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think so?" he asked, curious."We"—her head went up proudly—"are of thecave of Gammage. And the Ancestor learned many,many things to help us. He did not so learn by fighting. He went hunting for knowledge instead of battles. Brother, females also think. And when I growtrail-wise I shall not choose—I shall go to Gammagealso! There I shall learn and learn—" She stretchedforth her thin furred arms as if she were about togather to her some heaping of knowledge, if knowledge could be so heaped and gathered.
    "Gammage has grown foolish with time—" Hespoke tentatively.
    Once more she hissed, and now her anger wasdirected at him.
    "You speak as the Elders. Because some do not understand new things they say that such are stupid orill thought. Think instead on what Gammage has sentus, and that these may only be a small part of thegreat things he has found! There must be much goodin the lairs."
    "And if Gammage's fears are the truth, there mayalso be Demons there."
    Eu-La wrinkled a lip. "Believe in Demons whenyou see them, brother. Before then take what you canwhich will aid you."
    He sat up. "How did you know I was minded to goto Gammage?"
    She gave a soft purr of laughter. "Because you arewho you are you can do no other, brother.
    Look you."She brought out from behind her a small bag pulledtight by a drawstring. Furtig had seen only one suchbefore, that being much prized by the females. It hadbeen made, according to tradition, by Gammage's lastmate, who had had more supple fingers than most.But it had not been duplicated since.
    "Where got you that?"
    "I made it." Her pride was rightly great. "Foryou—" She pushed it into his hand. "And these also."
    What she produced now were as startling as thebag, for she had a pair of hunting claws. They werenot the shining, well-cared-for ones which had been his. There were two points missing on one set, one onthe other, and the rest were dull and blunted.
    "I found them," Eu-La told him, "in a place between two rocks down in the cave of waters. They arebroken, brother, but at least you do not go with barehands. And—this I ask of you—when you stand before the Ancestor, show him this—" She touched thebag. "Say to him then, shall not a female of the caveof Gammage not also have a part in the learning ofnew things?"
    Furtig grasped both bag and claws, astounded ather gifts, so much more than he could have hoped for.
    "Be sure, sister," he said, "that I shall say it to himjust as you have said it to me."
    Furtig crept forward. It was not yet dawn, but to hiseyes the night was not dark. He had chosen to crossthe wide expanse of open space about the westernfringe of the Demons' lair by night—though a wholeday of watching had shown no signs of life there. Norhad he, during this patient stalk across the grass-covered open, discovered any game trail or sign thataught came or went from the buildings.
    But the closer he approached the lairs, the moreawe-inspiring they were. From a distance he had beenable to judge that their height was far greater eventhan that of the cliff, which held the Five Caves.
    However, he had had no idea how high they were until heneared their bases. Now he had almost to roll on hisback to see their tips against the sky.
    It was frightening. Furtig felt that to venture inamong those banks of towering structures would be toset foot in a trap. As Gammage had? Was it death andnot the reception afforded his unwelcome ideas whichhad kept the Ancestor silent these past seasons?
    Though his sense of smell was no way near as keenas a Barker's, Furtig lifted his head higher and triedto distinguish some guiding odor. Did Gammage'speople mark the boundaries of their territory here asthey would forest trees, though with scent notscratches? He could detect the scent of the dyinggrass, got some small whiffs of the inhabitants of thatflat land—mice, a rabbit. But nothing seemed to issuefrom the lairs, though the wind blew from there, rippling the grass in his direction.
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