Breed to Come (4 page)

Eu-La's ears flattened and she hissed.

Furtig guessed. "The one I battled? He is a strong one."

"He hurt you." Eu-La shook her head. "It was wrong for Sister Yngar to choose one who hurt herbrother. She is no longer of the cave." Once more she hissed.

"But of course she is not, sister. When one chooses, one is of the clan of one's mate. That is the way of life."

"It is a bad way—this fighting way." She chewed one claw tip reflectively between words. "You are better than San-Lo."

Furtig grunted. "I would not like to try to prove that, sister. In fact it is a not-truth."

She hissed. "He is strong of claw, yes. But in his head—does he think well? No, Fas-Tan is a fool. Sheshould pick a mate who thinks rather than one who fights strongly."

Furtig stared at her. Why, she was only a youngling, more than a season away from her own time ofchoice. But what she said now was not a youngling kind of thing.

"Why do you think so?" he asked, curious."We"—her head went up proudly—"are of thecave of Gammage. And the Ancestor learned many,many things to help us. He did not so learn by fighting. He went hunting for knowledge instead of battles. Brother, females also think. And when I growtrail-wise I shall not choose—I shall go to Gammagealso! There I shall learn and learn—" She stretchedforth her thin furred arms as if she were about togather to her some heaping of knowledge, if knowledge could be so heaped and gathered.

"Gammage has grown foolish with time—" Hespoke tentatively.

Once more she hissed, and now her anger wasdirected at him.

"You speak as the Elders. Because some do not understand new things they say that such are stupid orill thought. Think instead on what Gammage has sentus, and that these may only be a small part of thegreat things he has found! There must be much goodin the lairs."

"And if Gammage's fears are the truth, there mayalso be Demons there."

Eu-La wrinkled a lip. "Believe in Demons whenyou see them, brother. Before then take what you canwhich will aid you."

He sat up. "How did you know I was minded to goto Gammage?"

She gave a soft purr of laughter. "Because you arewho you are you can do no other, brother.

Look you."She brought out from behind her a small bag pulledtight by a drawstring. Furtig had seen only one suchbefore, that being much prized by the females. It hadbeen made, according to tradition, by Gammage's lastmate, who had had more supple fingers than most.But it had not been duplicated since.

"Where got you that?"

"I made it." Her pride was rightly great. "Foryou—" She pushed it into his hand. "And these also."

What she produced now were as startling as thebag, for she had a pair of hunting claws. They werenot the shining, well-cared-for ones which had been his. There were two points missing on one set, one onthe other, and the rest were dull and blunted.

"I found them," Eu-La told him, "in a place between two rocks down in the cave of waters. They arebroken, brother, but at least you do not go with barehands. And—this I ask of you—when you stand before the Ancestor, show him this—" She touched thebag. "Say to him then, shall not a female of the caveof Gammage not also have a part in the learning ofnew things?"

Furtig grasped both bag and claws, astounded ather gifts, so much more than he could have hoped for.

"Be sure, sister," he said, "that I shall say it to himjust as you have said it to me."

Furtig crept forward. It was not yet dawn, but to hiseyes the night was not dark. He had chosen to crossthe wide expanse of open space about the westernfringe of the Demons' lair by night—though a wholeday of watching had shown no signs of life there. Norhad he, during this patient stalk across the grass-covered open, discovered any game trail or sign thataught came or went from the buildings.

But the closer he approached the lairs, the moreawe-inspiring they were. From a distance he had beenable to judge that their height was far greater eventhan that of the cliff, which held the Five Caves.

However, he had had no idea how high they were until heneared their bases. Now he had almost to roll on hisback to see their tips against the sky.

It was frightening. Furtig felt that to venture inamong those banks of towering structures would be toset foot in a trap. As Gammage had? Was it death andnot the reception afforded his unwelcome ideas whichhad kept the Ancestor silent these past seasons?

Though his sense of smell was no way near as keenas a Barker's, Furtig lifted his head higher and triedto distinguish some guiding odor. Did Gammage'speople mark the boundaries of their territory here asthey would forest trees, though with scent notscratches? He could detect the scent of the dyinggrass, got some small whiffs of the inhabitants of thatflat land—mice, a rabbit. But nothing seemed to issuefrom the lairs, though the wind blew from there, rippling the grass in his direction.

