Doona Trilogy Omnibus

by neetha Napew

  “Whew!” Don said. “Thank heavens for loaves and little fishes.”

  “Ow, this thing gets hot,’ Todd said, letting the flashgun fall on its strap against his chap-covered leg and airing his gloved hand. Don swung up and leaned over to slap Todd on the shoulder.

  “Thanks, friend,’ he said, reining the horse towards the perimeter of the snake cordon. “I’m not even bruised.” Team Two was coming up fast behind them, and Don paced in a couple of beats before Hrrula arrived.

  Todd turned Gypsy inland and galloped onwards to come level with Hrriss. He passed another group of Beaters with Cinnamon. They were sweeping the snakes back on to the path with brooms, flails, and in the Gringg’s case, his own big feet. A jab here, a prod there, and the tiddlers kept in the boundaries of the swarm. Cinnamon waved and called out happily as he and Hrriss passed.

  The day was going well. No injuries or losses had been reported yet from up the line. The most serious problems would probably arise on the Boncyk farm, still some klicks ahead.

  Kelly felt as if they’d been waiting for hours in the meadow near the Boncyk farm, but she knew it hadn’t been more than one. It just seemed longer, because the children, antsy with anticipation, were on the edge of driving her crazy. She’d known all along the folly of bringing youngsters into the heart of a Snake Hunt. Corn had brought up her horse so at least she had a chance of chasing them down if necessary. Staying back with a Beater team was simply the best way for them, and their guests, to see the action without getting hurt. She’d explained the roles of each of the hunting teams and the auxiliaries.

  The Gringg listened with careful attention, but the children, who’d heard it repeated for years, were bored.

  “Now, if anything goes wrong, Kelly repeated again and again, hoping her instructions stuck in the minds of the excited children, “you pull back! Get out of the way of the hunters! Immediately! Is that clear?”

  “Yes, Mom.”

  “Yes, Aunt Kelly.”

  “Yes, Gelli,’ Teddy promised, wiggling deep into the sheepskins.

  Somehow she wasn’t totally reassured. In the hour since they’d taken up positions, the five youngsters had made friends with the Beaters, galloped up to take a look at the Boncyk farm, and found the nearest citron-covered snake blind. Alec came galloping back with a report of who was inside it, watching for the snakes to come by.

  “That Admiral is in there,’ her son announced. “The cranky one with white hair.”

  “Alec!”

  “In a blue uniform,’ Alison said. “Well, he grumbled at us.

  “Admiral Barnstable?” Kelly asked. “Huh. Whaddya bet he’s here more to keep an eye on the Gringg than the snakes!” She hadn’t her voder on just then but nevertheless, looked over to where Grizz sat at her ease in the soft meadow grass. The captain daintily plucked a tiny yellow flower between two claws and examined it closely. Delicately, she extended it to her mate, sitting with his shaggy golden side pressed against hers.

  “See here, Eonneh, the five petal structure. Most attractive, is it not?” she asked, her red eyes gentle “Most attractive,’ Eonneh replied, accepting it. Their claws intertwined.

  There’s more going on there than a botany lesson, Kelly thought, with a silly smile of approval on her face.

  “They’re coming,’ called Leader Corn. Kelly stood up in her stirrups and let out a sharp whistle for the children.

  “Come on!” yelled Alec, and headed Tornado uphill.

  Seeing his friends respond, Teddy wheeled the lethargic Rock in a wide loop and, at a dignified plod, followed Alec back towards the threshing machine.

  Admiral Barnstable, pacing around outside the snake blind, felt unwilling to enter the reeking enclosure until it was absolutely necessary. He noticed that there was some commotion up on the high meadow where Mrs Reeve and her horde of children were waiting. Hastily hiking up the dusty path, he called out to her.

  “What’s going on?”

  “Please get back to the blind, Admiral,’ Kelly shouted.

  “The snakes are coming.”

  “If you’re safe, I’ll be safe,’ Barnstable said, panting a little as he reached the crest of the low hill.

  The Reeve woman had a small arsenal’s worth of primitive weapons arrayed on her sheepskin-padded saddle.

