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Back West of Eden Save as PDF
Chapters (69)
  1. PROLOGUE: KERRICK
  2. BOOK ONE
  3. CHAPTER ONE
  4. CHAPTER TWO
  5. CHAPTER THREE
  6. CHAPTER FOUR
  7. CHAPTER FIVE
  8. CHAPTER SIX
  9. CHAPTER SEVEN
  10. CHAPTER EIGHT
  11. CHAPTER NINE
  12. CHAPTER TEN
  13. CHAPTER ELEVEN
  14. CHAPTER TWELVE
  15. CHAPTER THIRTEEN
  16. CHAPTER FOURTEEN
  17. CHAPTER FIFTEEN
  18. CHAPTER SIXTEEN
  19. CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
  20. CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
  21. CHAPTER NINETEEN
  22. CHAPTER TWENTY
  23. CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
  24. CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
  25. CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
  26. CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
  27. CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
  28. CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
  29. CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
  30. BOOK TWO
  31. CHAPTER ONE
  32. CHAPTER TWO
  33. CHAPTER THREE
  34. CHAPTER FOUR
  35. CHAPTER FIVE
  36. CHAPTER SIX
  37. CHAPTER SEVEN
  38. CHAPTER EIGHT
  39. CHAPTER NINE
  40. CHAPTER TEN
  41. CHAPTER ELEVEN
  42. CHAPTER TWELVE
  43. CHAPTER THIRTEEN
  44. CHAPTER FOURTEEN
  45. CHAPTER FIFTEEN
  46. CHAPTER SIXTEEN
  47. CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
  48. CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
  49. CHAPTER NINETEEN
  50. CHAPTER TWENTY
  51. CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
  52. CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
  53. CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
  54. CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
  55. CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
  56. CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
  57. CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
  58. CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
  59. CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
  60. CHAPTER THIRTY
  61. CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
  62. CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
  63. CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
  64. THE WORLDWEST OF EDEN
  65. YILANÈ
  66. TANU
  67. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  68. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  69. About this Title

There was no moon, but the stars clearly lit the white sand of the beach below, picked out the dark forms resting there. More stars climbed slowly from the sea until, at last, there was a slight rustling from the forest behind them.

The first of the hunters crept close. By dawn the attackers would be in position.

CHAPTER SIX

Herilak had been thinking only of this attack for days now, had planned it over and over so often that he could see clearly in his thoughts exactly how it would happen. Kerrick and Ortnar had been instructed so they knew what must be done just as well as he did. Herilak left them there at the edge of the grove, watching the beach, and ordered the first arrivals back through the forest to an open glade. Here they rested until all of the other hunters had appeared. He was the battle leader; they waited expectantly for his orders.

“Ulfadan, Kellimans,” he said quietly. “Go among your hunters and ask their names. When you are sure that they are all gathered here come and tell me.”

They did not talk or move about while they waited, for they were hunters. They squatted in silence, weapons ready, waiting for orders from Herilak, the sacripex, ready for battle. Only when he had been assured that they had all arrived did Herilak tell them what they were to do.

“We must strike as one,” he said. “We must kill without being killed for their darts are instant death. In order to do this we will spread out in a single line, with each sammad taking half of the beach. Then we must crawl forward silently until we are in the grass above the beach. The wind is from the water so they will not smell us when we draw near. But they can hear, and hear well, so there must be nothing for them to hear. You must each take your position, and your sammadar will be sure that you are in the correct place. When you are there you will wait and you will not move. You will look at the beach. You will wait until you see me, Ulfadan and Kellimans as well, appear before you on the beach. That will be your signal to come forward. Slowly and silently. With your spears you will then kill murgu, remaining silent as long as it is possible.”

Then Herilak reached out with the butt of his spear and touched the nearest hunter with it just below his chin, while all of the others strained forward to see what he was doing.