They stared at him in open-mouthed amazement, then too late the
spears went up. Ross placed the point of his looted weapon at the throat
of the now quiet man by whom he knelt, and he spoke the language he had
learned from Ulffa's people.
"You strike--this one dies."
They must have read the determined purpose in his eyes, for slowly,
reluctantly, the spears went down. Having gained so much of a victory,
Ross dared more. "Take--" he motioned to the waiting horses--"take and
go!"
For a moment he thought that this time they would meet his challenge,
but he continued to hold the dagger above the brown throat of the man
who was now moaning faintly. His threat continued to register, for the
other man shrugged the suit from his arm, left it lying on the ground,
and retreated. Holding the nose rope of his horse, he mounted, waved the
herder up also, and both of them rode slowly away.
The prisoner was slowly coming around, so Ross only had time to pull on
the suit; he had not even fastened the breast studs before those blue
eyes opened.
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