The clicking stopped and the creature squatting beside her suddenly reached out, forced both arms above her head with one hand and squeezed her breasts with the other. She cried out, cursing herself for showing the pain. It blinked at her, mouth working as if chewing the air. Then it bent low and sniffed at her chest, stomach and groin. She struggled, trying to kick out, but it had already let go and moved back. It clicked a few times, staring at her for a beat more before turning around.

One of the other things was performing the same strange examination on Rhiana. She spat and cursed, kicked and writhed, but the thing merely flicked her flapping arm and she screamed and fainted again.

None of them examined Beko.

Each of the creatures picked up one of the surviving explorers, slung them over a shoulder and started walking.

THEIR CAPTORS DID not tire. They marched northward, their long legs covering the ground faster than a human could run. If Nomi turned her head left, she could see Beko, bouncing on the shoulder of the thing carrying him, dripping blood. The other way, and Rhiana hissed and groaned as her dislocated and snapped arm banged against her bearer's back.

It was not long before Nomi could see the blankness of cloud cover beyond the edge of the Great Divide.

The things paused then, and the one carrying Beko dropped him heavily to the ground, cupped its hands around its mouth and bellowed. Nomi cringed against the noise.

“Beko,” she said, and the creature holding her pinched her leg so hard that she felt the skin rip. She bit her lower lip, breaking the skin there as well but holding in her scream.

She looked at Rhiana. The battered Serian was staring at her, and her expression was shocking, because it lacked any trace of hope. Nomi wondered whether she looked the same. She shook her head, but Rhiana closed her eyes.

A call came from the distance and their three captors clicked and clacked. One of them coughed what could have been a chuckle, and Nomi's fear was suddenly boosted. These were far more than the wild things she had taken them for.

She heard something approaching from the distance. When she saw movement, she was confused to begin with, but then the clicking sounds came in closer, and scores of the things were pouring over a small hill to the east. They spread out and advanced, and as they came she viewed them upside down. They were attired similarly to her captors and wore their hair in the same manner.

What is this? she thought. A sacrifice? A meal?