There was to be no lingering on
this job--that was certain.
11
ESPIONAGE
Intent upon joining Sssuri, Dalgard left the lock, forgetting his
earlier unwillingness, stepping from the small chamber down to the sea
bottom, or endeavoring to, although instinctively he had begun to swim
and so forged ahead at a different rate of speed.
Waving fronds of giant water plants, such as were found only in the
coastal shallows, grew forest fashion but did not hide rocks which
stretched up in a sharp rise not too far ahead. The scout could not
see the merman, but as he held onto one of those fronds he caught the
other's summons:
"Here--by the rocks--!"
Pushing his way through the drifting foliage, Dalgard swam ahead to
the foot of the rocky escarpment. And there he saw what had so excited
his companion.
Sssuri had just driven away an encircling collection of sand-dwelling
scavengers, and what he was on his knees studying intently was an
almost clean-picked skeleton of one of his own race. But there was
something odd--Dalgard brushed aside a tendril of weed which cut his
line of vision and so was able to see clearly.
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