. Only her discipline kept her from cutting a part from its group, knocking it down and stunning it with poison from her dewclaws. With the drug paralyzing it, Miacis would begin nibbling at it and end by feasting on it. But such meals were rare for her because of their side-effects. Awful dreams came as she lay digesting. Graylights of waking with an urgent tail-pounding as she lolled stupidly. Only hours later was she able to heave herself up, feeling weak, tail aching, and with an awful taste in her mouth.
    Miacis ceased trotting and scanned the area around her for a dark. To her right was an outcropping of rock. She sensed along its rise, up and up into gritty Nolight.
    A good place beneath the rock, she thought, feeling somewhat tired herself. A good, safe dark.
    She glided over there, panting slightly. Tiny tremors flowed down her back into her legs. She was aware and sensed that all was well around her. Soon she was burrowing into cool dust at the base of the rock. Under the surface she hit dry dirt and began digging with hard, strong thrusts of her back and front paws.
    Digging was never easy work, but within what the Master called half-hour she had made a dark to a good, safe depth. Exhausted now, she crawled in on her stomach and twisted over onto her