Xintel smiled grimly. "They will follow me or else—And if Komso or a Chosen One should interfere, would it—?"
"It would. And tell the women that if your people and mine can meet as friends there will be guns like this for everyone. Norus and torvaks will hold no more terrors."
"But you?" she asked.
"I must wait at the mouth of the slough and stop Komso there."
"But—?"
"Waste no more time! Hurry!"
After she was gone he swam along the shore to the slough and settled on the bottom. He waited interminably it seemed before he spotted the distant streaks of light left by Komso's men, perhaps a hundred of them in a close group.
He remained crouched, waiting until they were just beyond crossbow range. Then he stood up, waving his arms to create enough light to make his identity unmistakable. He had decided his only course lay in turning Komso's own propaganda against him.
"Stop!" he commanded.