Kris Neville

“ Neju considered this gravely.
"We must give the god-men heart," the native continued. "They must take courage from us. Together with the god-men, we can defeat the demons. If the Old Gods do not help us, the god-men must."
Neju still listened; only his arms moved, restlessly.
"First we must show the god-men that we are not afraid of demons."
Neju waited.
"All of us, children, females, the old, all, must go toward their village, beating drums, crying encouragement. We must show no fear. The god-men will take heart." ”

“ Neju toyed with a new grass shoot, rubbing it between his fingers. He rumbled deep in his chest to break the silence. "We must move further into the forest. Wait for the god-men and the demons to go away. We cannot fight." ”

“ They threaded their way toward what was left of their village. Near the edge of the natural clearing, the hunter hissed and began to advance cautiously.
When they both stood looking out from behind a clump of clato, Neju saw a group of the god-men in the middle of the wrecked village; the god-men were poking around idly, kicking rubble, fingering this and that. They talked. Their voices were, to Neju, slow, low pitched, lazy. Neju held his breath, watching.
Finally one of the god-men, seemingly the leader, started toward the very spot where they were standing. ”

“ Inside the stockade a generator whined and the arc of the lamp flared its sunbright blue.
The beam was temporarily blinding, and the sentry cursed. Then his field of vision came clear, and all the details of the grassy stretch were etched sharply. He saw two running figures, each at the outer edge of the beam. He swiveled the light until it focused upon the nearest one.
It was the leader—the one with the broken leg—and he froze in the light. He did not even attempt to fall to the ground. ”

“ The natives burst from the forest crying encouragement to the god-men. "Take heart! Turn on the demons! We will free you! Join us!"
"Like sitting ducks!" someone on the wall screamed in elation. "Look at 'em come! Crazy! Chatterin' like monkeys!"
The natives were nearer, shaking their noise makers, screaming.
Someone on the wall smiled and fired and one of the natives stumbled and fell.
"Like sitting ducks!" he screamed.
The other god-men began swiveling their most powerful weapons, focusing the natives in their sights.
And still the natives came, crying that the god-men take heart. ”

“ He shrugged helplessly. "With two demons, one to watch while the other sleeps, how can we steal near enough to destroy them?" He looked at the mashed grass shoot. "The earth is kind. We can live and be happy in some new place."
A hunter slipped out of the brush near Neju, scarcely rustling it. Neju turned his head and the hunter bent and whispered in his ear. Neju looked suddenly concerned and frightened. He stood up, motioning for the others to keep their seats. He turned and followed the hunter into the forest. ”

“ Hey!" the other sentry called, suddenly, from out of the darkness along the wall. "Hey, Ed!" Receiving no answer, he fumbled his weapon into his hand. "Hey! Ed! Answer me!"
"Too late," the leader of the natives hissed. "He will wake the demon. Run!"
They vaulted the wall, striking the ground and scattered toward the tall grasses and the forest beyond. One dragged a broken leg painfully.
The body of Ed, the limp sentry, teetered for a moment on the walk and then slipped awkwardly over the side. It struck a wall buttress and bent over it like a horseshoe. ”

“ Almost immediately, there was the deadly hiss of the leader's weapon, and a projectile thudded into a tree, just to the left of Neju.
"I saw two of them! Over here!" the leader called, running heavily toward the forest. The other god-men galvanized into action.
"Let's hide," Neju's companion whimpered, terrified.
"No! They'd find us. Follow me." Neju started off, skirting the clearing, going away from the direction of the villagers' temporary camp. ”

“ He did not even look up when Neju entered.
"Come, Father," Neju said very gently.
"Eh?"
Neju glanced over his shoulder. The sky demon was heading straight for the lodge.
Very tenderly, Neju drew the old one to his feet. He wrapped two arms around his body, protectively. "We must hurry, Father."
The old one blinked, but he moved as Neju urged, and the two of them stepped from the back entrance of the lodge. The helicopter was flying low, and it seemed almost on top of them.
It was then that the Chieftain saw it. There was fear and wonder in his eyes.
"We must run!" Neju said. ”

“ They will build more and bigger villages for their servants, the god-men. They will strip away our forests and burn our grasses. They will kill our food and destroy our homes wherever they find them. They will trample our gardens. They will force us back and ever further back until we have no place left to go.... And only after they have killed us all, only then, will the demons be satisfied and leave our world.... ”

“ They hurried, and dry things rustled and startled animals fled. From time to time they grunted at each other, more for encouragement, more as protest against the tangle of vines than for communication. ”

“ Bones and other refuse were carried in reed baskets to a pit well back in the forest away from the clearing. The whole of the village was clean and orderly, and, in back of the lodge, there was a patch of flower-like plants most of which were dead with autumn and frost.
Several meat animals were staked out near the stream and two tiny domesticated arboreal animals called corlieu sat before their owners' huts, in the sunshine.
When the four natives stepped into the clearing, all other activity ceased. Children broke off their cries, and adults turned from their labors. ”

“ Neju looked toward the dead Chieftain. "How can I lead you, unless They make a sign?"
Morning. A corlieu dropped into the clearing to beg for food. A fire sputtered wetly. The mourners came back from the Chieftain's grave (only they knew its location, and the autumn leaves hid the spot) .
The hunters slowly came to Neju. They stood awkwardly in a circle around him. Finally one spoke.
"We talked among ourselves, last night, after you went away."
"Yes?" Neju said.
The native shifted on his feet. "You say we must destroy the demons. As you say, we cannot run, only to run again and again." ”

“ He stared at the weapon for many minutes. His grandson, Zoon—no, Zoon had been his son—his grandson's name was—was—ah—Zoee, yes. A little child.
An odd thing, what weapon, and perhaps.... No, it was not for spring planting. And winters used to be longer: we plant earlier—a moon earlier, now, at least. And Zoee was a grown man, and Zoon was dead. Or was it the other way around?
He blinked his eyes, and strangely, it seemed that they were both dead. They were playing the funeral dirge out there in the sunshine.
The old one stirred uneasily.
Neju sat on the white sand before the fire place. ”