dot ...

The answer was quick, imperative: "Where?"

Surely no one but Ashe could have sent that! Ross did not hesitate.

"Be ready--escape."

"No!" Even more imperative. "Friends here...."

Had he guessed rightly? Had Ashe established friendly relations with the
Foanna? But Ross kept to the caution which had been his defense and
armor so long. There was one question he thought only Ashe could answer,
something out of the past they had shared when they had made their first
journey into time disguised as Beaker traders of the Bronze Age.
Deliberately he tapped that question.

"What did we kill in Britain?"

Tensely he waited. But when the reply came it did not pulse from the
sonic under his fingers; instead, a well-remembered voice called out of
the night.

"A white wolf." And the words were Terran English.

"Ashe!" Ross leaped forward, climbed toward the figure he could only
dimly see.

14

The Foanna

"Ross!" Ashe's hands gripped his shoulders as if never intending to free
him again. "Then you did come through--"

Ross understood. Gordon Ashe must have feared that he was the only one
swept through the time door by that freak chance.

"And Karara and the dolphins!"

"Here--now?" In this black bowl of the citadel bay Ashe was only a
shadow with voice and hands.

"No, out with the Rover cruisers. Ashe, do you know the Baldies are on
Hawaika? They've organized this whole thing--the attack here--trouble
all over. Right now they have one of their subs out there. That's what
cut those cutters to pieces. Five days ago five of them wiped out a
whole Rover fairing, just five of them!"

"Gordoon." Unlike the hissing speech of the Hawaikans, this new voice
made a singing, lilting call of Ashe's name. "This is your swordsman in
truth?" Another shadow drew near them, and Ross saw the flutter of cloak
edge.

"This is my friend." There was a tone of correction in Ashe's reply.
"Ross, this is the Guardian of the sea gate."

"And you come," the Foanna continued, "with those who gather to feast at
the Shadow's table. But your Rovers will find little loot to their
liking--"

"No." Ross hesitated. How did one address the Foanna? He had claimed
equality with Torgul. But that approach was not the proper one here;
instinct told him that. He fell back on the complete truth uttered
simply. "We took three of the Baldy killers. From them we learned they
move to wipe out the Foanna first. For you," he addressed