the black coffins melanchthus legion solved that by flashing back into mutated vultures , scaly hairless bats , alarming winged dogs , seagulls and pigeons and pelicans , and dropping straight down on him , flashing as they fell , weapons at the ready , only to find him stepping maddeningly out of the way in the very last possible moment left to hima continuous serpentine hiss-hiss-hiss !