The Terran party, unsure of what were the best tactics, wisely decided to
do nothing at all for the time being. But, when the Salariki seemed to
have completely vanished on the morning of the second day, the men were
restless. Had Paft's death resulted in some interclan quarrel over the
heirship and the other clans withdrawn to let the various contendents for
that honor fight it out? Or--what was more probable and dangerous--had
the aliens come to the point of view that the Queen was in the main
responsible for the catastrophe and were engaged in preparing too warm a
welcome for any Traders who dared to visit them?
With the latter idea in mind they did not stray far from the ship. And
the limit to their traveling was the edge of the forest from which they
could be covered and so they did not learn much.
It was well into the morning before they were dramatically appraised
that, far from being considered in any way an enemy, they were about to
be accepted in a tie as close as clan to clan during one of the temporary
but binding truces.
The messenger came in state, a young Salarik warrior, his splendid cloak
rent and hanging in tattered pieces from his shoulders as a sign of his
official grief.
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