nderstand. Had the shaman retreated so far along the road to his past
that he now believed in his own supernatural powers? Or was this to
impress his watching followers?

"You call upon your spirits for aid, Menlik? But the Apache has the
companionship of the _ga-n_. Ask of Kaydessa: Who hunts with the Fox in
the wilds?" Travis' sharp challenge stopped that wand in mid-air.
Menlik's head swung to the girl.

"He hunts with wolves who think like men." She supplied the information
the shaman would not openly ask for. "I have seen them act as his
scouts. This is no spirit thing, but real and of this world!"

"Any man may train a dog to his bidding!" Menlik spat.

"Does a dog obey orders which are not said aloud? These brown wolves
come and sit before him, look into his eyes. And then he knows what lies
within their heads, and they know what he would have them do. This is
not the way of a master of hounds with his pack!"

Again the murmur ran about the camp as one or two translated. Menlik
frowned. Then he rammed his sorcerer's wand back into his sash.

"If you are a man of power--such powers," he said slowly, "then you may
walk alone where those who talk with spirits go--into the mountains." He
then spoke over his shoulder in his native tongue, and one of the women
reached behind her into a hut, brought out a skin bag and a horn cup.
Kaydessa took the cup from her and held it while the other woman poured
a white liquid from the bag to fill it.

Kaydessa passed the cup to Menlik. He pivoted with it in his hand,
dribbling expertly over its brim a few drops at each point of the
compass, chanting as he moved. Then he sucked in a mouthful of the
contents before presenting the vessel to Travis.

The Apache smelled the same sour scent that had clung to the emptied bag
in the foothills. And another part of memory supplied him with the
nature of the drink. This was kumiss, a fermented mare's milk which was
the wine and water of the steppes.

He forced himself to swallow a draft, though it was alien to his taste,
and passed the cup back to Menlik. The shaman emptied the horn and,
with that, set aside ceremony. With an upraised hand he beckoned Travis
to the fire again, indicating a pot set on the coals.

"Rest ... eat!" he bade abruptly.

Night was gathering in. Travis tried to calculate how far Tsoay must
have backtracked to the rancheria. He thought that he could have already
made the pass and be within a day and a half