He had an odd way of twisting his sounds, almost as though he had a mouthful of mush. I wondered whether he were just an oddball or whether everybody here spoke the same way. I'd never heard International English spoken any way but one, even on the planet Daddy made me visit with him.
One of the other outriders came easing by then. I suppose they'd been watching us all the while. He called to the hard man.
"He be awfully small, Horst. I doubt me a Losel'd even notice him at all. We mought as well throw him back again."
The rider looked at me. When I didn't dissolve in terror as he expected, he shrugged and one of the other men laughed.
The hard man said to the others, "This boy will be riding along with us to Forton for protection."
I looked down at the plodding, unhappy creatures they were driving along and one looked back at me with dull, expressionless golden eyes. I felt uncomfortable.
I said, "I don't think so."
What the man did then surprised me. He said, "I do think so," and reached for the rifle in his saddle boot.
I whipped my sonic pistol out so fast that he was caught leaning over with the rifle half out. His jaw dropped. He knew what I held and he didn't want to be fried.
I said, "Ease your rifles out and drop them gently to the ground."