on a second," Lea called after him. "Where do you think
you're going?"

"In that direction," he said, pointing. "I hoped there would be
some landmarks, but there aren't. We'll have to keep on by dead
reckoning. The sun will keep us pretty well on course. If we aren't
there by night the stars will be a better guide."

"All this on an empty stomach? How about breakfast? I'm hungry--and
thirsty."

"No food." He shook the canteen that gurgled emptily. It had been
only partly filled when he found it. "The water's low and we'll need
it later."

"I need it now," she said shortly. "My mouth tastes like an
unemptied ashtray and I'm dry as paper."

"Just a single swallow," he said after the briefest hesitation.
"This is all we have."

Lea sipped at it with her eyes closed in appreciation. Then he
sealed the top and returned it to the pack without taking any
himself. They were sweating as they started up the first dune.

The desert was barren of life; they were the only things moving
under that merciless sun. Their shadows pointed the way ahead of
them, and as the shadows shortened the heat rose. It had an
intensity Lea had never experienced before, a physical weight that
pushed at her with a searing hand. Her clothing was sodden with
perspiration, and it trickled burning into her eyes. The light and
heat made it hard to see, and she leaned on the immovable strength
of Brion's arm. He walked on steadily, apparently ignoring the heat
and discomfort.

"I wonder if those things are edible--or store water?" Brion's voice
was a harsh rasp. Lea blinked and squinted at the leathery shape on
the summit of the dune. Plant or animal, it was hard to tell. It was
the size of a man's head, wrinkled and grey as dried-out leather,
knobbed with thick spikes. Brion pushed it up with his toe and they
had a brief glimpse of a white roundness, like a shiny taproot,
going down into the dune. Then the thing contracted, pulling itself
lower into the sand. At the same instant something thin and sharp
lashed out through a fold in the skin, striking at Brion's boot and
withdrawing. There was a scratch on the hard plastic, beaded with
drops of green liquid.

"Probably poison," he said, digging his toe into the sand. "This
thing is too mean to fool with--without a good reason. Let's keep
going."

It was before noon when Lea fell down. She really wanted to go on,
but her body wouldn't obey. The thin soles of her shoes were no
protection again