Killer

fight between the other two. While Lycon might be reckless of the fact that N'Sumu held their lives in his hand, Vonones had not forgotten.

'There in the loft,' Vonones broke in. 'Just what was that we saw… with Smiler?'

N'Sumu regarded him blankly for a moment, then chose his words. 'The sauropithecus is somewhat akin to a species of wasp, in that the female lays her eggs within the living body of a helpless host. You understand, the region of Africa in which the sauropitheci dwell is so abounding with other dangerous predators that any normal sort of nest would surely be destroyed. Often I have seen elephants whose bodies have been infested with the larvae of the sauropithecus.'

'Certainly, there are always new wonders to come forth from Africa,' temporized Vonones, praying that the beastcatcher had mastered his anger. 'Is it true, as has been written, that in a certain region of the interior there lives a race of men whose heads are in the center of their bodies?'

'This is certainly true,' said N'Sumu. 'Many times have I hunted in their lands.'

'And is there also a race of men who can hurl lightning bolts from their hands?' demanded Lycon. No sooner had he spoken than he began to regret his audacity.

N'Sumu considered the two men impassively, and Lycon had faced death too often not to recognize that he again faced death in this moment.

'There are many secrets known to the priests of Egypt,' said N'Sumu finally. 'It may be even that some of the secrets of the gods are known to certain ones among us. It would be well for you if such powers remain a secret. I suggest that you both forget whatever you think you might have seen last night.'

'And are you priest now as well as hunter, Egyptian?' wondered Lycon boldly. Vonones shot him a pleading glance.

'And who are you to inquire of me, man!' sneered N'Sumu. It was time to put an end to dangerous lines of thought. 'I am master here! At my whim, you and your household are fodder for the arena! Remember that! I won't remind you again.'

Vonones laid a firm hand on Lycon's arm, urging the hunter to let matters rest. Lycon subsided, but the merchant had the sensation of standing upon the slope of a volcano whose next unexpected rumbling would bring annihilation.

'The simple fact remains that your man dropped the lantern that destroyed the sauropithecus' lair, thereby ruining our chances of lying in wait there for the mother's return to the loft.' N'Sumu was unconcerned over the consequent human casualties and suffering, just as he chose to ignore his own panic that night. 'Thanks to your blundering, we don't even have a live chick to offer to the Emperor. Well, then-I'll not dwell upon past mistakes. What matters is the present, and I want to hear your suggestions regarding our next move.'

N'Sumu paused and smiled his ghastly smile. Lycon found the expression as reassuring as a shark's gaping grin. 'After all,' the bronzed Egyptian said, 'you are my field experts. I rely upon your advice.'

'We can continue our reward offer for information on the lizard-ape's kills,' Vonones suggested quickly, avoiding the stark look on Lycon's face. 'And we can offer a reward for sightings. We know now for certain that the lizard-ape is here in Rome-you were perfectly correct about that, N'Sumu. We'll search for its new lair, now that we know what to look for.'

'The sauropithecus may not seek another lair immediately,' N'Sumu argued. 'She had implanted her eggs within the one called Smiler only yesterday. She won't be able to produce another clutch for about ten of your days, and if conditions are not favorable she can refrain from doing so for an interval of many days. It seems most probable that the beast will remain in hiding for now, moving about by night in search of another secure lair.

'While we could play a waiting game again, I don't think we can count upon the Emperor's patience much longer. Domitian seems ready enough to accept slaughter in the streets and even on his own estates-although it may be just as well that no evidence remains of what we found in the loft. However, your lord and god expects results, and if we don't produce the sauropithecus very soon now…'

'Our lord and god won't limit his attentions to just Lycon and me,' Vonones warned. 'You may be a stranger here, but that won't spare you from Domitian's displeasure. Maybe you'd better get a head start back to Nubia now, and leave this lizard-ape to professionals.'

'We don't need to play a waiting game,' broke in Lycon-not so much in an unfamiliar role of peacemaker as due to the fact he had been only half listening to the other two. 'We know where the lizard-ape bolted for cover. We'll track it from there.'

'Track it?' Vonones considered the idea. 'Through the sewers, you mean? But there's miles and miles of them. And there's water.'

'Easier than tracking it in open country,' the hunter went on, 'where it could just as easily hide its trail by swimming a stream or taking to the trees. We'll need some dogs-several packs of dogs-and we'll need enough men to break up into groups as needed. You know how the other animals hate the lizard-ape's scent-trailing it through the sewers will be easy with dogs. We'll corner the damn thing and… capture it with nets.'

N'Sumu might have missed Lycon's hesitation, but he nevertheless reminded the beastcatcher: 'Just make certain that the sauropithecus is not harmed in any way. As you have pointed out, I have a personal stake in our success as well. How quickly can you be ready to move?'

'Vonones?'

The Armenian considered for a moment. 'I'll send word to Galerius-although he'll be expensive after that mess on the Emperor's estates. And we can call in some of our trackers from along the Tiber-that will take time, but we may as well bring them all in from the field now that we know the lizard-ape is in Rome.'

'Take too much time,' Lycon protested. 'By the time Galerius gets here from Ostia and we've pulled in all our men from the countryside, the trail will be cold. We need to be after the thing right now, and I can't see waiting much past noon.'

'The men are exhausted after last night.'

'Show me any man of them who hurts worse than I do, and I'll buy him a day in the baths to rest up.' Lycon's sooty grin was as horrid as N'Sumu's smile. 'Come on, Vonones. We're running out of time. I can get us dogs from the Amphitheater right now.'

Vonones shrugged. 'Then we'll regroup here with all the men we can bring in and whatever dogs we can find-say, an hour after midday-and see what we've got. Is that to your satisfaction, N'Sumu?'

'The plan might work,' said the Egyptian. 'Let us hope that it does. Make certain that no time is wasted in assembling the tracking parties. I shall rejoin you at midday.'

N'Sumu uncurled from Vonones' chair. He reached down and picked up the broken corpse of the sauropithecus chick, still enwrapped in Lycon's net. The Egyptian had managed to recover the creature from Lacerta-in itself a testament as to his authority over the Tribune.

'What are you going to do with that?' Lycon demanded.

N'Sumu stared at him impassively. 'Why, take it back to my apartments and eat it.'

'Eat it!' Vonones gasped.

'Of course. Why else would my people hunt sauropitheci? They are delicious when prepared with a sauce of pepper, lovage, caraway, laser, honey, pine nuts…'

'But the thing has fed on human flesh!' Vonones protested.

N'Sumu favored them with his widest smile, and left them standing uneasily in Vonones' office.

* * *