United States or Gambia ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
As the westering sun, almost down now, shone into the valley hollow Thorvald set up the frame of his trap. "We can't knock it out, any more than we can knock out a Throg. But a beam from a stunner ought to slow it up long enough for this to work." Taggi burst out of the grass, approaching the hole with purpose. And Togi was right at his heels.
"Taggi ?" His voice sounded rusty in his own ears, as if some of the moisture thick in the air about them had affected his vocal cords. "Hunting." Thorvald's answer was clipped. He was gathering a handful of sticks from the back of their lean-to, where the protection of their own bodies had kept that kindling dry. Shann snapped a length between his hands, dropped it into the pit.
He groped through that fire-pierced darkness. An animal whimper from the throat of the shaggy body pressed against him; he answered that movement. "Taggi?" The shove against him was almost enough to pin him once more to the wall, a painful crush on his aching ribs, as the wolverine responded to his name. That second nudge from the other side must be Togi's bid for attention.
Then I ask some questions, they evade gracefully, or reply in a kind of unintelligible double-talk, and that's as far as our communication has progressed so far." "Taggi and Togi?" "Have a run of their own and as far as I can tell are better satisfied with life than I am. Oddly enough, they respond more quickly and more intelligently to orders.
Disturbing as his dream had been, the feeling that it was not to be shared was also strong, as strong as some order. "And so did I," Thorvald said bleakly. "You saw your skull-mountain?" "I was climbing it when you awoke me," Shann returned unwillingly. "And I was going through my green veil when Taggi took off and wakened me. You are sure your skull exists?" "Yes."
After all, how could the aliens know that they had caught all but one of the Survey party in camp? Though with all the Terran scout flitters grounded on the field, the men dead in their bunks, the surprise would seem to be complete. As Shann moved, Taggi and Togi came to life also. They had gone to earth with speed, and the man was sure that both beasts had sensed danger.
Taggi and Togi, trailing leashes, galloped out of nowhere to hurl themselves at him in uproarious welcome. And Thorvald must have heard their eager whines even through the blast of the ship, for he turned and waved Shann to join him. "Where is the cruiser going?" "To punch a Throg base out of this system," Thorvald answered. "They located it on Witch." "But we're staying on here?"
He wished he had the Terran animals now with Taggi and his mate to tease and feint about the monster, as they had done with the Throg hound for he would have a better chance. If only the animals were here! Those eyes red-pitted eyes in a gargoyle head following his every movement perhaps those were the only vulnerable points. Muscles tensed beneath that scaled hide.
And in a space of heartbeats his thrust of anger cooled into a stubborn enmity. "No thanks to you," he said deliberately aloud. If the Wyvern witch wanted to understand him, let her make the effort; he did not try to touch her thoughts with his. Taggi stirred again, and Shann glanced down quickly. The wolverine gasped, opened his eyes, shook his miniature bear head, scattering pellets of sand.
The wolverine twisted and whined, but he did not fight for freedom as he would have upon scenting Throg. Not that the Terran had ever believed one of those aliens was responsible for the happenings on the island. Taggi came down under Shann's urging, but he was plainly ill at ease.
Word Of The Day