Blade sighed wearily. «I do not think he will do that. I think he will be faithful to me.»

«He is a man, Blade.»

«I know that,» said Blade shortly. He was becoming rather weary of Wyala's nervousness, although he could understand her reasons for it. «But a man can keep faith just as well as a woman. It's time you started learning that. And even if he isn't trustworthy, it's better to find out now than when we're in the mountains. There aren't nearly so many Senar around here.»

Wyala was still doubtful. Blade suspected that she would not sleep very well tonight. But he was not going to worry. Even if it turned out that Nugun could not really be trusted, there was nothing to do about it except kill him. He could not be watched every minute of the trip. Blade was damned if he was going to kill the Senar merely on Wyala's suspicions! He would trust Nugun unless and until the Senar betrayed that trust.

Nugun did not betray Blade's trust, not that night nor any day or night of the trip after that. He led them steadily westward, through country that was slowly but unmistakably rising. The forest was still as thick as ever, but the hardwoods now began to give way almost completely to evergreens. The undergrowth also began to get thinner, and patches of the yellow tubers were fewer and farther between. But Nugun was as reliable as ever in nosing out what was left. And there was plenty of small game for Blade's bow. They had to eat both tubers and meat raw, however. Nugun warned them that they were getting into country where it was not wise to build a fire if they did not want to be found. Blade and Nugun did not particularly enjoy the diet of raw food, but neither did they balk at it. Wyala, however, would not eat for a day, until hunger and weakness drove her to it.

Blade said nothing to Wyala about this, nor about her continued suspicion of Nugun. She was no fool, and he knew that she would make the right decision in her own time. But she was having more new experiences in a single week than she had had before in her whole life. It would take her a while to get used to things.

Nugun was certainly right about the Senar becoming thicker on the ground. Three times during the day they had to hastily hide themselves to avoid roaming parties of them. None of them included any Blenar, however.

One night Nugun was mounting guard when a party of Senar approached. He promptly awoke Blade and Wyala and kept watch while they ducked under some bushes. Then he scattered any signs of their camp before he joined them. After that night, Blade had no more doubts at all about Nugun's loyalty. Even Wyala stopped worrying about it.

Toward noon of the next day, the woods began to thin out noticeably. By midafternoon, the ground was rising more steeply than before. And just before they made camp for the night, Blade caught a clear glimpse of the western horizon. High above it, silhouetted against the blazing colors of the sunset, loomed the jagged masses of a mountain range. He looked at Nugun and pointed.

The Senar nodded. «Those are the mountains,» he said.

Chapter 8

Seeing the mountains looming up on the horizon did not at once make much difference to the three travelers. The settled areas on their lower slopes were three days farther on from where they were now. It might be longer if they had to spend time avoiding roving parties of hostile Senar. After a meal of raw squirrel's flesh, Blade took Nugun aside and asked him about this.

«You think good, Blade,» said Nugun. «Yes. Senar not like to see you with your woman. They try to take, maybe kill if fight. Maybe kill you, me too.»

«What about the Blenar?»

Nugun cocked his massive head to one side for a long time, considering the matter. «Many Hairless Ones want Senar to think Hairless Ones friends. They also take your woman, maybe use her, maybe give her to Senar. Not good Blenar for you, your woman.»

Blade nodded. «Are there any Blenar I can trust not to hurt Wyala?»

Nugun was silent for an even longer time after that question. Blade began to wonder if perhaps he had asked a question about something that was taboo. Certainly Nugun looked like a man who knew the answer to a question but wasn't sure whether he should give it. He was wrinkling up his massive forehead into a frown and pulling at his thick lower lip with his fingers.

Finally he nodded. «Some Hairless Ones live in forest by Purple River. They say-Senar not go out with Hairless Ones to fight women, live in plains, take city. Not good. Better live in mountains, learn to raise food here»-he waved his hand around them-«not fight women.»

Blade wasn't sure what Nugun thought of this group of Blenar. So he only said, «That is a strange way of thinking.»

«Not-strange,» said Nugun sharply. «Think good. We go to city, women kill us all. Stay here, women come to us and we take easy. Here we know land, here we can fight them good. They know land by city, they fight good there.»

«Exactly,» said Blade, with a grin. He slapped Nugun hard on the shoulder. The Senar had stated perfectly the reasons for fighting on one's home territory. A trained professional soldier from Home Dimension could not have stated them as clearly and briefly. Then his grin faded. He would have to ask a ticklish question now.

«Nugun,» he said quietly. «I think I am going to have to talk to Wyala about the Blenar around the Purple River. She must know about them.»

Nugun did not show any anger. He merely looked puzzled. «Why, Blade?»

«From here on, we may be attacked by Senar or bad-thinking Hairless Ones at any time. Suppose I get killed. Then you will take her-«

«Nugun not take woman if Blade die. Nugun stay and die with him. Kill many bad Senar, Hairless Ones for Blade.»

Blade shook his head. «No, Nugun. That is not the way I want it to be. If I am killed or hurt so that I cannot walk and run, you must take Wyala to the Purple River. Promise?»

After a moment, Nugun nodded slowly. «I promise.»

«Good.» Blade shook hands with the Senar. «But she might not go with you if she doesn't know where you are going. So I must tell her that you will be taking her to friends in the Purple River forest. Do you understand that?»

«Nugun not want woman to know about Blenar. Tell women in city. Women in city come-«

«The women in the city will not come,» said Blade sharply. He was getting a little impatient with the stubborn man. «You have just told me that the women do not know this land, that they cannot fight good here. Didn't you?»

«Yes.» The answer was reluctant and sullen.

«So there is nothing to be afraid of, even if the women do come. But they will not come, because my woman will not go back to the city. The Hairless Ones of the Purple River will keep her here in the mountains if I am killed. But you must take her to them if I die. You must promise to do that, if I am to believe that you will really follow me.»

«Nugun follow Blade.» And, after a pause, «Nugun take woman to Purple Forest.»

Again Blade shook hands with the Senar and clapped him on the shoulder. Then he went back to Wyala and told her of his agreement with Nugun.

Wyala shuddered at the mere mention of the possibility of Blade's death. «I'd rather die. That Senar may be trustworthy as long as you're alive, but what if I'm alone with him?»

Blade sighed. «If you'd rather die, you'll have your knife and you can always use it,» he said frankly. «But if you are willing to trust Nugun after my death, you have a chance of getting to the Purple River and living.»

«Living in the mountains,» she said pointedly.

«Of course,» said Blade. He was also getting a little impatient with the woman. «Again, if you'd rather die…»

«No,» she said hastily. «I will follow Nugun to the Purple River.»