ONE ALONE
Once again the beach was a wide of shingle, fast under a sun than any Shann had yet on Warlock. Summer had taken a big forward. The Terrans in a overhang, not only for the protection against the sun's rays, but also as a against any Throg air patrol.
Under Thorvald's direction the from the sea—if it were a shell, and the as well as the shape that—was with a to act as a outrigger. What resulted was an odd-looking craft, but one which the and the easily.
In the full the of was clear-cut—red-and-gray-rock above an sea. The Terrans had no more of the sea monsters, and the major of native life along the was a new of clak-claks, in and along the sands, and fish and in small pools—to the of the wolverines, who up and the beach, to all of the storm.
"That should serve." Thorvald the last lashing, up, his on his hips, to the with a measure of pride.
Shann was not so content. He had matched the Survey officer in industry, but the need for still him. So the ship—such as it was—was ready. Now they would be off to Thorvald's Utgard. But a small and the man his over such a voyage. Fork-tail had come out of the of which they must in this very transport. And Shann had no to meet an and fork-tail in the latter's own territory.
"Which do we for?" Shann private his personal of their success. The of that was only a low on the water.
"The largest ... that one with trees."
Shann whistled. Since the night of the the were again more to the very light he to keep. Perhaps the of that had the men and animals, to this world. Now Taggi and his toward him in answer to his summons. But would the trust the boat? Shann not their swimming, would he agree to them behind.
Thorvald had already their on board. And now Shann the against a which them as a wharf, while he Taggi gently. Though the protested, he at last in, to at the of the shell, the picture of apprehension. Togi took longer to make up her mind. And at length Shann her up bodily, her with speech and hands, to put her her mate.
The settled under the weight of the passengers, but Thorvald's the use of the proved right, for the was seaworthy. It answered to the of their as they in a curve, the of the them and the open sea for a breakwater.
From the air, Thorvald's would have been a one, for he and the of the chain, using their for the protection of the canoe. About two of the group were rock, only by clak-claks and closer to true Terran in that they a which feathers, though their were and leathery. And, Shann noted, the clak-claks and the did not on the same islands, each their own particular home while the other did not that territory.
The large-sized they approached was by trees, but it had no beach, no approach from sea level. Perhaps it might be possible to climb to the top of the walls. But Thorvald did not that they try it, on toward the next large of land and rock.
Here white patterned in a ring well out from the to mark a circle of reefs. They their way around the of that barrier, the entrance to the lagoon. Within, there were at least two with to the upper inland. Though Shann noted that the was not luxuriant, the trees their range of being growths, like those they had on the of the desert. Leather-headed out over their canoe, on to at the Terran in a manner which curiosity.
A full to them as they along the line of the reef. Thorvald his deeper. They had more than of the now without on an entrance channel.
"Regular fence," Shann commented. One to that the had been to visitors. Hot sunshine, from the surface of the waves, their skin, so they not their clothing. And the were restless. Shann did not know how much longer the animals would to their position as without active protest.
"How about trying the next one?" he asked, at the same time his was not in any mood to accept such a with good will.
The officer no reply, but to use his in a fashion which out his to a passage. This was a personal thing now, Ragnar Thorvald of the Terran Survey and a of rock, and the man's will was as as those water-washed stones.
On the of the they a possible opening. Shann the narrow space two dubiously. To him that of water limited, the of a them against either of those pillars, with results, they move to save themselves. But Thorvald pointed their toward the passage with confidence, and Shann that as as the officer was concerned, this was their door to the lagoon.
Thorvald might be stubborn, but he was not a fool. And his and skill in such was proved when the in a in and by those to the safety, in seconds, of the lagoon. Shann with relief, but no comment.
Now they must along the of the to the beaches, for them on this of the well-protected were as as those which the of the at which they had aimed.
Shann now and then over the of the boat, in these to the sea or some of the of these waters. But there was no that green murk. Here and there of or above the surface, in the wavelets, to be by the voyagers. Shann's and burned, his were to the of the paddles, and the fire of the sun easily through only two of cloth to his skin. He ran a over and ahead in search of the of the beaches.
What was so about this that Thorvald had to make a landing here? The officer's of a native which they might turn against the Throgs to their own was thin, very thin indeed. Especially now, as Shann an against that in his shoulders, the possibility of being on the ahead, against the fifty he total up with very little of effort. A small of Thorvald's to in his mind. How Shann be sure that that and Thorvald's hokus-pokus with it had been on the level? On the other hand what would the officer have for trying such an act just to Shann?
The beach at last! As they the in that direction the nearly on them. The animals' as they and the and that they were close. Taggi reared, over the of the craft, and Shann had just time to his weight in the opposite direction as a when Togi followed. They while Thorvald and Shann to save the supply bag. In a of the animals land and well up on the to shake themselves and and wide the of by their fur.
Ashore, the a and, light as the was, of the men to it up on the beach without the against and brush. With the of a Throg in mind they to it.
Taggi an egg-patterned from a and at the of his fur. The had no time in the of a of places just above the high-water mark, two to four tough-shelled eggs in each. Treading a path among those clutches, the Terrans a red-earthed toward the of the island.
They water, not the clear of a spring, but a in a stone-walled on the of a rise, by the of the rain. The warm liquid was brackish, but satisfied in part their thirst, and they eagerly.
