do not understand,” said Brenner.
“I will show you what I mean,” said Rodriguez, elatedly. “I shall show you what must be the case!”
Rodriguez took down the torches from beside the gate. He thrust them into the hands of Pons.
“Let us get the gate closed!” he said.
Brenner looked once more at the gigantic, catlike beast, sitting there. Now that the torches had been moved, and Rodriguez’ light was no longer playing upon it, he could see only its outline against the sky, the erected ears, the broad feline head.
“Come inside!” said Rodriguez.
“It seems almost tame,” said Brenner.
“It is not tame,” said Rodriguez.
In a moment Brenner was inside the gate. He still clung to the stick he had carried in the forest. Now, inside the palisade, he realized how futile a weapon it would have been.
Several Pons swung shut the gate.
“Greetings,” said several Pons to Brenner. But they did not touch him. Pons did very little touching.
The bars, the bottom one with handles, the top with poles, which fitted into sockets, were slid in place, these blocking the gate from opening.
Brenner pressed himself against the lower bar and strained his eyes, looking out, through the palings of the gate.
Rodriguez joined him at the gate and shone his torch through. It illuminated the carcass outside the gate, but nothing else, but a part of the clearing.
“It’s gone,” said Brenner.
Rodriguez slung the rifle, disguised as an optical instrument, over his shoulder.
“It’s gone,” said Brenner.
“Come along,” said Rodriguez, and strode away, toward the center of the village. Brenner struggled to keep up with him. At the center of the village Rodriguez did not turn left to their hut, but made rather a quarter right toward the northeast part of the village. In moments they had come to the entrance of the temple. As it might be recalled, this was a long, narrow building of wood, much of which had earth banked about it. It had a painted, carved, ornate entrance, with wooden side pillars. A Pon was near the entrance.
“Rodriguez,” said Brenner. “This portal, the long axis of the temple. It is aligned with the string, with the platform near the cliffs!”
“Of course,” said Rodriguez. “Have you just noticed that?”
The Pon quickly placed himself before Rodriguez but Rodriguez, with one hand, brushed it aside. When it returned, to renew its protest, he seized it by the back of the neck and threw it a dozen feet to the side. Brenner, quite other than he would have been earlier, did not object.
“Come along!” said Rodriguez, eagerly.
Together, they entered the temple. There was no light within it. Rodriguez” torch illumined their way.
“There is little here,” said Brenner, following Rodriguez through a corridor.
Rodriguez’ light flashed here and there, revealing only heavy wooden walls.
“There will be something here,” said Rodriguez, grimly.
“The ceiling is high,” said Brenner.
“That gods may better walk here,” laughed Rodriguez.
This did not much reassure Brenner. Their footing seemed now to descend.
Rodriguez pressed on, the light darting about.
It was not unusual, of course, for the architecture of temples, with vistas, spacious expanses and lofty heights, to contrast vividly with that of lesser places. How often temples rose grandly above the hovels of the faithful.
“There is not much art here,” said Brenner.
“What do you expect of monkeys?” asked Rodriguez.
“There is some carving outside,” said Brenner.
“The corridor is widening,” said Rodriguez. “We are coming to some sort of room, or hall.”
They were now well underground, and probably well beyond the palisade.
They stopped before a large, rectangular portal, now closed, access to which would be obtained by means of two doors, each mounted on its wooden hinges; the interior edges of these doors, when closed, as now, would meet in the middle, and, when open, would swing to a side. These doors with their side pillars, and lintel, were carved, and painted, largely purple and yellow.
Beside the two doors were torches, unlit, one on each side.
Rodriguez, flicking on a lighter, an electric match, reached up and lit the torch to the right. He then snapped off the electric torch and hooked it on his belt. He then lit the torch to the left.
“Give me a hand here,” said Rodriguez.
Brenner went to one of the two doors of the portal and pushed against it, while Rodriguez pushed against the other. They swung inward.
Within, to one side, they saw a Pon. It seemed frail. Perhaps it was quite old. If so, this was of interest, because most of the Pons seemed neither young nor old. They just seemed Pons. Perhaps the thing