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roots, earth and all, adding a new high to the malodourous air. Kai shook the
earth free, remembering the birds had taken only the tops, not the root.
Although the fliers had not gone in for the thicker bladed vegetation Kai took
samples of everything in the vicinity. He stored his garnering in a container
and resumed his place on the sled.
"He has not stopped eating grass, Kai," said Bakkun, returning the scope to
him.
As Bakkun eased the sled off the bluff and into the air, Kai kept the scope on
the predator. It continued eating, not even lifting its head as the two
geologists passed over it.
Bakkun, having been given no orders to the contrary, navigated the sled
through the narrow end of the valley. Beyond, the ground fell away again, to
a lower level without such luxuriant growth, the soil being sandier and
supporting more of the tough shrub-type vegetation.
"The cores continue down this valley, Kai," said Bakkun drawing his attention
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away from the monster and to the business at hand.
Kai looked at the seismic scanner. "Last one just beyond that far ridge."
"This rift valley is very old," said Bakkun. Kai was pleased to hear the
half-question in the man's voice. "And the cores end beyond the ridge?"
"Indeed they do."
"Oh?"
It was the first time Kai had ever heard uncertainty in a heavy-worlder's
voice. He understood it and sympathized for he felt much the same way
himself.
The overthrust above which they now passed had occurred at least a million
years previous to their arrival on this planet. Yet the manufacture of the
core unit was undeniably Thek. Unless, and the stray thought amused
Kai, the Theks had copied an older civilization . . . the Others? The
Theks as copyists restored Kai's sense of proportion. As he couldn't expect
to compete with heavy-worlders on a physical basis, he ought not to compete
with the Theks on a longevity performance. The here and now were important,
too: twice, trebly important to him considering how short a span he could
anticipate, even with all the miracles of medical science. He and his team
had a job to do now on Ireta. Never mind that it had been done before when
Man was still at the single cell stage swimming about at the beginning of a
long evolutionary climb.
CHAPTER FOUR
With the help of Paskutti and Tardma, Varian managed to dress Mabels flank
wound. The beast had somehow managed to loosen the edges of the filmseal and,
despite the force-screen over her corral, blood-suckers had attached
themselves to the suppuration. She had opened the wound further in her frenzy
to free herself from the ropes the heavy-worlders used to restrain her. They
had to lash her head to her uninjured hind leg before Varian could approach
her.
Fortunately, once she dislodged the blood-suckers, Varian thought the flesh
looked healthy enough.
"I'm going to wash down and seal the entire leg," she told Paskutti who was
heaving with his exertions. "Just as well I'm vetting the bitten instead of
the biter. Hate to run into him." She thought of the wicked head and the
rows of vicious teeth glaring out of the frame Kai had taken.
"This creature couldn't put up much of a fight," said Paskutti.
The edge to his tone surprised Varian into looking at him. She didn't expect
to see any emotion registered on the heavy-worlder's blank features but there
was an intensity in his pale eyes that gave her a momentary stab of fear. She
got the distinct impression that the man was excited in some bizarre and
revolting fashion, by the wound, by the concept of one animal eating another,
alive. She turned back quickly to her task, loathe to let
Paskutti know she'd observed him.
They completed the veterinary on Mabel without further struggle but her tail,
when she was released from the ropes, lashed out so viciously that they all
retreated hastily beyond range. Without the proximity of her well-wishers,
Mabel seemed unable to continue her aggressive behaviour. She stopped
mid-bellow and peered about her, as if puzzled by this unexpected respite.
Her near-sighted eyes scanned so consistently above their heads that once they
stood still, Varian realized that Mabel would never see them.
Mabel's worst enemy then, Varian decided, was much larger than the herbivore's
considerable self, and generally perceived by smell to judge by the rapid
dilation of Mabel's nostrils, and from a distance." What now, Varian?" asked
Paskutti as they left the corral.
In his very lack of tone colour, Paskutti seemed to be impatient for her
answer.
"Now, we check out what creatures inhabit the unknown land beyond the shield
so that Kai and his teams can make secondary camps. We've the sled today,
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Paskutti, so if you'd get tapes, we can do some prospecting."
"Weaponry?"
"The usual personnel defense. We're not hunting. We're observing.
She spoke more harshly than she intended because there was an avid intensity
about Paskutti's innocent question that was off-putting. Tardma was as blank
as ever but then she never did anything, including smile, without glancing for
permission from Paskutti.
As they re-entered the encampment for their equipment, Varian saw the children
grouped about Dandy's enclosure, watching Lunzie feed it. Its thick little
tail whisked this way and that either in greed or in enjoyment.
"Is Dandy eating well?"
"Second bottle," said Bonnard with possessive pride.
"Lunzie says we can feed him when he gets to know us a bit better,"
Cleiti added and Terilla nodded, her bright eyes big with such an incredible
experience to anticipate.
Poor ship-bound wench, thought Varian whose childhood had been spent among the
animals of many worlds with her veterinarian parents. She couldn't remember
the time when she hadn't had animals to cuddle and care for. Small creatures
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