"He," growled Steve bitterly, "is one of my brand-new 'Brothers.' At the last moment, just as we were leaving Sinnaty, I was advised that he was to accompany us on our journey. I'm not certain, but I suspect that was the doing of Malgro. Remember him? The Daan councillor who wanted to lop off our heads without giving us a chance to explain ourselves?"
Chuck groaned, "Then Malgro don't exactly trust you, eh?"
"Possibly not. Or maybe it's just routine. Like the Nazis of our day, the Daans don't even trust their own. They set spies to spy on their spies. But—shhh! Here's Rodrik now!"
The Mish-kinite wore a worried look as he approached. He glanced at Lafferty hesitantly, said to Steve:
"If we could speak privately—?"
Chuck snorted, "Don't mind me. I'm just one of the Jones boys—" but Duane silenced him.
"It's all right, Chuck. Run along." Then, as Chuck moved forward to where Beth led the little group, "Well?" he asked, "What's the matter, Rodrik?"
"I do not like this," complained the traitor. "There is something strange going on here, Brother. These Women of your equipage—do you trust them?"
"Completely. Why?"
"Well—we are supposed to be a scouting party," said the other, "seeking the hidden shrine of Fautnox. But we make no effort to conceal ourselves from others. Thrice have we encountered armed groups of warriors, but never once did you ask them the whereabouts of the place we seek. And we press forward through these leafy jungles surely, certainly, almost as if we had some destination in view."