But, to shake him still
farther, the head turned at his cry. Only there were no eyes, no
features on the white expanse which should have been a face. And somehow
that made the monster more menacing, convincing Dane against sane logic
that the thing _was_ spying on them.
"Demon!" That was Nymani; and over his sudden quaver, robbed of all the
confidence which had been there only moments earlier, came Asaki's
demand:
"What stands there, Medic? Tell us that!"
"A whip to drive us out of hiding, sir. As you know as well as I. If
Nymani spied upon them, then they have spied upon us in turn. And this,
I think, also answers another question. If there is a canker of trouble
on Khatka, then Lumbrilo is close to its root."
"Nymani!" The Chief Ranger's voice was the crack of a lash. "Will you
forget again that you are a man, and run crying for shelter against a
shaft of light? As this off-world Medic says, Lumbrilo fashions such as
that to drive us into our enemies' hands!"
The shadow thing in the swamp moved, putting its foot forward on surface
which would not bear the weight of a human body, taking a deliberate
step and then another, heading for the concealing brush where the
fugitives lay.
Pages:
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105