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STARTLING STORIES
that if they try to kill him, he’ll kill them anyway—which is true. He’s too fast for them.” She took a step closer to the gate. “Biggles, Scurmdrie—you must step aside and let us pass!”
“We cannot, Mother-Teacher— it is the Blood Walk today,” rumbled one of the guards. “And this one—” He glared at me. “Is not known! He is…” Then the transla-tion voice in my ear said, “Untranslatable phrase. Philology unknown.”
“He is under my protection,” declared Calli. “And he has the protection of Fuego!” She muttered an aside to the tiger and it reared up, placed its big paws on the barrier and snarled a warning.
The guard with the blunderbuss swung it impulsively toward the tiger and Calli. Instinctively I struck the barrel up with one hand the other grabbing the weapon’s
