Vietnam or Thailand ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Updated: June 8, 2025
The man who came through the inner door was in early middle age, thin, wiry, with a hard, fined-down look about him. He could almost be Tau's elder brother. He crossed the room with a brisk stride and came to stand over Dane, his hand reaching to pull aside the bloody cloth covering the Trader's breast. But Dane fended off that examination. "My partner," he said.
"Reader of clouds and master of many winds," Tau's voice flowed with the many voweled titles of the Sargolian, "may I bring before your face Cargo-master Kallee, a servant of Inter-Solar in the realm of Trade?" The storm priest's shaven skull and body gleamed steel gray in the light. His eyes, of that startling blue-green, regarded the I-S party with cynical detachment. "You wish of me?"
They must accept Tau's explanation; it was the only sane one. Asaki's features were suddenly convulsed with a rage so stark that Dane realized how much a veneer was the painfully built civilization of Khatka. "Lumbrilo!" The Chief Ranger made of that name a curse. Then with a visible effort he controlled his emotions and came to Tau, looming over the slighter medic almost menacingly.
"When they move," Tau's lips were beside his ear, "jump for that drum. I don't care how you get it, but get it and keep it!" "Yes, sir!" There was a wailing cry from the north, a howl of witless fear. The singers stopped in mid-note, the drummer paused, his hand uplifted. Dane darted forward in a plunge which carried him to that man.
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.
Fed the semi-liquid diet prescribed by Tau and served up by Mura to him and his fellow sufferers, he speedily got back his strength. But it had been a close call, he did not need Tau's explanation to underline that. Weeks had suffered the least of the four, he the most though none of them had had an easy time. And they had been out of circulation three days.
He was not quite so cocky, but neither had he surrendered. Dane caught at Tau's sleeve and asked the question which had been burning in him since he had come upon the scene. "What happened about the catnip?" There was lightening of the serious expression on Tau's face. "Fortunately for you that child took the leaves to the storm priest. They tested and approved it.
Now, with Tau's salve soothing the worst of the after affects, the Terran was given time to reflect upon his own stupidity and the fact that he might now prove a drag on the whole party the next morning. "That's queer...."
He has a bad headache and he blacked out when he tried to sit up. Tau's running tests." Dane sat down. "Could be something he ate " Rip shook his head. "He wasn't at the feast remember? And he didn't eat anything from outside, he swore that to Tau. In fact he didn't go dirt much while we were down " That was only too true as Dane could now recall.
"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?"
Word Of The Day
Others Looking