Falsen said to Carlin, "I shall complain to the Lady Mother.  She said that I was to be in charge of the hunting party.  But you not only took over but forced Miss Veerhausen and myself to wait here, on the hillside, almost freezing to death.  We were denied admittance into the airship, on your orders."

"There must have been some misunderstanding," Carlin said.  "Some misinterpretation of what I told the pilot.  As to the question of who is or is not in charge, I am.  When I reported the killings to the Lady Mother she told me that I was, from that moment, fully responsible."

"For the killings?" asked Falsen nastily.

"No.  For seeing that there are no more killings."

It made sense, Falsen admitted to himself.  After all, he was the outsider, the alien.  Not only was he a member of a different species but also of the wrong sex.  The Lady Mother, familiar with Terran mores, had been prepared to overlook this.  Her officers, none of whom had spent as much time on Earth as had their captain, were far less tolerant.  Linda they would accept as a sister, but Falsen, a dominant male in his own culture, was a potential enemy.

"Can we go on board now?" asked Falsen.

"You may, but wait until the bodies and the equipment have been loaded."

Water ballast splashed down to the ground as the extra weight was taken aboard the ship.  One by one the mutilated bodies, wrapped in their red cloaks, were passed up to the now open door, then the weapons and the portable lights.  The Doralans clambered up the ladder, followed by Linda who, in spite of her injured shoulder, managed without assistance.  Falsen climbed after her.  Carlin was last.

This time Falsen was allowed to stay in the control car, although the Doralans carefully avoided contact with him.  He watched  with interest as tugs on the tripping lines caused the arms of the grapnels to drop, releasing their hold on the soil.  The airship lifted slowly, turned until the space vessel, brightly illuminated, a shining tower in the deepening dusk, came directly ahead, a glowing beacon in the milky sea that was the ground mist.  The hum of the motors rose to a whine as speed was increased.


Accompanied by Linda and Falsen, Carlin reported at once to the Lady Mother who, with senior officers, listened to their stories.

When they had finished she said, "You said that you saw a beast slinking outside your cave, Linda, and that you thought that it had a scaly armor.  But this thing that you fought today was, you tell me, hairy or furry.  I find it hard to understand that it was not killed by laser fire.  Heavy scales would afford some protection to their owner; a hairy skin would not."

Linda said, "Your people who were with me were using their laser pistols more as torches than as weapons.  They were slow in switching from an illuminating to a lethal beam.  Then their fire was wild.  They might have  hit the beast - but if they did it was nowhere vital."

And you, Carlin?" asked Lady Mother.  You shot at it.  Did you hit it?"

"I don't think so, Gracious Lady.  It was on us before we were ready for it.  It was fast.  Very fast, and vicious."

"And hungry," said an officer who wore what looked like crossed swords on the collar of her tunic.  "I have made a preliminary autopsy."  (Those crossed swords, Falsen decided, had to be the Doralan equivalent of scalpels.)  "A large portion of Dorilee's left buttock was missing.  There were toothmarks around the wound.  Marla's right breast was gone, exposing the ribs...."