Crossbow
CROSSBOW. (Fr. Arbalete, arbaletrier, arbalest See also, ARCHERY). The crossbow was originally a Saxon, as the longbow was a Roman, weapon. The principle of the crossbow is that of a perpendicular barrel, or groove, in which the missile is placed, with a transverse bow, the chord of which sweeps the barrel and discharges the bullet or bolt. The arrow discharged from a crossbow is called a quarrel, from its four-angled iron head; as that of the longbow was the shaft. A smaller missile, used for shooting on the wing before the intervention of the gunnery, was known as the bird bolt. Hence the old tavern sign of the bolt in tun, the arrow in the mark
It can deliver a very damaging blow at a distance and has the advantage of being far quieter than a firearm.
Unpublished manuscript, "Bad As They Seem
Author: Hayden Collins
Undated
Bleached paper, typewritten, 8.5x11 in
-4-
Over dinner they- the twins and the traveler, who was called Lynch talked of a dark future and a darker past. A rift had been torn in the world, and through the rift, a monster had come. It was an entity both one and many. It could possess humans in a way, shaping them to its will, yet the spread of its power mimicked human disease. Most assumed it was an epidemic.
"I would destroy this thing." Lynch was twice their age and looked older, her skin worn and weathered, leathered, her face crowned with a wide brimmed hat covering a thick white- blonde braid. "And you, who both kill without hesitation or remorse, would be valuable allies against it. You need not leave the forge, but I would offer training. In the hunt. But before you answer, a question: Did you know Durant?" Both girls shook their heads no.
"Well he knew you. Or of you, as having been gone for those 16 years." She paused to take a breath. "William Durant was your father." Silence followed Lynch's words. The blacksmith had been father enough. Even if it were true, they had no need for another.
She continued. "He killed your mother. Perhaps he returned to finish the job. Perhaps he was sent here, unknowing. I suspect, if you join me, we are going to find out. Now, would you join me in the hunt?"
They did not need to consider their answer. They would.
Unpublished manuscript, "Bad As They Seem
Author: Hayden Collins
Undated
Bleached paper, typewritten, 8.5x11 in
-26-
The colossal snake formed a loose defensive coil around the twins, who faced Lynch, poised for attack. Lynch’s eyes brimmed with rage. The effigy could not be used again immediately, Nellie had disappeared with the first weapon the twins had brought back from the Land of the Dead, and the twins had found dangerous allies and weapons of their own. She would be unable to take on the Sculptor. She had few defenses left to take on even the human pair who stood before her.
Lynch’s face went dark, as if fallen into shadow, as her form blurred and shifted. “We should have been allies. We could have stopped this! We could have stopped this together.”
“Together?” Jos replied sardonically. “You mean that you would have mutilated us and sacrificed our lives, to satisfy your own grudge.” In the end, it had been the Lord of the Dead who had revealed Lynch’s secret. Lynch was not the only one with a grudge, not the only creature who could slip between worlds, and throughout her many, many years, she had accumulated more enemies than allies.
Lynch’s arm was changing. Sharp carapace ripped through the leather of her coat, revealing a grey spiked limb, double jointed and bent at strange angles.
“Time for you to go home, Lynch.”
“I am not your enemy!” The protest was a ragged, desperate snarl. The snake unfurled itself, positioned to deliver a killing blow. The twins began, slowly, the move forwards, one clutching a strange-looking gun, the other a crossbow.
Lynch’s eyes flicked quickly around her, prey, hyper aware of the presence of the predator. She could not abandon her body as long as she was in this world. In that other place, she could wield so much power, yet here, she was bound and gagged by her own flesh. She unfocused her eyes, searching the Darkness for the closest rift. And when she ran, the twins did not follow. Only later, in order to find the rift Lynch had fled through and close it for good.
The work done, Fin turned to Jos. “No one left to lead the organization now, is there?”
“Not a soul,” Jos replied.
"Then I guess it's time we found Finch." They exchanged a smile, shouldered their weapons, and headed toward town.
