Free Tau Ceti by Laurence Dahners Page B

be great! I set a trap. I’m going to go watch it.” Hie untied the meteorite from hies harness and leaned it up against one of the trees. A couple beats lofted himr into a glide down to the burrow. Just before hie landed hie thought better of it and after coasting past the burrow hie beat up into the air to circle high over the burrow, examining the surrounding terrain for any other possibilities. Hie saw a couple of other burrows though the burrowers themselves weren’t evident. After checking the one with the snare hie coasted down to the next burrow. This one didn’t have any rock to hook the trigger on so hie had to cut and drive a stake to hook the trigger on. Then, in frustration, hie realized that hie didn’t have enough fiberlin to reach the closest sapling. Looking around hie saw a worn path from the burrow running beneath the sapling. Hie cut a notch for hies trigger hook near the bottom of the sapling, bent the sapling, hooked the trigger and ran the noose from there to drape over the path.  Then hie beat up into the air and over to Syrdian, pleased to see a small fire burning with the tubers spitted over it .
    Syrdian said, “I thought you were going to watch your trap?”
    “I set another one. I think we’ll be able to see and hear them go off from here. I’m really hungry, how about you?”
    “Yeah, I could even eat some talor.”
    Dex looked sharply at Syrdian and saw himr grinning ruefully, “Me too.”
    Syrdian said, “ I’m afraid to ask , but why don’t you fly back to the cave? I think my parents would come for me. Then you wouldn’t have to do this.”
    Dex looked off into the distance, “And what if they told me that you’re dyatso? What if they won’t let me come back?”
    Syrdian’s hearts hammered, “But, but my parents… wouldn’t…”
    “Don’t be too sure. You know the tribe’s policy. ‘If you can’t fly the migration, you’re dyatso. You must fend for yourself.’”
    Wings quivering Syrdian said, “But…”
    “Besides, don’t you think it would be easier for them … if they think you died cleanly at the beak of a talor… than if they had to come visit you dyatso… then fly away leaving you here? They have responsibilities to your small er siblings so they couldn’t stay with you even if they would give their own lives for you.”
    After a long pause Syrdian said, “Dex, I’m embarrassed to ask, but who are your parents?”
    Embarrassed Dex shrugged hies wings, “Deltain and Genex.”
    “Oh, I know of Deltain. Hies leatherwork is famous, that must be where you learned .” Syrdian looked meaningfully at Dex’s elegant harness.
    Dex thought it was polite of Syrdian not to mention the embarrassing Genex. Handsome and artistic when young, Genex became addicted to fermented tubers and died many seasons ago . Deltain never told Dex what had happened but Genex hadn’t died well. Genex’s poor standing had dragged Deltain’s and their child’s status down and was to a significant degree responsible for Dex only being able to admire Syrdian from afar. Hie looked up at Syrdian, “Thanks, hie did teach me my leatherwork. I hope someday to be half as good as hie is.” Dex’s head snapped around at a flicker and a “tw oo sh” sound behind himr . The motion hies back eyes had seen was the farthest of the bent saplings snapping upright. Dex beat into the air and coasted down to it. Seeing a burrower struggling in the noose hie pulled out hies knife. A quick stab down into the brain at the base of the ne ck ended its struggles. Hie loosened hies noose from under two front limbs , carefully wrapping the heavy fiberlin back on the stick from hies harness pouch.
     
    ***
     
    Emma watched in astonishment as Goldy and Silver broke out of the trees into a clearing. She had the distinct feeling that they were much happier in the open than they had been in the forest. With a few vigorous wing beats Goldy rose into the air though in the side camera Emma saw Silver