THE SO-CALLED TERROR birds were aptly named, resembling emus with the heads of bald eagles and each standing no less than 10 feet high. Nor did they deign to simply stand around and be picked off, for two of them broke off from the other the instant Williams fired—whereby, in a blunder so uncharacteristic as to be virtually unbelievable, he missed his target entirely—before charging him and Ank across the clearing even as the third predator snatched up the end of the man’s spear with its beak and snapped it into.
“Ank!” shouted Williams, wary he might hit the man or woman, suddenly distrustful of his gift, as he sighted one of the rapidly approaching beasts and fired, skewering its brain like a lance and causing blood and tissue to explode out the back of its head.
communicated Ank, even
