CHAPTER TWELVE

Uutresk Unhinged

Hank had sent Sheila and Bobby off together in one direction, while he had gone off alone in another to search for Uni. Sheila had wanted to join Donnova, but he'd argued that Donnova was capable enough on her own and that she and Bobby could cover another area together. Truthfully, he still wanted to keep Sheila and Donnova apart as much as possible. He felt there was something not quite right about the night's events, but, once again, it was only a feeling. He couldn't piece it all together in a way that satisfied his suspicion. He regretted now that he hadn't taken Diana's advice in the first place and gone right past this place.

He looked around, hoping not to alarm those around him. He did not dare make eye contact with those he knew were watching him. He tried to act casual and not like someone trying desperately to find someone. He wondered if he should have woken Oldbano from the beginning, but he'd wanted to get out and start looking immediately.

He'd told everyone to do their best not to disturb anyone there, reminding them of the nature of the place. If one of them found Uni, they were to calmly walk to the rest to call off the search quietly. Of course, Donnova had run off before he could give her that instruction, not that she would have listened anyway.

He was doing it again, he realized � thinking of her as if she was a viper among them. She helped Sheila with Diana, didn't she? And she was out helping look for Uni now.

Still. . . . When Diana had gone out alone, she was under some kind of enchantment. She hadn't known what she was doing. But why didn't Sheila and Donnova wake everyone? It must have been Donnova's idea, he reasoned. Sheila would've handled it differently on her own. But then, he remembered how she'd gone off alone to help Kareena. He had wanted to get Sheila's story about what happened earlier, but finding Uni was the priority.

Where was she? If she were in trouble, she could teleport herself away, couldn't she? She would cry out. Even in the noise of the sanctuary's inhabitants, he felt he should be able to distinguish Uni's cry.

But he couldn't keep Uni in his thoughts. He realized that, though he was looking for her in all directions, he might easily have looked right over her without realizing it. His thoughts were with Sheila. The prisoner below had obviously enchanted Sheila, and Donnova as well. Had they seen the same person? Who had they seen? Hank dared to wonder if it had been himself. He hated the rush, however small, that he felt at the thought of Donnova's having anything like a passionate regard for him, but he couldn't deny it. He even wondered if maybe he was trying so hard to hate her because he was ashamed that there was a part of him that was excited by her.

No, that wasn't it. No. She was attractive enough, but not his type. He wondered what her type may be. There was no telling.

A scrape in the darkness to his left drew his attention, but he saw only a wooden crate between two buildings. Hoof against wood? he wondered. He watched it for a moment. He had almost turned away when again he heard a scrape he could imagine came from within.

"Uni?"

Slowly, he stepped over to it, lifted its lid, and peered into the darkness.

Then he was dropping the lid and his bow to cover his ears. His insides vibrated. He fell to his knees. His eyes watered. He fought to breathe against the pressure on his chest. His mind begged it to stop.

And then it did, as abruptly as it'd begun. It left such a dreadful silence in its wake that he couldn't bring himself to move and, for a moment, he believed he'd gone deaf. But, no, he heard his own labored breathing.

Donnova!

Then . . . chaos. The initial shock over, a maddened craze ensued in the wake of the ear-piercing scream.

He grabbed his bow and sprang up, heading for the stable. Everyone was crying and screaming and running in all directions � some running to hide, some running mindlessly into the night. Bodies colliding, bodies falling, savage fighting breaking out around him, Hank fought his way through. There was no room to bring up the bow; it was difficult enough keeping a grip upon it in the swarm of frightened and confused people.

Someone grabbed his hair from behind. Another hand gripped his shoulder and pulled him backward. Someone had his free arm. Another pulled at his bow. He felt claws at his back. Something wrapped around his knee. He was going down. He looked up to see something running straight for him, looking him right in the eye. The creature jumped at him, but was suddenly snatched out of the air and flung away.

It was Bitsnout! The orc extended his only arm, and Hank grabbed the large green hand and was effortlessly pulled to his feet � those behind him having released him and fled. Hank shouted his thanks as the orc moved on, but he could not hear even his own voice in the bedlam. And then the orc was lost in the crowd as he went about � Hank hoped not futilely � trying to separate everyone.

Hank went on as best he could. He was nearly at the stable now. He saw Diana and Presto and Eric. Diana and Eric were holding ground at the stable while Presto tried to make something happen with his hat. It didn't look like he was having any luck. A spark and a puff of smoke was all that came from it. It was a wonder he was able to try at all. But then, that corner of Uutresk was fairly open. For whatever reason, it seemed no one wanted to linger there.

And then he saw Sheila uncloak � Bobby, too � as she had held him tightly against herself. He locked eyes with Sheila, almost smiled in relief that she was safe, but the fear and urgency in her expression alarmed him. He could see her shouting something at him, but he couldn't hear. She tried again, this time pointing across to the dividing wall � the barrier that separated the merely disfunctional from the violently insane.

What he saw made his stomach lurch. There were arms and tentacles and faces and horns, all sticking out through the wall. Thunderous beating could be heard coming from the other side. They had to hurry. But hurry and do what? They were overwhelmed already!

He reached the others � just in time, he thought, as Presto began waving his hand above his hat again, bringing a glow.

"Maybe I could�" Presto began.

Hank stopped his hand. "Better not."

"Right," said Presto dejectedly.

Hank turned to Eric, who was helping Diana keep the people at bay. "We need a wall!"

Eric nodded, understanding. "I'll try!" He held the shield out toward the crowd and a spreading translucence began separating them. Diana ran along the shield wall, using her javelin to push stragglers to their own side. "I don't know how long this'll hold, so make it snappy," said Eric.

"We still have to find Uni!" Bobby hoarsely shouted to everyone.

"There she is!" Presto suddenly yelled.

Everyone turned. Hank had expected Uni, but it was Donnova running out of the stable. And close behind her was something else.

A tall, naked man ran toward her and wrapped his arms around her. Blood was pouring out of his ears and down his face from his eyes. Donnova dropped her sword and pulled at the arms that held her.

"My ears! You will pay for what you've done! I'll kill you! I'll rip you apaaart!" he roared.

"Hank! Shoot him!" Donnova coughed and wheezed against the arms wrapped around her. "Shoot him!!"

Hank hesitated, but then brought up his bow and summoned an arrow. He didn't have a clear shot. He kept the arrowhead trained on the naked man, but he couldn't risk hitting Donnova as they struggled.