Omnivore by Piers Anthony

Author:Piers Anthony [Anthony, Piers]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

* * *

Hours later, away from the stench and gore, they camped on another thin ledge and spread out on the ground. Veg and Aquilon were tired, and quiet for their own reasons; the manta was as inscrutable as ever. It had fed upon the omnivore’s carcass, absorbing the juices through its digestive underside, and now seemed content to relax. Aquilon had looked at the remains and decided to continue eating fungus after all. Only Cal was possessed of new strength.

“Do you know,” he said, “that manta must be the most formidable fighting machine on the planet! Did you see the way it cut apart the omnivore? Our rifle didn’t faze the monster, but the knife-edged tail of the manta slashed it to pieces. And the omnivore knew it; it was afraid.”

“We—didn’t see all of it,” Aquilon said. “But why doesn’t the manta attack us?” Her motive seemed to be more to encourage him than genuine curiosity. “Why does it keep Veg away from me, and not from you?”

“I’ve been thinking about that,” Cal said. He was buoyed by some nameless excitement, as though the horrible encounter had released him from a coma. He would have to explore the reason. Could it be some invigorating chemical in the omnivore blood he had eaten—or had the revelation of his vice brought relief instead of shame? No, there was something else, something highly significant, that he could not pinpoint yet. “I’ve also been wondering why the herbivores weren’t afraid of the manta. And I think I have the answer.”

Veg stared morosely into the ground, facing away from Aquilon. Something had passed between them, something Cal didn’t know about, that left both pensive. But what? There had been no time for any private dialogue, and the battle with the omnivore should not have prejudiced their interpersonal relationship.

The entire complexion of their little group had somehow been changed. Veg had been dominant at the beginning of the adventure, running the tractor and determining their route back toward the camp. Then, with the slaughter of the first manta, Veg had given way subtly to Aquilon, the artist and anatomist. Now the immediate problems of survival for. the three of them had been surmounted, and their eventual return to the base seemed probable—if they could grasp the special nature of their contact with the manta. Obviously it could kill them all, and might do that, if they gave it incentive. Now was the time for intellectual exercise, for problem solving on other than a physical basis. Now it was Cal’s turn to be dominant. But that was not the source of his exhilaration.

Aquilon was curious. “You can explain the manta’s actions?”

“I think so. But it’s not simple, and the implications may not be pleasant.”

“I think we’d better know,” Aquilon said. “If it affects our safety… and it isn’t as though there hasn’t been unpleasantness already.”

Cal looked at her, concerned for the effect his words might have upon her. She was a very sensitive girl. He glanced at Veg, but knew the big man would shrug off the implications.

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