“Wait!” Jason said desperately. “You don’t understand.”
The axe swung down.
“I’m from off-world and-”
A solid thunk shook him as the axe buried itself in the wood next to his head. At the last instant, the man had twitched it aside. He grabbed the front of Jason’s clothes and pulled him up until their faces touched.
“S’true?” he shouted. “Y’from off-world?” His hand opened and Jason dropped back before he could answer. The savage jumped over him, toward the dim rear of the hut.
“Rhes must know of this,” he said as he fumbled with something on the wall. Light sprang out.
All Jason could do was stare. The hairy, fur-covered savage was operating a communicator. The calloused, dirt-encrusted fingers deftly snapped open the circuits, dialed a number.