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He shrugged out of the blanket pack he had been carrying on his back, tossed that burden ahead. Out of cover charged a streak of red, to land on the bait. Hume blasted, was answered by a water-cat's high-pitched scream. The feline writhed out of its life in a stench of scorched fur and flesh. As Vye retrieved his clawed pack Hume stood over the dead animal. "Odd."
"Premium for the Guild is one thousand credits down, two thousand for training and say another for about the best field outfit you can buy. That'll give you maybe another two or three thousand to save for your honorable retirement." "How did you know?" Vye began and then had to laugh in spite of himself as Hume replied: "I didn't. Good guess, eh? Well, zoom out your recorder, Commander.
Then he tried the only action he had been able to think out. That beast Hume had killed had been too heavy to swing up in trees. But Vye's own weight now did not prohibit that form of travel. With spear and ray tube firmly attached to him, Vye climbed into the first tree. A slim chance but his only defense against a possible ambush.
His face, grimy, sweat-covered, was turned up to the sunlight, and his eyes were again bright with reason. Vye found the strength to run the last few feet between them. He was fumbling with those ties about Hume's wrists as he blurted out the news. The barrier was out they could go.
He turned for a moment into the passage to hide it. Then he came back again. "Do you mean Miss Vye?" he said. "How is it that she can be married so soon?" "By the will of God and a ready young man, I suppose." "You don't mean Mr. Yeobright?" "Yes. He has been creeping about with her all the spring." "I suppose she was immensely taken with him?"
They had rested briefly after their return to the safari camp, and Vye had been supplied with clothing from Hume's bags, so that now he wore the uniform of the Guild. He went armed, too, with the equipment belt taken from Rovald and that other's weapons, needler and tube. At least they started on their dubious rescue mission with every aid the safari camp could muster.
He brought a viv-root case from an inner pocket, offered a choice of contents to Vye, who gave an instant and suspicious refusal by shake of head. The officer selected one of the small tubes, snapped off the protecto-nib, and set it between his lips for a satisfying and lengthy pull.
"I was still me as long as I stayed away from conditioning." "Then you became Rynch Brodie in spite of your flight." "No well, maybe, for a while. But I'm still Vye Lansor here." "Yes, here. And I don't think you'll have to worry about raising a premium to get a new start. You can claim victim compensation, you know." Vye was silent, but Hume did not let him remain so.
"When the Patrol arrives, you put in your claim. I'll back you." "You can't." "That's where you're mistaken," Hume told him crisply. "I've already taped a full story back at the spacer it's on record now." Vye frowned. The Hunter seemed determined to ask for the worst the Patrol or the planet police back on Nahuatl could deal out.
Mr. Yeobright had got one pot of the bones, and was going to bring 'em home real skellington bones but 'twas ordered otherwise. You'll be relieved to hear that he gave away his pot and all, on second thoughts; and a blessed thing for ye, Mis'ess Yeobright, considering the wind o' nights." "Gave it away?" "Yes. To Miss Vye. She has a cannibal taste for such churchyard furniture seemingly."
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