[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
imperfections made them the more human.
When he shut his mental eyes and looked only at their minds, Nelson was forced at last
to realize the truth without reservation. The creatures of the Clans were no more beasts than
he. Less, he was forced to admit, for he had killed for money, whereas the Brotherhood
killed only for food. And he had killed men, whereas the Brotherhood killed only the deer and
the rabbit.
Quite suddenly it did not seem strange at all to Nelson that he was trotting on four legs
through the forest. The intimate contact with Asha's mind had dissolved that strangeness. It
seemed no more to him now than if he had put on a foreign dress. He was at home.
Abruptly a hare bolted in front of him. He caught it in easy bounds and broke its back
and fed.
It was then that the gray brothers of the pack came upon him, drifting silently between
the trees from the east. He had no wind to warn him and his hunger had betrayed him into
carelessness. He started up from his half-eaten kill and would have run, only that the leader,
an old gray dog-wolf who lacked an eye, uttered a thought to him.
"Finish your kill, young one. There is not that much haste."
The old wolf sat down, his tongue lolling out. "Be-
FOREST DANGER
101
sides, we have run far, from the hills above Mreela. We would rest."
Through Asha's eyes, Nelson saw that these were lean and ragged wolves from an
outlying tribe that ranged the upper levels. They did not know him, did not know that he was
outlaw.
He finished his meal in gulps, crunching down the last sweet bones. Then he licked his
Hai-oo!
lips and waited. The long wailing of the Clan-call rose across the river and was
answered and answered again.
The old wolf told him, "We go toward Anshan to watch."
"I, too."
"Then go with us, young one."
He could not get away from them without arousing suspicion. He must join them now,
and later see what was best to do.
The lean gray shapes rose, ten of them, long-fanged hunters of the barren heights, full of
a quivering excitement. Almost, Nelson felt as he ran that he was really Asha, running with
his own kind.
But he was not. His kind, Nelson's kind, lay in wait at Ansham with machine-guns and
grenades.
When the first light of dawn began to pale in the sky, he and the pack were miles
southward. He started to drift away from the upland pack. He would be safer now alone. He
must find some place to lie up until it was dark again before he made his attempt to enter
Anshan. By night he had one chance in a hundred of succeeding without being shot on sight
as a spy from Vruun. By day he had none.
Nelson would have slipped safely away as he planned had not the dawn wind risen and
betrayed him.
He was lagging behind the others, watching his chance to slide off into the brush, when
from downwind came a
102
VALLEY OF CREATION
THE
sudden barking cry and with it a mental call-"Ho, brothers! There is a stranger with you!"
The whole of the upland pack turned and faced Nelson, instantly suspicious. Before he
could run, wolves were all about him, Wolves from Vruun, whose minds spoke in chorus like
one great curse.
"AsbaT
Nelson wheeled and leaped clean over the old dog-wolf, breaking for the shelter of the
brush.
Behind him, as it had in Vruun, the mental shout went baying through the trees.
"Asha is outlaw! Drive him, brothers! Drive him from the forest!"
Then the pack was after him in full cry and the call was echoing all across the valley,
tossed from one pack to another and picked up and carried on until it burst from the hillsides
in a wailing malediction.
"Outlaw/"
Once again Nelson ran, belly-down and straining. Ahead of him lay the open plains
around Anshan, and in them lay death. Desperately he swerved and dodged and circled, but
the wolves of the Clan drove and drove him without mercy. There was no escape.
The forest began to thin. In the distance between the trees he could see the open
flatness of the plain. Far out upon it Anshan burned like a great jewel in its setting of green
forest by the river. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl aikidobyd.xlx.pl
imperfections made them the more human.
When he shut his mental eyes and looked only at their minds, Nelson was forced at last
to realize the truth without reservation. The creatures of the Clans were no more beasts than
he. Less, he was forced to admit, for he had killed for money, whereas the Brotherhood
killed only for food. And he had killed men, whereas the Brotherhood killed only the deer and
the rabbit.
Quite suddenly it did not seem strange at all to Nelson that he was trotting on four legs
through the forest. The intimate contact with Asha's mind had dissolved that strangeness. It
seemed no more to him now than if he had put on a foreign dress. He was at home.
Abruptly a hare bolted in front of him. He caught it in easy bounds and broke its back
and fed.
It was then that the gray brothers of the pack came upon him, drifting silently between
the trees from the east. He had no wind to warn him and his hunger had betrayed him into
carelessness. He started up from his half-eaten kill and would have run, only that the leader,
an old gray dog-wolf who lacked an eye, uttered a thought to him.
"Finish your kill, young one. There is not that much haste."
The old wolf sat down, his tongue lolling out. "Be-
FOREST DANGER
101
sides, we have run far, from the hills above Mreela. We would rest."
Through Asha's eyes, Nelson saw that these were lean and ragged wolves from an
outlying tribe that ranged the upper levels. They did not know him, did not know that he was
outlaw.
He finished his meal in gulps, crunching down the last sweet bones. Then he licked his
Hai-oo!
lips and waited. The long wailing of the Clan-call rose across the river and was
answered and answered again.
The old wolf told him, "We go toward Anshan to watch."
"I, too."
"Then go with us, young one."
He could not get away from them without arousing suspicion. He must join them now,
and later see what was best to do.
The lean gray shapes rose, ten of them, long-fanged hunters of the barren heights, full of
a quivering excitement. Almost, Nelson felt as he ran that he was really Asha, running with
his own kind.
But he was not. His kind, Nelson's kind, lay in wait at Ansham with machine-guns and
grenades.
When the first light of dawn began to pale in the sky, he and the pack were miles
southward. He started to drift away from the upland pack. He would be safer now alone. He
must find some place to lie up until it was dark again before he made his attempt to enter
Anshan. By night he had one chance in a hundred of succeeding without being shot on sight
as a spy from Vruun. By day he had none.
Nelson would have slipped safely away as he planned had not the dawn wind risen and
betrayed him.
He was lagging behind the others, watching his chance to slide off into the brush, when
from downwind came a
102
VALLEY OF CREATION
THE
sudden barking cry and with it a mental call-"Ho, brothers! There is a stranger with you!"
The whole of the upland pack turned and faced Nelson, instantly suspicious. Before he
could run, wolves were all about him, Wolves from Vruun, whose minds spoke in chorus like
one great curse.
"AsbaT
Nelson wheeled and leaped clean over the old dog-wolf, breaking for the shelter of the
brush.
Behind him, as it had in Vruun, the mental shout went baying through the trees.
"Asha is outlaw! Drive him, brothers! Drive him from the forest!"
Then the pack was after him in full cry and the call was echoing all across the valley,
tossed from one pack to another and picked up and carried on until it burst from the hillsides
in a wailing malediction.
"Outlaw/"
Once again Nelson ran, belly-down and straining. Ahead of him lay the open plains
around Anshan, and in them lay death. Desperately he swerved and dodged and circled, but
the wolves of the Clan drove and drove him without mercy. There was no escape.
The forest began to thin. In the distance between the trees he could see the open
flatness of the plain. Far out upon it Anshan burned like a great jewel in its setting of green
forest by the river. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]