here was a nice way to commit suicide. There'd be no time for help
to arrive, he was sure of that. And no shield would stand up under that
heavy-duty distorter, even if Barra could only summon a minimum of power
to operate it. He shook his head, looking around the room.

* * * * *

Drivers were beginning to stir and get to their feet. Naran looked at
the flunky.

"Better get with it, Bintar," he said. "Going to be a bunch of hungry
men around you in a couple of minutes."

"Yeah." The man started out the door, yawning. "Got to eat, if we don't
do anything else." He climbed down the ladder.

Naran glanced at the drivers.

"Soon's we've eaten," he said, "I'd like to check up on the long-necks.
See whether they've wandered during the night. I'd hate to have them get
mixed up with the village herd."

A driver looked around at him.

"Aw," he protested, "the master probably pinned 'em down good before he
left. Besides, he can identify 'em anyway. They won't go far--not with
those herd boys running around."

"Sure," Naran told him. "The master would really like spending half a
day cutting out his long-necks from the village herd. And how about that
Master Protector? What would he think of our caravan?"

The other looked at him disgustedly. "Aw, who cares about that? Why
worry about what one of them witchmen thinks about another? Long's we
don't get twisted around, what's the difference?"

Naran growled to himself. He'd blundered on that one. There was no
answer to that argument that he could present. He had learned to
understand--and in some measure sympathize with--the deep-seated
resentment of the non-psi for the psionic. The non-psionics felt they
were just as good men as anyone, yet here were these psionics with their
incomprehensible powers. And there was nothing to be done about it
except obey.

Of course, they didn't like it--or their masters.

As far as that went, the caravan herd was unimportant now. The only
trouble was Retonga. If the herds were mixed, he would be in real
trouble.

"Well," he said aloud, "I'm not about to get the master to spinning.
Long's we keep him happy, we'll all be a lot better off. As I said,
right after breakfast. I want everyone out on the herd." He started to
turn away.

"Aagh," growled the other. "Why don't you face it? You're just one of
those guys likes to toss orders around and make people jump. It's about
time someone showed you a few