Zombies in the garden
Croydon stopped at the gates of the maze when he heard the scream echoing from the twisting hedged passages behind him. It was hard to tell, given the nature of the maze, just where the scream came from, but if he had to guess he'd say it came from the Taurus node -- there were twelve dead ends in the maze, each corresponding to a different constellation -- which wasn't so far from where he was. The scream was answered by several loud cries from various parts of the maze, and the sound of a pistol discharging -- that would be Captain Ferris, who sounded to be somewhere in the region of the October Garden, miles away from the Taurus node where he might be of any use.
Croydon hesitated, looking out the gates. He was the gardener; of course he knew the maze like the back of his hand. Foolish to think that any of his lordship's guests should have managed to reach the gates before him ... foolish to think they'd reach the gates without him. They'd be blundering through the hedges, easy prey for those ... creatures....
There were more of them, stumbling out of the woods, clumsily falling into the haha but climbing out again like the inexorable tide of abomination that they were. Grey, dead, heads lolling, ignorant of grace....
Croydon pulled the gates shut and locked them. Behind him, he heard the crash of shattering flower pots -- the January Garden -- and another scream from the Taurus node. Better to deal with the monsters already in the maze, and regroup at the centre, than to try to ship each imperilled guest out of the maze into who knew what other danger now lurked on the grounds. He picked up the shovel he'd been shouldering all day -- for the first time ever, thanking providence that his lordship was so keen on these so-called "badges of office" -- and raced towards ... no, not the Taurus node, but the October Garden. If he were to stand any chance at all, he would need Captain Ferris with him sooner rather than later.
Croydon hesitated, looking out the gates. He was the gardener; of course he knew the maze like the back of his hand. Foolish to think that any of his lordship's guests should have managed to reach the gates before him ... foolish to think they'd reach the gates without him. They'd be blundering through the hedges, easy prey for those ... creatures....
There were more of them, stumbling out of the woods, clumsily falling into the haha but climbing out again like the inexorable tide of abomination that they were. Grey, dead, heads lolling, ignorant of grace....
Croydon pulled the gates shut and locked them. Behind him, he heard the crash of shattering flower pots -- the January Garden -- and another scream from the Taurus node. Better to deal with the monsters already in the maze, and regroup at the centre, than to try to ship each imperilled guest out of the maze into who knew what other danger now lurked on the grounds. He picked up the shovel he'd been shouldering all day -- for the first time ever, thanking providence that his lordship was so keen on these so-called "badges of office" -- and raced towards ... no, not the Taurus node, but the October Garden. If he were to stand any chance at all, he would need Captain Ferris with him sooner rather than later.