The of the was just that, a wall, for there was an to match the outer. And at the of it a of purple-green where plants and trees for space. But there was nothing else, though they that with the of men trying to an enemy outpost.
That night they in the hollow, eggs in a fire, and ate the fishy-tasting it was food, not they what they swallowed. Tonight no cloud bank overhead. A man, up, see the stars. The and other things, for over the of the they the lights of a Throg ship and waited for that circle of small points to out toward their own hole.
"They haven't up," Shann what was to them both.
"The transport," Thorvald him. "If they do not take a to talk her in and suspicion, then—" he his fingers—"the Patrol will be on their tails, but quick!"
So just by out of Throg range, they were, in a way, still fighting. Shann settled back, his against a tree hole. He to count the number of days and nights him now since that early when he had the Terran die under the aliens' weapons. But one day into another so that he only action parts clearly—the attack on the scoutship, the they had in turn on the camp, the on the river, the from the Throg ship in the crevice, and their meeting with the hound. Then that which had them to after their with the disk. And now this day when they had safely the island.
"Why this island?" he asked suddenly.
"That piece was here on the of this valley," Thorvald returned matter-of-factly.
"But today we nothing at all——"
"Yet this us with a starting point."
A starting point for what? A search of all the islands, great and small, in the chain? And how did they continue to openly from one to the next with the Throgs the skies? They would have provided an excellent today as they that for an hour or more. Wearily, Shann spread out his hands in the very light of their fire, with a at points which would have been had those hands not a in the past. More tomorrow? But that was tomorrow, and at least they need not worry tonight about any Throg attack once they had the fire, an action which was now being to by Thorvald. Shann pushed on the of he had together. The night was quiet. He only the of the sea, a of to make one sleep deep, dreamlessly.
Sun down, making a about him. Shann over in that welcome heat, a little as might a cat at ease. Then he under the press of memory, and the need for him once more. Beaten-down grass, the burnt-out of last night's fire were him. But of Thorvald and the there were no signs.
Not only did he now alone, but he was by the that he had not been only momentarily, that Taggi, Togi and the Survey officer were gone. Shann sat up, got to his feet, faster, a of in him, him to that slope, up it to the from which he see that beach where last night they had the canoe.
Those lengths of and of they had used for a screen were about as if in haste. And not too long before....
For the was out in the the reef, the by its in the sun. On the below, the and forth, in bewilderment.
"Thorvald——!"
Shann put the full of his into that hail, the name ring from one of the small at his back. But the man in the did not turn his head; there was no in the speed of that dip.
Shann the to the beach, the last feet, saving himself from going into the water only by a painful of his body.
"Thorvald!" He calling again. But that head, under the sun did not turn; there was no answer. Shann at his and off his boots.
He did not think of the possibility of sea as he into the water, for the along the reef, for the sea gate to the southwest. Shann was not a powerful swimmer. His gave him a good start, but after that he had to for each he gained, and the in him that the other would the passage he catch up. He no more time trying to Thorvald, all his and energy into the of the craft.
And he almost it, his hand actually along the which the outrigger. As his on the he looked up, and that again in time to save his life.
For when he to let the water his in an dive, Shann with him a picture, a picture so that he was a little dazed.
Thorvald had stopped at last, that had to be put to another use. Had Shann not his on the and gone under water, that piece of might, have his skull. He saw only too the in hands as an weapon, and Thorvald's face, in a of which it as as a Throg's.
Sputtering and choking, Shann up to the air once more. The was at the for which it had been carved, the was again, its paying no more attention to what than if he had of the man in the water. To would be only to another attack, and Shann might not be so lucky next time. He was not good a to try any such as the canoe, not when Thorvald was an expert who easily off a opponent.
Shann to where the waited, unable yet to make of that attack in the lagoon. What had to Thorvald? What had the other to Shann and the animals on this island, the Thorvald had called a starting point in his search for the of Warlock? Or had every of that tall been by the Survey officer for some purpose of his own, no purpose? Against that logic Shann only set the disk, and he had only Thorvald's word that that had been here.
He himself out of the water on his hands and and lay, and gasping. Taggi came to his face, him, making a small, whimpering. While above, the leather-headed called and swooped, and angry for their place. The Terran retched, up water, and then sat up to look around.
The spread of was bare. Thorvald must have the south point of land and be very close to the passage, through it by now. Not stopping for his clothes, Shann started up the slope, part of the way on his hands and knees.
He the again and got to his feet. The sun an eye-dazzling of the waves. But under the of his hands Shann saw the again, the reef, on out along the chain, not to as he had expected. Thorvald was still on the hunt, but for what? A which existed, or a in his own brain?
Shann sat down. He was very hungry, for that in the had his strength. And he was a along with the wolverines, a on an which was the size of the which the Survey camp. As as he knew, his only supply of water was that of evil-smelling rain which would be by a sun such as the one now on him. And him and the was the sea, a sea which such as the fork-tail he had die.
Thorvald was still on course, not to the next in the chain, a small, knob, but to the one that. He have been to a meeting. Where and with what?
Shann got to his feet, started to the beach once more, sure now that the officer had no of returning, that he was again on his own with only his and to keep him alive—alive and somehow free of this water-washed prison.
