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and leaving nothing else in its wake. Fortunately for them the destruction was not completed.
    The machine stopped suddenly, the light disappeared, and in seconds a lone Hinchai was walking two great animals across the now barren field towards a distant structure they had not noticed before. A single Hinchai had controlled the entire machine! Maki gained new respect for the power of the enemy; still, without their machines, they were no equal to a Tenanken warrior.
    Maki turned to Han and Dorald. “It’s safe, now. You go down and eat your fill. I’ll stay here and guard the meat if you bring something back for me.”
    The others nodded, grinning, and left without a word, frolicking downhill in the light of a rising moon, like children at play. Maki felt relief at being left alone to think. The disappearance of Hidaig’s band bothered him deeply, for he had counted on them for support when the time for his father’s overthrow came, and that would have to be soon. If only Hidaig was at his side now, then he wouldn’t have to put up with dim-witted Tenanken who thought only of their stomachs. His own stomach was cramped from hunger, but he ignored the pain. Food was only necessary to sustain life, but the survival of the true Tenanken was everything to him. He vowed to venture out again very soon, and find the new Hidaig encampment.
    Maki watched for several minutes while Han and Dorald greedily stripped vegetables from their stalks, eating most, but dropping some in a little pile to take back up the hill. And when things began going wrong, it was subtle at first, Han eating, back turned to Dorald, the big Tenanken suddenly wandering away through tall stalks, the axe in his hand, heading towards the Hinchai cabin.
    When Maki noticed it he wanted to yell, because Han just sat there munching contentedly. Dorald was swinging the axe in his hand, heading straight for the house, then veering towards the right, out of sight behind some trees and soon there was a crash and a babbling chorus from eating birds kept by the Hinchai. Maki shuddered. So close to the cabin, and all that noise, Dorald’s hunger could cost him his life.
    Han had heard the sounds too, stretching to peer over the stalks, then looking back at Maki who motioned at him frantically to return. Han started up the hill at a run as the door of the cabin burst open, spilling light onto a stump, woodpile, and something moving in the trees. Dorald was carrying a thrashing bird. He raised the bird to his face, biting down on its neck until the bird was still. Maki could see him clearly, but trees obscured the view from the cabin. The Hinchai male appeared in the doorway, a pointing weapon in his hands, aiming at sounds among the trees and screaming in the language Maki was regrettably becoming familiar with.
    “You Goddamn kids! This is the last time you raid my hen house! Pick this out of your ass!”
    The explosion split the stillness of the night, a sheet of flame the length of a spear belching from the end of the weapon.
    Dorald screamed, a loud, piercing scream of agony, but kept running.
    The Hinchai jumped backwards. “What the hell was that ?” He jumped again, into the cabin, and slammed the door behind him
    There was shouting behind the door, and then—something—probing—passing through Maki’s mind like a wisp of wind—a vision of the caverns—Anka and Tel—his parents, grieving over something, a body lying before them. It was Maki’s body, face covered with blood.
    Maki forced the vision away, closing his mind to further intrusion. Who’s out there? He looked around warily as Han reached him, out of breath, and Dorald was scrambling up the hill, holding one side with a hand.
    The door to the cabin flew open again, and now there were two figures in the light. One was tall, the one with the pointing weapon, while the other was shorter but broad, nearly filling the doorway. “Second time this month,” came a shout. “These damn kids have no