As if taking due note of Kai’s condition, Ireta’s unpredictable rain started to fall in drops big enough to hurt.
“Wouldn’t you just know?” Varian cried in disgust, trying to shelter Kai’s legs with her body as Lunzie and Triv leaned across his torso.
In moments Kai’s hair was afloat in a puddle and the sap was being washed from those portions of his body which the concerted efforts of his friends could not shield.
“We’ve got to get him out of this. Are you sure we can’t risk the sled?” Lunzie asked urgently.
Triv splashed to the vehicle and the women could hear him cursing, heard him slamming the plasglas canopy shut.
“Every damned red light is on. Those sleds are supposed to be impervious … We got company again …”
“What we don’t need are spectators. C’mon, Varian, Triv. We’ve got to get him down to the cave before he drowns.”
“I’ll just hoist him …” Triv said, grabbing Kai by the arm and staggering as he attempted to haul the unconscious man to his shoulder. “What …”
Varian grabbed to support the staggering Triv while Lunzie caught Kai.
“You’re both just out of cold sleep,” Varian said with some disgust. “Neither of you has regained any useful strength yet.”
In a joint effort they carried Kai to the edge of the cliff.
“I don’t like this,” Lunzie muttered to herself as Varian located an untethered vine and hauled it up. “None of us is up to this sort of effort.” She bent to protect Kai from the rain.
“Varian,” Triv’s voice was taut with alarm. “The giffs are surrounding us. Are they trying to push us off the cliff?” His voice rose as he planted himself in front of Lunzie and Kai.
Varian turned, rising from her crouch. With a sense of relief she thought she recognized Middle Giff as it took a forward step. Then it inclined its head to her and gestured one wing in as courtly a motion as any she’d ever seen from the mincing Ryxi. The wing tip pointed over the edge of the cliff. It moved to indicate Kai. Then both wings were spread, undulating to suggest flight. The huge raindrops beat against the wing surface, beading as the oil of the fur kept the water from penetrating.
“Does the giff mean what I think it means?” Triv asked Varian.
“If it does, it’s a miracle.”
“Now, wait a minute, Varian,” Lunzie interposed, “I’m not about to surrender Kai to them.”
“What choice have we? Dropping him into the sea because we haven’t the strength to lower him into the cave? They’ve already helped us with the water and the leaves. They are used to flying burdens with the fish nets, working as a team. If they’re smart enough to see we’ve got a problem in getting Kai into shelter, they’ve also got a solution. The rain’s getting heavier and the wind’s making up.” Varian had to brace herself. “We’ve no other option.”
Lunzie dashed soaking hair from her face, staring up at Varian. Then a gust of wind buffeted the trio of humans. Lunzie capitulated, throwing up one hand in acceptance of their desperate situation.
“You and Triv go on down. Part the vines and guide the giffs in.”
With a final fierce look at the xenobiologist, Lunzie surrendered Kai’s limp body to Varian. She took the vine that Triv indicated and slid out of sight over the cliff edge. Triv followed her.
Suddenly the wind ceased its assault on her body and Varian realized that she was surrounded by 28
Anne McCaffrey – Dinosaur Planet II – The Survivors wet giff legs. Giff claws wrapped gently about Kai’s ankles and picked up his limp arms by the wrists. Varian stepped back, heart in her mouth.
Then Kai was hanging in the air and more giffs found holds on him. For one horrified moment, Varian wondered if they were going to fly him up to one of their caves. But they lifted him well above the cliff, then maneuvered slowly out over the water and slowly began to descend. Could she be hearing the creak of overloaded bones in the storm winds? She could certainly see the effort in the straining pinions. Varian shook herself out of her paralysis and, finding the vine which Lunzie had used, began to slide down it. She slipped a bit on the rain-slick vine and was forced to abandon her scrutiny of Kai’s descent to insure her own. Then she saw Lunzie and Triv holding back the thick vines so that the giffs could enter. Before her feet touched the cave’s floor, Kai was safely deposited. Having delivered their burden, the giffs awkwardly backed away. Lunzie and Triv busily anointed the myriad punctures on his body, which were once again oozing droplets of blood.