On all fours, Furtig advanced with the stealth of ahunter creeping up on unwary prey, alert to sounds.There was a swishing which was the wind in the grass,some rustlings born of his own movements, whichcould not be helped unless one could somehow treadair above the blowing fronds. A frantic scurrying to his left—rabbit.

The grass came to an end. Before him was a stretchof smooth stone—almost as if the lairs had opened amouth, extended a tongue to lap him in. There was nohiding place beyond. He would have to walk acrossthe open. Reluctantly, Furtig rose on hind feet.

It was well enough to creep and crawl when onehad the excuse of keeping to cover. But he did not intend to enter the lairs so. There was something in himwhich demanded boldness now.

He paused only to slip the claws over his hands.They were inferior, and did not fit his hands smoothly, but he had worked them into the best condition hecould. And, while he never ceased to regret the loss ofhis own fine weapons, he was deeply grateful to Eu-Lafor her gift. Armed, he was now ready.

A quick dart took him across into the shadow bythe first wall. There were regular breaks in that, butset so high he could not reach any. Surely there mustbe some guide to Gammage, some trail markings tolead in a newcomer. For it was well known that Gammage welcomed those who came to him.

Furtig continued to sniff for such a marker. Therewas a smell of bird. He could see streaks of droppingson the walls. But nothing more than that.

With no guide he could only work his way into theheart of the lairs, hoping to pick up some clue to thosehe sought. However, he went warily, making use of allshadows he could.

And, as he went, awe of those who had built all thisgrew in him. How had they piled up their cliffs? Forthese erections were not natural rock. What knowledge the Demons had had!

Sunrise found him still wandering, at a loss for aguide. He had come across two open spaces enclosedby the buildings. They were filled with tangles of vegetation now seared by fall. One surrounded a smalllake in which water birds suddenly cried out and rosewith a great flapping of wings.

Furtig crouched, startled. Then he realized that hecould not have been the reason for that flight.

Then—what had?

At that moment he caught the hot scent, rank,overpowering. And he snarled. Ratton! There was nomistaking its foulness. Rattons—here? They clung tothe lairs of Demons, which was true, yet it was thoughtthey had not spread far through those.

Furtig edged back into the hollow of a doorway. Athis back the door itself was a great-unbroken solidslab, and it was closed. As it was about six times hisown height and gave the appearance of strength, hehad no hope of opening it. And if he were sighted, orscented, in this place he would be comered.

The Rattons did not fight as the People did butmore like the Barkers, sending many against one.

Though Furtig was much larger than any of theirkind, he could not hope to stand up to a wholecompany of them. His tail twitched sharply as hewatched the bushes about the lake and used his noseand ears to aid his eyes in locating the foe.

Though most of the water birds had flown, at leastthree of their flock were in difficulty. For there was abeating of wings, harsh cries at the far end of the lake.Furtig could not see through the screen of bushes,and he was not about to advance into what might beenemy territory. Suddenly the squawking was cut on,and he thought the hunters must have finished theirprey.

His own plans had changed. To go into Ratton-heldlairs—no! And he imagined now what might havebeen Gammage's fate—well-picked bones!

But could he withdraw without being hunted? Furtig was not sure whether the Rattons hunted by scentor by ear and eye. His only recourse was to befuddlehis trail as well as he could. And in the open he couldnot do that.

Furtig tried feverishly to remember all he hadheard concerning the Rattons. Could they leap, climb,follow the People so? Or were they earthbound likethe Barkers? It seemed he was soon to prove one orthe other.

On either side of the door behind him was a panelin the wall. These were set higher than his head, evenwhen he stretched to his full height. The one to hisright was intact. But the other had a break in its covering, leaving only shards of stuff in the frame.

Furtig crouched and leaped. His fighting clawscaught on the edge of those shards and they splintered. He kept his hold and kicked his way in. Hefound himself on a ledge above a dusky floor. It wasnarrow, but he could balance there long enough tosurvey what lay beyond.

