Swiftly she loosed the other hoops and restored the sun and
worlds to their place over her head as the captive slumped across the
threshold of his cell.
Tugging and straining they brought him out of the broken ship into the
sunlight of Erb. Varta threw back her hood and breathed deeply of the
air which was not manufactured by the wizardry of the lizard skin and
Lur sat panting, his nostril flaps open. It was he who spied the spring
on the mountain side above, a spring of water uncontaminated by the
strange life of the lake. They both dragged themselves there to drink
deeply.
Varta returned to the lake shore reluctantly. Within her heart she
believed that the man they had brought from the ship was truly dead. Lur
might hold out the promise of the flowers, but this was a man and he had
lain in the water for countless ages--
So she went with lagging steps, to find Lur busy. He had solved the
mystery of the space suit and had stripped it from the unknown. Now his
clawed paw rested lightly on the bared chest and he turned to Varta
eagerly.
"There is life--"
Hardly daring to believe that, she dropped down beside Lur and touched
their prize. Lur was right, the flesh was warm and she had caught the
faint rhythm of shallow breath. Half remembering old tales, she put her
hands on the arch of the lower ribs and began to aid that rhythm. The
breaths were deeper--
Then the man half turned, his arm moved. Varta and Lur drew back.
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