"Rick!" Johnny called, running up to him.
"Get away from here," Rick yelled. "There's a horned snake right beside me. He'll kill us!"
"No," Johnny answered. "If he'd wanted to, he could have done it long ago. Rick, we're safe! The leopards brought you here to get your wound fixed up." Then he clicked to the leopards, "Let him go. He won't run away." He turned back to Rick. "I just told the leopards you won't run away," he explained. "Just watch the marva over there."
Unsteadily, Rick got to his feet. He quickly sat down again, overcome by weakness and amazement. He had caught sight of the marva healers at work. One was sewing up a rhinosaur. Another was splinting up the leg of an antelope. Rick shook his head.
"I'm dreaming," he said. "I must be!"
"Isn't it wonderful!" Johnny said. "They're going to fix your wound, too."
The leopard beside him growled, in the way Johnny knew meant "come."
"I gotta go now," Johnny said. "Goodbye, and don't worry. Let them do what they want to."
Johnny and the leopard made their way among the sick animals. Johnny let out a cry of pleasure. There was his friend the leopardess. The ato-tube burn was not a bad one, and it had already been treated. She rose when she saw him. Though the big male leopard growled his disapproval, Johnny ran over and patted her and her cubs before he went on.
"Is she a friend of yours?" Johnny was startled by the sudden appearance of the black muzzled marva who had spoken to him earlier.