Oh, to be sure, Kira Barra had somehow prospered under the soft hands of his predecessors, despite their coddling of the subhuman pseudomen, but there had been many laxities which had infuriated Leuwan, [p 22] even when he was a mere youth. He frowned thoughtfully.
Of course, if those two hadn’t been so soft and tolerant, he would have been something other than Lord of the Mountain Lake. He would have had to find other activities elsewhere. He dropped the line of thought.
This was not taking care of the situation.
He put his full attention on the man before him, driving a demand with full power of cap amplifier.
“Why are all your people idling away their time? Where are your herdsmen and guards?”
The headman’s face tensed with effort. He waved a hand southward and made meaningless noises. Faintly, the thought came through to Barra.
“In south forest, with herd. Not idle, is rest day. Few work.”
Barra looked angrily at the man. Did this fool actually think he could evade and lie his way out of the trouble his obvious failure to supervise had brought? He jabbed a thumb northward.
“What about that herd drifting toward the north river?” The two green communicator crystals gleamed with cold fire.
The headman looked confused. “Not north,” came the blurred thought. “No herd north. All south forest, near swamp. One-hand boys watch. Some guard. Is rest day.”