uld make him strong."

"Why did you not do so?"

"Because I am a woman, and I know a woman's heart. It would have the
opposite effect. I will rub it into the liver I give to Uglik."

With the aid of the women, Esle laid out a rough oval on the ground
where the two combatants were to meet. Throwing-stones and spears were
not allowed in rannag, the two combatants fighting their duel with
smiting-stones and flint knives only. At the appointed hour, the two
combatants appeared, stripped to their loin-clothes only. The Father was
hideous with streaks of paint, red, yellow, white, and black. Anak
glistened from his coat of grease, but his skin was bare of ornament.

The two combatants took their places, while around the fighting ground
gathered the hunters and youths, throwing-spears in hand. Their
privilege and duty it was to slay either of the fighters who fled or who
was forced out of the ring. Esle intoned a long prayer to Degar Astok.
The word for combat was given. The two men approached each other
cautiously. The Father confident in his strength, but he felt heavy and
lethargic. Anak was clear-eyed and alert, ready to take advantage of any
opening offered him.

The two men circled, wary as great jungle cats. Anak, suddenly ducked
his head and rubbed his eyes. With a roar of triumph, Uglik charged.

Outside the ring, there was a commotion. A woman's scream, rent the air.
Invar leaped to Una's side, to find her wrestling with Esle.

"Kill her, Invar!" shrieked the girl. "She tried to cast a spell on
Anak."

The young hunter forced open the High Priestess' hand. In it was grasped
a bit of shiny quartz with which she had reflected the sun into the
hunter's eyes. With upraised hand, he struck her to the ground.

"She shall be judged after the rannag," he said. "Take you this spear,
Una, and drive it through her if she moves."

The girl took the spear. Invar returned to watch the fight. Anak had
sidestepped the first rush of the Father and his smiting-stone had bit
heavily into Uglik's shoulder. Uglik had whirled and charged again. Anak
made as if to leap to one side. As Uglik changed his direction to meet
him, Anak swayed back. Again his smiting-stone bit heavily into the
Father's side. With a cry of pain, Uglik paused and changed his tactics.
He approached cautiously, ready to leap to either side. Farther and
farther Anak retreated until the hunters at the end of the oval raised
their spears in anticipation. Then