“I’m going down tomorrow,” Ram answered.
“You’re not qualified to be in charge,” Nikko said.
“I’m going alone.”
There was a moment’s lag. “Alone?”
He stood, nodding, and turned away from them, walking toward the door. “Alone,” he said.
Wordless, they watched him leave. He went to his little office and sat back to think about the day to come.
Sight of a pinnace no longer excited the children, for this was the village of Sten Vannaren, who often landed there. But when the hull went two-way transparent, they stopped to watch, for it held a star man instead of warriors. It settled to the ground, the hydraulic leg-cushions sighed, and the dominant boy of the group trotted off through the morning-wet grass to tell Nils Järnhann.
The Yngling sat cross-legged in the sun outside his tent. It made the boy uncomfortable to have the blind sockets turn toward him as he trotted up, as if there still were eyes in them. All the orcs should die for that, he told himself.
“Nils,” he said, “a star man has come in a sky boat.”
Nils smiled and rose with easy strength, and the boy moved to take his arm.
“No, I can see.”
“Really?” He’d heard what the Yngling seemed to do, but it had not been real to him.
“Really. I wouldn’t tease about something like that.” He started toward the landing place, the boy hurrying beside him.
Ram sat in the pinnace door, his feet on a step, looking solemnly at the other children, who had come to the foot of the landing steps and were looking back at him. He had spoken to them in Anglic, and they to him in their language, a reflex of the desire to communicate. Neither expected to be understood. A long pause followed each exchange, then either the man or one of the children would speak again.
“This must be a good place to be a child,” Ram said. “For two cents I’d take my shoes off and join you.”
“Har Du vat a sjutit ijal orker?”
Pause.
“I’m sorry I can’t understand you. I’d like to be your friend though.”
The smallest child touched the ladder, then turned to the one who’d done the talking. “Tror Du a vi fa fuga pa sjybaten?”
To get a ride in the sky boat! The twelve-year-old eyes turned thoughtful; it hadn’t occurred to him. But how to ask?
A heavy shout crossed the meadow, and the children looked across toward a standing warrior figure, then abruptly toward the grove of aspens at which he pointed. A man sat on horseback there, wearing black mail and a plumed helmet. Suddenly the horseman spurred his mount toward the pinnace.
The shout had chilled Ram and he stood, peering toward its source, recognizing the pointing giant despite the hundred-meter separation. The children were scattering like quail.
The shout repeated. “ORC!”
He turned then, saw, and sprang toward the instrument panel to activate the shield, changing intention in mid-stride.
The children!.
He snatched a rifle from the rack without taking time to check the magazine, leaped from the door, stumbling as he landed, spun, thumbing the safety, and squeezed the trigger. The gun bucked slightly as 5-millimeter H.V. slugs spurted. The horse plunged heavily and skidded, hurling the orc from the saddle less than twenty meters from the star man. Staggering to his feet, he drew his sword, and Ram squeezed his trigger again.
Then he turned away and vomited.
“Han spyr! Sjaanmannen spyr!” said one of the children [He is vomiting! The star man is vomiting!]
“Jaha,” said the twelve-year-old knowingly, “da san sjaanfaken visa haten mot orkena.” [That’s how the star people show their hatred of the orcs.]
Ram rinsed his mouth while waiting for Nils Järnhann, spitting the water into the grass. His hands were shaking and he shoved them in his pockets. The children were examining the dead orc, one lifting the sword from the grass for a clumsy two-handed swing. Ram turned from them and walked to meet the eyeless warrior. Other adults were coming from the encampment now, drawn by the shouts and the shooting.
“Thank you,” Nils said, “for saving our children’s lives.” He paused. “What is it you came to ask?”