Free Cat Karina by Michael Coney

how they’re cheating the whole camp — in fact how they’re cheating felinos everywhere, giving them a bad reputation with True Humans.”
    “Personally I don’t give a shit what True Humans think of us,” said Runa.
    “Well, no. But it makes us look good in front of our own people. I mean.… Torch will probably put in a good word for us at the next meeting. We have a few things to live down, you know.”
    “Torch? To hell with Torch!”
    The scene was set for one of those frequent clashes between Runa and Teressa.
    “You’d better not say that when he’s heading up our grupo!”
    “He’ll never head any grupo I’m a member of!” snapped Runa.
    “You won’t have any choice in the matter, sister!”
    “Who’s going to make me? You? Are you sweet on that swaggering goon, Teressa?”
    “By Agni, I’m going to kill you, Runa!”
    Runa sprang. Teressa sidestepped and Runa found herself clawing uselessly at the tough hide of the tump. As she turned, Teressa’s kick caught her full in the stomach and she dropped, the air whistling out of her.
    “You’ll have to be quicker than that!” Teressa taunted her. “Torch is a big man. He’ll kill you on the first night!”
    “Stop it! Stop it! shouted Saba. “I wish Karina was here!”
    “What’s going on down there?” came a sudden shout from above.
    “Now you’ve done it, you two,” Saba whispered. “The tumpier’s woken up.”
    “Let’s get out of here.”
    They crept away, Teressa supporting the staggering Runa who was having difficulty breathing; and headed east, downhill. Far below them the sea glittered coldly and the polished hardwood of the sailway showed as a silver thread across the plain. The wind was cold, and bore the strengthening scent of blood.
    Suddenly, Runa fell.
    Instantly Teressa was kneeling beside her. “Are you all right?”
    “I’m … fine.” She tried to struggle up.
    “No, lie there a moment. Saba! Go and scout out that smell. Don’t let anyone see you. Just keep your head down and find out what’s going on.” When Saba was out of earshot, Teressa said, “I wanted to say I’m very sorry I hurt you, and I’ll try not to let it happen again.”
    “I … I.…” Runa gulped, snuggling her head against Teressa’s breasts.
    “Tell me.”
    “It’s so hard . The other grupos often have mothers or boys leading them and they know so much, and they just seem to run rings round us. I want us to mate well but Torch drives me insane, always creeping round father.… But he’s well thought of in the camp. I don’t know what to think.”
    “Well, we’re well thought of too — you know that. We’re pretty much the top grupo of our generation.”
    “A lot of that is due to Karina,” said Runa.
    “So where is she now?” It had been annoying Teressa for hours. “A grupo should be together. That’s what grupos are all about. Suddenly she keeps going off on her own.”
    “We all need one another, I think,” said Runa pacifically.
    When Saba returned, she found Runa and Teressa curled up together like kittens, half asleep. “I’m glad you’ve settled your differences,” Saba said with some asperity, “because Iolande’s grupo’s down there feasting on a tump like they haven’t eaten for months, and if we don’t hurry up they’ll strip it to the bone and start in on the lumpier.”
    Teressa stood, “Right. Runa, you circle south around that knoll. Saba, north through the gully. I’ll take them from the front — you’ll have to keep your head down; the moon will be in our faces. Don’t move in until you hear me yell.”
    Saba said, “I wish Karina was here.”
     

The Purpose.
     
     
    Many years before, the handmaiden, then a young girl, had asked the Dedo, “What is the Purpose?”
    The Dedo walked across the bare floor of the cottage and laid her palm against the Rock. Since the Rock gave access to most areas of the Greataway, it followed that much of the knowledge of the Rainbow could be