  There was a strong smell of animal sweat and excrement coming from across the lea to the right. Looking down the hill towards the farm buildings, Barnstable saw a thin, dour-faced farmer and his family waiting on horseback, behind an odd assortment of heavy farm machinery that had been rolled up to the low fence. What a ridiculous barricade, he thought. He turned back to eye the two adult Gringg, seated on the grass nearby, who met his gaze pleasantly.

  “Aren’t you carrying any defensive weapons?” Barnstable demanded.

  “These snakes are highly dangerous and excitable.”

  “Why will you not believe that we have no such tools?” Honey asked, then held up his paws. He flexed his digits and the sharp claws gleamed in the grey sunlight. “These natural fittings are all we need.” The sounds of galloping and a curious, terrifying hiss came from the edge of the woods. Mrs Reeve tensed, and raised a loaded crossbow. Barnstable turned.

  Out of the thin forest came a dappled, tossing, undulating reptilian river. Barnstable’s heart started to pound in his chest and his mouth went dry. He sucked his cheeks for saliva. This was like the prelude to a battle. Beside him, the enormous farming machine revved its engine and bucked down the slope towards the snakes.

  Two horses, looking amazingly small next to the swarm, cantered along, prodding an occasional snake that tried to break free. What Reeve and Hrriss were doing looked almost easy. For all their admonitions about the dangers involved in the Hunt, it looked like there was nothing more to herding snakes than quick reflexes and concentration. Barnstable was unimpressed.

  Then the wind changed to the south-west. Instead of blowing into their faces from the salt marshes, the shift brought a miasma of heavy, stinking air direct from the byres at the rear of the barn behind them.

  Barnstable gagged.

  “What is that appalling stench?” Barnstable asked, pinching his nostrils shut.

  “Pigs,’ said Kelly amiably. “Boncyks raise China and Poland pigs.

  No help for it now,’ and urgency had crept into her voice, “the snakes have the scent.

  The tumbling tide of snake shifted until it was heading directly towards them. Everett Cabot Barnstable had a sudden change of heart regarding the difficulty of managing thousands of snakes as the whole boiling wave of them seemed to come straight at him. For the first time in his life, he experienced gut-twisting terror.

  “Llywelyn!” Kelly shouted, angling her steed between Barnstable and the stream. The horses, having caught the snake stink, were dancing frantically about, their riders controlling their antics with unconcerned skill.

  Teddy bounced up and down in his high saddle like a ball.

  “Behind me, Kelly,’ Corn shouted, raising his handunit.

  “Lures! Edge of the Boncyk farm! Now!” The thresher rolled around the crest of the hill and headed for the outbuildings. The huge machine moved down like an avalanche, pushing the snakes away. A cluster of the reptiles avoided the Beaters by going every which way at once, and looped uphill at speed.

  “They’re headed to Mr Boncyk’s farmyard!” Alec cried.

  “Can we go help?”

  “No!” Kelly exclaimed. “You stay right here or.

  . .!” She left the threat of dire punishment hanging.

  Then a three-metre tiddler attempted a fast break around the wheels of

  the thresher. Corn promptly lowered the boom on it and Kelly shot the

  crossbow bolt directly into its brainpan. The snake lashed about in

  muscular spasms, but it was no longer a threat. One of Cam “5

  assistants dismounted and stuffed the writhing corpse into a snake bag.

  Todd and Hrriss galloped by, their
attention on the fan of stragglers who were enticed by the strong swine smell.

  Hrriss growled orders into his handset for Don and Jan to keep the rest of the snakes moving down the path to the marshes.

  Having learned by bitter experience in the early years of their homesteading just how tempting their stock was to snake, Wayne and Anne Boncyk prepared for the worst. In fact, as individual defenders went, they had more personnel massed on their property than any other farm on the route. As luck would have it, their prize sows tended to farrow every year about the same time as Snake Hunt. But the shrewd and aggressive sows had also learned to defend their piglets against these wriggling predators.

  The females were ruthless and attacked any snake that crossed into their tract, chopping them into squirming pieces with sharp little hoofs.

