The grip on John's arm drew him away, deeper into the shadow and around behind a building that blocked him off from the window light. They came on a door of this building and John felt himself led through its hide curtain. In the utter blackness of the interior, the hand left his arm. John stopped, instinctively; completely lost in the leather-smelling obscurity. Then there was a scratch, a sputter, and a candle burst into light only a few feet from him, blinding him.
John blinked helplessly for several seconds against the sudden illumination. Gradually he became able to see again, and when he did, he found himself looking downfor the first time in two daysinto the face of one of the prettiest young women he had seen in a long time.
She was perhaps a foot shorter than he was, but at first glance looked taller by reason of her slimness and the tailored coveralls she wore. To John's Dilbian-accustomed eyes, she looked tiny, not to say fragile. Her chestnut hair swept in two wide wings back on each side of her head. Her eyes were green-blue above marked cheekbones that gave her a sculptured look. Her nose was thin, her lips firm rather than full, and her small chin had a determined shape.
John blinked again.
"Who?" he managed, after a minute.
"I'm Ty Lamorc," she said. "Keep your voice down!"
"Ty Lamorc?"
"Yes."
"Are you sure?" stammered John. "I mean, you"
"Who were you expecting to run into away out here in the center ofoh, I know!" she glared at him. "It's that Greasy Face name the Dilbians gave me. You were expecting some sort of witch."
"Certainly not," said John.
"Well, for your information, they just happened to see me putting on makeup one day."
"Oh."
"That's where the name came from."
"Oh, of course. I never thought"
"I'll bet you didn't."
"Really," said John.
"Anyway, never mind that now. The point is, what on Earth are you doing out here? Do you want to get knocked on the head?"
"I was trying to find One Man" John suddenly stiffened and lowered his voice. "Is the Terror back here?"
"No, but Boy Is She Built is. She's been guarding me. And she'll kill you if she gets her hands on you. She hasn't even told the Terror you're after him."
John stared.
"I don't understand," he said.
"The Terror wouldn't run from a fight. He'd run toward it. He thinks it's just the Hill Bluffer after him with a demand from the Humrog mayor that he bring me back. Boy Is She Built doesn't want the Terror to get into trouble by killing you."
"But she's willing to do it, herself."
"She's in love with the Terror. That's the way she thinks. And she doesn't knowwell, how essentially harmless your mission is. Now, what we've got to do is smuggle you back into the dormitory before she catches you. She won't go in there after you. It's treaty ground inside, anyway."
"Hold on a minute," said John, as Ty took hold of his arm again. He did not move. "Aren't we getting this a little mixed up? I meanwho's rescuing who? I came along here to find you and bring you back to Humrog. Well, I've found you. Come along back to the main inn building with me and I'll wake up the Hill Bluffer and explain things"
"You don't," interrupted Ty with feeling, "understand a blasted thing about these Dilbians, Half-PintI mean, Mr. Tardy."
"Call me John," said John.
"John, you don't understand the situation. The Terror left me here because he knew Boy Is She Built would stay on watch. And she will. She'll be back looking for me in ten more minutes; and if I'm not where she left me, she'll be right after us. So even if we did try to get away, she'd catch us. Also, the Bluffer's honor bound to deliver you to the Terror. The Terror's honor bound to fight you when that happens, or any time he finds out you're after him to take me away. So he'd be after us, too. And if she couldn't catch us, he certainly could."
"But"
"Will you listen to me?" hissed Ty. "I'm a sociologist. I've put in six months studying these people. What we've got to do is keep you out of danger until the Terror takes me into the Hollows, his own clan territory. Once he does that, it'll be up to the grandfathers of his clan to decide what happens to me, and you and the Terror, and all. I can demand a hearing and explain that I've got no connection by blood or anything like that with Joshua, and then they'll rule that the Terror wasn't within his rights to steal me in retaliation for Joshua's insult; I'm sure they will. Then, there'll be no reason for the Terror to fight you and we can both go back, safely."
"If you're so sure of that," said John, "how come I was sent out here in the first place?"
"Oh, Joshua doesn't understand these people much better than you do."
"I can believe that," said John.
"So, you go back to the main inn building now. And be careful!"
"Well . . ." John hesitated. "I still think I ought to play safe and try to take you away, tonight. With a good start and by wrecking the Knobby Gorge bridge" He paused and considered her. She was remarkably small and fragile-looking. The thought of the Terror grabbing her up and running off with her made him growl a little bit inside, at that. "I just don't think we should take any chances with your safety," he wound up.
Ty Lamorc stood perfectly still for a long second, looking at him. The expression on her face was one he could not fathom.
"Well, John!" she said, finally, and suddenly her eyes were quite soft. She reached out and touched his arm. "That was very nice of you," she said, in a low voice. "Thank you, John."
Then, suddenly, before he could move, she blew out the candle. In the sudden darkness he heard the hide curtain flap and sway.
"Ty?" he said.
But there was no answer. She had gone.
He felt his way out of the hut, and emerged into the dimness of the starlit night outside. He squinted around himself, located the main building and headed through the darkness toward it.
Something large and leathery descended out of nowhere, wrapping around him. A couple of powerful arms lifted him off the ground. He fought, but it was useless. He felt himself being carried off.
Inside the tight folds of the leather enfolding him he began to suffocate. Very shortly, he lost consciousness. Things became soft and pillowy about him. He seemed to swim off into blackness.
Then, there was nothing.