Lys uttered a trembling cry. “Andre!”
Farris saw him, then. Saw Berreau ahead, standing in the shadow of the monster banyans there. His arms were upraised toward those looming colossi, as though in worship. Over him towered the leafy giants, dominating all the forest.
“Stop them! Slay them!”
They thundered, now, those majestic thought-voices that Farris’ mind could barely hear. He was closer to them — closer—
He knew, then, even though his mind refused to admit the knowledge Knew whence those mighty voices came, and why Berreau worshipped the banyans.
And surely they were godlike, these green colossi who had lived for ages, whose arms reached skyward and whose aerial roots drooped and stirred and groped like hundreds of hands!
Farris forced that thought violently away. He was a man, of the world of men, and he must not worship alien lords.
Berreau had turned toward them. The man’s eyes were hot and raging, and Farris knew even before Berreau spoke that he was no longer altogether sane.
“Go, both of you!” he ordered. “You were fools, to come here after me! You killed as you came through the forest, and the forest knows!”
“Berreau, listen!” Farris appealed. “You’ve got to go back with us, forget this madness!”