Cat Karina by Michael Coney

whips, and the car began its slow ascent to Rangua Town. Raoul sat on the rail, dreaming, watching the plodding movement of the shrugleggers’ haunches, when an astonishing thing happened.
    A felina swung onto the car and sat on the foredeck.
    He stared at her, resenting her intrusion into his domain. She was about the same age as he, with wide slanting eyes and, like all felinas, an air of barely-suppressed violence.
    “You’re not allowed up here,” he said.
    “Then throw me off,” she answered, looking directly into his eyes in a way which caused a sudden emptiness in his stomach.
    “Listen,” he said after a moment during which nothing happened. “Get off here, will you?”
    “I know your name,” she said. “You’re Raoul. You’re Captain Tonic’s son.”
    He thought he’d seen her before; but then, all felinas looked alike. He glanced behind him, but the crew were immersed in a game of Rebellion on an improvised board scratched into the deck; they muttered together, clicking counters. His father and the passengers were all below. The girl was cleaner than most of her kind, and quite beautiful in an animal way.
    Cautiously he asked, “What’s your name?”
    “It’s Karina. El Tigre is my father.” Now she smiled, and something of the sun entered Raoul’s body.
    “El Tigre? He’s a bandido. ”
    Karina tensed and her fingers curled instinctively, and the nails itched for action. Just in time she recalled the reason for her presence here on this goddamned sailcar with this goddamned True Human brat. She was going to discover the secrets of the delta, and prove to her father that she was capable of looking after herself among True Humans. She was going to kill two rheas with one rock.
    She would captivate this kid. True Humans couldn’t resist felinas. And then, when he was crazy for her, he would tell her about the delta, the Rayo , his father Tonio, his mother, what he ate for breakfast, everything.
    She glanced at him slyly, smiled, and wriggled where she sat so that her tunic rose up towards her hips. Then she stretched catlike, arching her back and clasping her hands behind her neck. She tilted her head back, relishing the sun on her face and his eyes on her body.
    “What in hell are you doing here, Karina?”
    It was Torch. His face dark with fury, he swung himself onto the deck. He stood scowling down at her, not unnaturally misunderstanding what he saw.
    Karina swiftly assumed a demure attitude, hands folded in her lap, sliding backwards so that her tunic was stretched down to her ankles. Unfortunately this had the effect of exposing most of her breasts. Raoul was still staring at her, hardly aware of Torch’s intrusion.
    “Just taking a ride, Torch,” she said sweetly.
    “Well, get off and get back to the camp! This is directly against El Tigre’s orders!”
    “I’m happy where I am, thanks.”
    “I can see that! You’ll be in big trouble when your father hears about this, Karina!” His eyes were hot with rage and lust. “By the Sword of Agni, you need to be taught a lesson!”
    “You’re not my father, Torch.”
    “Maybe not, but I’ll be squiring your grupo before long!”
    Karina gave a short laugh of incredulity. “ You squire our grupo? You? ”
    “Your father is in agreement.”
    “Yes, because you suck up to him, agreeing with everything he says. But what about me? Do I agree? What about Runa and Saba? What about Teressa, Torch? She’d claw the face off you, and more besides. Think about Teressa, Torch, before you start getting ideas about our grupo!”
    “When the squire is ordained, all grupo members must concur,” said Torch loftily, his desire temporarily forgotten in the niceties of cultural argument. “Your grupo has no mother, therefore your squire will be ordained by El Tigre. It is the custom.”
    “Piss on the custom,” said Karina.
    “What did you say, Karina?” Torch could hardly believe his ears. Karina’s contempt for felino culture had