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"I am of the Magawaya and we have pressed always for stronger security methods to be used against such as they. But I do not see how we can take the camp." "We won't go in from the front as they expect us to do. But a try from the north, getting at the off-worlders first.... Three men causing enough disturbance to cover operations of the other two...." "So?"
Beside Dane, Jellico stiffened, moved his blaster, as someone wriggled through the brush, trilling softly. "Off-worlders," Nymani reported in gasps to Asaki, "and outlaws, too. They make a hunting sing tomorrow they march for a killing." Asaki rested his chin on his broad forearm. "Outlaws?" "They show no lord's badge. But each I saw wears a bracelet of three, five, or ten tails.
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?
Through the opening he had a glimpse of a figure muffled in a heavy-duty spacesuit. That must be Meta's work, she would have contacted the ship by radio while it was on its way down and explained the standing orders that no off-worlders were to be allowed out of their ships unless wearing the heaviest armor.
There were shelters erected there, three of them, but they were mainly roofs of leaves and branches. In two of them were stored bales of hides sewn into plastic cloth, ready to ship. Before the third hut lounged four off-worlders. And Nymani was very right; one of them wore ship's uniform. To the right of the fire was a ring of natives and another man, slightly apart, who beat the drum.
And between, this fortress held by men who dared both the heights and the depths. The wildly burgeoning life of Khatka had surrounded the off-worlders since they had come here. There was something untameable about Khatka; the lush planet lured and yet repelled at the same time. "Zoboru far from here?" The Chief Ranger pointed north in answer to the captain's question. "About a hundred leagues.
The dazed native Hunters had been expertly looped together by Nymani and, a little apart from them, the off-worlders were under examination. "An I-C man, eh?" Jellico, smoothing a mud-spattered chin with a grimed hand, regarded the latest arrival measuringly. "Trying to run in and break a Combine charter, were you?
"We shall see. If Lumbrilo is not here he shall come." And the promise in Tau's tone was sure. "Those off-worlders will have to be out of action first. And with that walking thing sent to drive us in, they must be waiting for us." "If they have sentries out, I will silence them!" promised Nymani. "You have a plan?"
"I hereby challenge a champion to be set out from these off-worlders to meet by the blood and by the water my champion " The Salariki were getting excited. This was superb entertainment, an engagement such as they had never hoped to see alien against alien. The rising murmur of their voices was like the growl of a hunting beast.
The Khatkan turned slowly, resting the weapon across his forearm. "I do not deny that, spaceman." "Then matters here are indeed serious " "They are so serious," Asaki interrupted, speaking not only to Tau but to the other off-worlders as well, "that what happens now may mean the end of the Khatka that I know. Lumbrilo is the most dangerous game I have faced in a lifetime as a hunter.
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