"Is there any reason why you would not like to marry Jayn, who is the first of the Raydower women?" Yorgh asked.
"I—" began Moyt suspiciously, and stiffened as Yorgh pressed the trigger of the Terran stunner he held inside his tunic.
Moyt got control of his knees and straightened up as Yorgh turned off the power.
He started to open his mouth angrily, and Yorgh stunned him again. Moyt slumped to his knees beside Jayn.
The Raydower woman's lips curved in a thoughtful smile, and she reached out to run a finger through Moyt's hair. The man had changed his mind about protesting by the time the second shock had worn off.
Then Yorgh sat down to answer question after question while preparations for the night's feast went on. The men gathered and voted that messengers should be sent to the Sea People to tell of what had happened. Someone shouted Yorgh's name to be chief of the three tribes, and the cry was taken up over his protests.
"Well, I'll take a walk and think about it," he said finally, and strolled up the creek for a breather.
In the quiet of the trees, he shook his head to see if he would wake from the dream, but the only result was that he heard voices.
He lengthened his stride and caught up with a group of the young women.
"Where are you going?" he asked amiably.