"Rocks are rocks; soil is soil. Wherein lies the distinction?"
Marot said: "Please excuse my bad Mikardandou; but the Kharobian layers of rock are the older and lie beneath Zorian. If I may show a map ...Here! Zorian beds extend approximately from here to here; the Kharobian from the latter line to river Zora."
"Certes, that's my land," growled Sainian. "I think not that this other Terran, clept Folt, said aught of Kharobian beds. But ye shall have permission—save that of any gold, silver, or jewels ye find, I shall have half."
"Agreed," said Reith.
"Speaking of names," said Sainian, "what said ye yours was?"
"Fergus Reith, sir."
"Methought I'd heard that name erstwhile. Are ye not the Terran who thrice escaped captivity in Dur—the third time after being forced to wed the Regent's cousin?"
"I am."
"Oh, well, that's different! Come in, come in! Stand not gaping in the doorway, admitting all the flying vermin! I've heard of your feats. Unload your shooting gear, lads."
As the two shaihan-herds turned away, Sainian ushered his visitors into a spacious room, decorated with the heads of Krishnan beasts on the walls and their cured hides on the floor.
"Sit down, sit down," said the squire. "When left ye Jeshang? How fared ye on the road? Where spent ye the past night?"
When he heard of the travelers' bug-infested bed in Hendová's hovel, Sainian said: "Ohé! That's no way to treat eminent visitors from afar. Ye shall move your gear hither. We have a plenty of space, since our silly son went off to Hershid to study art, instead of learning to run the ranch."
"That's very kind of you," said Reith. He and Marot exchanged glances. Marot said:
"Please, Squire Sainian, how long does it take to get from here to beds I showed on map?"
"With a fast aya, not above two hours; with a slower one, up to three."
"Then," said Marot before Reith could protest, "I am desolated, but I fear we must decline. To take away four to six hours from each working day, coming and going, would not leave us the time needed for our work."
Reith subsided. While being Sainian's guest would be infinitely more comfortable than bunking with Marot in a tent, he had to admit that the paleontologist's reason was valid. Sainian replied:
"I grieve that ye won't be here to liven our evenings with tales of far fantastic adventures. But the hour of the repast draws nigh, and ye shall stay now to bare a tooth with us." He turned in his chair and shouted: "Babir! Set two more places. We have visitors. Now, my Terran friends, ye'll have, I trust, no religious or other objections to a drop of kvad?"
The golden kvad was the strongest Reith had drunk; the first swallow almost made him choke. But their host gulped it down as if it were water. By the time the meal was announced, the squire had drunk enough, by Reith's estimate, to have put three ordinary men beneath the table; but he seemed not to show it save to become a little more boisterously hospitable.
"Come, gentlemen," he said. "After the fancy aliment of decadent cities like Majbur and Jazmurian, our plain fare must seem sorry stuff. But 'twill keep your bellies away from your spines."
Reith and Marot sat down with Sainian, the two shaihan-herds, and Sainian's wife Ilui. The food, served by the servant Babir, proved excellent. Sainian said: "Ye'll take it not amiss, I trust, that ye received a wary reception enow? One must be careful in these parts. It might have been young Ye'man, from across the Zora; he's lusted for my blood ever since I slew his sire."
"I understand a reasonable precaution," said Reith. "But tell us about Foltz. With whom did he come here?"
"That I know not, for he approached my house alone. A prim, offish wight, not open like ye twain. I heard he had with him some folk from Jeshang and more hired in Kubyab. I sent one of my shaihan-herds to make sure that, an he found treasure, he'd divide it fairly with me. I'd do the same with you gentlemen, but I cannot spare more men. Two I need to protect my home, and the rest are out on the yearly roundup."
Reith suggested: "You could tell the fellow with Foltz to alternate between Foltz's camp and ours. We shan't be more than a few hoda apart, and we have nothing to hide."
"I'll think on that," said Sainian.
Reith continued: "You said, sir, we were the third set of Terrans to come here in the past year. Was the first man named Esteban Surkov?"
"Aye, so 'twas. The bugger spake of making's living by writing books, as if we'd believe anyone could earn his badr in so fantastical a fashion."
"What became of him?" asked Reith.
"I shot him."
"What?"
"I said, I shot him. I'd warned him against leaving gates open, not once but twice. The third time, a score of my beasts escaped, and one we never did find. So I put a bolt through Master Surkov's right eye and into that mess of pottage he called his brain. Neatest shot I'd made in years! I fain had had his head mounted with those of other beasts I'd slain, but Ilui thought it in poor taste. Ye know how women are. Now tell me how things fare in the lands betwixt here and Novorecife."
For the rest of the meal, the replies of Reith and Marot were subdued; but the squire seemed not to notice. He plied them with questions and urged more food upon them.
"Come, good my sirs," he said, after wolfing down a plateful that would have done credit to a hungry yeki, "stint yourselves not! When ye've camped out a while, ye'll wish ye'd eaten more here whilst ye had the chance."
"Thank you, Squire," said Reith, "but I've reached the point where I can still chew but cannot swallow. And we must be off to the Kharobian beds. Since we don't know the country, we'd prefer not to go blundering about in darkness looking for our site."
"That shall be no problem. I'll send one of my boys to guide you thither, albeit he cannot long remain with you." Sainian turned to one of the shaihan-herds. "Herg, ye'll do that duty.
Tarry not at these Terrans' camp, but hasten back."
As they rose, Sainian said: "This hath been a pleasure, gentlemen. I have not so enjoyed myself since the day I slew the three bad-Faroun brothers. Oh, ere I forget, keep a sharp eye out for a band of outlaws, headed by one Basht. They'd as lief slit your weasand as look at you."
Outside, Herg led his own aya, a glossy buckskin, around to the front of the house. He said: "Master Reese, this is my personal steed. Would ye care to ride him? He'll give you a fine ride, the like of which ye've never known."
Reith realized that all the Krishnans—Sainian, Ilui, and the two shaihan-herds—were staring expectantly at him. He also caught a glint of suppressed mirth in Herg's eyes.
"I'm most grateful," he said. "But I'm not a very skilled rider, and I might in my ignorance mishandle your fine beast. I'll stay with my own, if you please. Come, Aristide. We shall be back soon, with our animals and gear."
As they walked back to Hendová's house, Marot asked: "Why did you decline the use of that fine mount?"
"These people have a reputation as great jokers. I'm sure that, if I'd forked that cayuse, the beast would have gone crazy and either bucked me off or run away the way that other did with you. They were hoping for something like that; and if I'd broken my neck, that would have added to the fun."
Half an hour later, they returned to the squire's house prepared for the journey. Sainian waved them off, calling: "Forget not to close any gates ye pass through!"
"Little danger of that," muttered Reith.
Leading their pack ayas, Reith and Marot rode with Herg. Doukh and Girej followed on foot, leading a small aya on which they had loaded their personal possessions and a folded tent. Hiring them had occasioned a long haggle, since the villagers had demanded extra pay because of the danger of outlaws. When Herg asked them if they knew "the place on the riverbank where the tax collector was slain," they assured him that they were familiar with the spot and urged the others to ride on ahead.