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TAXILA'S CHILDREN<br />
scanty the covering. The air was still pleasantly balmy, like the nights he had spent with Hara<br />
in the bower house. He caught sight of her suddenly in the middle of a crowd of women and<br />
girls. The knot of fear relaxed in his stomach.<br />
Someone started a fire. Jabez led him through groups of men and woman who were laying<br />
out huge quantities of food. He brightened up, they were going to eat, his stomach had been<br />
complaining for the previous five hours. It had been a long time since breakfast and that<br />
hadn't been substantial. Jabez installed him, with a suitable flourish for the benefit of the<br />
onlookers, on a mound of soft, haylike foliage. It was a welcome relief after the twig.<br />
The star had set, it vanished quickly, there was no twilight. He had surmised earlier that the<br />
lack of twilight meant he was in the tropical zone of the planet. The fire blazed up high,<br />
reflecting off the bodies of the men and women gathered around. Smaller fires were being<br />
kindled from the major one and soon the whole area blazed with festoons of light. Food and<br />
drink was passed from one to the other and tongues were loosened. It was going to be quite a<br />
party.<br />
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