Return of the Fallen Angel: Book 1

58

The pulley house contained three pulleys, a large elevator platform, and a landing area for loading and unloading. Next to the main platform, smaller cars dangled on similar smaller systems. The three massive pulleys were over fifty feet across. Giant cables ran along the roof of the shaft connecting the pulleys and the car. Looking over the edge, Kita found the shaft wasn't vertical, but a steep angle.

"A long way from our everyday lives, don't you think?" said Paladin.

"You mean living underground or the size of the equipment?" Kita responded.

"Normally our goal is to make things as small as possible. Even I feel small standing under one of these pulleys."

"Oh, I'm used to feeling small standing next to big metal things." Kita laughed, patting Paladin's large metal frame.

"I had no idea," Paladin said astonished.

"We can't all be giant metal men. Don't worry. I don't have an inferiority complex or anything."

"I can't image you with one. There's a point when the powerful have amassed so much it becomes like adding on to infinity. It would be a waste."

"It's called greed and denial. The powerful want it because it's there and to deny it to their enemies."

"At some point I will learn to think like you. It's hard to understand the rationale behind your kind of decision making."

Kita chuckled. "It goes both ways, big guy. Helping someone for little personal gain seems like a waste."

"Yet you do it."

"And someday, I'll be waiting for them to return the favor," Kita said bluntly.

"An interesting currency."

"Payable upon Death." Kita laughed grimly at her own wit.

Ore carts littered the deck of the main car. They'd been pushed out of the way to make a small living area. A small table with fine place settings, a teakettle, and even flowers had been set up. A feather bed with a velvet comforter and big soft pillows sat in a corner.

"Looks comfy," Snowy smiled at Kita.

Kita frowned. Hate filled her eyes as she sent two tongues of flame around Snowy and ignited the bed.

"What'd you do that for?" Snowy yelled.

Kita pointed to Cunningham's sand crane carvings on the headboard.

"That doesn't mean you have to be a bitch about it," Snowy growled.

"I promise I'll get you a fluffier bed later." said Kita, trying to smooth Snowy's hackles.

Snowy sneered playfully at her. "Better be more than a bed waiting for me."

Snowy went with Paladin and Katie to get the lift moving.

Tina flittered after them. "Wait, the scouts say they know how to get the platform to move."

"And how do we know they won't break the controls or something?" demanded Snowy.

"What's the point of having them if we don't use them?"

"I didn't want them, you did. I'm not ready to trust some one of Gerald's personal pets. No matter what they've said to you."

"You really are her?" One of the scouts asked in a long drawl.

Snowy grabbed the scout and flung him across the cart. He slammed into the side of a large ore cart. As heslid to the ground Snowy slammed a claw on either side of his neck pinned him. Her middle claw poked the scout's throat.