  The males were more aggressive, charging at any snake, no matter what its size, that dared impinge on their territory. Todd had nicknamed the swine herd Wayne’s War Boars, a more euphonious title, even though there were more sows than boars.

  Just to the right of the line of outbuildings, the pigpens were surrounded by high, lightweight but sharp-edged metal barriers that could rip open the belly of any snake trying to crawl through. Wayne left the spoor of snake blood on them year after year to try and scare off new marauders, though Todd and others warned him that it worked just the opposite way. Snakes happily consumed their own dead. But to get to the barriers, let alone the styes, the snakes had to pass the cordon of angry boars.

  Todd counted the boars ranged along the white metal fence, and gave up

  at thirty, each averaging about 275

  kilos. Two black-and-white Border collies ran up and down the line, using The Look to keep the pigs from wandering away before the battle began.

  “C’mon, Reeve! Get these snakes out of here,’ Wayne cried, hoisting his bow to his shoulder. That was the signal to his crew.

  They pressed forward to help the hunters form a strong cordon against the advancing mass of snakes. With hand gestures, Todd directed them to the best points to reinforce the defences around the byres.

  “Where’s the rest of the barricades?” Todd demanded, looking at the bare rear edge of the pens.

  “Got a stand of new olive trees,’ Wayne said, pointing beyond the pen to a grove of young saplings with greygreen foliage. “I don’t want them snakes mowing them down.”

  “For life and love, Wayne,’ Todd said in a groan, slapping himself in the head. “Snakes don’t eat olives, they eat meat!”

  “The boars’ll get “em,’ the stockman assured him.

  The inrush of stragglers made for a lively few minutes to the joy of Jilamey Landreau who’d somewhat been disappointed in the tame atmosphere of this year’s hunt.

  Once on the Boncyk property, the hunters and snakes were within a few kilometres of the marshes, the end of the journey, which meant that Jilamey had only a short time to secure his second snake to complete his Rite of Passage, or go without for another year. Snake sacks in hand, the Hayuman was casting frantically about him for a likely catch.

  “Jilamey!” Todd shouted. “Help Anne!” With a guilty start, the younger man wound the sack around his saddlehorn and kicked his horse over to where Mrs Boncyk and two farmhands were fighting off tiddlers who were slithering around the pen looking for any weakness. The open edge drew the wily squirmers like a magnet. Boars rushed to protect their families, getting underfoot of the horses and squealing fiercely whenever a quarterstaff blow meant for a snake struck one of them in the back. Jilamey prodded escaping snakes until they retreated far enough upwind to lose the pig-redolent air.

  Most departed hastily for the marshes. One struck back at his quarterstaff. Anne Boncyk raised the crossbow at her knee, and fired.

  The quarrel hit the ground under the snake’s jaw, missing it by feet.

  Anne reined her horse away not quite believing she’d missed.

  Hurriedly, Jilamey kicked his horse over and bashed the surprised snake over the head with his quarterstaff which made it recoil and double away.

  “Aim a little higher,’ he called. “I make that mistake myself.”

  “My darned sights must be off,’ Anne said, fiddling with the crosshairs.

  There was a tremendous explosion on the opposite side of the barn.

  Todd grabbed for his radio.

  “Anybody! What was that?”

  “Sapper mine,’ Kelly’s voice replied.

  “A horde of tiddlers was moving in between the house and the granary.

  The survivors are stopping to eat the carrion. You won’t have to worry about this avenue for a while. Team Two’s moving up! I just saw Hrrula.

  “Thanks, han,’ Todd said, replacing the unit on its clip. He gestured to Don to move out to the opposite end of the grounds to check that no small snakes were trying to sneak around the far end of the building.

  Hrriss had had his eye on a good-sized Mamma Snake that moved up among the ranks of younger reptiles. The smell of delicious fresh meat just beyond the barrier tempted it away from the road home. At present, the huge snake was staying out of range of Hrriss’s sharp spear, but still trying to make a break for the pigpens.

  Gerrh leaped down to join the boars hunting small snakes.

