He twinged in my hands. His anger almost burned me. He started to speak, but I stopped him.
"Here's your chance to prove it, chum. See that little green light floating there? Well, go to it, Quern. And it had better be good, or it's curtains—for Nahru and all of us."
I walked over toward the cansins, holding Quern in my hands.
The brutes must have sensed us. They stopped and wheeled around. Quern shivered. He was beginning to understand things. He snarled,
"How do you expect me to do my act? No platform—nothing! You're crazy, Jig! Let's get out of here!"
I shook him. "Put that baby to sleep. Make him and his harem go out of town, north. There's quicksand there. Go on, damn you!"
He cursed me. You could smell the fear rising hot from us all. I heard feet running behind me, and then more, going away. Quern said,
"All right, you crazy fool. Raise me up. Hold your hands flat."
I made a platform out of my palms. And the cansins started our way.