He tried to rise, but a furry foot in his back kept him down. As he struggled to keep his trunks from being crushed beneath his face, he held back the words he wanted to shout. The fact that he had not been shot did not mean he could not provoke them to do so.
So he lay quietly and sobbed within himself as he watched his business burn.
In Udredruta, the Salamthi family was just concluding their morning mutual ablutions when two armed Sakuntala burst into the house.
“Here now!” Both trunks waving angrily, the senior of the two females present immediately placed herself between the junior wife and their pair of mutual offspring. “What is the meaning of this intrusion?” She waved both hands and all four digits at the much taller intruders. “Get out, get out, both of you! You are not invited; you are not welcome here. Bursting in like this armed, and in front of the broodlings! You should be most ashamed of yourselves, oh yes.”
Raising the battered but still serviceable pistol he was holding, the nearer of the two Sakuntala shot her cleanly between eyes and speaking trunk. Hoots of shock and alarm rose from the surviving female. So terrified were the two broodlings that they expelled air through their eating as well as their speaking trunks.
The other Sakuntala growled at his companion. “We not supposed to kill them. Only frighten and chase from house. Yuiqueru Getouka-via will be unpleased.”
“May Getouka-via suffer a kensuk in his bowels.” The raptorish eyes of the other native were wild. “Ever since I a prewarrior I have watched Deyzara make most credit, take best home places. For years I see them looking at me like I a therruna just drop from top of whirltree. I hate them. I hate their clothes that hurt the eyes; I hate their smell; I hate their food. I hate everything about them.” As he looked down at the body of the senior female, lying smoking on the floor of the house, his expression did not change. “Let Getouka-via be unpleased. I, Nevairu-kei, am very pleased.” Raising the wonderful pistol that had been assigned to him, he leveled it at the two broodlings. Eyes rolling back fully into her head, both trunks quivering in fear, the junior female nonetheless placed herself between the weapon and the offspring.