Outside the air was fresh and filled with the sounds of birds getting on with the day's business. Sarah smiled as she often did, comparing the relative tranquillity with her memories of the city's streets when they were filled with people, cars and taxies all hurrying to their destinations. Aside from the avian population the broad avenue seemed devoid of any animal activity. Sarah found herself trying to move silently and peered hard into every patch of shadow and darkened doorway. Bortan also was behaving oddly, moving out in front with frequent backward glances as if he rather than Cecil were leading the way. Beneath the birdsong was an expectant silence punctuated by their footfalls as the little cavalcade proceeded down the street and into a residential neighborhood Sarah seldom visited. Here the rampant vegetation seemed even more abundant, the modest front gardens growing wild and spilling out into the street to leave only a bare trodden patch in the center to walk on. The trees here were larger and seemed to have completely abandoned the careful spacing intended by the city planners. Ash and hazel saplings sprouted in any available space, shouldering slabs of paving aside and threatening to undermine the deserted houses.
As they proceeded Sarah could see at the end a wall of greenery which she remembered being the edge of Druid Hill Park. As they drew nearer she could see that the broad avenues of paving which had wound through the carefully groomed lawns and tree plantings had been completely obliterated, to be replaced by what appeared to be virgin forest. Cecil unhesitatingly entered the dim coolness under the giant trees and they were immediately enveloped in a green tinted hush. Bortan padded quietly ahead, his great paws making no sound on the moss and leaf litter.
Sarah stared about her in disbelief. It was impossible that all this could have taken place over a scant five year period. She could see moss grown lumps that might have been ornamental statuary but might equally be the trunks of fallen trees. There was no way Substnace X could have been responsible for such a grotesque outcome, she thought, and felt a chill foreboding of what other forces might have been at work. Here more than at any place in the altered city she felt herself to be an intruder, almost as if she had entered some kind of parallel reality. She shook herself free of her introspection and looked ahead to see Cecil standing motionless, crossbow in hand.
He stood at the brow of a low hill and it was not until she reached his side that she saw what had caused him to halt. Ahead Bortan was likewise frozen in place, but he was not alone. In front of him stood a male tiger, easily as large or larger than the huge dog. Sarah could not tell whether it was the same one they had seen on the previous day or another even larger specimen. Both animals turned their heads as Sarah appeared. Bortan seemed at ease, not even growling, almost as if she had interrupted a conversation he had been having with the big cat. Then both animals slowly padded back to where the two humans stood, Cecil breathing noisily and Sarah with her hands frozen on the stock of her long rifle. Bortan looked calmly up at them then turned his shaggy head back to the tiger, almost as if he were silently asking a question. The tiger, his eyes like two green moons in the dimness, stared pointedly from one weapon to the other and merely waited, making no move to attack. Cecil slowly bent and laid his crossbow on the ground and motioned behind him for Sarah to do likewise. She understood intuitively that they had no chance against such a large beast and holding the rifle by its sling laid it softly on the piled leaves at her feet.
Both animals then turned and began to make their way among the trees with a purposeful air. Bortan looked back whined softly, obviously inviting them to follow. Cecil took a step forward and Sarah put a restraining hand on his sleeve. 'Are you crazy?' she whispered, 'Let's go back.'
'No chance,' Cecil said brusquely, 'Some scientist you are. Be daft to pass up a chance to understand all this.' He waved a hand at the surrounding woods and tugged his arm free, striding away after the two animals. Sarah stood indecisively for a few moments before hurrying to join him. She was conscious of a burgeoning excitement that seemed to have no particular cause and wondered if after all the driving curiosity that had fueled her researches in the past had not been eroded by the intervening years but only subdued.
They pushed on deep into the forest; there was no other word to describe it. It was as if the encircling trees had always been here and it was she and Cecil who were the intruders. Sarah noticed after a while that what she had taken for random birdsong was becoming louder and seemed to have a definite pattern. 'Listen, ' she whispered, 'do you hear that? Did you ever hear birds sing like that before?'
