01 Taxilas Children

TAXILA'S CHILDREN
him, the one in the centre held the ceremonial knife. This was Taxila's adversary. The others
didn't count, the Bole would deal with them.
Danyk and Lyot suddenly found that they were unable to follow the solitary figure of Steve
Holt down the flight of steps, even though they wrestled and swore in their frustrated
struggles to move their limbs. Rho Arpor's seven Adepts held them and even the supporting
power of Zayez and his followers was insufficient to counter the physic energy which they
were bound.
Taxila focused his energy on the central figure. Their minds locked. Shaita's thought was
venomous.
"Once again we meet, Taxila - but this time, I will prevail. You've made a fatal mistake in
adulterating your power with the psyche of Steve Holt. In your present status, your power is
too weak to withstand me - I will shatter you!"
Danyk and Lyot stared in horror as Steve staggered as if he had been struck a blow. He
recovered and continued his slow walk down the steps, he was close to the bottom when he
stopped again.
"Do you imagine that your machine will be able to damage my followers as it did before?"
Steve uttered a command.
"Shoot to kill!"
Energy blasted out from the front surface of the Bole. Those supporting Shaita scattered,
but five of the Adepts fell - they smouldered. The remaining three gathered closer to Shaita.
"Impressive, Taxila - but not good enough. Your machine will not penetrate our defences -
you will have to do that for yourself."
The Bole fired again, but this time, it was as if the heat energy rebounded from a force
field. The four figures and the victim were isolated. The masked figure of Shaita raised the
knife and started the plunge downward towards the genitals of the Scarn. Steve could hear
him starting to scream in anticipation. He focused his energy on the knife, it shuddered and
stopped its descent. He barked a command.
"Move round to the side and apply heat to the surface rock!"
It was well within the Bole's capabilities, it had performed the same exercise many times,
for prospecting purposes on Mars. The Bole made its move and a jet of energy focused on the
rock surface in front of the cone of protection. The rock became red and then white and then
boiled and flowed as lava. It began to creep beneath the edge of the protected area. Shaita
focused intense coldness, trying to counter the effect, but only succeeded in surrounding
himself and his followers with jets of steam.
The three remaining Adepts and the fourth figure started to shuffle and then to dance, their
faces contorted in an agony they couldn't control. They broke out of the circle of protection
with smoke pouring from their feet. The hems of their tunics were suddenly ablaze and they
threw themselves on to the ground to try to roll out the flames.
Steve ignored their screams, he locked his energy on to the slight figure of Shaita. The
cone of protection wavered, Shaita staggered back, the knife dropped to the ground. The
masked figure turned to run and Taxila followed his brother in pursuit, as he had done so
many times on so many worlds in the long eternity of their conflict.
Shaita suddenly screamed and dropped to the ground, writhing in agony. The battle was
over. The psychic power which had bound the onlookers was suddenly broken. Danyk and
Lyot raced down the steps to support Steve. The power was draining from him, slowly he
stooped down to tear the mask from the face of Shaita. Lyot emitted a shuddering hiss, he
clenched Danyk's arm. Laoni stared up at them, her face contorted in fury, pain and defeat.
Danyk's lament howled into Steves's mind.
"She can't be Shaita!"
Steve nodded and put an arm around his shoulders.
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