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They huddled against the rock, Kaydessa between them, alert at first to every sound of the night, their hearts beating faster at a small scrape of gravel, the rustle of a bush. Slowly, they began to relax. "It is well that two sleep while one guards," Travis observed. "By morning we must push on, out of this country."
Still holding his lariat, the Mongol reached Kaydessa and stood for a moment, eying her up and down before he asked a question. She gave an impatient twitch to the rope. The coyotes snarled, but the Apache thought the animals no longer considered the danger immediate. "This is my brother Hulagur." Kaydessa made the introduction over her shoulder. "He does not have your speech."
Swiftly he outlined what had happened at their night camp. The hand which had been at her head was now pressed tight across her lips as if she were biting furiously into its flesh to still some panic of her own, and her gray eyes were round and haunted. "You are free now," Travis said. Kaydessa nodded, and then dropped her hand to speak. "You brought me away from the hunters.
Travis squatted before the animal, cupped the coyote's jowls between his palms. Naginlta suffered his touch with only a small whine of uneasiness. With all his power of mental suggestion, Travis strove to reach the keen brain he knew was served by the yellow eyes looking into his. The others with Kaydessa were to be led on, taken to the ship. But Kaydessa must not suffer harm.
And Travis' own vague surmise concerning Topaz was proven correct. This had not been an empty world for the long-gone space people. This planet had a purpose and a use, or else this beast would not have been here. "Devil!" Kaydessa made a face of disgust. "You know it?" Tsoay asked Travis. "What is it?" "That I do not know, but it is a thing left over from the star people's time.
We could run, leave her alone. When she left the ship, we could then take up the chase, shepherding her back to the country she knows. Within the ship we would be with her and could see she did not remain too long." Travis could see a good prospect in that plan. There was one thing he would insist on if Kaydessa was to be in that ship, he himself would be one of the "captors."
"Kaydessa leads the Reds into a trap we have set beyond the peaks four of them ride with her. How many now remain in the ship near the settlement?" "There are at least two in the flyer, perhaps eight more in the ship. But there is no getting at them in there." "No?" Travis laughed softly, shifted the weapon on his arm.
Finally Travis sighted what he had been seeking, a flicker of movement on the wall well above. He flung up his hand, pulling his mount to a stand. Apaches stood in full view, bows ready, arrows on cords. But they made no sound. Kaydessa cried out, booted her mount to draw equal with Travis. "A trap!" Her face, flushed with heat, was also stark with anger. Travis smiled slowly.
Travis knew that Kaydessa would be guided without her knowledge by the "accidental" appearance now and then of some pursuer just enough to push her along. "Then, too, she is now armed," Jil-Lee added. "How?" demanded Travis. "Look to your own belt, younger brother. Where is your knife?" Startled, Travis glanced down.
When they reached a spot near-by Travis thought of a certain rock beyond the pass then one of the coyotes was to go ahead to the ship. Let the Apaches there know.... Manulito and Eskelta should also be warned by the sentry along the peaks, but additional alerting would not go amiss. Those four with Kaydessa they must reach the trap! "What was that?" Buck rolled out of his blanket.
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