Read Whatever Gods May Be for Free Online

that grizzly day, and Zolansville had meanwhile rebuilt itself and buried its dead.  Since Thalick had not returned to the city with a single survivor, it was generally assumed that not one victim of the massacre-kidnapping remained alive.  For several days afterwards, Thalick had even backtracked through the tunnels that led from the desert into the city, raiding the Redeye City whenever possible and searching for possible injured or escaped refugees that might miraculously have escaped.  Alas, however, such heroic efforts turned up nothing but gutted corpses.  Thalick filled in the tunnels, then departed the sad town to allow it to mourn.  After another week, it was gradually accepted that not one lost loved one could ever be expected to return home again.
    But now, amazingly, one lone boy had managed to survive.  Zolan searched the memories of his dreams, trying to recall if the boy was part of the visions he had been having for the past year.  But he could remember nothing; if indeed his dreams were the instruments of future prophecy, then in this instance, they had failed to take into account the random - and miraculous - appearance of this child who had somehow escaped the greatest enemy Mankind had ever known.
    "What's your name, boy?" Zolan asked.
    The boy's lips trembled with the effort, but at last a name was formed.
    "Tom."
    "Tom," Zolan said gruffly, then turned to Thalick behind him and snapped, "You got that, Bug? His name is Tom.  Say hello to Tom, Bug."
    Thalick was busy producing a concentrated protein mixture for the boy, so was able to offer only a perfunctory hiss of acknowledgment to Zolan's ridiculous proposal.  Since Zolan's brain was the only one that could decipher Stinger transmissions, it was preposterous for Thalick to do anything that the boy could recognize as a gesture of greeting.  Tom continued staring at the Clawed Horror in front of him; he was not shaking anymore, but he was far from relaxed.
    "The Guardian won't hurt you, Tom.  You know that," Zolan chuckled, trying to put the boy at ease, "And neither will I."
    Zolan turned to Thalick and whispered "Get out of sight, would you, Bug? Just for a little while.  You're scaring the hell out of him."
    Thalick walked backwards until he was completely out of the glade.  Shoveling himself into the ground, he covered himself up until only two claws, two antennae and a hooked tail remained above the sand.
    "You see, boy?" Zolan cajoled through a wheeze.  "You have nothing to worry about.  Why, ol' Bug here is probably more nervous than you are."
    With the Stinger at a respectable distance, the boy calmed noticeably.  This time when Zolan reached out to touch his shoulder, Tom even managed to give the old man a nervous smile.
    "Are you Old Grizzly?" Tom asked suddenly.
    "Old Grizzly::" Zolan snorted diffidently.  "Is that what I'm being called these days?" Old Grizzly indeed.  What was the world coming to? For five hundred years he had always been referred to as Master.  Obviously, things had changed quite a bit since last he had visited either New Phillips or Zolansville.
    Old Grizzly: Zolan played with the name in his mouth several times while feeling and stroking his mangy beard.  Well, he was rather grizzled, there was no doubt about that.  Suddenly, Zolan began laughing.  He reached out an mussed up Tom's hair.
    "Yep, I'm Old Grizzly, Tom." he said, then winked at the boy.  "But you can call me Grizz." Pointing a thumb towards Thalick, he added in a clearly confidential tone: "Only my best friends call me that, you know."
    The boy seemed to appreciate the humor and giggled.
    "Now tell me, Tom," Zolan asked abruptly, once again all business, "How did you get out of the City?"
    Tom shot one final glance towards the mired Thalick then pointed at the low up thrusts of salt hills that buffered the edge of the oasis.  Zolan followed the boy's finger through the glade.
    A small cavern lay partly concealed by water ivy and