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Title: Thakur-na
A Terran Empire story

Author: Ann Wilson

Release Date: June 9, 2008 [EBook #25745]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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THAKUR-NA

A Terran Empire story

by Ann Wilson

Copyright (C) 1992 by Ann Wilson

Sandeman, 2624 CE

It was midafternoon before Dana's hunger overcame her excitement at
being on Sandeman, hiking with her chosen lord--her thakur, in the
Sandeman term she preferred--and trying to track a balik. She hadn't
gotten within two hundred meters of the wolflike predator, and had
finally realized she wasn't going to, so the two found a small clearing
with bare rocks which made decent seating. Jason dug hot-cans of trail
food out of his hiking pack, Dana did the same with cold-cans of
fortified milk, and they sat eating and drinking in silence. They were
putting the empty cans back in their packs when Dana began looking
around, frowning.

"What is it?" Jason asked.

"I thought I heard something . . . brushing against branches, snow
falling . . . but no other predators would invade a balik's territory,
and it's probably kilometers away by now."

"Other tourists, maybe. Clan Torrance is supposed to have a hunting
party in the area, but they aren't due till tomorrow noon."

Dana made a face. "I was hoping we wouldn't see anyone else till we
got to the pickup point."

"So was I--but not even I can have everything my own way all the
time."

"No," Dana agreed with a chuckle, "you just come