Free Crisis On Doona by Anne McCaffrey, Jody Lynn Nye
Authors: Anne McCaffrey, Jody Lynn Nye
leg. “If he had not acted when he did, the results might have been very serious for you.”
On Hrrula’s hissed orders, a Team Two rider went off into the brush to retrieve Hrriss’s horse. He reappeared shortly, leading Hrriss’s Rrhee, then rode off to rejoin his own team, now far ahead in the jungle. Hrriss spoke softly to calm the ocelots, mad with bloodlust, who were still tearing at the twitching corpse of the snake.
“But I plunged the spear through its brain! It is dead, by my hand. I claim the kill,” the visitor insisted.
Todd let his eyes meet those of the strange Hrruban. The visitor possessed a very broad back stripe, indicating that he held a position of rank in Hrruban society.
“With the greatest of respect,” Todd said, dropping into full formal Hrruban which forced him to suppress the fury he felt, “there can be no doubt that the creature was already dying when you rode forward.”
The broad stripe was somewhat taken aback by his host’s use of the formal language. Since that was used only during events of the greatest importance, it was ingrained in the Hrruban not to disagree with the speaker without considerable forethought. Hrrula, an old ally of Todd’s, waited silently nearby.
“Perhaps we will discuss the matter later,” Todd said politely, gesturing to the Team Two leader. “We must complete the Hunt. Time is pressing.”
“Quite right, honored guests,” Hrrula said, having slathered the snake slashes and scale pinches with vrrela salve. “With your permission, Zodd Rrev, we must catch up with our team. We are needed.” Before the strangers could protest, the Hrruban grabbed the rein of one of the horses and pulled it after him. The animal obediently followed the lead mount. In a moment, all three of them were out of sight.
Todd mounted up again. He sent a concerned glance toward Hrriss. “There’s a snake blind only a hundred meters ahead, if you need a rest.”
“I am all right,” Hrriss assured him. “Truly. There is no real damage. The circulation will return to the leg in a short time. It could have been worse.”
“Could have been much worse,” Todd said. Then, with a wicked grin, he added, “It could have been your tail!”
“Team Three leaving the spawning grounds,” his radio announced. “They’re moving slow this year. Vic just herded a couple of tiddlers that were trying to leave the grounds from the wrong side. Look out for ’em. They’re mad.”
“Fardles!” Todd put his heels to his horse. Hrriss’s episode had taken only a few minutes from start to finish.
The sound of hoofbeats pounding up behind her made Kelly swivel about in concern. One, no, two horses returning. She relaxed and smiled as Todd and Hrriss passed her.
“Hrriss did it in!” Todd called. Hrriss was leaning to the right, obviously favoring his left leg. “Good kill. Mommy Snake! Fifteen and a half meters or I’ll eat it. But he’d better not get a big head, or he won’t get through the trees!”
“You’re lucky to be alive,” Kelly said to Hrriss, at the same time pulling a face at Todd. “That was a magnificent tackle! I hope those two Hrrubans realize you saved their lives.”
“Those foolish ones were made to understand that by Zodd,” Hrriss assured her, his tail tip lashing to one side of his saddle. The others cheered and shouted encouragement to him as he resumed his place in the line. Todd moved ahead and raised his radio on high as a signal to move out. Kelly told the other team leaders that Todd was in charge again and clipped her own box to her belt.
They were moving swiftly up on the most dangerous part of the Hunt. The team was about to leave the jungle and move out on featureless grasslands. Without the trees to restrict them, the snakes often attempted to escape from their shepherds and go in search of landbound food. The task of keeping the swarm together the rest of the way was made more difficult by the local land-owner.
Twenty-five
On Hrrula’s hissed orders, a Team Two rider went off into the brush to retrieve Hrriss’s horse. He reappeared shortly, leading Hrriss’s Rrhee, then rode off to rejoin his own team, now far ahead in the jungle. Hrriss spoke softly to calm the ocelots, mad with bloodlust, who were still tearing at the twitching corpse of the snake.
“But I plunged the spear through its brain! It is dead, by my hand. I claim the kill,” the visitor insisted.
Todd let his eyes meet those of the strange Hrruban. The visitor possessed a very broad back stripe, indicating that he held a position of rank in Hrruban society.
“With the greatest of respect,” Todd said, dropping into full formal Hrruban which forced him to suppress the fury he felt, “there can be no doubt that the creature was already dying when you rode forward.”
The broad stripe was somewhat taken aback by his host’s use of the formal language. Since that was used only during events of the greatest importance, it was ingrained in the Hrruban not to disagree with the speaker without considerable forethought. Hrrula, an old ally of Todd’s, waited silently nearby.
“Perhaps we will discuss the matter later,” Todd said politely, gesturing to the Team Two leader. “We must complete the Hunt. Time is pressing.”
“Quite right, honored guests,” Hrrula said, having slathered the snake slashes and scale pinches with vrrela salve. “With your permission, Zodd Rrev, we must catch up with our team. We are needed.” Before the strangers could protest, the Hrruban grabbed the rein of one of the horses and pulled it after him. The animal obediently followed the lead mount. In a moment, all three of them were out of sight.
Todd mounted up again. He sent a concerned glance toward Hrriss. “There’s a snake blind only a hundred meters ahead, if you need a rest.”
“I am all right,” Hrriss assured him. “Truly. There is no real damage. The circulation will return to the leg in a short time. It could have been worse.”
“Could have been much worse,” Todd said. Then, with a wicked grin, he added, “It could have been your tail!”
“Team Three leaving the spawning grounds,” his radio announced. “They’re moving slow this year. Vic just herded a couple of tiddlers that were trying to leave the grounds from the wrong side. Look out for ’em. They’re mad.”
“Fardles!” Todd put his heels to his horse. Hrriss’s episode had taken only a few minutes from start to finish.
The sound of hoofbeats pounding up behind her made Kelly swivel about in concern. One, no, two horses returning. She relaxed and smiled as Todd and Hrriss passed her.
“Hrriss did it in!” Todd called. Hrriss was leaning to the right, obviously favoring his left leg. “Good kill. Mommy Snake! Fifteen and a half meters or I’ll eat it. But he’d better not get a big head, or he won’t get through the trees!”
“You’re lucky to be alive,” Kelly said to Hrriss, at the same time pulling a face at Todd. “That was a magnificent tackle! I hope those two Hrrubans realize you saved their lives.”
“Those foolish ones were made to understand that by Zodd,” Hrriss assured her, his tail tip lashing to one side of his saddle. The others cheered and shouted encouragement to him as he resumed his place in the line. Todd moved ahead and raised his radio on high as a signal to move out. Kelly told the other team leaders that Todd was in charge again and clipped her own box to her belt.
They were moving swiftly up on the most dangerous part of the Hunt. The team was about to leave the jungle and move out on featureless grasslands. Without the trees to restrict them, the snakes often attempted to escape from their shepherds and go in search of landbound food. The task of keeping the swarm together the rest of the way was made more difficult by the local land-owner.
Twenty-five