Without conscious thought Kerrick fired again—but she was gone. The two remaining fargi turned to follow her. His weapon snapped again and one of them dropped. Loud footsteps crashed away through the trees.

They were running, fleeing. It was not the invasion then, perhaps only a scouting party.

“They are here!” he shouted as loudly as he could, then howled the Tanu war cry. Then shouted in Yilanè “Kill, kill, kill—Vaintè, Vaintè, Vaintè!” in the hope that she would get the meaning.

There were shouts in the distance and he called out the warning again. Then ran, suddenly heedless of all danger, following the receding footsteps. Crashed after them, panting, wanting to kill some more. Came out of the trees and saw the two figures on the dockside ahead hurling themselves from it into the water.

Kerrick stood on the scarred wood and fired at the two heads moving away from him in the sea, over and over until the depleted hèsotsan writhed feebly in his grip. His darts had missed; the two swimmers were well out of range. Moving toward the black object far out in the harbor.

The fin of an uruketo, waiting there for them.

Only then did Kerrick realize how he was shaking. He lowered the weapon and watched the heads grow smaller until they were lost in the waves. Vaintè here, and he could have killed her. There was the sound of hurrying feet behind him and two hunters ran up.

“We saw them, two murgu, dead, they killed Keridamas and Simmacho; what is happening?”

Kerrick pointed, still trembling. “There, the murgu, they are still alive. They have one of their boat-beasts out there. They came to see the city; they know that we are here now.”

“Will they be back?”

“Of course they will be back!” Kerrick screamed, his lips drawn back from his teeth. “She is with them, the leader, the one who keeps alive the battle against us, who wants to kill us all. As long as she is out there—they’ll be back.”

The hunters stepped away from Kerrick and eyed him uneasily. “This is a thing that Sanone must be told about,” Meskawino said. “We must run and tell him.”

They started away and Kerrick had to call after them. “One can carry the news. You, Meskawino, stay here.”

Meskawino hesitated, then obeyed since Kerrick ordered things in the city. Sanone was their mandukto whom the Sasku still looked to for leadership, but he had instructed them to obey Kerrick at all times. Meskawino gripped his mattock and looked around apprehensively. Kerrick saw this and struggled to get himself under control. The time for blind anger was past. He must think coldly now, like a Yilanè, think for all of them. He reached out and touched the hunter’s trembling arm.