The menagerie’s exit was completely blocked by rolling cages full of highly agitated Wazls. The enforcers used steel mesh nets to cover the four-foot gap between the cage tops and the underside of the double doorway. This prevented the muties from reversing course and attacking the enforcers once the cage doors were flung back.When the cages were opened, the enforcers used prod poles to encourage the birds to exit. It didn’t take much prodding to get the desired result. The Wazls flapped away, onto the field of battle, screaming blue murder.Rish marked off item number one from Silam’s checklist with a savage flourish.Even in Deathlands, at the bottom of human culture’s ash bin, behind every successful, incompetent twit there was a creature such as Rish, a diligent, hardworking, unrecognized soul. Rish was no longer stunned when Silam took credit for his ideas.“I know you won’t mind if I use that” was a phrase he had come to loathe.Of course, it wouldn’t have mattered if he had minded.All glory went to Silam.
