Two stays high till dawn.”
“Go tell Kaywerbrimmis. Then stay with Cruiser Two! I don’t want you alone on the slopes when night falls.”
Beedj was up and walking ahead and to the right, his crossbow cocked. Barok was tending the cannon. Tegger perched above him.
The black hominid lay inconsolable on wet river mud. It presently rolled over and saw the descending cruiser. It waited.
Manack dropped from the running board and ran ahead. Vala’s gun was in her hands, ready.
A vampire sang.
The music was unmistakable, thrilling along her nerves. Manack came to a jarring stop. Vala could see no target. The River Person waddled toward the bushes.
The second vampire stepped timidly out to meet it. Male, it was. It raised its arms imploringly. With the scent and the music going wild in her head, Vala fired.
The bullet struck beneath its armpit, slamming the vampire violently away. In the near-dark its blood was as red as any hominid’s. Vala caught a stronger whiff of its scent; she raised the towel and inhaled pepperleek.
Manack was hanging back. The River Person cast itself on the body. The vampire spasmed in agony, then relaxed.
Vala pulled the cruiser alongside both. Passengers were dropping from the running board.
Slick black hair, short thick arms and legs, wide hands and feet, streamlined body ... clothing. The River Woman’s torso was covered with some other creature’s brown fur. She looked up, then pulled away from the vampire male with visible effort.
“Greeting,”’ she said. “I am Wurblychoog—“ a liquid flow of syllables and a trace of smile. You can’t pronounce that.
Vala said, “Greetings, Wurble. Valavirgillin. Why didn’t the vampire kill you?”
“This,” the woman said, and her hands waved down her barrel body. The garment was stiff around her throat. The sides were smooth leather, the hair shaved off. The rest, chest and back, were fur taken from some water beast.
She said, “We take a jell from a floating predator in Lake Deeps, half a daywalk across land. The jellfisher stings fish to eat them. The sting is in the jell. We smear an otter fur vest with jell, then shave off the fur where our arms lie when we swim. Vampires don’t like the sting, but after, must ... must ...” She turned to Manack. “Can swim, little courageous one? Can hold breath for a little while?”
“I would drown,” said Manack.
The River Woman told Vala, “Homeflow tribe has only four vests. Vampires bar us from shore, many falans now. If from time to time one of us wears a vest and lets a vampire embrace her, she may teach them to leave River People alone. Then we can hunt the shore for a time.”
“You show great courage.”
“I show my courage for Borubble, to take him for my mate.”
“And get some vampire scent on yourself, too,” Waast leered.
“Shubble flup! This is not to speak of. You, red one, can dive deep for only a few tens of breaths?”
Tegger shook his head. He was tired of the question. The River Woman sighed. “We hear rishathra. Never practice. Must mate! Will tell Borubble the good news. Will tell him visitors come, too. Stay here on mud flat, see vampires coming from a long way.”
She was across the mud and into the water before Vala could frame an intelligent reply.
Water could hide threats other than vampires. The whole team bathed with edged weapons in hand. Afterward Barok went upstream with the Gleaners to fish. Vala envied him a little, but she must remain to set up defenses.
Cruiser One spent the night on the mud flat. No visitors came, vampires or River People.
It was all going very smoothly, Vala thought. Very much according to prediction and plan. That worried her.
Three nights ago they had put a final shape to their plans.
Four Reds had come to the war. Warvia and Tegger had stayed, but two unmated males, Anakrin hooki-Whanhurhur and Chaychind hooki-Karashk, had been persuaded to return to Red territory carrying instructions that might be the
“Go tell Kaywerbrimmis. Then stay with Cruiser Two! I don’t want you alone on the slopes when night falls.”
Beedj was up and walking ahead and to the right, his crossbow cocked. Barok was tending the cannon. Tegger perched above him.
The black hominid lay inconsolable on wet river mud. It presently rolled over and saw the descending cruiser. It waited.
Manack dropped from the running board and ran ahead. Vala’s gun was in her hands, ready.
A vampire sang.
The music was unmistakable, thrilling along her nerves. Manack came to a jarring stop. Vala could see no target. The River Person waddled toward the bushes.
The second vampire stepped timidly out to meet it. Male, it was. It raised its arms imploringly. With the scent and the music going wild in her head, Vala fired.
The bullet struck beneath its armpit, slamming the vampire violently away. In the near-dark its blood was as red as any hominid’s. Vala caught a stronger whiff of its scent; she raised the towel and inhaled pepperleek.
Manack was hanging back. The River Person cast itself on the body. The vampire spasmed in agony, then relaxed.
Vala pulled the cruiser alongside both. Passengers were dropping from the running board.
Slick black hair, short thick arms and legs, wide hands and feet, streamlined body ... clothing. The River Woman’s torso was covered with some other creature’s brown fur. She looked up, then pulled away from the vampire male with visible effort.
“Greeting,”’ she said. “I am Wurblychoog—“ a liquid flow of syllables and a trace of smile. You can’t pronounce that.
Vala said, “Greetings, Wurble. Valavirgillin. Why didn’t the vampire kill you?”
“This,” the woman said, and her hands waved down her barrel body. The garment was stiff around her throat. The sides were smooth leather, the hair shaved off. The rest, chest and back, were fur taken from some water beast.
She said, “We take a jell from a floating predator in Lake Deeps, half a daywalk across land. The jellfisher stings fish to eat them. The sting is in the jell. We smear an otter fur vest with jell, then shave off the fur where our arms lie when we swim. Vampires don’t like the sting, but after, must ... must ...” She turned to Manack. “Can swim, little courageous one? Can hold breath for a little while?”
“I would drown,” said Manack.
The River Woman told Vala, “Homeflow tribe has only four vests. Vampires bar us from shore, many falans now. If from time to time one of us wears a vest and lets a vampire embrace her, she may teach them to leave River People alone. Then we can hunt the shore for a time.”
“You show great courage.”
“I show my courage for Borubble, to take him for my mate.”
“And get some vampire scent on yourself, too,” Waast leered.
“Shubble flup! This is not to speak of. You, red one, can dive deep for only a few tens of breaths?”
Tegger shook his head. He was tired of the question. The River Woman sighed. “We hear rishathra. Never practice. Must mate! Will tell Borubble the good news. Will tell him visitors come, too. Stay here on mud flat, see vampires coming from a long way.”
She was across the mud and into the water before Vala could frame an intelligent reply.
Water could hide threats other than vampires. The whole team bathed with edged weapons in hand. Afterward Barok went upstream with the Gleaners to fish. Vala envied him a little, but she must remain to set up defenses.
Cruiser One spent the night on the mud flat. No visitors came, vampires or River People.
It was all going very smoothly, Vala thought. Very much according to prediction and plan. That worried her.
Three nights ago they had put a final shape to their plans.
Four Reds had come to the war. Warvia and Tegger had stayed, but two unmated males, Anakrin hooki-Whanhurhur and Chaychind hooki-Karashk, had been persuaded to return to Red territory carrying instructions that might be the
Similar Books
