My stomach snarled at me and I realized that the concentrated rations had been a little too concentrated. I drank some water to wash the taste of sleep from my mouth, then poked Floyd with my toe. His eyes snapped open and I smiled sweetly.
“You have Just volunteered to go to those bushes over there and get some firewood. It is breakfast time.”
“Right, breakfast, wood, wonderful.” He climbed to his feet, yawned and stretched, scratched at his beard then went off on his mission. I gathered up enough dry grass to make a small pile, then dug the atomic battery out of my pack. It would power our musical equipment for at least a year, so it could spare a few volts now. I pulled the insulation off the ends of the wires on a short lead, shorted them to produce a fat snap of sparks, pushed it into the grass. In a moment the grass was burning nicely, crackling and smoking, and ready for the chunks of dry branches that Floyd brought back. When it was good and hot I dropped the polpettone into the glowing ashes.
The rest of the band stirred in their sleep when the smoke blew their way, but didn’t really wake up until I broke one of the fruits open. The skin was black so I hoped it was done. The rich seasoned fragrance of cooked meat wafted out and everyone was awake in an instant.
“Yum,” I said, chewing on a fragrant morsel. “My thanks to the genetic engineers who dreamed this one up. Gourmet food-and growing on trees. If it weren’t for the inhabitants this planet would be a paradise.”
After we had dined and were feeling relatively human I made my report to them.
“I’ve been in touch with the eye in the sky. A band of nomads is coming this way. I figured that we should let them do the walking instead of us. Are we now prepared for contact?”
There were quick nods and no hesitant looks I was happy to see. Steengo hefted his ax and glowered. “Ready as we’ll ever be. I just hope this lot is a bit more friendly than the first bunch.”
“Only one way to find out.” I bit down three times hard. “Where are the Fundamentaloids now?”
“Crossing a bit north of you-beyond those shrubs on the slight rise.”
“Then here we go. Packs on, weapons ready, fingers crossed. Forward!”
We walked slowly up the hill and through the shrubs-and stopped in our tracks and stared at the herd passing slowly by.
“Sheots,” I said. “The mutant cross between sheep and goats that they told us about.”
“Sheots,” Madonette agreed. “But they didn’t tell us they were so huge! I don’t even come up to their legpits.”
“Indeed,” I agreed. “Something else about them. They’re big enough to ride upon. And if I am not mistaken we have been seen and those three riders are galloping our way.”
“And waving weapons,” Steengo said grimly. “Here we go again.”
CHAPTER 10
They thundered towards us, swords waving, sharp black hooves kicking up clouds of dust. The sheots had nasty little eyes, wicked, curved horns-and what looked very much like tusks. I couldn’t recall ever seeing a sheep or a goat with tusks, but there is always a first time.
“Stay in line, weapons ready,” I called out, swinging my own sword up. The nearest rider, draped in black, pulled hard on the reins and his woolly mount skidded to a stop. He frowned down on me from behind his great black beard, spoke in a deep and impressive voice.
“Those who live by the sword shall die by the sword. So it is written.”
“You talking about yourself?” I queried, blade still ready.
“We are men of peace, infidel, but defend our flocks against numberless rustlers.”
He could be telling the truth; I had to take the chance. I plunged my sword into the dirt and stepped back. But was ready to grab it in an instant.
“We are men of peace as well. But go armed for our own protection in this wicked world.”
He thought about that for a bit, made the decision. He slipped the sword into a leather scabbard, then swung down from his mount. The beast instantly opened its mouth-and those were tusks and tried to bite him. He scarcely noted this, merely balled a fist and got the thing under the jaw with a swift uppercut. Its mouth clacked shut and its eyes crossed for an instant. It wasn’t too long on brains either, because when its eyes uncrossed it had completely forgotten about him. It said baa loudly and began to graze. The rider walked over and stood before me.