He seemed exasperated. I have that effect sometimes. Even on Mother and
Daddy, who should know better.
We were coming up on the others now, and the man said, "Maybe you'd
better ride on from here with us. For protection."
He had an odd way of twisting his sounds, almost as though he had a
mouthful of mush. I wondered whether he were just an oddball or whether
everybody here spoke the same way. I'd never heard International
English spoken any way but one, even on the planet Daddy made me visit
with him.
One of the other outriders came easing by then. I suppose they'd been
watching us all the while. He called to the hard man.
"He be awfully small, Horst. I doubt me a Losel'd even notice him at
all. We mought as well throw him back again."
The rider looked at me. When I didn't dissolve in terror as he
expected, he shrugged and one of the other men laughed.
The hard man said to the others, "This boy will be riding along with us
to Forton for protection."
I looked down at the plodding, unhappy creatures they were driving
along and one looked back at me with dull, expressionless golden eyes.
I felt uncomfortable.