"Sampson!"
The red-haired man approached, squinting. "Yeah?"
"Rustle up a knife and gun for Garth."
"Check."
Paula was staring at Garth. "You expect trouble, don't you?"
"I do."
She made a gesture. "This all seems so peaceful—"
"Listen," Garth said, "the Black Forest is the worst death-trap in the System. Here's why. The struggle for existence is plenty tough here. Brute strength isn't enough, nor agility. A tiger or a deer wouldn't last long here. In the Forest, the survival of the fittest means the plant or animal that can get the most food. That sort of thing has been going on here for a million years. The beasts developed super-quick reactions. They could smell danger a mile away. So they had to have strength, agility, and something else—to get close to their prey."
Brown stared. "What?"