The old woman stared him in the eye, then bowed silently.
Vyrtl saw that she realized what it might mean. He hoped she would not arrange an "accident" before her ship returned.
He had Wilkins take over and check with the captain of the rocket. It was determined that the best effort would bring the ship back to the dome on Klo about "mid-morning." Vyrtl left orders that the woman was to be brought before him the moment she arrived, and retired for the night.
He found Xota sprawled confidently upon his bed, and kicked her off in a temper. His groping had found no loose object to fling after her as she slunk out the door, and that made his temper worse. He was a long time getting to sleep....
he next morning, he pecked at his breakfast and sneered at the artificial dawn that had been delayed for his benefit.
"Get me a lozard and a squad of guards!" he snarled to Wilkins. "I'll have a run through the woods while I wait."
He left the guards at the fringes of his engineers' forest and rode the eight-legged reptile recklessly among the huge trunks. Since the builder had artfully omitted all low branches, there was little chance of his knocking his head off.
Towards noon, he paused to rest at the little pool on the edge of the woods. He waved to a group of guards he saw peering at him across an open field of what looked very much like grass. One of the men ran over.