Marko kicked his horse’s ribs with the broad, shovel-shaped butt ends of his stirrups. The animal started so suddenly that Marko almost fell off backwards. He guided the horse straight towards the armored man, making practice swings with his ax.
Between Marko and the robber chief, the line of horsemen galloped nearer, swords waving. One, a little ahead of the others, swung a scimitar in a downright cut at Marko’s head. Marko caught the blow with a clang on his buckler, at the same time striking forehand with his ax. The ax cut through the corner of the shield of paxor hide, which the robber lowered to protect his body, and went on into the man’s ribs. The force of the blow, driven by Marko’s massive muscles, hurled the man out of his saddle.
As this rider passed him, Marko struck backhanded at the next one. This time, the ax caught the man between neck and shoulder and sank in a hand’s breadth. As the man toppled from his seat, Marko wrenched his ax out. He had passed through the line of charging horsemen and made for their chief.
Horses often go in directions other than those wished by their riders. Marko’s horse missed the chief, who was also cantering towards him, by a good twelve feet. At that distance, they could only flourish their weapons at each other.
The other riders either had not realized that Marko had cut his way through their line or were unable to turn their mounts to come to their leader’s rescue. They cantered away from Marko and the chief for another hundred feet before they began to pull up and turn.
Marko reined his horse into a tight circle. The chief did the same, and this time they came knee to knee.
Clang-cling! went the curved sword of Zaki Riadhi against Marko’s buckler, and clang! went Marko’s ax against the chief’s shield, which like Marko’s was of sheet steel. Marko struck again at Zaki’s head, covered by a barbute that came down low and almost entirely concealed the robber’s features. Zaki caught the blow on his shield again. Although the ax was driven with enough force to break a man’s arm, Zaki held his buckler at such an angle that Marko’s blow hit it slantwise. The ax twisted out of Marko’s hand. He thought for a horrible moment that he had lost it, but the thong around his wrist held it.
Then a plunge of the horses carried the fighters apart, so that Zaki Riadhi’s next blow cut empty air. Marko turned his horse again and found himself directly in front of Zaki Riadhi just as his groping fingers got a grip on his ax handle.
Unable to reach the rider, Marko struck at the horse and felt his blade bite into the fine animal’s forehead. This was not an honorable blow, but Marko had no time for scruples. The horse fell dead, pitching Zaki Riadhi over its head, almost against Marko’s off leg.
Marko brought his ax down once more on the back of the falling chief’s helmet. The ax sheared through helmet and skull. The helmet flew off, revealing Zaki’s dark, hawk-nosed features. Zaki fell in a heap upon his horse’s head. Blood and brains were spattered across the sand.
In the ten seconds that it had taken Marko to kill the leader of the robbers, the others who had ridden at him had turned their horses around and started back. When Marko faced towards his camels, which were now several hundred paces off, the bandits were in front of him and on both sides. They had not yet had time to close in.
“Out of the way!” roared Marko. He raised his ax, still dripping Zaki’s brains, dug the shovel-stirrups into his horse’s flanks, and plunged forward.
The Arabis gave way before him, circling and yelping but not quite daring to close with a man twice their size, who had stretched three of their number dead on the sand in half a minute. Marko rode through them and off across the Saar after Halran and the camels.
5
When Marko caught up with Boert Halran, the Oasis of Siwa was but a smudge of green in the distance. A few robbers had ridden after him, but then they all went back towards the oasis. Marko surmised that they feared to miss the division of the loot and the selection of a new chief. Boert Halran called down: . “I am overjoyed to see you, Marko. For a moment, I believed they had slain you and that you were one of them pursuing me. Now let us get organized. Which way shall we proceed?”
Marko said: “If we go west, we’re bound to reach the Medranian in a few days. We shall then at least be fixed for water. So turn your beasts to the left.”
“What shall we do for water meanwhile?”
“Watch for green spots indicating water holes. If we find none, we may be in trouble. Also, there’s a spiny plant with thick leaves. When you cut off the spines, you can get moisture from the leaves.”
Halran said: “Slim Qadir told me camels can endure several days without water.”
“We’re not camels. People like Slim know where all the oases are. They leap from one to the next like a man crossing a sea from island to island.”
“That was a noteworthy feat, Marko. I never expected a schoolteacher to be so handy with weapons. Onetwothreeand three Arabistanis lying dead.”
Marko made a deprecatory gesture and looked away with an embarrassed grin. “That was nothing. I’m so much bigger than they that it was like swatting spider-bugs.”
“Still, I think you were the only man in the caravan actually to send any of them to Earth.”
Marko shrugged. “More luck than skill. If Slim had had his archers under control, those robbers would never have attacked. They fight for loot, not for honor, and they hold off if they think there’s any serious risk.”
They pulled out the arrow that had struck the riding camel and jogged on. In midafternoon the sunlight became uncomfortably warm, so they shed their jackets. Marko’s horse began to droop, stumbling along with hanging head, until Marko gave him a rest and asked Halran to change places with Him.
“These little Arabistani rabbits aren’t built for a man of my size,” he said.
With the setting of Muphrid, the moons Gallic and Kopern appeared. Arcturus rose. Swiftly, the temperature fell. Marko made camp. He was handier in such matters than his companion, who Was given to absent-minded streaks.
Marko was sweeping the camping area to drive out the bloodsucking arachnids when he looked at Hal-ran. He shouted, “Hey!” and grabbed his companion’s arm.
“What?” said Halran.
“I thought you knew those were poison!”
“Oh.” Halran dropped the onion-mushroom from which he had been about to take a bite. “I do recall Slim’s saying something …”
“Well, recall a little sooner next time!”
“Oh, go to space!” said Halran.
The next day, they plodded westward without sighting water. Vegetation became scarcer, until there was nothing to be seen save occasional small spears of phosphor grass, which the animals would not eat. They also found one of the spiny thick-leaved plants, peeled several leaves, and cut them up into slices to eat despite their bitter taste. But they saw no more of these plants. Other travelers must have swept the country along the caravan route clean of them.
Marko asked Halran: “Doctor, you know the story of my trial for teaching Descensionism. Which belief do you adhere to?”
“Well, the sciences of life are out of my line, but from what I have heard and read, I should say that the arguments for Descensionism were quite strong. My colleagues have confirmed the evolutionary hypothesis to some extent as regards to non-mammals of Kforri. They have done this by finding fossils, which they have pieced together. In some cases, these do seem to be the more primitive ancestors of forms now living. But no such fossils have been found for mammals, including men. Of course, that may be merely the result of mammals being more intelligent and so not getting caught in swamps and similar places where they are likely to be fossilized.”