The Mantooth

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The Mantooth

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Title: The Mantooth
Author: Christopher Leadem

Release Date: December 26, 2005 [eBook #17394]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MANTOOTH***
Copyright (C) 2000 by Christopher Leadem.

THE MANTOOTH (Science Fiction/Fantasy)
Copyright 2000 by Christopher Leadem, All Rights Reserved
Christopher Leadem www.aragornbooks.com

THE MANTOOTH
In loving Memory Edward and William, gentle cousins

PART I
Sunrise in the Valley

My words cannot say it if the heart will not feel it. ---Jeremiah, son of Kalus

Chapter 1
Kalus* was wakened that morning by the sound of stalking footsteps. Reaching
instinctively for his spear, he raised himself slowly and turned to face the sound.
*which means, 'The Carnivore.'
There before him, shrouded in the shadows of early morning, he perceived an ominous
silhouette. It was Akar, the lone he-wolf that had followed his tribe for some time, living
off the gnarled scraps of meat that the hill-people left behind after every kill. Kalus had
often wondered what unaccountable circumstance caused it to leave the safety of the pack
to strike out and fend for itself.
At first he was relieved. For this was only a scavenger, probably hoping to steal an
unguarded morsel and slink away unseen.
But his instincts told him otherwise. There was something unnerving about the way the
beast just stood there, as if unsure of its own intentions. Even in the dim light of the
cave's entrance he could see that it had not eaten for many days. Arching ribs protruded
sharply through an emaciated chest, and his eyes were wild with the blood-lust of a
carnivore.
Something stirred deep within the young tribesman as he realized the true hopelessness of
its plight. Cut off from the pack it could not hunt successfully, and there now, it stalked a
prey it had no chance of killing. For all around him his comrades lay sleeping, and if
aroused, they would kill the intruder without hesitation.
Reaching into a crude deerskin pouch slung across his shoulder, he pulled forth a long
strand of cooked meat. Holding it outward enticingly, he motioned toward the terrified
hunter.
Slowly, haltingly, the shadow moved forward, too near death from starvation to be

cautious. When it was close enough Kalus tossed the meat gently into the air, where it
was snapped up quickly by the waiting jaws of the hunger-crazed wolf. Smiling inwardly,
he reached into his pouch once more and prepared to repeat the procedure.
Suddenly from behind him came the sound of angry voices. Whirling about he saw that
the tribesmen had woken, and seeing the wolf, had armed themselves to attack. The
frightened creature turned, but found there was nowhere to run. Barabbas, leader of the
hill-people, had blocked the entrance to the cave and stood there waiting, a long spear
clasped in his hairy hand. Forming a circle around the intruder, the tribesmen began to
converge. Helpless, the wolf rolled over in the dirt, as if to beg for mercy. But the
tribesmen showed it none, continuing to advance.
But then a strange thing happened, something that had not been seen on Earth since the
disappearance of modern man from the continent. Not understanding why, or even how
he did it, Kalus stepped forward and uttered the first word spoken since the day of
destruction when all human tongues had been silenced.
'No!' he cried angrily. And that was all he said.
A deep silence filled the chamber as his comrades cowered back in disbelief. The he-wolf
slipped out silently---grateful, but puzzled as to why he had been spared.
Regaining their senses, the hill-people's astonishment was quickly turned to anger and
resentment. For many months they had grown wary, and suspicious of the young,
tawny-haired hunter. They could not understand how this youth could be born of their
own flesh, and yet still be so completely unlike them. For the color of HIS hair was light,
and his eyes were a deep blue. And what of his peculiar desire to be on his own? Unlike
the others he did not seem to need the protection of the clan, nor sometimes even to want
it.
It was Barabbas who confronted him first. Speaking through primitive sign language, he
told Kalus he was