There was a moment's dead silence and then the closest thing to a collective gasp that John had ever heard uttered by Dilbians. Being the type of people they were, it was more grunt than gasprather the sort of sound that comes from a punch in the stomach.
Then, a knowing babble arose.
The grandfathers sat back on their bench, looking grim. The center grandfather consulted to his left and to his right. Then he addressed the assemblage.
"Quiet down!"
They quieted, eagerly listening.
"Beer-Guts," said the center grandfather, to Gulark-ay. "You said Half-Pint here never even knew about Greasy Face until Little Bite got in touch with him. Then maybe you can tell us just why he'd come chasing after her, wanting to fight the Terror."
"He didn't," said Gulark-ay.
"He what?"
"Half-Pint," said Gulark-ay, "never even knew he'd have to fight the Terror, maybe, to get Greasy back. Little Bite never let on that might happen. If he had, he'd never have got Half-Pint to go after her. You don't think any Shorty would seriously consider tangling bare-handed withwhat was it One Man said?even a toothless old grandmother. Half-Pint wouldn't have been willing at all." He threw a grin at John. "He's not willing now. Find out for yourself. Ask him."
"Hey" said the Hill Bluffer, shooting suddenly to his feet.
"Sit down!" said the center grandfather.
"Are you giving the government mail orders?" roared the Bluffer.
"Yes, I'm giving the government mail orders!" snapped the center grandfather. "On Clan Hollows ground, in full Clan Hollows meeting, I'm giving the government mail order. Sit down!"
The Bluffer, growling, sat down.
The grandfathers went into session together. They talked for a minute or two, then sat back. The center grandfather spoke out.
"Here's the decision of the grandfathers," he said. "With all respect to One Man and others, this whole business smells a little too fishy to your grandfathers. Accordingly, it's our ruling that Greasy Face be sent back with Little Bite, and Half-Pint along with them. No affair of honor to be allowed between the Terror and the Half"
"NOW YOU LISTEN TO ME!" thundered the Hill Bluffer, rising like a stone from a catapult. "Clan Hollows or no Clan Hollows. Grandfather or no grandfathers. And if the Beer-Guts Bouncer doesn't like it, he knows where to find the government mail, any time. You think this Shorty here isn't willing to tangle with the Terror?"
"Sit down!" yelled the center grandfather.
"I won't sit down!" the Bluffer yelled back. "None of you know the Half-Pint. I do. Not willing! Listen, when a bunch of drunks at Brittle Rock tried to make him do tricks like a performing animal, he fooled them all and got away. Then Boy Is She Built tried to drop him over a cliff. Does he look dropped? On our way here the bridge at Knobby Gorge was rucked up out of our reach. He climbed up a straight cliff with nothing to hang on to, to get it down and let us over after the Terror."
The Bluffer swung around and flung out a pointing arm at the chief axman.
"And what happened when you and four of the boys tried to take us in just outside the valley here? Who wanted to help me clean up on the five of you? And who didn't have any doubts about the two of us being able to do it, either?" He glared at the chief axman. "Huh?"
He swung around back to John.
"How about it, Half-Pint?" he roared. "The hell with the Clan Hollows and their grandfathers! The hell with anybody but you and me and the Terror? You want to be delivered or not? Say the word!"
John heard the Bluffer, and the swelling roar of the crowd rising behind him. All this time he had been sitting with one thumb rubbing pensively back and forth along the top edge of his belt buckle, listening to what was being said, and thinking deeply. He had time to figure out what was behind most of what was happening; and when the Bluffer had leaped up just now and gone into his impassioned speech, it had rung a bell clear and strong inside John Tardy.
So when the Bluffer bawled his question, John had his answer ready. The words were still in the air when John was on his feet himself, and shouting.
"Show me this skulking Terror!" he shouted. "Lead me to him! Who hides behind his grandfathers and his clan and won't stand and fight like a man!"