About twenty body-lengths up, he passed a Retia-rius. The gladiator had snuggled himself comfortably across the way. He waved to T’ang Lang as the other passed. T’ang favored the creature with a long stare, putting only token power into it. He was clever with his net, was the Retiarius. But it was not intended for the likes of T’ang Lang and the Retiarius knew it. Even despite it, T’ang could still kill the gladiator and shred his precious net.
T’ang moved higher. For a moment, a plump tube-man crossed his path. But the clumsy being was moving rapidly in the opposite direction. He was on a far platform with too much open space between them. Perhaps it sensed T’ang Lang’s presence. Perhaps not. T’ang stared hard at it, opening his mind and focusing the strange power behind his mesmeric eyes. But the tube-man was out of range and knew it.
It turned once, to glance back at where Tang fumed impotently on his temporary platform. The ultimate insult.
For a moment, maybe, Tang Lang was angry. Then he sighed. Let the tube-man have his one moment of triumph. If ever he came within range of the smallest and lightest of Tang’s weapons, he would die faster than he would be born.
It was not long thereafter that T’ang located what he wanted. An open -platform, with the sun to one side, well-screened from above but open below and in front. A cluster of foodstuffs rested just ahead, on a slightly lower level. They would serve as excellent bait, attracting fliers and airborne city-folk.
Perhaps a young one would drift by, propulsors