"It's one of your tricks," said Vaneen, putting the fire between them.
"Look, then!" said Yorgh. "Come around a little, so you can watch the stick against the dark."
She moved reluctantly, and Yorgh twisted the end of the metal cylinder. The other end suddenly glowed blue-green, bringing breathless exclamations from Puko and Vaneen.
With an air of mastery, Yorgh turned the light off and on several times before yielding to Puko's awed plea to be allowed to touch it. Even when the boy, at Yorgh's instructions, also worked the light, his sister remained dubious.
"Enough!" declared Yorgh, grinning in anticipation. "You questioned me once too often, Vaneen. Come here!"
He reached out one huge arm and swept her to him, but it suddenly seemed he had taken hold of an untamed wolly. A hard little elbow thudded into his stomach and he let go. That was his second mistake, he saw a second later as he staggered back with his left ear ringing from a man-sized slap.
Vaneen, with a swirl of blue skirt about her tanned knees, reached for the woodpile. Yorgh changed his mind about grabbing her again to exact his "winnings" when he saw the billet of wood in her hand.
"Your sister is a poor loser," he told Puko, rubbing his ear tenderly.
"I don't know how you made it light up," snapped Vaneen, "but as far as I'm concerned, you haven't proved anything yet!"
"Here, you try it!" offered Yorgh. "There is no trick."