62 "You're hurt?" asked the eldest Hashon. He
rushed forward and took the hand North was trying to bandage with his
handkerchief. The Hashon quickly bound the wound. "You'd better get
your peoople out of here!” North suggested, "and next time you hold a
ceremony, post guards. We might not be around to get you out, if
something like that interrupts you again."
63 "We will do that, young sir," the Hashon replied, looking at North
as if he could see his face through his hood. "Thank you for coming to
our aid! It's too bad you had to kill to save us!"
64 "Better him than you," assured North, "what they would have had in
mind for you wouldn't have been pleasant."
65 A moment later a young Hashon female ran up with a cup and plate
they had been using in the tunnel. The Old Hashon nodded at her, and
she hurried off down the trail.
For a moment her eyes met North's, and a strange warmth came over him.
"Thank you again, young sir," The Old Hashon complimented. "You are a
man far braver than your years, and more just than many of your world."
66 He turned and hurried off. Watching him go Gray Mountain walked up
to his friend. North looked at the crumpled figure on the ground before
them; a full grown man, but he wasn't TOO large. "I think we can both
get him into the air," he explained, "and carry him where I want to go."
67 The two youths carried their burden to a nearby drop off, and
spreading their wings, took to the air. It took all their strength to
remain airborne and carry the extra weight.
68 Finally, they came to a line of blinking red lights floating above
the rooftops. "Hey!" shouted Gray, "We're heading into a flierway. Do
you want to get us killed?"
69 "I know what I'm doing!" cried North in reply. "Keep low, and keep
going! And when I say now, drop him!"
70 After many frightening minutes with fliers passing overhead in both
directions, North finally saw what he was looking for ...the air shaft
of a big apartment house. He