Cecil stopped for an instant and for the first time looked directly at her. She could have sworn he was smiling. 'Not much of a naturalist, are you? Really think birds are doing that?' Sarah began to listen more closely as they walked on. It did seem as though the sounds had a definite pattern, moving with a sort of wild abandon up and down the scale.
Gradually the light brightened and it seemed that they were approaching a clearing of sorts. The music, if that was what it was, became louder and seemed to be coming from all around them. Cecil moved around an intervening tree trunk and stopped abruptly, muttering an exclamation under his breath. She moved up along side and felt her heart contract and her breathing stop in her throat.
In the center of the clearing, outlined in a shaft of sunlight, something small lay. It was covered in short golden fur which glowed brightly in the light and its limbs moved slowly and purposefully. It emitted a strange cry and something moved in the trees around them. A female wolf emerged and approached slowly. It had obviously just littered and its dugs hung low, swollen and naked. Sarah became aware that the little clearing was ringed by animals of all kinds, sitting or standing in various attitudes of watchfulness. On either side Bortan and the big tiger had taken their places. Here and there among the encircling trees Sarah saw two deer, a hulking brown bear, rabbits, and what she recognized as the feral dog pack, all staring forward and seemingly unaware of one another. Cecil reached blindly around and grabbed her hand, his grip hard as if warning her not to move. The gesture was unnecessary as Sarah for her part was frozen in place, feeling as if time itself had stopped.
The female wolf reached the creature lying in the centre and stood over it. She crouched slightly and two of the strangely shaped forelimbs reached up and clutched at one of her teats. As it drank greedily the music or bird song intensified to reach a triumphant crescendo and then fell silent. The wolf moved aside and lay down next to the creature, who then raised its head and stared directly at the two humans. Its eyes were a deep lambent green, aware and intelligent. They were not the eyes of an animal. Nor were they even remotely human. Sarah found her scientist's mind trying and failing to make comparisons.
The music, for that was what it was, what it had to be, began again. There were echoes of birdsong in it, as well as a sound like wind through the trees. Something of a hawks' cry, too, and also the sound of water drops from some hidden spring. It was, now, intensely soothing. Sarah found her eyelid getting heavy, and saw the golden haired creature in the clearing drop its head down among the leaves and short grasses and close its remarkable eyes.
As if the motion had broken a spell, Bortan shook himself and stood, coming to nudge both of them gently. The tiger alongside turned to stare, also, but made no move to come closer. ' Looks like the visit is over, ' murmured Cecil. Sarah nodded wordlessly and backed slowly away before beginning to turn to retrace their steps. It was then she discovered that they were still holding hands, but at that moment it seemed the most natural thing in the world. Cecil gave hers a final press and let go so that they could navigate. He seemed not at all to have minded the contact. Bortan trotted ahead of them and in truth it would have been difficult trying to find their way without his guidance.
' Do you think that was some kind of Alien,' Sarah said after a time, more to discover if she still had a voice than from any urge to form a question.
'Never,' Cecil said promptly, ' Belonged there. Plain as day. Couldn't you tell?'
Sarah realized that he was right. The attitude of the watching animals had been one of kinship, almost of reverence, rather than curiosity or alarm. It was the two of them who had felt to her like aliens, tolerated but not belonging. 'Do you think we would be allowed to come back?' she said suddenly, feeling a sudden sense of loss to be excluded.
Cecil walked along for a time, frowning in thought. ' Don't see why not, ' he said finally. ' P'raps be of some help, even. Bring gifts, puzzles and such. Help the mind develop, that sort of thing.'
The shade under the trees was beginning to lighten ahead of them and Sarah realized they were coming to the borders of the forest. Bortan had stopped, sniffing at their two weapons which lay as they had left them. They retrieved the rifle and crossbow, more with a sense of clearing away their human traces than from any need for protection, Sarah realized. She gave a sudden laugh. 'Adam and Eve,' she said, remembering.
Cecil paused in the act of shouldering his crossbow. He shook his head decisively.
'No,' he said, 'Something better.'
She took his hand again. Behind them, Bortan whined softly. Sarah turned to see that he was making no move to join them. Suddenly understanding, she put her other hand on his broad forehead. ' Go on, ' she said, ' You know where to find us if you want.' The big dog gave one decisive bark and bounded back the way they had come to join the silent vigil by the clearing.
