When at last,
after scouring it out with sand, he had strapped on the helmet, Ch'aka
was reborn. The corpse on the sand was just another dead slave. Jason
scraped a shallow grave, interred and covered it. Then, slung about
with weapons, bags and crossbow, the club in his hand, he stalked back
to the waiting slaves. As soon as he appeared they scrambled to their
feet and formed a line. Jason saw Ijale looking at him worriedly,
trying to discover who had won the battle.

[Illustration]

"Score one for the visiting team," he called out, and she gave him a
small, frightened smile and turned away. "About face all and head back
the way we came. There is a new day dawning for you slaves. I know you
don't believe this yet, but there are some big changes in store."

He whistled while he strolled after the line and chewed happily on the
first _krenoj_ that was found.

VI

That evening they built a fire on the beach and Jason sat with his
back to the safety of the sea. He took his helmet off, the thing was
giving him a headache, and called Ijale over to him.

"I hear Ch'aka. I obey."

She ran hurriedly over to him and flopped onto the sand.

"I want to talk to you," Jason said. "And my name is Jason, not
Ch'aka."

"Yes, Ch'aka," she said, darting a quick glance at his exposed face,
then turning away. He grumbled and pushed the basket of _krenoj_ over
to her.

"I can see where it is not going to be an easy thing changing this
social setup. Tell me, do you or any of the others ever have any
desire to be free?"

"What is free?"

"Well ... I suppose that answers my question. Free is what you are
when you are not a slave, or a slave owner, free to go where you want
and do what you want."

"I wouldn't like that." She shivered. "Who would take care of me? How
could I find any _krenoj_? It takes many people together to find
_krenoj_, one alone would starve."

"If you are free, you can combine with other free people and look for
_krenoj_ together."

"That is stupid. Whoever found would eat and not share unless a master
made him. I like to eat."

Jason rasped his sprouting beard. "We all like to eat, but that
doesn't mean we have to be slaves. But I can see that unless there are
some radical changes in this environment I am not going to have much
luck in freeing anyone, and I had better take all the precautions of a
Ch'aka to see that I can stay alive."

He picked up his club and stalked off into the darkness, si