Star Hunter

nch squatted

ly tanned face, narrowed the smallest fractio

oking for me

es

hy

e wondered if ther

was here. Because you brought me!" He fash

he slightest hint of self

d, but still well out of reach

cker of answer in the man

ou remembe

die. That I did not get here on t

y behind this weird game into which he had been unwillingly intro

no cup t

to return to on Nahuatl-unless you liked the Starfall." His voice was icy with contempt. "To play our roles will be for your a

et? a city? If he could make this man believe he remembered everyt

ame back to hunt me. Why? What m

ack in the hole, his arms spread flat out on either side to keep hi

ave to think of a better

, for us to go to all this staging? You've been

e maze of other things which had been blotted out of his mind by the Brodie p

billion credits. But you

'll have a Brodie when he's needed. Think about a good sha

wil

ow." For the first time there was a h

e board." That expression brought another momentary flash of hazy memory-a smoky, crowded room wh

an was already straining forward with both arms, trying to reach a rock just a finger space beyond. Lucky for him the burrow was an old one, uninhabited. In time he sh

man. So he had been "brain-channeled," given a set of false memories to fit a Rynch Brodie whose presence on this world mean

sum was fantastic, the

as crushed. The man leaped back in time to avoid another step into a swarming mass of them at work on som

racious eaters straight to the prisoner. Rynch's empty stomach heaved. He swung a

ing of the smouldering box to him, was casting it out and dragging it back patiently, aiming a

ull. With his aid the other crawled out, lay panting. Rynch grabbed the man's shoulder, jerked him away from th

rd Rynch who was backing off, the

n to as

side to side. Not with any faint trace of life, but under the

et. "My name is Ras Hume. I don't th

y difference. I'm not

t, Brodie, think about it with ca

d. "You go your way, I

started something which can't just be turned off as easily as yo

Stay right where you are! Your game, Hume

u going to do, t

is my busin

for your help here." He nodded at the pit. "There's something in that woods-so

ted step by step, keeping th

Hume was eager. "Wha

ing that on demand he could recall minutely the description of the animal hiding in the tree, th

ead to survey the distant wood. "The

ers-you don'

ved Jumala an open planet, our records accredited it so. If that is not true we may be in for bad tr

And the Hunter must have read something of his agree

he safari camp. We'l

out the size of his fist rolled away from contact with a boulder, came to rest in the deep depression of one of

men. Rynch stooped, then Hume's fingers latched about his wrist, dragging his hand away from the globe. It was

t too closely! Come along!" He pulled Rynch forwar

at a trot. They could hear behind them the plop and tinkle of more globe

s hold. Here was a chance to see what effect

now, then red-red as the few scraps of fur

oo

approaching the scavengers. Now the clawed things were stirring, dropping away from their prey. They spread out in a patch

ke the middle crystal. The beam was reflected into the block of scavengers. Scaled b

nocked him forward in an impetuous shove which ne

ings?" Rynch appealed b

looks. They're between us and the s

at glittering swoop through the air, marked

t between two rocks? Run out on that when we reach there and take to the water. I don't think those

ift log Hume had pointed out and a jump sent him floundering i

nstr

e woods at last. A line of them were walking quietly and upright towards the humans, their blue-green fuzz covering like a mist under the dire

t out of

ther away from the safari camp, on towards the rising mountain peaks. Just as the globes had shaken the scaven

re of the globes. And as they reached a curve in the river, Hume stopp

off with the nee

the credo of his Guild, "not until you are sure. There

ning. In spite of his devious game here on Jumala, Hume was Guil

"Take this, cover me, but don't u

the beasts, back through the river shallows to meet them. But that advancing line halted, sto

ake out of that sing-song of syllabl

ar arms. Not a head moved, not one of those heavy, rounded jaws opened to emit any answering sound. Hume halt

acing alien. Then Hume turned, walked back,

our w

late.

five or six now-a dozen-twenty. There was a small trick

d-except str

ng to fight!"

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