.
'No,' he said, 'Something better.'
She took his hand again. Behind them, Bortan whined softly. Sarah turned to see that he was making no move to join them. Suddenly understanding, she put her other hand on his broad forehead. ' Go on, ' she said, ' You know where to find us if you want.' The big dog gave one decisive bark and bounded back the way they had come to join the silent vigil by the clearing.
As they proceeded Sarah could see at the end a wall of greenery which she remembered being the edge of Druid Hill Park. As they drew nearer she could see that the broad avenues of paving which had wound through the carefully groomed lawns and tree plantings had been completely obliterated, to be replaced by what appeared to be virgin forest. Cecil unhesitatingly entered the dim coolness under the giant trees and they were immediately enveloped in a green tinted hush. Bortan padded quietly ahead, his great paws making no sound on the moss and leaf litter.
Sarah stared about her in disbelief. It was impossible that all this could have taken place over a scant five year period. She could see moss grown lumps that might have been ornamental statuary but might equally be the trunks of fallen trees. There was no way Substnace X could have been responsible for such a grotesque outcome, she thought, and felt a chill foreboding of what other forces might have been at work. Here more than at any place in the altered city she felt herself to be an intruder, almost as if she had entered some kind of parallel reality. She shook herself free of her introspection and looked ahead to see Cecil standing motionless, crossbow in hand.
He stood at the brow of a low hill and it was not until she reached his side that she saw what had caused him to halt. Ahead Bortan was likewise frozen in place, but he was not alone. In front of him stood a male tiger, easily as large or larger than the huge dog. Sarah could not tell whether it was the same one they had seen on the previous day or another even larger specimen. Both animals turned their heads as Sarah appeared. Bortan seemed at ease, not even growling, almost as if she had interrupted a conversation he had been having with the big cat. Then both animals slowly padded back to where the two humans stood, Cecil breathing noisily and Sarah with her hands frozen on the stock of her long rifle. Bortan looked calmly up at them then turned his shaggy head back to the tiger, almost as if he were silently asking a question. The tiger, his eyes like two green moons in the dimness, stared pointedly from one weapon to the other and merely waited, making no move to attack. Cecil slowly bent and laid his crossbow on the ground and motioned behind him for Sarah to do likewise. She understood intuitively that they had no chance against such a large beast and holding the rifle by its sling laid it softly on the piled leaves at her feet.
Both animals then turned and began to make their way among the trees with a purposeful air. Bortan looked back whined softly, obviously inviting them to follow. Cecil took a step forward and Sarah put a restraining hand on his sleeve. 'Are you crazy?' she whispered, 'Let's go back.'
'No chance,' Cecil said brusquely, 'Some scientist you are. Be daft to pass up a chance to understand all this.' He waved a hand at the surrounding woods and tugged his arm free, striding away after the two animals. Sarah stood indecisively for a few moments before hurrying to join him. She was conscious of a burgeoning excitement that seemed to have no particular cause and wondered if after all the driving curiosity that had fueled her researches in the past had not been eroded by the intervening years but only subdued.
They pushed on deep into the forest; there was no other word to describe it. It was as if the encircling trees had always been here and it was she and Cecil who were the intruders. Sarah noticed after a while that what she had taken for random birdsong was becoming louder and seemed to have a definite pattern. 'Listen, ' she whispered, 'do you hear that? Did you ever hear birds sing like that before?'
Cecil stopped for an instant and for the first time looked directly at her. She could have sworn he was smiling. 'Not much of a naturalist, are you? Really think birds are doing that?' Sarah began to listen more closely as they walked on. It did seem as though the sounds had a definite pattern, moving with a sort of wild abandon up and down the scale.
Gradually the light brightened and it seemed that they were approaching a clearing of sorts. The music, if that was what it was, became louder and seemed to be coming from all around them. Cecil moved around an intervening tree trunk and stopped abruptly, muttering an exclamation under his breath. She moved up along side and felt her heart contract and her breathing stop in her throat.
