Baldies
"Ohhhh!" Karara at Ross, her in little gasps, to her and horror. They had not what might come from this plan; neither had the present in the lagoon.
Perhaps the energy of the enemy the already vicious-tempered into this fury. But now the water was into as the there, each other with a neither Terran had before.
Lights along the where the must have been by the of the reptiles. Somewhere in the above the beach of the a of Rovers should now be making their way from the opposite of Kyn Add under orders not to go into attack unless signaled. Whether the sea would to that was a question which had Ross from the first.
Tino-rau and Taua in the to the of the reef, the two Terrans on that itself, and them and the the wild of salkars. Ross started. The which had been against his skin cut off sharply. The in the had been silenced! This was the time to move, but no last in the itself.
"Along the reef," Karara said.
That would be the long way round, Ross knew, but the only one possible. He the of lights ashore. Two or three moved there. Seemingly the attention of the was well upon the still in progress in the lagoon.
"Stay here!" he ordered the girl. Adjusting his mask, Ross into the water, away from the and then to swim with it. Tino-rau matched him as he went, Ross to a second in the reef, toward the some from where the of the still a in the night.
The Terran in the shallows, off his and them to his belt, his free on his chest. He toward the beach where the had been. At least he was for this than he had been when he had the Rovers with only a diver's knife. From the Time Agent he had taken the single hand he had long ago in the of the spaceship. This only be used sparingly, since they did not know how it be recharged, and the of its still as as Terran were concerned.
Ross his way to a of from which he had a free view of the beach and the aliens. Three of them he counted, and they were Baldies, all right—taller and than his own species, their gray-white, the upper of their the on their pointed faces. They all the blue-purple-green of the space voyagers—suits which Ross of old were and for their wearers, as well as a medium for in touch with one another. Just as he, one, had once been over miles of wilderness.
To him, all three of the looked to have been out from one pattern. And their movements that they or into action with precision. They all seaward, at the salkar-infested lagoon. There was no of any explosion, but green of light at the in the water. And where those struck, seared. Methodically the the basin. But, Ross noted, those which had been at his sighting, were now by flickers. One of the Baldies his tube, its against a as if trying to a jamming. When the into action once again his and failed. Within a of moments the other two were also finished. The pushed into the sand, a to the scene, as a fire might to embers. Power fading?
An shape out of the water, over the of the beach, its outstretched, its nose for a gore-threatening charge. Ross had not that the out of what he was their natural element, but this wild-eyed was on its tormentors.
For a moment or two the Baldies to the creature, almost, Ross thought, as if they not that their had failed them. Then they and ran to the which they had taken with such ease. The along in their wake, but its movements more the it advanced, until at last it with only its upraised, it and forth, its well agape, a howl.
Its was answered from the water as a second of its ashore. A terrible had skin and just its neck; yet still it came on, and a challenge. It did not attack its fellow; it its past the comer, on its way after the Baldies.
The to come ashore, two more, a third, a fourth, and torn—pulling themselves as as they up the beach. To lie, inland, their necks weaving, their bobbing, their a din. What had them out of their of among themselves into this attempt to the aliens, Ross not determine. Unless the of the was such that they had been able to the which the Baldies had on them so with the men on the beach, and had by to a common enemy.
But no give them the necessary energy to ashore. Almost beached, they to into the with their in a to the aliens.
Ross the of and for the fairing. A about; a was in his direction. He the rank of with flesh. The nearest of the must have the Terran in turn, as it was now trying to around to cut across Ross's path. But it was on land, and the man it easily.
Three Baldies had this way. Yet Jazia had reported five had come out of the sea to take Kyn Add. Two were missing. Where? Had they in the fairing? Were they now in the sub? And that sub—what had to it? The had been cut off; he had the failure of the and the lights. Might the have from attack? Though Ross that the it.
The Terran was traveling blindly, well under of such as he could, only that he must inland. Under his the ground was rising, and he the nature of this as Torgul and Jazia had pictured it for him. This had to be part of the of the in which the of the fairing. In these was the Shrine of Phutka where Jazia had out. To the west now the Rover village, so he had to work his way left, downhill, in order to the where the Baldies had gone to ground. Ross that progress with the of a scout.
Hawaika's moon, in size to Terra's companion, was up, and the was clear, with well defined. The glow, to Terran eyes, added to the of being in a nightmare, and the of the a devils' chorus.
When the Rovers had put up the of their fairing, they had a series of small from those structures. All of these were now with almost to harvest. The grain, if that Terran term be to this Hawaikan product, was in long which from shoulder-high bushes. And the were well with which tore. A single try at making his way into one of those Ross of the of such an advance. He sat to nurse his hands and survey the landscape.
To go a very would be making himself a clear for anyone in those ahead. He had the of the Baldies fail on the beach, but that did not the were now weaponless.
His best chance, Ross decided, was to circle north, come along the of a stream. And he was at the of that when a him to a halt, ready.
"Rosss—"
"Loketh!"
"And Torgul and Vistur."
This was the party from the opposite of the island, gone to earth. In the moonlight Ross no of their presence, yet their voices almost him.
"They are in there, in the great hall." That was Torgul. "But no longer are there any lights."
"Now—" An urgent their attention.
Light below. But not the of the Ross had on the beach. This was the warm yellow-red of fire, up, the higher as if being with haste.
Three were moving there. Ross to that there were only this ashore. He no in their hands, which did not necessarily they were unarmed. But the ran close the of one of the buildings, and Ross its provide for a man who what he was doing. He pointed out as much to Torgul.
