DEATH OF A SHIP
That of air was not as loud as a breeze, but it in Shann's ears. He not in his luck as that fainter, away into the he had just left. With he his from his arm, still able to accept the that he had not been sighted, that the Throgs and their were gone.
But that black plate was out into the sun haze. One of the might have that there were Terran and ordered a patrol. After all, how the know that they had all but one of the Survey party in camp? Though with all the Terran on the field, the men in their bunks, the would 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 had danger. Not for the time he a for the education he had had. In he had listened, out jobs in order to reports and the small talk of on their own particular hobbies. But so much of the Shann had thus up to store in a memory he had not and not fit together. It had been as if he were trying to solve some puzzle with at least a of the necessary pieces missing, or with from others intermixed. How much did a animal have over his or assistants? And was part of that a up man and animal?
How well would the him now, when they would not return to where waiting as of authority? Wouldn't a into the about a for complete freedom? If Shann upon the animals, it would a great deal. Not only would their ability provide all three with food, but their senses, so much than his, might a life and death.
Few large native had been on Warlock by the Terran explorers. And of those four or five different species, none had proved if unprovoked. But that did not that in the wild lands into which Shann was there were no unknowns, and as as the when they were to rage.
Then there were the "dreams," which had the of and dispute. Shann from his and about the dreams. Did they or did they not exist? You start an any time by making a for or against the of reported by the to set ship on this world.
The Circe system, of which Warlock was the second of three planets, had been four years ago by one of those traveling in Survey service. Everyone that the First-In Scouts were a breed, almost a of Terran stock—their reports were with observations.
So an one Circe (a yellow sun such as Sol) and her three was not so rare. Witch, the world nearest in to Circe, was too for without and too world-changing. Wizard, the third out from the sun, was mostly and water. But Warlock, through space two neighbors, to be just what the settlement ordered.
Then the Survey scout, in the safety of his well-armed ship, to dream. And from those a of the empty world developed, until he the to his sanity. There had been a second visit to Warlock in check; worlds so well to not be away. And this time there was a negative report, no of dreams, no registration of any on the and the ship carried. So the Survey team had been to prepare for the of the pioneers, and none of them had either—at least, no more than the ordinary all men accepted.
Only there were those who pointed out that the had the and second visits to Warlock. That had in summer; his had come in and winter. They that the final of the world for settlement should not be until the full year on Warlock had been sampled.
But the pressure of Emigrant Control had their hands, that and the of just what had happened—an attack from the Throgs. So they had up the of Warlock open. Only Ragnar Thorvald had that up to the last and had gone to on the supply ship a month ago to make a last for a more study.
Shann stopped the from the above his knee. Ragnar Thorvald.... He to the port landing on another world, with a of he not define. That had been about the second biggest day of his life; the biggest had come when they had actually allowed him to on for Survey duty.
He had off the cross-continent carrier, his kit—a very kit—slung over his thin shoulder, a him until he that he not continue to that wild happiness. There was a waiting starship. And he—Shann Lantee from the Dumps of Tyr, without any or schooling—was going to blast off in her, the brown-green of Survey!
Then he had uncertainly, had not the of him and that group the same uniform—with a difference, that of service and and rank insignia—with the self-assurance of men who had done this many times before.
But after a moment that whole group had in his own just a for one man. Shann had in his and limited childhood, his boyhood, anyone who in him hero worship. And he not have put a name to the new that added so to his to make good, not only to the small in Survey which he had already so achieved, but to climb, until he so in such a group talking easily to that tall man, his bronze-yellow in the sunlight, his in his face.
Not that any of those wild in that minute or two had been in the months. Probably those had always been as wild as the ones reported by the on Warlock. Shann now at the period of and half-confidence that he do big things. Only one Thorvald had noticed Shann's in the Survey camp, and that had been Garth.
Garth Thorvald, a less impressive—one say "smudged"—copy of his brother. Swaggering with an Ragnar showed, Garth was a on his mission, upon making Shann the a labor hand and an officer-to-be. He had appeared to know right from their meeting just how to make Shann's life a misery.
Now, in this of well away from the domes, Shann's balled. He them against the earth in a way he had so often to plant them on Garth's face, his well-muscled body. One didn't the Dumps of Tyr without learning how to use fists, and boots, and a list of they didn't teach in any academy. He had always been sure that he take Garth if they mixed it up. But if he had the tight he had on his and offered that challenge, he would have his with Survey. Garth had proved himself able to talk his way out of any scrape, minor of duty, and he out-ranked Shann. The from Tyr had had to all that the other dish out and that on his next he would not be a of Thorvald's team. Though, of Garth Thorvald, Shann's of black record marks had high and each day the for any more had dimmer.
Shann laughed, and the was ugly. That was one thing he didn't have to worry about any longer. There would be no other for him, the Throgs had to that. And Garth ... well, there would be a them now. He up. The Throg ship had disappeared; they push on.
He a in the which was climbable, and he the after him. When they on the from which the tumbled, Taggi and Togi against him, for his attention. They, too, appeared to need the they got from with him, for they were also on this world, the only of their kind.
Since he did not have any in view, Shann to be by the stream, its across a plateau. The sun was warm, so he his jacket across one shoulder. Taggi and Togi ahead, twice skitterers, which they voraciously. A on a sun-baked sent the Terran for until he saw that it was by one of the from the upper peaks. But that his confidence, so he again cover, at his own carelessness.
