'Master?' I asked.
'Had you oil to pour upon the fire, causing it to blaze up suddenly, from the darkness of embers, that might make it difficult to see, for a moment, the light.'
'Yes, Master?' I said.
'But it is too early for the fire to have died down as yet,' he said. 'Yes, Master,' I said, puzzled.
I watched the sharpening stone move to the blade, so slowly, so smoothly, so evenly.
'If someone were to approach,' he said, 'from behind me, you would undoubtedly see him almost immediately.'
'Yes, Master,' I said. 'There is a clearing behind you, for perhaps fifty feet or more.'
His head was down. He worked with the stone.
'Accordingly,' he said, 'if someone did not wish to be observed in approaching the camp, he might come from that direction which lies more behind you, where there are trees and brush.'
'I suppose so, Master,' I said.
'Do not look around,' he said.
'Very well, Master,' I said.
'Such an individual,' he said, 'might await his opportunity, for example, for a time when he might approach, unobserved.'
'Master?' I said, frightened.
'For example,' he said, 'when someone might be intent upon some other task, not paying attention to that avenue of approach.'
'Master?' I asked.
'Do you recall this afternoon,' he said, 'when we went for our walk?' 'Of course,' I said.
'Do you recall the bodies of the two beasts in the meadow,' he asked. 'Yes,' I said. I had not cared to much look at them, but he had drawn me to them, by the leash, and had had me do so. They had lain contorted in death. The sight was not pretty. He had then, mercifully, had us return to the camp. 'Do you recall anything unusual about them?' he asked.
'No,' I said.
'Do you not recall,' he asked, 'that on each there was a sprinkling of dust?' 'Yes,' I said, puzzled.
'How do you suppose it got there?' he said.
'Blown by the wind,' I said.
'No,' he said, 'not in the meadow.'
'I do not understand,' I said.
'You do not understand the significance of that dust?' he said.
'No,' I said.
'They, too, have their ceremonies, and rites,' he said.
'They?' I asked.
'Yes,' he said. 'The dust is ceremonial.'
I said nothing.
The tiny hairs on the back of my neck rose.
'It would seem,' he said, 'I am now nearly finished with sharpening the sword. Shortly, then, I might be expected to look up.'
'Oh, Master,' I said, terrified.
'Do you detect anything?' he asked.
'No,' I said.
'He will approach from downwind,' he said.
'Yes, Master,' I said.
'If you have time,' he said, 'you are not to rise to your feet, but to throw yourself to the side. You may then rise up and flee.' He spoke with an unnatural calmness. His movements with the stone of the blade were smooth and unhurried, but I sensed that every nerve and cell in his body was tense and alive. 'I will have the opportunity for only one thrust,' he said. The blade was now oriented toward me. Almost directly toward me. 'Do you remember the direction in which I sent Tela, and Mina and Cara, from the camp?'
'Yes,' I said.
'In that direction lies the camp of Pietro Vacchi,' he said. 'It will also, of course, bring you to the Vitkel Aria.'
'Master!' I said.
'Do you understand?' he asked.
'Yes,' I whispered.
'Remember that there is no freedom or escape for you on this world. You are merely a collared slave. It is my advice, accordingly, that you submit yourself as soon as possible to the first man, or men, you think are capable of defending you. If you are caught, on the other hand, you might be considered a runaway, and be forced to bear the grievous consequences of such a foolish indiscretion.' 'I am a slave,' I said. 'I do not wish to be free.'
'You will not be,' he said.
'I am afraid,' I said, 'terribly afraid.'
'Do not be afraid,' he said. 'He is not coming.'
'Oh, Master,' I breathed, joyously, 'Master!' I felt incredible relief. My entire body relaxed. I leaned forward, toward him, toward my master. Almost at the same time I heard a sudden, bestial, deafening, screaming roar behind me and the movement of a huge body and my master was leaping to his feet lunging over the fire thrusting his sword into the darkness behind me over my head and I twisted and saw two great, hairy arms outstretched reaching for him, which closed about him, and I screamed, the body and jaws of the thing over me. I between it and my master, and I threw myself to the side.
In an instant I turned, wildly, on all fours, and, in the half darkness, the fire muchly struck and scattered, tiny flames about, from fiery brands and flaring leaves, saw two shapes, a gigantic bestial shape, and that of a human being, a man, locked together, swaying, clawed feet and sandals moving in the dirt, struggling for leverage and position.
My master had said it was not coming, but how could he have known that, I now realized, at that particular time, without even looking up? No, he had know it was coming. When he had said that it had seemed, in my relief, that the entire physiology to the tone of my body had changed. Perhaps this had suggested to the beast, by sight, and perhaps even by smell, that its presence was undetected, unsuspected, that we were unready, that we thought ourselves safe, that that was the moment of attack. Naturally it would wish to dispose of the man first. I, a female, unarmed and naked, if it were interested in me at all, could be left for later. I had even leaned forward, happily. Clearing the path to him.
The two forms seemed very still now, near the remains of the fire, standing, hardly moving.
'Tuka,' called my master, throatedly.'Yes, Master!' I cried.
'Your permission to flee,' he said, speaking the words one at a time, slowly, 'is revoked.'
'Yes, Master!' I cried.
I saw the long, hairy arms of the gigantic beast slowly relaxing their grasp on my master' s body. The tunic was torn from his back. I did not know if he could stand without the support of the beast.
'Build up the fire,' he said. His voice seemed strangely full and resonant. But, too, it seemed he could hardly speak.
I hurried to gather the scattered brands, and other wood, and thrust them to the fire. I attended also to the few remaining tiny flares of flame about, those left from the scattering of the fire. It was not difficult to extinguish these. I scattered some and heaped dirt on others. Some I stamped out.
Approaching the fire with an armful of sticks, from the pile to one side, gathered earlier in the woods by Tupita and myself. I saw the eyes of the beast turned upon me. I do not know if it understood what it saw. They seemed expressionless. It was still on its feet. From its chest there protruded the handle of a sword. It had been halted from further penetration by its guard. It had been, the force compounded by its own charge, driven through the body. My master stood back a bit, his tunic in shreds upon his back. his arms were bloody. His chest was bloody, too, though I think from the blood of the beast. He was trembling. The beast then sat down, back on its
