What drew Blade's eye particularly were the long cylinders of various sizes pointing outward on either side of the main deck and also at the bow and stern. On the main deck someone was about to shove a large sponge on the end of a long pole into the outboard end of one of the cylinders. They could hardly be anything but cannon-perhaps crude, but judging from their size, quite powerful.
So somebody in this Dimension already had gunpowder. Who and where were they? There was no clue to where this picture had been taken. The sailing ship might have been just beyond the range of the Hauri canoes, or it might have been half a world away.
In any case, it was absolutely necessary to search out these people. If they became allies and friends, it would give the other peoples of this Dimension gunpowder weapons many years sooner. If they became enemies-or even worse allies of the Menel-well, that had to be prevented somehow.
Blade suddenly realized that the candle had gone out and the hut was so dark he could barely make out the photographs in the book across his knees. Fudan was slumped over his pile of shellfish, sound asleep, his knife still in his hand.
Blade yawned, and realized that he also was ready for sleep. Certainly he could do nothing more against the Menel now, even if he stayed up all night.
The storm died by morning and Fudan put out to sea in his canoe, a small bag of black pearls slung at his waist. He wanted Blade to come with him, but Blade refused. He did not want to bring any of the Menel equipment to a Hauri village or a Kargoi camp at the moment.
«It is possible that the Menel have put in some of these little machines devices that give off signals-like smoke signals, but invisible. Such signals can be heard many days' sailing away. The Menel might follow the signals in another flying machine and destroy whatever and whoever they found. If they do that while I am here, I alone will die, not a whole village.»
Fudan sighed. «I could say that your wisdom is worth a whole village, and it would be true. But it would not change your mind, would it?»
Blade shook his head. «If I am killed, look for a boulder marked with a blue triangle on top of that hill to the east.» He pointed. «Under it I will put a written plan of how to fight the Menel. In that plan will be everything you will need to know to go on without me.»
«Should I tell anyone else of what we have seen and learned on this voyage?»
Blade was about to shake his head, but some note in Fudan's voice made him stop. «Are you thinking of anyone in particular?»
«Yes. The man you would have as High Baudz of the Kargoi, Paor. He has been asking many questions about what we have seen of the sea reptiles. I began to wonder if he suspects something about them.»
«But you didn't tell me, because I didn't ask?» said Blade, laughing.
«That is true. Then you wish me to tell him?»
«Yes. It is time that he learned. I trust him to keep silent until it is time to speak of this to other people.»
«Very good. Farewell, Blade, and do not stay here alone too long. Both the Hauri and the Kargoi have too great a need of you.»
Blade shook hands with Fudan and watched the chief go down to the shore and climb into his canoe. When Fudan's sail was out of sight, Blade returned to the hut and the study of his Menel souvenirs.
For all that he learned from them during the next four days, Blade might just as well have gone with Fudan. Even the photographs lost interest for him after looking at them twenty times. He was able to spend a day writing up his report and concealing it on the hill, but that was only one day, and he was determined to give the Menel at least a week. If they hadn't done anything to trace their missing gear by then, it would probably be safe for him to go home.
Blade was just lighting the candle on the fifth evening when someone knocked on the door of the hut. He blew out the candle, picked up his sword, and went to the door.
He needed no weapons for the visitor. It was Loya, dressed in her usual trousers, her staff in one hand and a bag of food slung over the other shoulder. She was barefoot and there were salt stains on her trousers and in her hair.
«Am I welcome, in spite of that?» she said, pointing at the sword. Her broad mouth curved into a mocking smile.
«Certainly.» Blade put down the sword and closed the door behind her. «Perhaps in return for my welcome you will tell me why you have come here?»
«Why does any woman come to a man she has chosen and who has accepted her-or so she has been told?» There was no mockery in the smile now. «It is not good for you to be alone so long.»
«It may not be good for you to be here,» said Blade. He hesitated. «The Sky People may come, and if they do ….»
«Yes, yes,» Loya said briskly, waving one hand to dismiss the matter. «Fudan has told me everything. I came anyway. Blade, there is nothing that can frighten me away from he who is to be my husband.»
«You seem to have tracked me down at last. Well then, huntress, come and claim your prey.» He stood up and held out both arms to her. Loya seemed to float into them without her feet touching the ground.
For some time Blade had wondered how Loya's long-limbed, finely muscled body would feel in his arms. Now he knew. She filled him with soaring excitement and at the same time tenderness. He was more to Loya than she could ever be to him, and nothing could be done about that in the long run. In the time they would have together, though, he would do anything possible to avoid hurting her or disappointing her.
Loya was tall enough so that he did not have to bend far to kiss her. He started on her forehead, brushed his lips down over both eyes and across the high-bridged nose, then brought his mouth against hers. He started gently but quickly sensed her demanding more and began to give it. Her tongue crept out between the even white teeth and he met it with his own. He felt a warm, deeply sensual welcome in that meeting of their tongues.
He would happily have let the kissing go on forever, but as his lips and Loya's met his hands were moving up and down her back and her hands were stroking the insides of his thighs. His hands slipped inside her trousers and drew her up against him, so that the swollen manhood under his loinguard was pressing upward between her thighs. Her hands crept upward across the broad chest, fingering the layers of muscle and the ridged scars. Then they darted down to yank aside the loinguard and suddenly close on the exposed flesh. Blade jerked as if he'd received an electric shock and stifled a gasp.
He could feel Loya's breath coming quickly now, her chest rising and falling, driving the solid curves of her breasts and the still more solid points of her nipples against him. He could feel her beginning to shiver, as if she were standing in a cold wind. He could feel that it was time for both of them.
It was agony to step apart even for a moment, but it was a short-lived agony and it made coming together again all the sweeter. Blade tore off his loinguard as Loya unlaced her trousers and pushed them down her long legs. She stepped forward, a perfect triangle of blue-black hair cradled between her thighs, rising on her toes as she came. Blade bent at the knees, so that they were perfectly positioned. Loya sank down, he rose up, and as he did he slid upward into the eagerly waiting warmth inside her.