"And if their magic and you are out to be killed?" The Rover captain came directly to the point.
"That is a to be taken. But ... the magic of the Foanna at the sea gate did not work against me. Perhaps this won't either. Once, earlier, I against it."
"Have you then another hand to give to the fire as your defense?" That was Vistur. "But no man has the right to order another's challenge."
"Just so," returned Ross sharply. "And this is a thing I have long been to do."
He into the bed. Approaching from this angle, the of the were him and the fire. So screened he a wall, got to his feet, and along it. Then he a wild scene. The fire in great, sky-touching tongues. And already the of one of the Rover smoldered. Why the had up such a conflagration, Ross not guess. A designed to some distance?
He did not there was some urgent purpose. For the three were in fuel with almost haste, out of the Rover of cloth to be and into the flames, furniture, which would burn.
There was one satisfaction. The Baldies were so upon this that they no watch save that now and then one of them would to the of the path leading to the and as if he a to come up the slope.
"They're ... they're rattled!" Ross it. The Baldies who had always his mind and memory as were acting like primitives! And when the enemy was so off you pushed—you pushed hard.
Ross the on the of the weapon. He with and fired. The at the top of the path wilted, and for a long moment neither of his noted his collapse. Then one of them and started for the body, his after him. Ross allowed them to his he the second and third time.
All three quiet, but still Ross did not until he had off a dozen Terran seconds. Then he to until he came up to the bodies.
The blue-clad had a under his hand as if the not the about them. Ross rolled the over, looked in the light of the fire into the Baldy's wide-open eyes. Amazement—the Terran he read that in the which answered his gaze—and then anger, a cold and anger which into ice.
"Kill!"
Ross around, still on one knee, to the of a Rover. In the the Hawaikan's were with hatred. He had his to deliver a stroke. The Terran with a to meet the Rover's knees, him back. Then Ross on top of the crewman, trying to pin the to earth and avoid that blade.
"Loketh! Vistur!" Ross as he struggled.
More of the Rovers appeared from the buildings, on the and the two men. Ross the of Loketh using a branch to him into a across the open.
"Loketh—here!"
The Hawaikan the last in a which him into Ross and the Rover. "Hold him," the Terran ordered and had just time to himself the Baldies and the of the crew. There was a from the Rovers; and Ross, their temper, was he not save the which they considered, fairly, their prey. He must upon the that there were one or two among them with authority to the would-be avengers. Otherwise he would have to them into helplessness.
"Torgul!" he shouted.
There was a in the line of for him. The big man across only be Vistur; the other, orders, was Torgul. It would upon how much the Captain had over his men. Ross to his feet. He had on the to its frequency. It would not kill, but would its paralyzed; and how long that would continue Ross had no way of knowing. Tried on Terran laboratory animals, the time had from days to weeks.
Vistur used the of his ax, it against the runners, setting his own to a barrier. And now Torgul's orders appeared to be through, more and more of the men slacked, a of hotheads, two of Vistur sent with his fists.
The Captain came up to Ross. "They are alive then?" He over to the Baldy the Terran had rolled on his back, the alien's with measurement.
"Yes, but they can not move."
"Well enough." Torgul nodded. "They shall meet the Justice of Phutka after the Law. I think they will wish that they had been left to the of angry men."
"They are more alive than dead, Captain. Do you not wish to know why they have to your people, how many of them there may yet be to attack—and other things? Also—" Ross at the fire now the second building, "why have they up that blaze? Is it a to others of their kind?"
"Very well said. Yes, it would be well for us to learn such things. Nor will Phutka be of the time we take to ask questions and answers, many answers." He the Baldy with the toe of his sea boot.
"How long will they so? Your magic has a bite in it."
Ross smiled. "Not my magic, Captain. This was taken from one of their own ships. As to how long they will so—that I do not know."
"Very well, we can take precautions." Under Torgul's orders the were with like those Ross and Loketh had worn. The sea-grown plant instantly, wet in perfect as long as it was uncut.
Having to that, Torgul ordered the of Kyn Add.
"As you say," he to Ross, "that fire may well be a to more of their kind. I think we have had the Favor of Phutka in this matter, but the man no of that too far. Also," he looked about him—"we have to Phutka and the Shades our dead; there is nothing for us here now but and sorrow. In one day we have been from a of and ships to a of men."
"You will join some other clan?" Karara had come with Jazia to on the to a for a a strange, brooding-eyed looking seaward. The Rover woman was the of the from the column.
At the Terran girl's question the Captain into the of the valley. They yet the of the salkars. The that had their way to land had not but still lay, some now, some with inland. And the whole of the was with fire.
"We are now blood-sworn men, Sea Maid. For such there is no clan. There is only the and the kill. With the magic of Phutka we shall have a and a good kill."
"There ... now ... so...." Jazia back. The which had the sea was to a wide of crimson-and-gold she had from Torgul's ship. With her one hand the Rover woman the about the carving, it for the eyes. Those were large carved, and in them Ross saw a glitter. Jewels set there? Yet, he had a queer, that something more than those sockets—that he had actually been for an of time, and dismissed.
"We go now." Jazia and Torgul sent men forward. They the to a them and started downslope.
Karara out and Ross looked around.
The which had supported the was away, into a which across the ledge. Ross blinked—this must be an illusion, but he was too to be more than as he one of the returning to the ships.
