From the man maybe. Take a shot.
In fact, the man didn't die.
That man maybe. Take a shot.
Rubber bullet.
Couldn't you have put the fact that this was a rubber bullet in a more eloquent way, Matthew? It also raises questions. I know that questioning the science of Warblers is akin to changing the water level of the Thames by pissing in it, but bear with me: If Wizard's device only affects the metal in the bullets, how and why? Surely the metal that the guns are made of would be affected too. Let's say that this is a size issue, surely other pieces of metal would be affected too? Has Wizard ever lost his keys as a result of a Warbler? If it doesn't affect the metal of the gun and other objects due to the make-up of the bullets being different, then that still doesn't make sense. Bullets are made of different metals and alloys, and shotguns have a lot of plastic in them. Would it work on shotgun rounds or tungsten shells? Do certain makes of revolver or automatic have different effects? With bullets, the case is the bit that is left and the shell the bit which hits somebody in a few cases, so how does it affect those? How does it affect revolvers? Does it affect crossbow bolts? How DOES it work exactly? Does it work on the same principles of chaff grenades?
Chaff grenades are a key plot point in another Matthew Reilly novel, by the way, operating the same way that they do in "Metal Gear Solid".
West fired another rubber round-similar to those used by the police in riot situations- at the next French paratrooper on the nearby crane, just as the Frenchmman pulled the trigger on his crossbow.
I am pleased that Reilly clarified the type of rubber bullets used. I would not put it past the child to make the others use Nerf guns in keeping with her child-like view of war and soldiers. It is always nice also to see the French played in a positive light.
 |
| An actual Frenchman, as pictured by Reilly. |
Commit to the word Matthew, it is a bolt.
missed high, whilst his own shot hit its mark, sending the French commando sailing off the crane and into the lake, still crowded with panicking crocodiles.
Screams. Splashing. Crunching. Blood.
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| Blood?! Blood. Crimson, copper-smelling blood, his blood. Blood. Blood... And a bit of sick. |
'Move!' West called to his crew. 'Before they switch to rubber rounds too!'
Well, they will now that you've just yelled that across the cavern. It doesn't seem to be too big a deal though, as the French have already brought crossbows with them, for some reason. Were they expecting Warblers?
Now everyone in his team had their guns drawn and as they passed the crane's arm, they traded shots with the two dozen French paratroopers on it.
But they got past the crane just as fifteen French paratroopers came streaming off it, and headed down to Level 1-
I know that the reason narratively speaking for there being so many crossbow-wielding Frenchmen is for there to be a larger threat and more things for our bold heroes to shoot with their Nerf guns, but surely the arrival, transportation and movement of such a huge force is going to raise some eyebrows, or at the very least perturb a bureaucrat somewhere.
Level 1
-where they saw the Europeans' second effort to cut them off.
Down on the ground level, a team of German Army engineers had almost finished building a temporary floating bridge across the croc lake- in an attempt to get to West's manhole entrance on the southern side of the cavern before West and his team did.
I take back everything I said about the German army engineers. That is some impressive bullshit right there. Can the book be about them? They are far more interesting and the narrative could be a hard-edged thriller about differing viewpoints and egos coming to the surface over attempts to stop the Australian and his team. I call it: "Bridge Over the River Zwei."
Jeff Goldblum plays the bridge.
They had two segments of the bridge to put in place, segments that were being brought across the half-finished bridge right now.
"Go! Go! Go!" West called.
The flaming cavern -already alive with smoke and flames and burning boulders-
 |
| Oh my! |
See, Reilly, you managed to call them bolts there.
The aluminium crossbow bolts were only mildly affected by the Warblers- they flew wildly, but their first few meters of flight were still deadly.
So, they ARE affected?
West's team was running across Level 1, racing the bridge-builders on ground level.
Big Ears carried Lily. West helped Fuzzy. Princess Zoe and Stretch fired at the paratroopers behind them while Wizard -coughing against the smoke- led the way, nullifying the traps ahead of them. Above them Horus soared through the hazy black air.
Was there enough room for them to shuffle along and pick up Fuzzy? Horus has the right idea here: flying to escape the plot. Take me with you, Horus!
They had just reached the ladder at the far right-hand end of Level 1 when suddenly a stray French crossbow bolt hit Big Ears in the shoulderblade, knocking him off his feet -causing him to stumble onto his face and...
... fall off the edge of the ledge, dropping Lily over it!
Edge of the ledge is my new band.
Lily fell.
Thirty feet.
The end.
