e medic, passed beyond toward Lumbrilo, whining as a hound
prevented from obeying his master might lament.

"So be it, Lumbrilo," Tau said. "This is between you and me. Or do you
not dare to risk your power against mine? Is Lumbrilo so weak a one that
he must send another to do his will?"

Raising both hands again the medic brought them down, curling inward,
until he stooped and touched them to the ground. When he straightened
once again the knife was in his grasp and he tossed it behind him.

The smoke from the fire swirled out in a long tongue, coiled about
Lumbrilo and was gone. A black and white beast stood where the man had
been, its tufted tail lashing, its muzzle a mask of snarling hate and
blood lust.

But Tau met that transformation with laughter which was like the lash of
a whip.

"We both be men, you and I, Lumbrilo. Meet me as a man and keep those
trickeries for those who have not the clear sight. A child plays as a
child, so--" Tau's voice came in a rumble, but Tau was gone. The huge,
hairy thing which swayed in his place turned a gorilla's beast visage to
his enemy. For a breathless moment Terran ape confronted Khatkan lion.
Then the spaceman was himself again. "The time for games is over, man of
Khatka. You have tried to hunt us to our deaths, have you not? Therefore
death shall be the portion of the loser now."

Lion vanished, man stood watching, alertly, as swordsman might face
swordsman with a blood feud lying on their blades. To Dane's eyes the
Khatkan made no move. Yet the fire leaped high, as if freshly fed, and
flames burst from the wood, flew into the air, red and perilous birds,
darting at Tau until they outlined him from the ground under his boots
to an arch over his head. They united and spun faster until Dane,
watching with dazzled eyes, saw the wheel become a blur of light, hiding
Tau within its fiery core. His own wrists ached with the strain of his
drumming as he lifted one hand and tried to shield his sight from the
glare of that pillar of fire.

Lumbrilo was chanting--a heavy blast of words. Dane stiffened; his
traitorous hands were falling into the rhythm of that other song!
Straightaway he raised both from the drum head, brought them down
in a discordinate series of thumps which bore no relation to either
the song Tau wanted or that which Lumbrilo was now crooning.
_Thump--thump--thump_--Dane beat it out frantically, belaboring the
drum head as he wanted to sink his fists home o