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hunting grounds,” complained the grating voice, Goryx.
    “We wouldn’t have come this far if the game weren’t so scarce,” another reminded him.
    Atalanta buried herself in some blueberry bushes and listened to the men’s footsteps padding along the path. Carefully she peered through the leaves, thinking that they were not very good hunters, making all that noise.
    There were three of them, armed with daggers and spears. Ropes and snares hung from their belts. That weighted down, they would not go fast.
    Good, she thought. Better for Urso.
    One of the men had a long face with a beaked nose. Another was shorter, squat, with a squashed face like a gourd left in the sun. The third had a dark scar down his right arm.
    Scar was in the lead with Beak Nose bringing up the rear, grumbling to himself about his aching feet.
    Atalanta let them pass her hiding place and then, when they were halfway around a bend in the path, she stood up and cupping her hands to her mouth, made loud growling noises.
    The men stopped and turned, and she dropped back into the bushes.
    “What was that?” came Goryx’s grating voice.
    “Doesn’t sound like a bear,” said Beak.
    “More like a bear cub, ” Scar said.
    Atalanta felt around her feet and picked up three rocks. One for each of you, she thought, waiting till they got closer. She listened for their footsteps, careful not to make the bushes tremble.
    For hunters, they were terribly loud and she could hear them go past. The minute they were beyond her, she stood and tossed the rocks quickly, hitting them each on the back.
    Then she dived back into the brush.
    The hunters spun around with angry yells.
    “What was that?” growled Goryx. “Somebody throwing rocks?”
    “I don’t see anybody,” Beak Nose said. “Who’d be playing silly tricks like that so deep in the forest?”
    “I’ll wring their stupid necks if I catch them,” Goryx threatened, rubbing the bruised spot on his back.
    Scar raised a hand to silence them both. “Never mind that now. Stay alert. We need to move on and check the trap.”
    The other two grunted their agreement, and they started off again.
    Atalanta realized that her plan to distract the men wasn’t working, and Urso needed more time. Jumping out of cover with a whoop, she hurled herself at Beak Nose, landing heavily on his back and knocking him down. He shrieked, a sound as high and squealing as a pig in labor.
    Scar grabbed her from behind and flung her to the ground, but she rolled nimbly to her feet and whipped out her knife. She didn’t intend to hurt anyone, of course. Her plan was simply to give Urso more time to get out of the pit. But Scar didn’t know that, and he raised his right arm to defend himself.
    “Hold off, you little animal!” Goryx cried, grabbing her knife arm.
    Atalanta turned her head and sank her teeth into the exposed skin of his wrist. He pulled away, cursing.
    “Damned Amazon!” he cried.
    From his knees, Beak Nose jammed his spear between Atalanta’s feet and she stumbled back, losing her balance. She landed hard on her bottom and that gave Beak Nose a chance to catch her wrist and twist the knife from her grasp, tossing it way out of reach. In turn she kicked him hard in the shin with her sandal.
    “By Hermes, she’s a wild one!” he cried, backing away.
    Shorty hefted his spear and was making ready to throw it at Atalanta, but Scar put up his hand. “No, Goryx—she’s a child.”
    “Harpy’s child most like,” Goryx replied.
    Atalanta made a sudden dive for her knife, but Scar had spotted her eyeing it. He reached out suddenly and grabbed her from behind and prisoned her arms against her sides.
    Beak stared at her, taking in her torn and filthy clothing. “Look how skinny she is,” he said. “She must be half crazed with hunger.”
    Scar laughed, and it rumbled against Atalanta’s back. “You just like your women plump.”
    But Goryx was nodding his head. “She’s crazy all right. Crazy mad. Like