As the alien stopped uncertainly, Ctvar and his friends crowded around him. "Are all Earthlings wingless freaks?" one of them asked in a loud voice. The others laughed.
I expected the alien to show some fight, but he only stood silently.
The party of Zades showed their contempt by increasing the tempo of their insults. Still the Earthling did nothing.
Finally Ctvar became disgusted with the other's spinelessness and spat in his face, at the same time reaching out to grab him.
I heard several gasps from those around me as the alien moved. His actions the next moment were almost too swift for us to follow. He spread his legs slightly, as Ctvar reached for him, and swung his right fist. An instant later Ctvar lay on the ground. One leg made a continuous kicking motion, but it was only a reflex action. Ctvar had been knocked unconscious!
The shouting of the other Zades quieted to an ugly murmur, and they surged forward. The Earthling set his back against the building behind him and struck out at his attackers, but they overwhelmed him by sheer numbers and dragged him to the ground.
They beat him and stamped several times on his body before a squad of sentinels appeared and broke them up.
"A fine start," Srtes said.
"Unless he is already dead."
"I don't believe he is," Srtes answered. "But if he is no more hardy than that, there will be no necessity for us to learn more."