The Demon looked at him scornfully and uttered a curse. People moved away, except one young spearman who stood his ground. "It—it sounds just like a cat," he quavered.
The leader knocked him spinning with the sweep of a forearm. "Of course it sounds like a cat! How do you think it would sound when it's in cat form? Do you expect it to speak ingils to us?" He beckoned to several women. "Bring food for the Demon, and offerings of iron and jewels!" He glanced at the four captives, and added, as an afterthought, "Better feed its slaves, too."
Cooked meat was easy to chew, but it tasted odd, and the fruit was completely baffling. Still, they were filling.
The outlaw leader eyed the Demon, which had pre-empted Janee's ample lap. "Where is it taking you?"
Alyar didn't want to admit how little he knew of the nature of things, so he said the most awesome thing he could think of. "To Iron Mountain."
There were gasps. "Oh, what unfortunate people you are!" the leader said. Then, eagerly, "When will you go?"
Alyar thought he'd better press his luck. "It wants us to start right away. It only pretends to be asleep like that, to see if we're obedient. Er—I seem to have gotten turned around. Which way is Iron Mountain from here?"
The man pointed with alacrity. "That way! A third of the distance around the volcano. Here, we'll help you get loaded up."
The girls were festooned with necklaces and pendants of rare stones, while Bru and Alyar toted the food and the oddments of iron. The outlaws had hastily gathered a fabulous treasure of the metal—whole spearheads, and even a knife, of it!