  The pigs grunted at him, but didn’t attack, accepting him tentatively as a fellow predator Inside the smelly enclosure, the sows were running around and around their mudpatches, screaming chal lenges to the snakes outside; detailing in Pig, Todd grinned to himself, just exactly what they’d do to any reptiles they got.

  The screams of the attacking boars as they stomped tiddlers to death added to the din as the hunters tried to regain order. Todd’s horse slipped slightly on the bloody pieces of one snake. The boar who had killed it was eating some of the flesh with savage grunts of pleasure. Todd held tight with his knees as Gypsy recovered and got to mort secure footing. Then he chased four live snakes away from a damaged portion of the fence that lay tilted, leaving a tempting rent through which a small snake could squeeze.

  “We are here,’ Hrrula’s voice called through the radio link.

  “Good,’ Todd replied. “I want to split this stream of snakes into two parts. Send “em around the farm and down into the swamps. Can you set up a blockade just below the fence with the Beaters to deflect them?” “Will do,’ Hrrula affirmed.

  Hrriss’s Mamma Snake made one more effort to escape before he harried it beyond the farm. Once it was upwind of the pigs, the smell of salt air touched its sensitive tongue and nostrils, reminding it that there were easier meals elsewhere.

  “He’s down, he’s down!” the handsets screeched. With a final swipe at a pair of tiddlers who’d just decided to leave, Todd grabbed for his radio.

  “Report! Who is it?”

  “Hrrula,’ wailed the voice. It was evidently one of Team Two’s duffers.

  “It’s me, Todd,’ Robin’s voice exclaimed, interrupting the hysterical outcry. “Hrrula got spun off when a snake twined a foreleg.

  He’s okay, but there are a couple of Mamma Snakes coming around the barn with a flood of tiddlers. I’ll join you as soon as I’ve got him up again.

  Llywelyn’s blocking the path. Five Lures just came out of the woods to help. Hey, it’s the Biker Babes!”

  “Thanks, Robin,’ he said, smiling grimly. His eyes met Hrriss s over the pigpens. They were in for a tough fight.

  Mamma Snakes were tough and canny, having survived many years of Snake Hunts, and they were big.

  Another exploding charge echoed, alerting them that more snakes had tried to enter the vulnerable farmyard.

  Not for the first time, Todd cursed Boncyk who refused to move his pigs to a more secure location during the farrowing season. The sharp whine and buzz of motorbikes cut through other noise, marking the arrival of the all-female bike team Robin had nicknamed.

  Robin was right to call the mass a flood of snakes. The very ground undulated with a hissing carpet that inexorably flowed towar
ds the stycs. The dry grass beneath it sounded as if it were on fire.

  All the hunters who were free moved to intercept them.

  “Blockade in position, Todd,’ Llywelyn Corn reported by radio.

  “Hope you can handle what’s up there!” The smaller reptiles braided in and out between the hooves of the horses, causing even some of the hunthardened mounts to dance nervously. Not even seasoned horses liked a snake twining up their legs so most were also lashing out, fore and hind. The eleven-metre length of the first Mamma Snake slithered into view, making directly for the War Boars. She wouldn’t be intimidated by their hooves or their cries of defiance. She could swallow one whole while on the move. Todd fretted that the few hunters he had on hand might not be equal to her determined challenge.

  Then the second of the Mamma Snakes appeared around the edge of the barn, pursued by Anne Boncyk and Kelly. They loosed crossbow bolts, hitting it along the back just below the head, which distracted it, but didn’t really slow it down. Hrriss and Jan joined the chase.

  “Hi!” Kelly called to Todd. “This one’s a real trier.

  “Where are the children?” Todd asked, looking about him in panic.

  The ponies would be vulnerable to this Big Mamma.

  “Back there!” Kelly gestured. “With the Gringg!” Now the cluster of five young riders and their horses, with their gigantic escort, galloped up the rise. Not allowed to carry more dangerous weapons, the Alley Cats and Hrriss’s children did have dart guns and slingshots with which they were uncannily expert. Keeping their horses moving at a good distance and parallel to snakes, they used darts and sling-propelled rocks to distract them from their intended prey and drive them along.