said Hamner.Beadle and Blake looked. Sure enough, there he was, bright in the moonlight, astride his well-known mechanical horse. Its hooves threw up chunks of dirt and its head bobbed up and down as the Dark Rider pedaled so furiously his legs were nothing more than the blurs of his black pants.“He looks pissed off,” said Blake.“He’s always pissed off,” said Beadle.Beadle set the course for Steam, and just as the old metal boy made strides in the Dark Rider’s direction, a Moorlock, bloodied and angry, came hissing out of the stairway in the left leg of Steam and leaped at Beadle.Beadle lost control of his business, and Steam suddenly stopped, his left arm dropping to his side and his head lilting. This nearly caused Steam to tip over, and it was all Blake could do to shut down his side of the machine.The Moorlock opened its mouth wide and bit into Beadle’s shoulder. Beadle grabbed it by the scruff of the neck and pulled, but the Moorlock wouldn’t come loose. Hamner came out of his seat and jumped at the Moorlock, sticking his thumbs in its eyes, but even though Hamner pushed at the beast’s head, causing its eyes to burst into bleeding lumps, still it clung to Beadle.Beadle beat dramatically at the Moorlock’s side, but still it held.
