“Before we set out this morning, Po, I want you return to the place where you killed the deer yesterday. Rake the earth and cover any traces of blood on the path. If blood was spattered on leaves or loose stones, throw them in the river. This should have been done yesterday, but the light was fading and there was much work to do, skinning and roasting the deer. Do it now, before we set out. We can’t leave blood on the trail.”

“Why not?” said Po.

Larth was taken aback. Po had never used such a surly tone with him before. “Blood will attract vermin and predators. Blood on the trail may offend the numina that reside along the river, no matter that the deer freely offered herself. But I needn’t explain these things to you. Do as I tell you!”

Po stared at the ground. Larth was about to speak again, more harshly, when he was distracted by the arrival of the metal traders, who had come to see them off.

Tarketios stepped forward. He made a great show of offering Larth a gift. It was an object made of iron, small enough to hold in the palm of one hand, with an opening at one end and a very sharp point at the other. It was a spearpoint made of iron-a very useful thing for bringing down the next deer that should cross the river path. Tarketios made it clear that he expected nothing in return.

Larth’s people possessed a few crudely fashioned knives and scraping tools made of iron, but nothing as finely wrought as the spearpoint. He was very impressed. He showed it to Po. “What do you think of that?” he said. Before Po could answer, Larth reached for Po’s spear and took it from his grasp. “You’re the best hunter among us. You should have this. We’ll let Tarketios show us how to fix the point to the shaft.”

While Po stood dumbly by, Larth handed the spear and the iron point to Tarketios. Tarketios smiled at both men. The sight of his perfect teeth made Po’s fingers twitch. With a small hammer and nails, Tarketios set about fixing the point to the shaft. Larth watched him work, fascinated, and took no notice of the deep red blush that spread across Po’s face.