Extrone shrugged.
"I—Look, sir. Listen to me." Ri's lips were bloodless and his hands were trembling. "It's not me you want to do this to. It's Mia, sir. He killed a farn beast before I did, sir. And last night—last night, he—"
"He what?" Extrone demanded, leaning forward intently.
Ri breathed with a gurgling sound. "He said he ought to kill you, sir. That's what he said. I heard him, sir. He said he ought to kill you. He's the one you ought to use for bait. Then if there was an accident, sir, it wouldn't matter, because he said he ought to kill you. I wouldn't...."
Extrone said, "Which one is he?"
"That one. Right over there."
"The one with his back to me?"
"Yes, sir. That's him. That's him, sir."
Extrone aimed carefully and fired, full charge, then lowered the rifle and said, "Here comes Lin with the rope, I see."
Ri was greenish. "You ... you...."