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In the meantime, they had to rebuild the lift and the bridge. Deyv found time to scout around the area when he wasn't building or hunting. He located two more tribes, each about ten miles from the hillpeople in opposite directions. Both lived alongside a river, a tributary of which fed the swamp. They were of the same race as the swamp dwellers and spoke dialects of the same language. They also suffered from the depredations of the red-eared rodents.
Failing to learn enough of the swamp dwellers' tongue by eavesdropping, he decided to kidnap an informant. He and The Shemibob hung around the hill at a discreet distance until a woman carrying a big basket of nuts came along. He shot her with a dart whose point was coated with an anesthetic. The
Shemibob picked her up; Deyv took the basket, which had spilled only half its contents.
Vana tried to reassure the woman that she would not be harmed. It did no good. She was terrified by
Sloosh and the snake-centaur, whom she was convinced were beasts or demons, or what she called dream monsters. Vana, by far the most linguistically competent, quickly learned the tribe's language.
After a while she was able to soothe the woman's fears somewhat. When she allowed the woman to take care of Thrush, she gained more of her confidence.
Be'nyar said that her tribe called itself the Chaufi'ng, that is, The People. The idol was not a god but a representation of the founding ancestor of her tribe, Tsi'kzheep. She had no concept of gods. To her there were only elemental forces, some good, some evil, some indifferent. The world had been created by a bird, the Ngingzhkroob. Rather, the bird had laid a primal egg from which most living things had been hatched, including Tsi'kzheep.
And when would they let her go?
Soon, Vana promised. She also told the woman that the world would soon be destroyed. But the tribes nearby could go through the gateway to a young world and so be saved.
Be'nyar trembled and said that the shimmering thing was an evil force. It was taboo—as Sloosh had guessed— and her people would never enter its mouth. They'd be committing suicide, be eaten up in the force's belly.
Vana told Be'nyar that that wasn't true. She had gone through just such a shimmering and had not been harmed. Be'nyar listened to her story of the transit politely—she had to—but it was evident that she thought Vana was lying.
Deyv, listening to the dialog, learned that the Chaufi'ng believed that as long as the statue of Tsi'kzheep was in their possession and intact, they would be able to defend themselves successfully against their enemies and prosperity would be theirs.
He told Vana to tell the woman that Tsi'kzheep hadn't been doing very well against the red-ears.
Be'nyar replied indignantly that Tsi'kzheep could get rid of them instantly if he cared to. But he had been offended by something the tribe had done. It wasn't known yet just what that was, but the shaman was trying to find out.
Deyv decided to try speaking her language. It was the only way he'd ever become fluent in it.
"If we kill the red-ears, will your people then regard us as friends?"
He had to repeat himself slowly for her to understand him.
She said, "I don't know. Perhaps Tsi'kzheep would be insulted. Then again he might not be. You'd have to ask the shaman."
Further questioning revealed that the Trading Season would start after the next circuit of The Dark Beast was over. There were six tribes which met at the trading place. It was the Chaufi'ng's turn to host the meeting. There was no trade pidgin all could speak. Instead, a sign language was used.
Deyv groaned. Another language to learn! But it had to be done if he was to carry out his suddenly conceived plan.
He called the others aside and told them what his idea was.
The Shemibob said, "It might work. One should not fight the superstitions of a people but use them to get what one wants. Usually that's done out of an evil or selfish motive. In this case, it'll be for good."
The following sleep-time Vana awoke them with the begi
Deyv went out with The Shemibob, Sloosh, and Jum to hunt down the lair of the red-ears. He took with him Be'nyar's soul egg to make sure that she wouldn't try to run away while the four were gone. It wasn't likely that she'd try anything, since Aejip was keeping an eye on her. However, Deyv believed in taking no chances with her.
They came back without finding any red-ears. The next trip, they saw one gnawing through the trunk of a small tree. It p:cked up the log after stripping off the branches and carried it a quarter of a mile to a giant tangle of tree trunks. Since the area around it was stripped except for tbe stumps, its followers had no place to conceal themselves. They stayed far behind the beast, and if it saw them, it was paying them no attention.
The tangle turned out to be both food and a home for the beasts. Its triangular entrances were formed of logs which opened into triangular tu
The latter not only bore logs in their mouths but also carried nuts, fruits, and pods in a skin fold on their bellies.
The woman Be'nyar had said the beasts were totem animals and could not be attacked except when they intruded upon the personal territory of Tsi'kzheep, which was the hill on which the tribe lived, and the swamp immediately around it. However, since the red-ear was not the totem of Devy's party, they could slay the beast without fear of reprisal from the Chaufi'ng. Just how they could do that, the woman did not know. The red-ear's only vulnerable spots were the eyes and the anus. The creature seldom lifted its protecting tail when in combat.
It had, however, not encountered sentients with such brute strength as The Shemibob and the Archkerri.
Deyv ran up to the nearest beast, which had been placidly chewing on chunks of wood ripped from a log. It dropped its food, reared up on its hind legs, roared, dropped down to all fours, and charged. Deyv turned and sped away. Though the animal was huge and clumsy-looking, it was, according to The
Shemibob's calls, gaining on him. Deyv decided to put more distance the next time between him and a red-ear before the chase began.
He ran between the two giants, who had been standing motionless, their huge clubs lifted. As hoped, the red-ear was intent only on Deyv. Its eyesight didn't seem too good, and it might have mistaken the two for stumps or rocks. Whatever it thought about them, it paid them no attention. As it came between the two, they brought down their bludgeons simultaneously, striking it on top of its head. It went down without a sound, lay quivering for a few seconds, then, growling, started to get up. The clubs broke its spine just behind the head.
Deyv got his wind back before going out to lure another. Another victim fell, while those around the tangle moved uneasily, growling or whimpering. A third died. But the fourth time what Deyv hoped would not happen did. Two beasts thundered after him at the same time. He didn't have to shout at his coworkers to move out. They were ready, each striking a red-ear. These fell to the ground but got up very quickly. Apparently, it took two clubs striking together to make a great impression on those thick skulls.
Sloosh and the snalce-centaur brought their clubs down on their targets, once, twice, thrice. Blood poured out from the open mouths of the red-ears. A fourth stroke by each clubber snapped the spines.