It was over quickly. A flash in the pan, in the grand scheme of things. Rincewind's scream was therefore more a bark than anything else, a sound yanked out of his chest as short and sharp as the pain burned into his bone. The whole of his slim body bowed outward as far as the clamp on his shoulder would allow - not far at all - and then it was over. Something pulsed steady under his skin, a second heartbeat soft as a breeze over green grass - but it wasn't pain.
Rincewind shook, wide eyes turned up to stare at Lucifer in breathless, terrible awe. He heard every word. There was no chance he'd forget; he wasn't that lucky.
It wasn't until the devil was literally at his throat that the wizard turned his head away, wincing, and not until the chill swept from the air that he dared to give in to the aching quiver of his legs. Rincewind sank, shell-shocked, down the plasterboard to his knees. His hat fell off in the process, and he didn't bother to put it right. It was only a moment later, as if delivering the punchline to a cosmic joke, that the Luggage burst through the wall at his side.
Rincewind didn't look up, only listened to the frantic stomp of its feet on flat carpet as it searched for its vanished quarry. Through the hole the wall he could hear the FanPort crowds again now, the excited chatter and laughter. Slowly, wearily, Rincewind put his hat back on. When he looked up the Luggage was standing a short distance in front of him, projecting a nervous, ashamed demeanor. It shuffled its weight on its many feet.
"...You couldn't have done anything," Rincewind finally sighed, deciding to give it a pass. "Come on.
no subject
Rincewind shook, wide eyes turned up to stare at Lucifer in breathless, terrible awe. He heard every word. There was no chance he'd forget; he wasn't that lucky.
It wasn't until the devil was literally at his throat that the wizard turned his head away, wincing, and not until the chill swept from the air that he dared to give in to the aching quiver of his legs. Rincewind sank, shell-shocked, down the plasterboard to his knees. His hat fell off in the process, and he didn't bother to put it right. It was only a moment later, as if delivering the punchline to a cosmic joke, that the Luggage burst through the wall at his side.
Rincewind didn't look up, only listened to the frantic stomp of its feet on flat carpet as it searched for its vanished quarry. Through the hole the wall he could hear the FanPort crowds again now, the excited chatter and laughter. Slowly, wearily, Rincewind put his hat back on. When he looked up the Luggage was standing a short distance in front of him, projecting a nervous, ashamed demeanor. It shuffled its weight on its many feet.
"...You couldn't have done anything," Rincewind finally sighed, deciding to give it a pass. "Come on.
"Let's go."