but almost flat.
“We never hear of so many vampires found together,” Warvia said.
“You killed an army,” Tegger said. “Vampires lie everywhere. Your neighbors must be glad.”
Warvia asked, “The Ghouls, have they come?”
The Thurl said, “An army of vampires came the night before last. An army was gone when the shadow withdrew from the sun. You have seen the dead they left behind, but our own dead have gone with the Ghouls. They were half as many or a bit more, plus a hundred of Gleaners and four of our Machine People. The vampires are a terrible foe. Welcome to you.”
“We have seen nothing of the terror,” Tegger said. “Young hunters disappear. Our teachers lose their skill, we said, or some new hunting thing has found us. Paroom, if we did show disbelief, forgive us.”
Paroom nodded graciously. The Thurl said, “What we knew of vampires was half false. The Machine People empire came in time to help us.”
Vala was beginning to realize that no other Grass Giant could say such a thing. To disparage the tribe was to disparage the Thurl. “We must show you our defenses,” he continued, “but have you eaten? Should you cook while there is still light?”
“We eat our meat uncooked. We like variety. Grass Giants eat no meat, but what of Gleaners and Machine People? May we share? Let us show you what we have.”
They had five loadbeasts and the cage atop their wagon. The thing in the cage felt their gaze and roared. It was a beast as massive as a Grass Giant, and a killer, Vala realized. She asked, “What is that?”
“Hakarrch,” Tegger said with visible pride. “A hunter of the Barrier Hills. Two were sent us by the Gardener People for our sport. Hunted outside its familiar terrain, the male still killed one of us before we brought it down.”
It was a brag. Mighty hunters we are. We hunt the lesser hunters, and we’ll hunt your vampires. Vala suggested, “Perilack, shall we sample this? Not tonight, but tomorrow at our one meal.”
The Gleaner woman said, “Bargain. Warvia, tonight you may kill a loadbeast. Tomorrow and after, let us play host. We will feed all until the—“ Shadow’s edge had bitten a piece from the sun, but the light was still bright. “—eaters of the dead deign to speak. You’ll want to taste smeerp meat.”
“We thank you.”
The fire had become the only light: not enough light to cook, but the cooking was over. Of the other Reds, Anakrin hooki-Whanhurhur was an old man, wrinkled but still agile. Chaychind hooki-Karashk, another male, was badly scarred and had lost an arm in some old battle.
They had brought a gift of their own, a sizable ceramic jug of a strong, dark beer. Not bad at all. Vala saw Kay react, too. Let’s see how Kay handles it.
Kay exclaimed, “Do you make this yourselves? Do you make a lot?”
“Yes. Do you think of trade?”
“Chaychind, it might be worth moving if it’s cheap enough—“
“Tales of the Machine People are not exaggerated.”
Kay looked flustered. Too bad, but Vala had better step in. “Kaywerbrimmis means that if we can distill enough of this, we would have fuel for our cruisers. Our cruisers carry weapons and can carry much more. They move faster than loadbeasts, but they cannot move without fuel.”
“A gift you want?” Chaychind asked, while Tegger exclaimed, “You would boil our beer for fuel?”
“Gifts for the war. All must contribute. Grass Giant fighters, Gleaner spies, your fuel—“
“Our eyes.”
“Ah?”
“We know of no species that can see as far as any Red Herder.”
“Your eyes. Our cruisers, our cannon, our flamers. Can you contribute three hundred manweights of beer to the war against the vampires? It would distill to thirty manweights of fuel. We carry a distilling system simple enough to be copied.”
Warvia exclaimed, “That’s enough to souse whole civilizations!”
But Tegger asked, “What size of manweights?”
Hah! Vala said, “Your size.” Tegger had asked
“We never hear of so many vampires found together,” Warvia said.
“You killed an army,” Tegger said. “Vampires lie everywhere. Your neighbors must be glad.”
Warvia asked, “The Ghouls, have they come?”
The Thurl said, “An army of vampires came the night before last. An army was gone when the shadow withdrew from the sun. You have seen the dead they left behind, but our own dead have gone with the Ghouls. They were half as many or a bit more, plus a hundred of Gleaners and four of our Machine People. The vampires are a terrible foe. Welcome to you.”
“We have seen nothing of the terror,” Tegger said. “Young hunters disappear. Our teachers lose their skill, we said, or some new hunting thing has found us. Paroom, if we did show disbelief, forgive us.”
Paroom nodded graciously. The Thurl said, “What we knew of vampires was half false. The Machine People empire came in time to help us.”
Vala was beginning to realize that no other Grass Giant could say such a thing. To disparage the tribe was to disparage the Thurl. “We must show you our defenses,” he continued, “but have you eaten? Should you cook while there is still light?”
“We eat our meat uncooked. We like variety. Grass Giants eat no meat, but what of Gleaners and Machine People? May we share? Let us show you what we have.”
They had five loadbeasts and the cage atop their wagon. The thing in the cage felt their gaze and roared. It was a beast as massive as a Grass Giant, and a killer, Vala realized. She asked, “What is that?”
“Hakarrch,” Tegger said with visible pride. “A hunter of the Barrier Hills. Two were sent us by the Gardener People for our sport. Hunted outside its familiar terrain, the male still killed one of us before we brought it down.”
It was a brag. Mighty hunters we are. We hunt the lesser hunters, and we’ll hunt your vampires. Vala suggested, “Perilack, shall we sample this? Not tonight, but tomorrow at our one meal.”
The Gleaner woman said, “Bargain. Warvia, tonight you may kill a loadbeast. Tomorrow and after, let us play host. We will feed all until the—“ Shadow’s edge had bitten a piece from the sun, but the light was still bright. “—eaters of the dead deign to speak. You’ll want to taste smeerp meat.”
“We thank you.”
The fire had become the only light: not enough light to cook, but the cooking was over. Of the other Reds, Anakrin hooki-Whanhurhur was an old man, wrinkled but still agile. Chaychind hooki-Karashk, another male, was badly scarred and had lost an arm in some old battle.
They had brought a gift of their own, a sizable ceramic jug of a strong, dark beer. Not bad at all. Vala saw Kay react, too. Let’s see how Kay handles it.
Kay exclaimed, “Do you make this yourselves? Do you make a lot?”
“Yes. Do you think of trade?”
“Chaychind, it might be worth moving if it’s cheap enough—“
“Tales of the Machine People are not exaggerated.”
Kay looked flustered. Too bad, but Vala had better step in. “Kaywerbrimmis means that if we can distill enough of this, we would have fuel for our cruisers. Our cruisers carry weapons and can carry much more. They move faster than loadbeasts, but they cannot move without fuel.”
“A gift you want?” Chaychind asked, while Tegger exclaimed, “You would boil our beer for fuel?”
“Gifts for the war. All must contribute. Grass Giant fighters, Gleaner spies, your fuel—“
“Our eyes.”
“Ah?”
“We know of no species that can see as far as any Red Herder.”
“Your eyes. Our cruisers, our cannon, our flamers. Can you contribute three hundred manweights of beer to the war against the vampires? It would distill to thirty manweights of fuel. We carry a distilling system simple enough to be copied.”
Warvia exclaimed, “That’s enough to souse whole civilizations!”
But Tegger asked, “What size of manweights?”
Hah! Vala said, “Your size.” Tegger had asked
Similar Books
