What are they doing--toting half the
city here to load into that thing?"
Raf looked along the other's pointing finger. A party of aliens towing
a loaded dolly were headed for the gaping hatch of the globe, while a
second party and an empty conveyance passed them on the way back to
the storehouse.
"They are emptying a warehouse, or trying to."
"Well, they act as if Old Time himself was heating their tails with a
rocket flare. What's the big hurry?"
"Somebody's been here." Swiftly Raf outlined what he had seen in the
city, and ended by describing the hunt in which he had taken an
unwilling part. "I'm hungry," he ended and went to burrow for a ration
pack.
"So," mused Soriki as Raf chewed the stuff which never had the flavor
of fresh provisions, "somebody's been trying to beat the painted lads
to it. The furry people?"
"It was a spear shaft they found broken with the dead lizard thing,"
Raf commented. "And some of those on the island were armed with
spears--"
"Must be good fighters if, armed with spears, they brought down a
reptile as big as you say. It was big, wasn't it?"
Raf stared at the city, a square of half-eaten concentrate in his
fingers.
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