Free The Iron Dream by Norman Spinrad Page B

truncheon in a great swath through the air. "The next one of you bugs that opens his mouth will carry his teeth back to the den in a sack!"
    Even these rough and burly fellows cowered before Stopa's rage.
    Stopa returned his attention to Feric, his face still reddened, his eyes hot with anger. "Now look," he roared,
    "you seem like a better sort than the rest of these worms, Jaggar, more like my kind of man, so I don't really want to have to pulverize you. But nobody wins an argument with Stag Stopa, so why don't you just hand your stuff over, and we'll be on our way."
    Feric pondered for a moment. Throughout the exchange, he had acted on the impulse of his instincts alone, sensing that these Avengers were in some way linked to his destiny, that it would ill-serve him to appear as anything but an iron-willed hero in their eyes. Now it appeared that he would either have to fight them all, in which case he would be slain, or give over his money and lose both his modest fortune and their respect. Bogel, for his part, was clearly terrified to the point where he dared not interfere, even with craven advice. Finally, fixing Stopa with a contemptuous gaze, Feric opted for the utmost in audacity.
    "You present a magnificent physical appearance, Stopa," he said. "I would not have taken you for a craven coward."
    Stopa's face purpled, his teeth ground into each other, and the muscles of his arms stood out in great knotted ridges.
    "You would not dare threaten me thus without your men at your back, your truncheon in your hand, and myself weaponless," Feric continued. "You know that in a fair fight I would be more than your equal."
    A great animal howl went up from Stopa's men, which turned into derisive laughter. Stopa turned and glowered at the Avengers, but to little effect. This troop was organized like a wolf ^ pack; the leader commanded only so long as he defeated all comers. Now that he had been 58
    challenged, his power over the others was weakened until the matter was settled. Stopa himself clearly understood the situation, at least on an instinctual level, for when he looked once more at Feric, there was a narrowed shrewdness about his eyes that belied his flushed features.
    "You dare to challenge Stopa?" he roared belligerently.
    "Only an Avenger may challenge the commander as an equal. I give you three choices, Jaggar: hand over your valuables meekly like any other worm, be smashed on the spot by us all, or undergo an Avenger's initiation rites. If you live through that, we'll settle the rest between us."
    Feric smiled broadly, for this was precisely the end he had desired. "I'll go through your initiation, Stopa," he said calmly. "This cabin has cramped my muscles; I could do with a bit of light exercise."
    The Avengers roared their appreciation of this gallant jest. Clearly, they were fine material, needing only a firm hand, a shining example, and a clear goal to become a shock troop of the highest esprit.
    "You ride with us then!" Stopa said, and it seemed to Feric that his anger had become tempered with admiration of the sort one old wolf gives another, whether they are fated to fly at each other's throats in the next instant or not.

    "My friend here will come along for the ride," Feric said, indicating Bogel. "He's not a robust fellow and the fresh air will do him good."
    Once again, the Avengers broke into good-natured laughter in which even Stopa could not help but join.
    Bogel, for his part, looked as if he would like nothing better than to find a hole to drop out of sight through.
    "Drag your lap dog along then!" Stopa said. "He can ride with Kami. You, Jaggar, will ride with me."
    So saying, Stopa and his Avengers rudely ushered Feric and Bogel out into the cool evening air, where the rumbling circle of motorcycles awaited.
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    Although the deep shadows and cool breezes of evening had descended upon the Emerald Wood, the area immediately around the roadsteamer seemed like a heady inferno of gleaming metal, a