In the center of the clearing, outlined in a shaft of sunlight, something small lay. It was covered in short golden fur which glowed brightly in the light and its limbs moved slowly and purposefully. It emitted a strange cry and something moved in the trees around them. A female wolf emerged and approached slowly. It had obviously just littered and its dugs hung low, swollen and naked. Sarah became aware that the little clearing was ringed by animals of all kinds, sitting or standing in various attitudes of watchfulness. On either side Bortan and the big tiger had taken their places. Here and there among the encircling trees Sarah saw two deer, a hulking brown bear, rabbits, and what she recognized as the feral dog pack, all staring forward and seemingly unaware of one another. Cecil reached blindly around and grabbed her hand, his grip hard as if warning her not to move. The gesture was unnecessary as Sarah for her part was frozen in place, feeling as if time itself had stopped.
The female wolf reached the creature lying in the centre and stood over it. She crouched slightly and two of the strangely shaped forelimbs reached up and clutched at one of her teats. As it drank greedily the music or bird song intensified to reach a triumphant crescendo and then fell silent. The wolf moved aside and lay down next to the creature, who then raised its head and stared directly at the two humans. Its eyes were a deep lambent green, aware and intelligent. They were not the eyes of an animal. Nor were they even remotely human. Sarah found her scientist's mind trying and failing to make comparisons.
The music, for that was what it was, what it had to be, began again. There were echoes of birdsong in it, as well as a sound like wind through the trees. Something of a hawks' cry, too, and also the sound of water drops from some hidden spring. It was, now, intensely soothing. Sarah found her eyelid getting heavy, and saw the golden haired creature in the clearing drop its head down among the leaves and short grasses and close its remarkable eyes.
As if the motion had broken a spell, Bortan shook himself and stood, coming to nudge both of them gently. The tiger alongside turned to stare, also, but made no move to come closer. ' Looks like the visit is over, ' murmured Cecil. Sarah nodded wordlessly and backed slowly away before beginning to turn to retrace their steps. It was then she discovered that they were still holding hands, but at that moment it seemed the most natural thing in the world. Cecil gave hers a final press and let go so that they could navigate. He seemed not at all to have minded the contact. Bortan trotted ahead of them and in truth it would have been difficult trying to find their way without his guidance.
' Do you think that was some kind of Alien,' Sarah said after a time, more to discover if she still had a voice than from any urge to form a question.
'Never,' Cecil said promptly, ' Belonged there. Plain as day. Couldn't you tell?'
Sarah realized that he was right. The attitude of the watching animals had been one of kinship, almost of reverence, rather than curiosity or alarm. It was the two of them who had felt to her like aliens, tolerated but not belonging. 'Do you think we would be allowed to come back?' she said suddenly, feeling a sudden sense of loss to be excluded.
Cecil walked along for a time, frowning in thought. ' Don't see why not, ' he said finally. ' P'raps be of some help, even. Bring gifts, puzzles and such. Help the mind develop, that sort of thing.'
The shade under the trees was beginning to lighten ahead of them and Sarah realized they were coming to the borders of the forest. Bortan had stopped, sniffing at their two weapons which lay as they had left them. They retrieved the rifle and crossbow, more with a sense of clearing away their human traces than from any need for protection, Sarah realized. She gave a sudden laugh. 'Adam and Eve,' she said, remembering.
Cecil paused in the act of shouldering his crossbow. He shook his head decisively.
'No,' he said, 'Something better.'
She took his hand again. Behind them, Bortan whined softly. Sarah turned to see that he was making no move to join them. Suddenly understanding, she put her other hand on his broad forehead. ' Go on, ' she said, ' You know where to find us if you want.' The big dog gave one decisive bark and bounded back the way they had come to join the silent vigil by the clearing.
.
'No,' he said, 'Something better.'
She took his hand again. Behind them, Bortan whined softly. Sarah turned to see that he was making no move to join them. Suddenly understanding, she put her other hand on his broad forehead. ' Go on, ' she said, ' You know where to find us if you want.' The big dog gave one decisive bark and bounded back the way they had come to join the silent vigil by the clearing.