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Beside Attila rode the Taker.<br />
"A nice road the strangers have made for us," the Taker said. "The quicker to hasten their deaths."<br />
"It looks freshly paved," said Attila. "I don't understand that, or the warm spots either."<br />
"Warm spots?" asked the Taker.<br />
"Shove those black eye-balls under your floppy eye-flaps and use the pink eyes Bright gave you," Attila<br />
snapped.<br />
The Taker lowered all her normal eyes and looked with her pink ones at the road. She could see ragged<br />
spots of ultra-red along the road, as if something warm were underneath.<br />
"What are they?" the Taker asked.<br />
"I don't know. And I don't like things I don't understand."<br />
They reached the outskirts of the stranger's compound. The lead warriors halted. It would take nearly a<br />
turn for the rest of the long column to gather.<br />
Attila had been looking forward to this battle. It was the first time in many generations that he had felt the<br />
tingle of danger rippling over his hide.<br />
"Bring up those Flow Slows!" he commanded. "And the first dozen greaturions report to me." The<br />
twelve group leaders rode up on their Swifts and gathered around him.<br />
"I will ride the first Flow Slow over the barriers at the main entrance," said Attila. "The first four groups<br />
are to follow me in." He turned to the greaturion of the Fourth Group. 'Torn-Tread!"<br />
"Yef, O Terrible One." Torn-Tread's tread was lisping because of the massive scar from the bite of a<br />
Swift.<br />
"You will ride the second Flow Slow over the barriers to the right, and Groups Five through Eight will<br />
follow you. Eleven-Eyes will take his Flow Slow to the left.<br />
"Bring up my Flow Slow!" he ordered, sliding down off his Swift. The Swift stayed with its mate, which<br />
was being ridden by the Taker.<br />
"It is almost turnfeast," reminded the Taker.<br />
"We will not stop for turnfeast," said Attila. "My warriors will eat the meat of the strangers for their<br />
turnfeast."<br />
Attila scampered up the trailing edge of the Flow Slow and<br />
took over control of the great animal. The greaturions whirled their mounts around and raced back to<br />
gather their groups. The warriors saw Attila on the Flow Slow, heard the shouts of their greaturions, and<br />
immediately dashed forward, their war-cries mingled with the roars of their Swifts.<br />
"They're attacking!" yelled Crust-Crawler. "He's not even going to talk to us first!"
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