Shame of Man by Piers Anthony Page A

posture of negotiation. The others lifted their spears, not liking this; it was bad form to let an enemy or outsider see dissension in the band. But it was worse form to attack anoutsider who came in peace, though no outsider was to be trusted. It was obvious that the home band was superior to all others, but the others had to be tolerated if they didn't infringe or attack.
    Bub approached, and behind him came his disreputable sister, her hands also raised though of course it didn't matter because she was only female. She gave Hue a straight look, recognizing him. The two of them had shared shelter in a storm once, so of course they had mated, because that was the way of any man with any woman. Her look suggested that she would like to do it again, and that the event gave her some kind of claim on him. Hue was disgusted, because he didn't even like her. Yet she had undeniable appeal in her strangeness. Her chest fur was not only flat in the available manner, it seemed never to have swollen for the nursing of a child. That made her seem younger than he knew her to be.
    Fae sniffed behind him. She didn't like the approach of the alien female either. He glanced back at her. Fae's chest was beginning to swell, indicating that it anticipated nursing. That meant that she had a baby starting in her. Perhaps that was why his interest in her was slowing; he hadn't been conscious of the swelling before, because it had happened slowly, but now he realized its significance. He would soon have to find another female for sex, because those with babies weren't much good. Breasted women were more interested in their nurslings than in their mates.
    Then he saw that Fae was looking past him, at Bub. She was intrigued by the enemy male? Worse yet!
    Joe addressed the intruder. “Want?” he demanded.
    “Bad hunt,” Bub said, glancing at Hue. “Man no.” He knew their predicament; without one of the members of their hunting party, they could suffer loss of the prey, or even the death of one of more of their members. This was serious business.
    Joe hefted his spear angrily. “Foreigner no,” he said. The word foreigner had multiple meanings, among them distance, disapproval, and fecal matter. He was saying that it was none of Bub's business.
    But Bub did not take offense. “Bub hunt yes,” he said. “Share meat.” He was offering to participate in the hunt, if they let him have some of what they killed. Such deals had been made before, on occasion; it was better than taking the risk of messing it up. The usual arrangement was for the stranger to be allowed to take whatever he could carry away in one haul, if the kill was big enough. In this case it would be, because of the size of the ape.
    Joe was about to decline. But Bil was more calculating. He glanced at Hue. “Hue no?” he asked.
    Hue was sickened by the whole business. If he didn't participate in the hunt, Bub would take his place and share the meat. They were forcing the issue. But he still was not willing to hunt the ape. “Hue no.”
    Bil looked at Rae. “Bub yes?”

    Rae hesitated. He had always been Hue's closest friend, and his sister was Hue's mate. But he wanted to hunt the ape. “Yes.”
    Bil asked Joe. “Bub yes?”
    Joe had always acceded to Bil's advice. With bad grace he agreed. “Yes.”
    Bil looked at Bub. “Yes,” he said, completing the consensus.
    Hue had been circumvented. With Bub to take his place in the hunt, they didn't need him.
    But the decision was more significant than that. He had been shamed before the band. He had hoped to prevent the hunt, saving the ape; he had succeeded only in isolating himself from his band. There had always been a covert question, because of his wrong hand; now he had a wrong attitude, exacerbating his difference. The band's tolerance went only so far.
    As a shamed man, he would have difficulty remaining with the band. The others probably thought it was cowardice: that he was simply afraid to face the huge apes. He was