Beside Dane, Jellico
stiffened, moved his blaster, as someone wriggled through the brush,
trilling softly.
"Off-worlders," Nymani reported in gasps to Asaki, "and outlaws, too.
They make a hunting sing--tomorrow they march for a killing."
Asaki rested his chin on his broad forearm. "Outlaws?"
"They show no lord's badge. But each I saw wears a bracelet of three,
five, or ten tails. They are Trackers indeed, and Hunters of the best!"
"They have huts?"
"Not so. There are no dwellers in the inners courts here." Out of habit
Nymani used the polite term for the women of his race. "I would say they
tarry only for the space of a hunt. And on the boots of one I saw salt
crust."
"Salt crust!" Asaki snapped and half arose. "So that is the type of lure
they use. There must be a saline mire near here to pull game--"
"How many off-worlders?" Jellico broke in.
"Three who are Hunters, one who is different."
"How different?" questioned Asaki.
"He wears upon his body garments which are strange; on his head a round
covering such as we see upon the off-worlders of the ships--"
"A spaceman!"
Asaki laughed harshly.
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