Tardma, the heavy-worlder directly in front of Kai, pointed in the other direction, toward the firmer land, where a winged creature obviously recovering from a stun blast, was swaying upright.
Paskutti fired a warning triplet and then motioned the group to land on the inland side of the grove. They came to a running stop, the heavy-worlders automatically deploying towards the swamp since the likelihood of attack was from that quarter. Kai, Varian and Paskutti jogged towards the sled from behind which the foragers now emerged.
Tanegli stood waiting, his squat solid bulk a bastion around which the smaller members of the party ranged: the three youngsters, Kai was relieved to see, appeared to be all right, as did the zeno-botanist Divisti. Now Kai noticed the small pile of assorted brilliant yellow objects in the storage cage of the sled: more of similar shape and colour were strewn about the clear ground of the small grove.
"We called prematurely," said Tanegli by way of greeting." The swamp creatures proved curious allies." He replaced his stunner in his belt and dusted his thick hands as if dismissing the incident.
What was attacking you? Varian asked, staring about her.
These? asked Paskutti as he dragged a limp, furred and winged creature from behind the trunk of a thick tree.
Watch out! said Tanegli, reaching to his belt before he saw the stunner in Paskutti's. I set the gun on a light charge.
It's one of those gliders. See, no socket for the wing to fold," Varian said, ignoring the protests of the heavy-worlders as she moved the limp wings out and back.
Kai eyed the pointed beak of the creature with apprehension, suppressing an irrational desire to step back.
Carrion eater by the size and shape of that jaw, remarked Paskutti, peering with considerable interest.
Well and truly stunned, Varian said with a final twitch of arrangement to the wings. What was dead enough to attract it here?
That! Tanegli pointed to the edge of the clearing, to a mottled brown bundle, its belly swelling up out of the course vegetation.
And I rescued this! said Bonnard, stepping clear of his friends so that Kai and Varian saw the small replica of the dead animal in his arms. But it didn't bring the gliders. The were already here. It's very young. And its mother is dead now.
We found it over there, hiding in the roots of the tree? said Cleiti, loyally supporting her friend, Bonnard, against adult disapproval.
The sled must have alarmed the gliders, said Tanegli, taking up the story, driven them away from her. Once we had landed and started collecting the fruit, they returned. He shrugged his wide shoulders.
Varian was examining the shivering little creature, peering into its mouth, checking its feet. She gave a little laugh." Anomaly time again. Perissodactyl feet and herbivorous teeth. There's a good fellow. Nice to have something your own size, isn't it, Bonnard?"
Is it all right? It just shivers, Bannard's face was solemn with worry.
I'd shiver too if I got picked up by huge things that didn't smell right.
Then perisso . . . whatever it is, isn't dangerous?
Varian laughed and ruffled Bannard's short cropped hair." No, just a way of classifying it. Perissodactyl means uneven numbered toes. I want a look at its mother." Careful of the nearby sword plants with their deceptively decorative purple leaves, she made her way towards the dead creature. A long low whistle broke from her lips. "I suppose it's possible," she said in a sympathetic tone of voice. "Well, her leg's broken. That's what made her fair game to the scavengers."
A loud noise attracted everyone's attention; an ominous sucking sound. from the swamp a huge head and neck broke the slimy surface and wavered in their direction.
We could be considered fair game too, by such as that? said Kai. Let's get out of here.
Paskutti frowned at the great and evil looking head, fingering his stunner onto the strongest setting. That creature would require every charge we have to stop it.
We came for fruit . . . Divisti said, pointing to the litter in the clearing. They look viable, and fresh food would do us all good, she added with as wistful a tone as Kai had ever heard from a heavy-worlder.
I'd say we had a safety factor of about ten minutes before that swamp creature's brain can make the logical assumption that we're edible, said Tanegli, as unconcerned as ever by physical threat. He began to gather up the scattered thick-skinned fruits and toss them into the storage cage of the six-man sled.
In point of fact, those sleds had been known to lift twenty, a capability never mentioned in the designers" specifications. The exploratory sled was an all-purpose vehicle, its ultimate potential not yet realized. High-sided and slightly more than eight metres long with a closed deck forward for storage, its compact engine and power pack under the rear loading space, the vessel could be fitted with comfortable seating for six as well as the pilot and co-pilot, with the storage cage, as it was now. When the seating was removed or lashed to the deck, a sled could carry enormous weight, on board or attached to the powerful winches fore, aft and midships on either side. The plascreen could be retracted into the sides or raised in sections. The sled had both retro and forward jets with a vertical lift ability which could be used in defense or emergency flight. The two-man sleds were smaller replicas of the big one and had the advantage of being easily dismantled and stored: in flight, usually in the larger vehicle.
Augmented by the rescue squad, the foragers accumulated enough fruit to fill the sled's storage cage in the time it took more carrion eaters to begin spiraling above the grove. The swamp head seemed mesmerized by the comings and goings of the group, swinging slowly back and forth
Kai, we don't have to leave him here, do we? asked Bonnard, with an apprehensive Cleiti by his side. He had the orphan in his arms.
Varian? Any use to you?
Certainly. I'd no intention of leaving it. It's a relief not to have to chase something over the continent to get a close look. She frowned at the suggestion of abandonment. Into the sled with you, Bonnard. Keep a hold on it. Cleiti, you sit on his right, I'll sit left. There we are. Belt up.
The others stood back as Tanegli took off in the sled, gliding indolently over the ooze and the undecided beast that still regarded the grove with unblinking interest.
Set for maximum stun, Paskutti told them, glancing overhead. Those carrion are coming in again.
Even as the rescuers lifted from the ground, Kai saw the carrion fliers circling downwards, their heads always on the dead creature in the grass below. Kai shuddered. The dangers of space, instant and absolute, were impersonal and the result of breaking immutable laws. The deadly intent of these things held a repulsively personal malevolence that disturbed him profoundly.
CHAPTER TWO
Rain and head winds buffeted the airborne V so steadily on their way back that the heavily powered sled had long since landed when Kai and the heavy-worlders finally set foot in the compound. Varian and the three children were busy constructing a small run for the orphan.
Lunzie's trying to deduce a diet, Varian told Kai.
Just what is its anomalous state?
Against every odd in the galaxy, we have succoured a young mammal. At least its mother had teats. It's not very old, born rather mature, you see, able to walk and run almost at birth . . .
Did you . . .
Debug it? Externally yes. Had to or we'd all be hosting parasites. I've interrupted more of Trizein's carefully scheduled work to run a tissue sample on it so we can figure out what proteins it must have in its diet. It's got some growing to do to reach momma's size. Not that she was very large.