ll the
slaves jumped to their feet and raced to see. Jason left Mikah where
he lay and was in the first rank of observers that broke over the
hillocks and onto the shore.

They stopped at the usual distance and shouted compliments about the
quality of the shot and what a mighty hunter Ch'aka was. Jason had to
admit there was a certain truth in the claims. A large, furred
amphibian lay at the water's edge, the fletched end of the crossbow
bolt projecting from its thick neck and a thin stream of blood running
down to mix with the surging waves.

"Meat! Meat today!"

"Ch'aka kills the _rosmaro_! Ch'aka is wonderful!"

"Hail, Ch'aka, great provider," Jason shouted to get into the swing of
things. "When do we eat?"

The master ignored his slaves, sitting heavily on the dune until he
regained his breath after the stalk. Then after cocking the crossbow
again he stalked over to the beast and with his knife cut out the
quarrel, notching it against the bowstring still dripping with blood.

"Get wood for fire," he commanded. "You, Opisweni, you use the knife."

Shuffling backwards Ch'aka sat down on a hillock and pointed the
crossbow at the slave who approached the kill. Ch'aka had left his
knife in the animal and Opisweni pulled it free and began to
methodically flay and butcher the beast. All the time he worked he
carefully kept his back turned to Ch'aka and the aimed bow.

"A trusting soul, our slave-driver," Jason mumbled to himself as he
joined the others in searching the shore for driftwood. Ch'aka had all
the weapons as well as a constant fear of assassination. If Opisweni
tried to use the knife for anything other than the intended piece of
work, he would get the crossbow quarrel in the back of his head. Very
efficient.

Enough driftwood was found to make a sizable fire, and when Jason
returned with his contribution the _rosmaro_ had been hacked into
large chunks. Ch'aka kicked his slaves away from the heap of wood and
produced a small device from another of his sacks. Interested, Jason
pushed as close as he dared, into the front rank of the watching
circle. Though he had never seen one of them before, the operation of
the firemaker was obvious to him. A spring-loaded arm drove a fragment
of stone against a piece of steel, sparks flew out and were caught in
a cup of tinder, where Ch'aka blew on them until they burst into
flame.

Where had the firelighter and the crossbow come from? They were
evidence of a high