"With me?" demanded Yorgh. "I must stay and hear their complaints, since Moyt has already given me back my things. As I pointed out, my bow would be too strong for him to draw, especially with a broken arm."
"He has a broken arm?" cried Puko, leaping up in delight.
"Well, no. But he would have, had he not persuaded me to let go by turning temporarily honest."
Yorgh's laugh trailed off when Vaneen gave no sign of being amused, but Puko continued to crow for some minutes.
"Then we can go tomorrow," he said at last.
He sobered at the expression on Yorgh's face.
"Don't say it was just one of your stories, Yorgh! That the sand blew in till it filled the gully again!"
The big hunter nodded sadly.
"This morning, on the crest of the hills, I even climbed a tree to look back, but the sand is like waves of the sea."
The firelight glinted in Vaneen's hair as she laughed scornfully.