In the late he the end of the plateau, a climb to which still of snow, now a soft by the sun. Shann that possible path and his own powers to take it without proper or supplies. He must turn either north or south, though he would then have to a sure water supply in the stream. Tonight he would where he was. He had not how he was until he a likely half-cave in the and in. There was too much in fire here; he would have to do without that of his kind.
Luckily, the in him to the hole. With their warm him, Shann dozed, awoke, and again, to night sounds—the screams, cries, calls, of the Warlock wilds. Now and again one of the and moved uneasily.
Fingers of sun at Shann through a among the rocks, his eyes. He moved, awake, unable for the to why the of his had red stone. Then he remembered. He was alone and he himself out of the cave, the had off. Only animals were under a with a which there was a purpose that effort.
A on the of one hand that purpose only too clear to Shann, and he from the of the excavation. They had an earth-wasp's and were grubs, naturally the to resentment.
Shann the problem of his own breakfast. He had had the to all members of the team, and he had game in by parties and "safe." But how long he keep to the of native food he was uncertain. Sooner or later he must for himself. Already he the water without the of purifiers, and so there had been no results from that necessary recklessness. Now the fish. But he upon another water which had up on land for some purpose of its own. It was a thing, an easy to his club, with thin, weak it project at will from a and armor-plated body.
Shann offered the and to Togi, who had the nest. She in and then gulped. Shann a small fire and the flesh. The taste was flat, salt, but the food his emptiness. Enheartened, he started south, to water the morning.
By he had his with the of a spring, and the had a slender-legged animal was close in to the of the vegetation. Smaller than a Terran deer, its bore, not horns, but a of in a point some twelve about the dome. Shann off some while the in earnest, the afterward.
It was when Shann by the to wash that he the of the clak-claks. He had or nothing of the since he had left the valley. But from the noise now in an volume, he there was a near-by and that the were aroused.
He on his hands and to near-by cover, toward the of that outburst. If the were announcing a Throg party, he wanted to know it.
Lying flat, with a screen over him, the Terran out on a of which at a to the south and which must lead to a of well the level he was now traversing.
The clak-claks were and forth, their cries. Following the of their formation, Shann that they against was on the level, out of his from that point. Should he withdraw, since the was not near him? Prudence that; yet still he hesitated.
He had no to travel north, or to try and the mountains. No, south was his best path, and he should be very sure that was closed he retreated.
Since any additional the clak-claks might make on him would be in their now clamor, the Terran on to where tall provided a screen at the top of the slope. There he stopped short, his hands into the earth in action.
Below, the ground from a flare-back, away from the of a small scoutship. But as Shann rose to one knee, his of welcome in his throat. One of those sank, the ship crookedly, any new take-off. And over the of a low hill to the west the black plate of a Throg flyer.
The Throg ship came up in a of speed, and Shann waited for some from the scout. Those small Terran ships were provided with in to their size. He was sure that the Terran ship its own against the Throg, the enemy. But there was no fire from the pencil of the scout. The Throg warily, a trap. Twice it in the direction from which it had come. As it returned from its second retreat, another of its showed, a black coin against the of the sky.
Shann inside. Now the Terran had any and all hope. The Throgs box the other in, cut the ship to pieces with their energy beams. He wanted to away and not this last for his kind. But some of will him where he was.
The Throgs to circle while them the of clak-claks and at the nose of the Terran ship. Then that same energy he had the from the plate across the scout. The man who had her, if not already (which might account for the of defense), must have to that. But the Throg was going to make very sure. The second halted, long to a second bolt—dazzling any and a to make Shann's skin when the last his post.
What then the Throg was not prepared to take. Shann out, his on his arm, as of light out normal sight. There was an explosion, a blast. He cowered, blind, unable to hear. Then, at his eyes, he to see what had happened.
Through he out the Throg ship, not now in to Warlock's gravity, but end over end across the sky as might a in a of wind. Its against a rust-red cliff, it and crumpled. Then it came down, a mile away from the in which the of the Terran ship. The pilot must have played a last game, making of his ship for a trap.
The Terran had taken one Throg with him. Shann again at his eyes, just able to catch a of the second ship away westward. Perhaps it was only his sight, but it appeared to him that the Throg an path, either as if the pilot to be by a second shot, or that ship had also some injury.
Acid up from the making Shann and cough. There be no from the Terran scout, and he did not that any Throg had to free of the plate. But there would be other here soon. They would not to the unsearched. He about that scout. Had the pilot been for the Survey camp, the of any from there him off so that he the which him here? Or had the Throgs to blast the Terran ship in the upper atmosphere, it, making this a landing? But at least this had cost the Throgs, settling a small of the Terran for the camp.
The length of time Shann's of the ship and the attack by the Throgs had been so that he had not any of to be by the end of the ship. On the other hand, the Throgs take a had his of their superiority. He might not have the of a at his command. But he did have Taggi, Togi, and his own brain. Since he was to permanent on Warlock, there might just be some way to make the pay for that.
He his lips. Real action against the would take a of planning. Shann would have to know more about what a Throg a Throg, more than all the wild he had over the years. There had to be some way a Terran move against a beetle-head. And he had a of time, maybe the of his life to work out a answers. That Throg ship at the of the ... he do a little any arrived. Shann such a move was the try and to the wolverines.
