Karn shrugged. A full-grown male was no welcome guest in any tribe. Andra read his thoughts and was sympathetic.
“You’re really up against it, aren’t you? From what we’ve seen of your world so far I would guess it was no place for a man without friends.”
“I will go with you to your people; to Mahlo, wherever that is.”
“What a notion,” Harus snorted. “Picture this uncouth thing in his wolf skin on Mahlo! Besides” and the disdain went out of his voice, “we’d be doing him no favor.”
Karn grunted. They didn’t think much of him. But there was more of it than that. The three of them had fallen to arguing again. There was talk of Mahlo and the Green Ones, whoever they were. The argument droned on endlessly.
“Too much talk,” Karn said abruptly.
The talk stopped. Andra was looking at Karn, a slow smile spreading across her face. Her breasts rose and fell with a change in her breathing and Karn felt a warm flush rise within him.
“I think Karn is right,” she said. “Too much talk.”
Somewhere in the bowels of the ship a great beast purred. I should not have let them strap me down, Karn thought. The purring grew louder, the ship lifted.