There were objects standing here and there, aheavy dust covering the floor. He surveyed that withdisappointment. Not a track on it. When he droppedhe would leave a trail the most stupid tracker couldfollow. Furtig teetered on the ledge, undecided. Thedead air made his nose wrinkle, and he fought theneed to sneeze. His half plan now seemed rank folly.Better to stay in the open— He turned his head tolook out. There was a flash of movement in the bushesnear the door.

Too late! They were already closing in. He neededspeed now to reach a place where he could wedge hisback as he turned to face his attackers.

He made a second leap from the ledge to the top ofone of the objects standing on the floor. His feetplowed into the soft dust and he skidded nearly to itsfar end, pushing the dust before him, before his clawsheld fast.

The room had two doors, both open arches, neitherbarred. What he wanted now was to get to the very top of this lair, and out into the open, where he wouldperhaps have a bare chance of leaping to the next lair,just as he would leap from tree to tree to escapeground-traveling enemies.

There was little choice between the doors, and inthe end he took the nearest. This gave onto a longpassage from which opened other doorless rooms—rather like the caves. Save that these promised no security.

Furtig wasted no time exploring, but ran at topspeed past those doorless openings to the end of thehall. Here was a door and it was closed. He tried to insert claw tips in the crack he could see and was answered by a slight give. Enough to set him tearingfrenziedly at the promise.

When it did open far enough for him to slip hisbody through, he gave a convulsive start backward.For, opening at his feet, was a deep shaft. There wasnothing beyond the door but a hole that might entrapa full-sized bull. In his fear Furtig spat, clawed at theedges of the door.

It was too late. The momentum of his assault onthat stubborn barrier pitched him out into empty space. He had closed his eyes in reflex as he went, fearfilling him, forcing out sense and reason—

Until he realized that he was not falling like a stonepitched from one of the cave ledges, but driftingdownward!

Furtig opened his eyes, hardly aware even now thathe was riot on his way to a quick death. It was dark inthe shaft, but he could see that he was descending,slowly, as if he rested on some solid surface that wassinking into the foundations of the lair.

Of course it was well known that the Demons commanded many powers. But that they could make thinair support a body! Furtig drew a deep breath andfelt his pounding heart lessen its heavy beat a fraction. It was plain he was not going to die, at least notyet, not so long as this mysterious cushion of air held.Thinking about that, he grew fearful again. How longwould it hold?

He wondered if he could aid himself in some way.This was almost like being in water. One swam inwater. Would the same motions carry one here? Tentatively Furtig made a couple of arm sweeps and found himself closer to the wall of the shaft. Hereached it just in time to see the outline of anotherdoor, and tried to catch at the thin edge around itwith his claws. But those scraped free and he was pastbefore he could make any determined effort. Now hewaited, alert to another such chance as he drifteddown.

Only to be disappointed.

A sound from above! The faint squeal echoed in theshaft. Rattons up there! Probably at the door he hadforced open. Would they take to the air after him?Furtig flexed his fingers within the fastening of theclaws. He had no liking for the prospect of fighting inmid-air. But if he had no choice he had better be prepared.

However, it seemed that those above were notready to make such a drastic pursuit. Perhaps if theycould not sight him they would believe that he hadplunged to death. Unless they, living in the lairs, knew the odd properties of the shaft. If so, wouldthey ambush him on landing?

Alarmed at the thought, Furtig kicked out and thrust closer to the wall, searching as he drifted downfor any signs of an anchorage he could use. But hemust have waited too long. The walls here were uniformly smooth. And, though he drew the claws despairingly along, hoping to hook in some hole, he heard only the rasping scrape of those weapons, foundnothing in which they could root.

He could not judge distance, and time seemedstrange too. How long, how far, had he fallen? He hadentered the lair at ground level, but this descent mustbe carrying him far under the surface of the earth.

Though he knew security in caves that reached underground, yet this was something else, and the fear of the unknown was in him.

He was falling faster now! Had that cushion of airbegun to fail? Furtig had only time to ready himselffor what might be a hard landing before he did land, on a padded surface.