cold. But there’s more ill will in the dragons. More evil.”
“They are evil,” I confirm. “More than I knew. It’s of the most extreme importance that we chase them away.”
“Perhaps,” Benen’ax says. “The hunts are more difficult now. The Bigs and Smalls are harder to find, more skittish.”
“They have attacked tribes, too,” I warn. “Several men from other tribes have been murdered by dragons. I partly came here to see if they have attacked you.”
He leans back in the chair. “No, no attack by dragons. But I don’t want them too close. I have also heard that they have attacked other tribes. When will the alien women and their husbands start chasing them away? Soon?”
I nod. “That’s the other reason I’m here. It will start very soon. But we need something important before we can launch the main attack.”
“More warriors,” the chief guesses. “But I won’t chase anyone out of this tribe and tell them to join another.”
“We have enough warriors,” I assure him. “And there’s no need to leave a tribe to join that effort. One can be a part of the army and still a member of another tribe. I left this tribe because I was offered full membership in the alien tribe. They showed me great honor, Benen’ax. Now I wish to repay them for it.”
“Ah. And what is it that you, now an out-triber, need from me?”
I nod to the wall. “That.”
His eyes follow my gaze. “That?”
“The dragons only hold one thing as valuable. We need objects like that to lure them into our traps.”
“That’s the chief’s gold necklace,” Benen’ax points out. “Only the chief of this tribe may wear it.”
“Yes, and only the chief of this tribe shall. Nobody else will wear it. I will take good care of it, Chief. I only need it for some days.”
“To lure dragons,” the chief ponders. “What if a dragon steals it?”
“No dragon will,” I assure him. “They will never get close. They will see it from a distance only.”
“It’s not a sacred necklace,” Benen’ax says. “It was given to the old chief some years back by another tribe with lots of gold. To him, it seemed useless. It is only pretty, not something you can use to hunt Bigs. And yet, its beauty grows on you, and I would hate to lose it. If it’s gone, the men will ask where it is. They will ask if I’m no longer chief.”
“Then tell them. Lend me the necklace while they watch. I will explain it to them, too.”
He sighs. “The tribe was never big enough for you, Brank’ox. We all saw it. You needed more than you could get here. You could have been our greatest chief, but even that was not enough.”
“I did consider becoming chief here,” I state. “Now, I will simply help the tribes win against the dragons.”
Benen’ax gets to his feet and takes the necklace down from the wall. “You were always so serious. So focused. You always helped the younger boys, always trained them right. You became Swordmaster at a young age, purely because of your own efforts. You were the best tribesman we had. And you never asked for anything for yourself. Everyone wanted you as the new chief. Now that you are asking for something, I find your request impossible to deny. I do believe you actually will win against the dragons. Because if you can’t, nobody can.”
I stand up, too. “This tribe was always good to me. I’m proud of sharing the color of my stripes with the men of this tribe.”
The chief suddenly turns and looks right at me. “Will you come back? When this is over and the dragons gone? I could resign, recommend you as chief. You would be accepted with great acclamation.”
I scratch my chin. “After the dragons are gone? I hadn’t thought that far, Chief.”
“The tribe will still need a chief. A good one, one who enjoys progress. I fear I have not brought us forward as a tribe. And to be honest, I’m not enjoying this position.”
The thought has great appeal. Even if my plan succeeds, I can never go back to the alien tribe. And there would be no need to do that. Nobody will need dragon slayers, real or fake. The women will go home to their star, and everything will be like before. Except of course, nothing will be like before when Dolly has gone.
“I will be back,” I decide there and then. “When the dragons have been chased away. I