Breed to Come by Andre Norton Read Free Book Online Page A

manifest throughout his body. At last, itseemed, he could continue no longer. His head fellback, and he rested his limp weight against Furtig'sshoulder, his eyes closed.
    "You have wasted time," snarled the other prisoner. "Do you leave us now to be meat, or do you give•me a fighting chance?" There was no note of pleadingin his voice. Furtig had not expected any; it was notin their breed to beg from a stranger. But he settledFoskatt back, the caller beside him, and went to cutthe other's bonds.
    When those were broken, he returned to Foskatt.The stranger had been right. There was no chance ofescape through these burrows, which the Rattonsknew much better than he. He had wasted time. YetFoskatt's urgency had acted on him strongly.
    The stranger whipped to the door. Even as hereached it, Furtig could hear the squealing clamor ofgathering Rattons. He had failed. The only result ofhis attempt at rescue was that he had joined the othertwo in captivity. But he had his claws at least, andthe Ratton forces would pay dearly for their food when they came at him.
    "Fool," hissed the stranger, showing his fangs.
    "There is no way out now!"
    Foskatt stirred. "The nimbler will come—"His mutter, low as it was, reached the stranger, andhis snarl became a growl, aimed at them both.
    "Rumbler! He has blatted of none else! But hiswits are wrong. There is no—"
    What he would have added was forgotten as hesuddenly whirled and crouched before the door, hisbare hands raised. However, for some reason, the Rattons did not rush the prisoners at once, as Furtig hadexpected. Perhaps they were trying to work out somemethod whereby they could subdue their captiveswithout undue loss on their part. If they knew thePeople at all, they must also realize that the Rattonson the first wave in would die.
    Furtig listened, trying to gauge from sounds whatthey were doing. He did not know what weapons theRattons had besides those nature had given them.But since they frequented the lairs, they might havebeen as lucky as Gammage in discovering Demon secrets. Foskatt pushed at the floor, tried to raise himself. Furtig went to his aid.
    "Be ready," his tribesman said. "The nimbler—when it comes—we must be ready—"
    His certainty that something was coming almostconvinced Furtig that the other knew what he was 54talking about. But how that action of tongue to cubecould bring anything—
    The stranger was busy at the door. He had pulledsome litter together, was striving to force into placerusty metal rods as a bar lock. Even if that worked, itcould not save them for long, but any action helped.Furtig went to aid him.
    "This should slow them—a little—" the strangersaid as they finished as well as they could.
    He turned then and padded across the room tostand beneath the wall grill high overhead. "Where does that lead? You were behind it when you signaled—"
    "There is a tunnel there. But the opening is toonarrow."
    The stranger had kept one of the pieces of metal,too short to be a part of their barrier. Now he struckthat against the wall in a rasping blow. It did notleave more than a streak of rust to mark its passage.There was no beating their way through that wall.
    He strode back and forth across the cell, his taillashing, uttering small growls, which now and thenapproached the fury of battle yowls. Furtig knew thesame fear of being trapped. He flexed his fingers, tested the strength of his claw fastenings. In his throatrumbled an answering growl. Then the stranger cameto a halt before him, those blue eyes upon Furtig'sweapons.
    "Be ready to cut the net with those." His wordshad the force of an order.
    "The net?"
    "They toss nets to entangle one from a distance.That was how they brought me down. They must have taken your comrade in the same fashion. He wasalready here when they dragged me in. It is only because they were awaiting their Elders that they didnot kill us at once. They spoke among themselves much, but who can understand their vile