“Is that a threat, Vaintè? Does the Eistaa of Alpèasak think that we are different from other citizens here—that we will be treated differently?”
“It is not a threat, but a warning, my efenselè. Learn by what happened. Believe what you will among yourselves—but keep your secrets to yourselves. You are forbidden to talk of these matters to others. The rest of us do not wish to know.”
“You can be that sure?” Enge asked sternly. “You are that wise?”
“Wise enough to know that you are trouble-makers, Vaintè snapped. “Sure enough of that fact to take the precaution that you shall be watched closely. You’ll not make the trouble here that you did in Inegban*. I shall not be as patient as the council there.”
Enge’s body scarcely moved while she spoke, her words neutral and unoffensive. “We make no trouble, intend no trouble. We just believe…”
“Fine. Just as long as you do your believing in dark places where others cannot hear. I will brook no subversion in my city.”
Vaintè knew that she was beginning to lose her temper, as she always did when faced with the rock-like immobility of Enge’s strange beliefs. She therefore welcomed the sight of the fargi hurrying towards her with a message. Though the youngster did not speak very well her memory was good.
“The city… comes one… name of Stallan. Things of importance to be said… presence requested.”
Vaintè waved her off, then turned her back rudely on Enge and made her way into the city. Stallan was there, awaiting her arrival, success obvious in every attitude of her hard body.
“You have done that which I asked you to do?” Vaintè said.
“I have, Eistaa. I followed the killer-beasts until I came upon them. Then I shot and killed one myself and have returned with the body. It is close by. I left the worthless one Hèksei to look after it. There are strange things about this ustuzou that I find disturbing.”
“Strange? What? You must tell me.”
“I must show you so that you will understand.”
Stallan led the way in silence to that part of the city closest to the river. Hèksei waited here, standing watch over a tightly wrapped bundle. Her skin was filthy and scratched and she began to wail in protest as soon as they appeared. Before the first words had been spoken Stallan struck her on the head and hurled her to the ground.
“Worse than useless,” Stallan hissed. “Lazy, noisy on the hunt, filled with fear. Slowed me down and almost got us both killed. I want nothing more to do with her.”
“Nor does Alpèasak,” Vaintè said in quick judgement. “Leave us. Leave the city. Join the ambenin.”
Hèksei started to protest, but Stallan kicked her cruelly in the mouth. Hèksei fled, her screeches of agony rebounding from the aerial roots and leaves overhead. Vaintè put the worthless creature instantly from her mind and pointed at the bundle.
“Is this the killer animal?”
“It is.”
Stallan pulled at the covering and Hastila’s corpse rolled out onto the damp earth.
At the sight of it Vaintè spoke wordlessly of horror and amazement. Controlling her feeling of revulsion she stepped forward slowly, then prodded it with her foot.
“There were four of the creatures,” Stallan said. “All smaller than this one. I found them and I followed them. They did not walk on the shore but were in the ocean. Nor did they have a boat. Instead they sat on a tree in the water and pushed it forward with bits of wood. I watched them kill other fur animals, just as they must have killed the males and their guards on the beach. They do not use teeth or claws or horns because they are hornless as you can see, while their teeth and claws are small and weak. Instead they do their killing with a thing like a sharp tooth fixed to a length of wood.”
“They do many tricks, these fur animals. They have brains.”
“All creatures have brains, even a primitive hèsotsan like this,” Stallan tapped the weapon hanging from her shoulder.
“But this hèsotsan is not dangerous by itself if handled correctly. These things are. Now, if you would, look closely at the beast. They have much fur here, as you can see, on the top of their bodies about the head. But this other fur, lower down, does not belong to the creature but is bound about it. It bears a pouch, and in the pouch I found this. What appears to be a shaped piece of stone with a sharp edge. See, this bound-about skin comes away and the creature has its own fur beneath.”