Janee didn't insist on being carried now; evidently she felt compromised enough to come along. They hurried, stopping only once to finish up their food. They were thirsty, but Hot Water was supposed to come up out of the Warm Ground, and anyway they could wait for the evening rains. It was dusk, and already beginning to drizzle, when they noticed that the ground under their feet was warm. This was mostly hardened lava, sloping upward toward the volcano, but with small streams and patches of vegetation. Before they found a good place to stop for the night, Bru pointed ahead. "Look! That glow!" They went forward cautiously until they could see what must be a Fire, with people sitting around it. Fascinated, Alyar went closer. Suddenly he heard the girls scream, and simultaneously two pairs of rough hands seized him from behind. He wrenched desperately, throwing himself and the two husky men around, but not getting free. More came shouting, to help pin him down and tie him with ropes. It sounded as if Bru and the girls were being similarly treated. A man who acted like the leader came running from the Fire. "What have we got here? Scouts?" He began directing squads of spearmen as if he expected an attack. "Two women with them? Funny. All right, you--who're you spying for?" "What are you talking about?" Alyar demanded, as indignantly as his position allowed. "We're from the smit clan and we're--trying to get home," he finished lamely. "Clan? From a beast? What are you doing up here, then?" "We came to keep warm." "Keep warm? Why didn't you build a Fire?" "I--we don't believe in Fires." Laughter arose. "Let him up," the leader said. "He must be telling the truth. Only a fley-eater would be so ignorant." They took off some of the ropes. Alyar rubbed at various bruises and abrasions, wondering whether he and Bru would be killed or made slaves. The outlaws would surely keep the girls. He wondered whether the Demon were going to give up its property so easily. As if in answer to the thought, it came strolling into the light, and the leader made a sign nervously. "Damn! A black cat! Is it yours?" "A black what? It captured us in the Forest." "It ... captured you? In the Forest? Then it's a real Demon!" "Of course! How can you be so ignorant?" "And you're still alive?" "It hasn't hurt us yet, but it won't let us get away and it makes us carry it. I think we're uncursed right now. I'm not sure; I sort of lost track." The man gulped and faced the Demon. "Please forgive us, Demon. We didn't know these people were yours." The Demon looked at him scornfully and uttered a curse. People moved away, except one young spearman who stood his ground. "It--it sounds just like a cat," he quavered.