When shadow had nearly covered the sun, Vala found the Gleaners and Reds around a fire.  The Gleaners were eating; they offered to share.  The Reds had eaten their kills as they were made.

A fine rain began to sizzle on the coals.  The negotiators retreated into the tent: Valavirgillin, Chitakumishad, and Sopashintay for the Machine People, three of the Reds, the four Gleaners.  Anakrin hooki-Wanhurhur and the Thurl and a woman Vala didn't know were already inside.

Stale grass had been replaced with fresh.

The Thurl spoke, his powerful voice cutting through all conversation.  "Folk, meet my negotiator Waast, who has a tale to tell."

Waast stood gracefully for so large a woman.  "Paroom and I went to starboard two days ago, on foot," she said.  "Paroom returned with these Reds of Ginjerofer's folk.  I followed on foot with a guard of Red warriors, to speak to the Muddy River People.  The Muddy River People cannot join us here, but they may speak of our sorrows to the Night People."

"They'll have the same trouble we did," Coriack said.

(Something was tickling at Vala's attention.)

Waast sat.  To the Reds she said, "You cannot practice rishathra.  But mating?"

"It is not my time," Warvia said primly.  Anakrin and Chaychind were grinning.  Tegger seemed angry.

(The wind.)

Many hominid species were monogamous, exclusive of rishathra, of course.  Tegger and Warvia must be mates.  And the Thurl was saying, "I must wear my armor.  We know not what might visit us."

Too bad.  They might have gotten some entertainment going.

(Music?)

Spash asked uneasily, "Do you hear music?  That isn't vampire music."

The sound was still soft, but growing louder, almost painfully near the upper end of her hearing range.  Vala felt the hair stir on her neck and down her spine.  She was hearing a wind instrument, and strings, and a thuttering percussion instrument.  No voices.

The Thurl lowered his helm and stepped out.  A crossbow was in his hand, pointed at the sky.  Chit and Silack stayed at either side of the door, their weapons readied.  Others in the tent were arming themselves.

Tiny Silack walked backward into the tent.  The smell came with him.  Carrion and wet fur.

Two big hominid shapes followed, and then the much bigger Thurl.  "We have guests," he boomed.

In the tent it was almost totally dark.  Vala could make out the gleam of the Ghouls' eyes and teeth, and two black silhouettes against a scarcely brighter glow, Archlight seeping through clouds.  But her eyes were adjusting, picking out detail:

There were two, a man and a woman.  Hair covered them almost everywhere.  It was black and straight and slick with the rain.  Their mouths were overly wide grins showing big spade teeth.  They wore pouches on straps, and were otherwise naked.  Their big blunt hands were empty.  They were not eating.  Vala was terribly relieved, even as she resisted the impulse to shy back.

Likely enough, none but Valavirgillin had ever seen one of these.  Some were reacting badly.  Chit remained in the door, on guard, facing away.  Spash was on her feet, not cringing, but it seemed the limit of her self-control.  Silack of the Gleaners, Tegger, and Chaychind all cringed away with wide eyes and open mouths.