large/2531/davidandphoenix_0902_librivox_64kb_mp3/davidandthephoenix_10_ormondroyd_64kb_38
large/2531/davidandphoenix_0902_librivox_64kb_mp3/davidandthephoenix_10_ormondroyd_64kb
English
2531
Carefully avoiding the sight of the pyre, David crawled to the edge and glanced over. Far down, on the slope at the foot of the scarp, was a tiny figure dancing and bellowing with rage. The Scientist had returned and discovered the ruins of his blind. David watched him dully. CAREFULLY AVOIDING THE SIGHT OF THE PYRE DAVID CRAWLED TO THE EDGE AND GLANCED OVER FAR DOWN ON THE SLOPE AT THE FOOT OF THE SCARP WAS A TINY FIGURE DANCING AND BELLOWING WITH RAGE THE SCIENTIST HAD RETURNED AND DISCOVERED THE RUINS OF HIS BLIND DAVID WATCHED HIM DULLY
the ground with his head buried in his arms. Behind him he heard the sticks snapping as the Phoenix mounted its pyre. A match rasped against the box. The first tongue of flame sizzled in the branches. David pressed his hands over his ears to shut out the sound, but he could feel the heat of the flames as they sprang up. And the noise would not be shut out. It grew and grew, popping, crackling, roaring, until it seemed to fill the world.... * * * * * Perhaps he fainted. Or perhaps from numbness he slipped into a kind of deep sleep. Whichever it was, he returned to consciousness again suddenly. His hands had slipped from his ears, and a sound had brought him back. He lifted his head and listened. The fire had burnt itself out now. The only noise was the hiss and pop of dying embers. But these sounds were too gentle to have awakened him--it must have been something else. Yes--it was a voice. He could hear it quite plainly now. There were angry shouts coming from somewhere below the ledge. LUNDERED INTO THE THICKET AND DROPPED TO THE GROUND WITH HIS HEAD BURIED IN HIS ARMS BEHIND HIM HE HEARD THE STICK SNAPPING AS THE PHOENIX MOUNTED ITS PYRE A MATCH RASPED AGAINST THE BOX THE FIRST TONGUE OF FLAME SIZZLED IN THE BRANCHES DAVID PRESSED HIS HANDS OVER HIS EARS TO SHUT OUT THE SOUND BUT HE COULD FEEL THE HEAT OF THE FLAMES AS THEY SPRANG UP AND THE NOISE WOULD NOT BE SHUT OUT IT GREW AND GREW POPPING CRACKLING ROARING UNTIL IT SEEMED TO FILL THE WORLD PERHAPS HE FAINTED OR PERHAPS FROM NUMBNESS HE SLIPPED INTO A KIND OF DEEP SLEEP WHICHEVER IT WAS HE RETURNED TO CONSCIOUSNESS AGAIN SUDDENLY HIS HANDS HAD SLIPPED FROM HIS EARS AND A SOUND HAD BROUGHT HIM BACK HE LIFTED HIS HEAD AND LISTENED THE FIRE HAD BURNT ITSELF OUT NOW THE ONLY NOISE WAS THE HISS AND POP OF DYING EMBERS BUT THESE SOUNDS WERE TOO GENTLE TO HAVE AWAKENED HIM IT MUST HAVE BEEN SOMETHING ELSE YES IT WAS A VOICE HE COULD HEAR IT QUITE PLAINLY NOW THERE WERE ANGRY SHOUTS COMING FROM SOMEWHERE BELOW THE LEDGE
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