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But now two of the paralyzing tubes were trained on him. "You have come to us, Foanna, what have you to offer?" demanded the commander, if that was his rank. "Offer?" For the first time Ross spoke. "There is no reason for the Foanna to make any offer, slayer of women and children. You have come from the stars to take, but that does not mean we choose to give."
Yes, this venture is yours, also, sister." Ross's protests bubbled unspoken; he had to accept the finality of the Foanna decree. It seemed now that the make-up of their task force depended upon the whims of the three rather than the experience of those trained to such risks. And Ashe was apparently willing to accept their leadership.
Karara had been able to meet the aliens, if not mind-to-mind, then in a closer way even than Ashe. The talent which tied her to the dolphins had in turn been a bond with the Foanna. Ashe and Karara could enter that circle, but not Ross Murdock. Along with his new separation from Ashe came that feeling of inferiority to bite on, and the taste was sour. "This isn't going to be easy."
"They bear the Curse of Phutka heavy on them. To live under such a curse is worse than a clean, quick dying. Listen, it has come upon me that better this curse not only eat them up but be carried by them to rot those who sent them " Together the Foanna nodded. "There has been enough of killing," said Ynlan. "No, warriors, we do not say this because we shrink from rightful deaths.
"So few out of many so few " One of the Foanna stood beside them, her cloak streaming with the falling rain. "And for these" she faced the lines of those they had not revived "there was no chance. They died as helplessly as if they went into a meeting of swords with their arms bound to their sides! Evil have we wrought here." Ashe shook his head.
One such must control the force field which ringed this canyon, perhaps even powered the weapons the invaders could turn against any assault. Ross whirled about, his Foanna cloak in a wide swing. There was one control which he knew. Yes, again the board was the same as the one he was familiar with.
He had traveled time, but never before had he been beaten with the feel of countless dead and dying years. "Going back " That hoarse whisper came from Ashe, and Ross thought he understood. "A time gate!" He was eager to accept such an explanation. Time gates he could understand, but that the Foanna used one.... "Not our kind," Ashe replied.
"Baldy ship just took off inland," Ross told him. "We didn't see either of the other Foanna." "They have gone to do what is to be done," Ashe's companion replied. "So some of the enemy fled. Well, perhaps they have learned one lesson, not to meddle with others' devices. Ahh, so much gone which will never come again! Never again "
"We have something for you, star men " he tried to hold their attention with words, "have you not heard of the power of the Foanna that they can command wind and wave? That they can be where they were not in a single movement of the eyelid? And this is so behold!" It was the oldest trick in the world, perhaps on any planet. But because it was so old maybe it had been forgotten by the aliens.
Though the Foanna had their warriors and servants, as Ross had seen on the beach, they, themselves, were of another race a very old and dying race of which few remained. How many, their enemies could not say, for the Foanna had no separate identities known to the outer world.
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