“Yes. North,” said Bonnard, pointing. “Bakkun’s special place is in the north.”
“What sort of special place?” asked Varian, signalling Kai with a quick glance to let her do the questioning. “Have you been there?”
“Yes, last week when I was out with Bakkun. It’s not what I’d call special, just a clear circular place among the trees, closed off at one end by a rock fall. There’s a bunch of the big grass-eaters, like Mabel, and some other smaller types. They’ve all got hunks out of their sides, Varian. Bakkun told me Paskutti was interested in them. Didn’t he mention it to you?”
“Probably hasn’t had time,” said Varian in such an off-handed manner that Kai knew Paskutti hadn’t mentioned it to her.
“Time? That was a week ago.”
“We’ve all been busy,” said Varian, frowning as she slipped the sled into hold and landed it lightly on the ground.
Lunzie was at the veil lock now, waiting to open it for them.
“Successful trip?” she asked.
“Yes, indeed. Everyone enjoying a quiet restful day here, too?” asked Varian.
Lunzie gave her a long searching look.
“As far as I know,” said Lunzie slowly, her eyes never leaving Varian’s as she closed the veil lock. “Terilli’s working on some drawings in Gaber’s dome, and Cleiti’s reading in the main dome.”
“Could I show Cleiti the tapes, Varian?”
“By all means. Just don’t erase ’em by mistake!”
“Varian! I’ve been handling tapes for weeks with no blanking.”
Kai could sense that Varian wanted Bonnard out of earshot. He was also aware that somehow or other the two women had exchanged some tacit information and were impatient to talk uninhibitedly. Kai had a few questions to put to Varian, too, about Bakkun, Paskutti and trapped herbivores.
“My teams get off all right?” Kai asked Lunzie to cover the conspicuous silence as Bonnard made his way across the compound. He paused to pat Dandy.
“Yes, all except Bakkun, who went off with the heavy-worlders on some jaunt of their own.” Lunzie gestured towards the shuttle and they moved that way. “Remember asking me about the stores, Kai?” she said in a low voice. “Someone raided our hold of a selection of basic medical supplies. Also, the synthesizer has been used enough to drain a power pack. Now the synthesizer may be heavy on power but I hadn’t used it that much on the new pack. So I had Portegin check it out this morning before he went off, and there’s no malfunction. Someone’s been using it. What was synthesized I couldn’t say.”
“Where did the heavy-worlders go, Lunzie?” Varian asked.
I don’t know. I was in the stores by then, when I heard sled and belts going. Then Portegin came, told me the heavy-worlders had taken off …” Lunzie paused, frowning in concentration. “That’s odd. I was in the store hold, and they didn’t come to me for any rations.”
“No!” Varian’s low exclamation startled the doctor and Kai.
“What’s wrong, Varian?”
She had turned very pale, looked suddenly quite sick and leaned against the bulkhead.
“No, I must be wrong.”
“Wrong?” Lunzie prompted her.
“I must be. There’d be no reason for them to revert. Would there, Lunzie?”
“Revert?” Lunzie stared intently at Varian who was still leaning weakly against the bulkhead. “You can’t think …”
“Why else would Paskutti be interested in flank-wounded, herbivores that I didn’t know anything about? I never thought Bakkun was callous. But, to say such a thing in front of a boy …”
Lunzie gave a snort. “The heavy-worlders don’t have a high opinion of adult light gravs, less of the ship-bred, and children on their worlds never speak until they’ve killed …”
“What are you two talking about?” asked Kai.
“I’m afraid I agree with Varian’s hypothesis.”
“Which is?” Kai spoke testily.
“That the heavy-worlders have taken to eating animal protein.”
Lunzie’s calm detached tone did not lessen the impact of such a revolting statement.
Kai thought he would be ill, the sudden nausea was so acute.
“They’ve …” He couldn’t repeat the sentence and waived one hand in lieu of the words. “They’re Federation members. They’re civilized …”
“They do conform when in Federation company,” said Varian in a low colourless voice, indicating how deeply shocked she was. “But I’ve worked with them in expeditions before and they will … if they can. I just didn’t think … I didn’t want to think they’d do it here.”