Star Hunter
nch squatted
ly tanned face, narrowed the smallest fractio
oking for me
es
hy
e wondered if ther
was here. Because you brought me!" He fash
he slightest hint of self
d, but still well out of reach
cker of answer in the man
ou remembe
die. That I did not get here on t
y behind this weird game into which he had been unwillingly intro
no cup t
to return to on Nahuatl-unless you liked the Starfall." His voice was icy with contempt. "To play our roles will be for your a
et? a city? If he could make this man believe he remembered everyt
ame back to hunt me. Why? What m
ack in the hole, his arms spread flat out on either side to keep hi
ave to think of a better
, for us to go to all this staging? You've been
e maze of other things which had been blotted out of his mind by the Brodie p
billion credits. But you
'll have a Brodie when he's needed. Think about a good sha
wil
ow." For the first time there was a h
e board." That expression brought another momentary flash of hazy memory-a smoky, crowded room wh
an was already straining forward with both arms, trying to reach a rock just a finger space beyond. Lucky for him the burrow was an old one, uninhabited. In time he sh
man. So he had been "brain-channeled," given a set of false memories to fit a Rynch Brodie whose presence on this world mean
sum was fantastic, the
as crushed. The man leaped back in time to avoid another step into a swarming mass of them at work on som
racious eaters straight to the prisoner. Rynch's empty stomach heaved. He swung a
ing of the smouldering box to him, was casting it out and dragging it back patiently, aiming a
ull. With his aid the other crawled out, lay panting. Rynch grabbed the man's shoulder, jerked him away from th
rd Rynch who was backing off, the
n to as
side to side. Not with any faint trace of life, but under the
et. "My name is Ras Hume. I don't th
y difference. I'm not
t, Brodie, think about it with ca
d. "You go your way, I
started something which can't just be turned off as easily as yo
Stay right where you are! Your game, Hume
u going to do, t
is my busin
for your help here." He nodded at the pit. "There's something in that woods-so
ted step by step, keeping th
Hume was eager. "Wha
ing that on demand he could recall minutely the description of the animal hiding in the tree, th
ead to survey the distant wood. "The
ers-you don'
ved Jumala an open planet, our records accredited it so. If that is not true we may be in for bad tr
And the Hunter must have read something of his agree
he safari camp. We'l
out the size of his fist rolled away from contact with a boulder, came to rest in the deep depression of one ofmen. Rynch stooped, then Hume's fingers latched about his wrist, dragging his hand away from the globe. It was
t too closely! Come along!" He pulled Rynch forwar
at a trot. They could hear behind them the plop and tinkle of more globe
s hold. Here was a chance to see what effect
now, then red-red as the few scraps of fur
oo
approaching the scavengers. Now the clawed things were stirring, dropping away from their prey. They spread out in a patch
ke the middle crystal. The beam was reflected into the block of scavengers. Scaled b
nocked him forward in an impetuous shove which ne
ings?" Rynch appealed b
looks. They're between us and the s
at glittering swoop through the air, marked
t between two rocks? Run out on that when we reach there and take to the water. I don't think those
ift log Hume had pointed out and a jump sent him floundering i
nstr
e woods at last. A line of them were walking quietly and upright towards the humans, their blue-green fuzz covering like a mist under the dire
t out of
ther away from the safari camp, on towards the rising mountain peaks. Just as the globes had shaken the scaven
re of the globes. And as they reached a curve in the river, Hume stopp
off with the nee
the credo of his Guild, "not until you are sure. There
ning. In spite of his devious game here on Jumala, Hume was Guil
"Take this, cover me, but don't u
the beasts, back through the river shallows to meet them. But that advancing line halted, sto
ake out of that sing-song of syllabl
ar arms. Not a head moved, not one of those heavy, rounded jaws opened to emit any answering sound. Hume halt
acing alien. Then Hume turned, walked back,
our w
late.
five or six now-a dozen-twenty. There was a small trick
d-except str
ng to fight!"
Mov