"He's as good as dead right now," Kemper said.
Gteris stared down at the crowd, then at Kemper. Swiftly he shot a
warning thought to Ulbasar, who caught it. As he did the pressure eased
slightly from Kemper's mind. It was enough. Kemper lashed out against
Gteris' block. They stood there, minds twisting in combat. Then as
Ulbasar was hemmed in by the crowd his support weakened, and Gteris
fought alone. Slowly, but inexorably he was forced back and out, and
Kemper's mind went free. Gteris' face was haggard. "Good gods, Kjem!"
he said. "Look at Ulbasar!"
"You can still help him. I'm not holding you."
Gteris looked wildly at him, then ran, bounding down the steps two at a
time. He ran toward the crowd and began shouting at Ulbasar. Kemper saw
the concentration on his face and knew he was trying to control the
crowd. It was then that Mr. Kemper closed his eyes.
First he shut out the world around him: The dim sun on his ears, the
smells of dusty summer and popcorn, the sounds of the small wind and
the people. In the blackness of his mind he saw the lion court; each
bar of the cage and the yellow lions inside it; the crowd and the two
dark men. Then he made a picture of the bars loosening at the top of
the cage and the bottom, and the entire section of the cage front
sliding ponderously sideways.
There was no sound anywhere. Then below him rang a gonging of steel
on cement and after that, the screaming, and over all of it, dwarfing
the yells and the echoing clangs, came a roar that ripped the wind and
shook the trees with thunder.
* * * * *
His eyes still closed, Kemper loosened the fronts of all the cages,
one by one. After that he put all his mind to directing the lions. To
Ulbasar he gave a quick death. Gteris he singled out for a special
favor; he sent the streak-maned lion at him. As the lion crouched,
Gteris stood unmoving, covering his face with his hands. "Stand and
fight!" Kemper shouted. "At least die like a Noble!" But Gteris did
not move, and the lion sprang. Kemper laughed, the old excitement of
the hunt surging in him as he sent the cats leaping and clawing. He
made sure that a special few of the ape-people died very slowly. In the
distance a siren wailed.
Kemper did not hear the rushing sounds behind and above him. When he
did, he called the lions to him, desperately. He looked up at the
condors, hurtling like javelins, and behind them the eagles. And he
knew why Gteris, the hunter of condors and eagles, had not tried to
hold off the lions. Then the condors smashed down.
The streak-maned lion came to him, but it was too late. Mr. Kemper lay
dying in the cold sun with the smell of lions like dust in his throat.