Jarry removed the pistol from its compartment and checked the charge.
"Cruise by slowly," he told her. "I'm going to try to burn it about thehead."
His first shot missed, scoring the boulder at its back. His secondsinged the fur of its neck. He leapt down from the sled then, as they cameabreast of the beast, thumbed the power control up to maximum, and fired theentire charge into its breast, point-blank.
The bear stiffened, swayed, fell, a gaping wound upon it, front toback.
Jarry turned and regarded the little creatures. They stared up at him.
"Hello," he said. "My name is Jarry. I dub thee Redforms--"
He was knocked from his feet by a blow from behind.
He rolled across the snow, lights dancing before his eyes, his left armand shoulder afire with pain.
A second bear had emerged from the forest of stone.
He drew his long hunting knife with his right hand and climbed back tohis feet.
As the creature lunged, he moved with the catspeed of his kind,thrusting upward, burying his knife to the hilt in its throat.
A shudder ran through it, but if cuffed him and he fell once again, theblade torn from his grasp.
The Redforms threw more stones, rushed toward it with their pointedsticks.
Then there was a thud and a crunching sound, and it rose up into theair and came down on top of him.
He awakened.
He lay on his back, hurting, and everything he looked at seemed to bepulsing, as if about to explode.
How much time had passed, he did not know.
Either he or the bear had been moved.
The little creatures crouched, waiting.
Some watched the bear. Some watched him.
Some watched the broken sled...
The broken sled...
He struggled to his feet.
The Redforms drew back.
He crossed to the sled and looked inside.