Varian reminded herself that she was not there to cater to the foibles of a young man being chased by a well-provoked carnivore. It also struck her forcibly that if he was reduced to crossbow and lance, she might be wasting her time in trying to find the mutineers’ base. The microscope and other items which Lunzie needed had probably perished from neglect if this young man represented the present level of the survivors’ life-style.
Three things happened at the same time: she decided to swoop down and pick him up willy-nilly; the thunder lizard let out a gasping roar and fell forward, plowing a furrow with its muzzle and chest, tried to rise and collapsed limply. The young man looked back over his shoulder and began to circle, still at considerable speed as he made sure the creature was lifeless.
Maintaining Discipline for immediate use, Varian landed the sled at a discreet distance from the bulk of the dead predator. She was a sprinter and knew that she could reach her vehicle before the extraordinary young man could catch her.
When she reached him, he was tugging at the deeply lodged spear. Inhaling deeply, Varian casually laid one hand beyond his on the shaft and exerted her disciplined resource. The spear came away so fast that the young man, unprepared for the quality of assistance, staggered backward, leaving Varian with the spear. She examined its tip, Discipline overriding her natural repugnance for bloody objects. She wiped the point on the beast’s hide, dislodging some of the myriad parasites and examined the spear head. The metal had been tempered and fashioned with a ring of barbs, one reason the monster had been unable to dislodge it. Varian was amazed that she had. Of course, flesh and bone had come away, too. Already swarms of insects descended on the corpse.
“Can you understand me if I speak slowly?” Varian asked, turning to confront the young giant.
He was staring from her to the spear she had removed so effortlessly. He extended his hand to reclaim the spear. “I assume you do not understand me.”
“Yes, I do. I’d like my spear back.” When she relinquished it, he examined the barbed tip carefully. Satisfied, he turned his attention to her. Varian found those proud clear eyes very disconcerting and she was glad of the shield of Discipline. “These take time to forge and you might have damaged the barbs. You don’t look as if you had that much strength in you.”
Varian shrugged diffidently. So Bakkun and the others had progressed beyond tree limbs as weapons.
“I’m not considered particularly strong,” she said, knowing that such a first impression might be valuable. “Are you one of the survivors of the ARCT-10’s exploratory group? Frankly, after a quick pass over this world, we didn’t expect to find anyone alive. Your appearance … and competence … are a surprise.”
“So is yours!” There was a faint hint of wry amusement and a reticence in his voice. “I am called Aygar.”
“And I, Rianav,” she said, quickly scrambling her name. “Why didn’t your group remain at the expedition’s site of record?”
His look was definitely quizzical. “Why didn’t you home in on our beacon?”
37
Anne McCaffrey – Dinosaur Planet II – The Survivors
“Your beacon? Oh, you’ve erected one at the northeast camp?” Varian was both disappointed at this intelligence and surprised, though she kept her assumed role and pretended mild criticism.
“Camp?” He was overtly derisive, but his manner turned wary. “You are from a spaceship?”
“Of course. We picked up a distress call from the system’s satellite beacon. Naturally we are obliged to answer and investigate. Are you one of the ARCT-10’s original exploratory group?”
“Hardly. They were abandoned without explanation and with insufficient supplies to defend themselves.” Indignation and rancor flickered in his eyes. His body tensed.
So that was the story the mutineers had spread. At least it was partially based on fact.
“You seem to have adapted to this planet with commendable success,” Varian remarked, wondering what else she could get him to reveal, and perhaps estimate how long they’d slept.
Would he be the first generation?
“You are too kind,” he replied.