MENAGERIE

Fourteen - In which Red Sonja discovers that a girl's best friend is not always her sword

The creature hesitated for a fraction of a second before roughly seizing Sonja between its paws; and this told Sonja that her guess had been correct. The creature that held her – or at least, the mind within it – was Jharlen's wife.

"Clodia," Sonja shouted, "listen to me. Galud is evil; he's using you for his own foul ends."

"You're wasting your time," Galud remarked. "I told you; I don't give my creatures names. And whatever name the human part bore in a previous life, the creature is mine now."

"Clodia," Sonja persisted. "Look, there's Jharlen over there. Remember? Jharlen. He came to save you." There was a flicker in the creature's eyes. Just a flicker; not enough to stir the memories.

"Enough," Galud snapped. "You will kill this woman now. Cleanly; the way I taught you."

This way proved to be to back Sonja against the wall, grip her head with both paws, and twist. Sonja fought against it, but the creature was hideously strong.

"Clodia," Sonja gasped; but the creature's only response was to twist still harder. Any second, Sonja knew, her neck would shatter and she'd be nothing more than a pile of ingredients for Galud's next recipe.

Then a flash of inspiration. "Clodia;" she could barely speak, but forced the words out, "Clodia, your hair's a mess. When did you last comb it?"

Another flicker in the creature's eyes – Clodia's eyes – and a slight slackening in the pressure on Sonja's neck.

"What if your daughter could see you now? What would she say about all those tangles?" Clodia's face looked troubled; as if she was straining after some elusive memory. She relaxed her grip a fraction more.

"Remember! Remember when your daughter – little Clodia – used to comb your hair each night. Beautiful hair, she said you had. Like a raven's wing. And she was right; I can see that."

Come on, Clodia; you've got to be in there somewhere. Sonja fumbled in her pouch and held something up before Clodia's eyes. "Look; your comb. Your favourite comb. The one your daughter used to use."

A long pause. Then the Clodia-creature released her hold on Sonja, who collapsed on the floor, gasping. Even so, she had the presence of mind to hold up the comb. A leathery paw took it gently from her and held it up for Clodia's eyes to stare at.

"Obey me," Galud shouted. "Obey me! Kill this woman!"

The gorilla's muscular arm struck just once. It caught Galud under the jaw and propelled him across the room. When he landed, he twitched once then lay still, his neck broken.

Every eye in the room was now focussed on Sonja again, but in a different way. There was still intelligence in them; but there was something else as well. A plea; a heartfelt, wordless plea. Sonja knew what she had to do. She fetched her sword from the room two floors below, and approached each cage in turn. Not a creature flinched. Not one pair of eyes failed to show a spark of gratitude at the last. Even the boy-monkey.

Sonja left Clodia until last. She glanced at the still-unconscious Jharlen, then back to his wife. Clodia understood. Her throat worked as she formed a few words with difficulty.

"Never…tell…him."

Sonja nodded, and thrust.