A collective shout of triumph went up. The wardens hugged and slapped one another on the back. Jizogirl waved to the Kodiak Kangemus on the shore where they milled, reluctant to loose sight of their departing masters. Eventually, they would acknowledge the separation and find their way home.
“Goodbye, Slasher! See you soon!” Arp said dourly, “You hope.”
“Hey now, no defeatist talk,” Pankey admonished.
Shamrock came up to the leader and said, “Shouldn’t we erect the canopy now? Pretty soon it’ll get hot, and we’ll appreciate the shelter.”
“Good idea. Wrinkles, Bunter, Catmaul, Faizai—get to it!”
Poles and a gaily striped awning soon shielded a large portion of the blonde superwood deck from the skies, and a few of the wardens took advantage of the shade to relax. Bunter was drawing a s
