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There must be a saline mire near here to pull game " "How many off-worlders?" Jellico broke in. "Three who are Hunters, one who is different." "How different?" questioned Asaki. "He wears upon his body garments which are strange; on his head a round covering such as we see upon the off-worlders of the ships " "A spaceman!" Asaki laughed harshly. "Why not?
And that round head above turned to follow the Chief Ranger's every move. "Above ... by the finger rock ... to the right...." Dane kept his voice close to a whisper. When he saw the sudden constriction of muscle across the Khatkan's bare shoulders, he knew that the other had heard and understood. Only, if Asaki had spotted the rock ape, he did not betray his knowledge.
Now " He spoke to the pilot in his own tongue and the flitter pointed up-nose at an angle as they climbed over the highest peak they had yet seen in this mountainous land, to reach at last a country of open grass dotted with small forest stands. Jellico nodded approvingly. "Zoboru?" "Zoboru," Asaki assented. "We shall go up to the northern end of the preserve.
The water was cool and refreshing, though he dared not drink it until the purifier was added. Then, with the filled canteens knotted together by their straps, he put on his boots and climbed to the cave where Tau waited with water tablets. Half an hour later Dane sat cross-legged by the fire, turning a spit strung with three small birds Asaki had brought in.
But as long as we drink this water we're going to continue to have trouble; I feel safe in promising that," Tau replied. He put the vial of doctored purifier into a separate pocket of his medical kit. "It may be a problem of how long we can go without water." "Perhaps," Asaki said softly. "Only not all the water on Khatka comes running in streams." "Fruit?" Tau asked. "No, trees.
Coffee slopped over the brim of Tau's mug and Dane dropped the packet of steak concentrate he was about to feed into the cooker. Chief Ranger Asaki loomed in the doorway of the mess as suddenly as if he had been teleported to that point. The medic arose to his feet and smiled politely at the visitor.
Dane had a fleeting glimpse of curled tusks, of an open mouth, raw-red and wide enough to engulf his whole head, of shaggy legs driving at an unbelievable pace. Asaki snapped a beam from the needler. The white monster roared and came on.
Certainly Asaki did not mean that they were to track outlaws into swamps the Khatkan had already labeled unexplored death traps! Sitting up, Dane stared wide-eyed into the dark. A handful of glowing coals, guarded by rocks, was the center of their camp. He hunched up to that hardly knowing why he moved. His hands were shaking, his skin damp with sweat no heat produced.
Asaki took careful aim with the needler and put one animal after another out of its misery. But the flash of those shots angered those on shore to a higher pitch of rage. "No going back," he said. "At least not for several days." Tau slapped a black, four-winged insect which had settled on his arm, its jaws wide open for a sampling bite.
The dead thing put on life for the second time, crawled, got somehow to its feet, healed itself, and came on. Asaki, his face greenish-pale, stepped out stiffly as if each step he took was forced by torture. He had dropped his needler. Now he caught up a rock as large as his own head, raised it high with arms on which the muscles stood out like ropes.
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