Nitha laughed as she saw the swollen features of the two Martians and handed a leaf-wrapped gob of the sticky blue gum that she had smeared upon her own skin.
"Not very attractive," she admitted, "but very effective."
"And now," Rurak demanded, "why did you follow us? This journey is dangerous enough without a woman trailing along."
"Ill bred young man isn't he?" asked Nitha of Elko Sohm. "However I suppose I might as well tell you all about it, Elko. He can listen in if he really wants to know.
"The same night you left," she went on, "Jokar Ged and his Yzaps came in the darkness and attacked the village. All who could escape came inside the Indra's metal shell. They built fires against the hull hoping to drive us out but the insulation prevented any great passage of heat. But there were few provisions stored there and practically no water.
"With early morning I slipped out through an escape lock with Thod as my guide and at a safe distance showed myself to the horde of Jokar Ged. As I had known he would, he sent all his forces after me—it was for me that he stormed the hilltop—and my people were free to emerge from the Indra again.
"I knew that you had headed for the coast to bring help and so Thod and I picked up your trail. Only now have we come up with you."
"Jokar Ged?" demanded Rurak.
"Close behind," the girl answered, "with ten dugouts loaded with his insect warriors."