 CHAPTER XVI. THE THUNDER OF RILOSAUR HOOSE. A worried Johnny was standing at the center of the clearing once more, surrounded by the little jewel-bears. He now knew this was the Grove Council, a group of the wisest bears of the Grove. Ketak's gift to Johnny had impressed them all. They knew it meant that Ketak trusted Johnny, yet they were cautious. Johnny's knowledge of them could be very dangerous. It is not right he should go, one of the Marva was saying. His muzzle was still blue and Johnny knew this meant he was younger than the rest. The young killer will return to his people and tell of our ways and of our houses and the trees. Then the older killers will come with their death-spitting things and our lives will be gone. I think we should hold him here, otherwise we risk the lives of our people. Johnny put up his hand as if he were in school. The Marva Ketak of the deep black muzzle pointed at Johnny. "'May I talk now?' Johnny asked. The Marva nodded. "'I won't tell anything you don't want me to,' he promised earnestly. "'With these claws I'm sure Baba can be saved, but I'm going to have to hurry. If the outlaws get him they will kill him sure. Don't you understand?' "'We understand,' the old Marva answered. "'But we must be sure of safety for us and our people. Your people are killers like the beasts of the sea. You even kill each other. You are a strange people. Still you risked your life for your friend Baba, just as Baba would risk his. Your friend with a red fur risked his life to help you. Do you really think that if your people knew all there is to know about us they would not come with the fire-spitting things?' Johnny was silent. He knew Ed would come. He knew Trader Harkness would too. He swallowed for a lying to these little bears with something he just couldn't do. "'For these claws some of my people would do anything,' he clicked in a low voice. There was complete silence in the grove. The Marva, who was young and still blue-furred about the muzzle, stood again. Johnny wanted to cry. He had condemned Baba to death, but if he hadn't done so maybe all the Marva would be killed. He felt they too were his brothers. He broke into sobs and stood there with tears running down his cheeks. "'We have heard our young friend,' the blue-furred Marva said. It was the first time he had not called Johnny a killer. He gave us the truth because we have trusted him and treated him with friendship. I was wrong. He is to be trusted. Let him go from here with his gifts. My tree-tube will send a gift, but let him promise to keep secret anything he thinks may be dangerous to us.' The Marva seated himself. "'Oh, I promise,' Johnny said solemnly, cross my heart and hope to die. It has agreed among us then.' Key-tack asked the group. The furry-heads dotted their agreement. "'Young friend, you may go. Your settlement is three groves away from us. You may have a rhinosaur to ride. It will take you home with time to spare. You go with a pledge of peace. We will send messages ahead and no animals will attack you, nor will any of our friends attack any man unless he attacks first. You may tell your people we will give them more claws for such things as we would like from them. Every two years we Marva get a new set of claws and teeth. The old ones have been saved from generation to generation to be used for lights and for tools. You may also tell the leaders of your people we would like to meet with them. Perhaps we can make a friendship that will endure.' Johnny had a busy hour ahead of him. First he ran to see Rick among the sick animals in the other part of the grove. There was no question of Rick's coming with him. He was still too sick from the arrow-bird's wound, but he was definitely on the mend. He was lying under a tree, petting the leopard-cubs. Johnny told him what had happened, carefully omitting where the Marva lived, and Rick became more and more interested. Finally Johnny showed him one of the packets of claws that he had been given. By now the packets had grown to over a dozen and he had placed them in a bag made from his shirt. Johnny, Rick said, you've done a most wonderful thing. Those Marva don't have to worry about being hunted any more. If people can get so many of those claws and teeth no one will ever want to hunt for them again. You tell them that for me. Johnny rushed to give the news to the Marva. The first one he found was the young council member who had at first opposed letting him go. It pays to trust one another, the Marva said simply. Soon Johnny was ready. The leader of the council brought before him a huge rhinocaur, one of the biggest Johnny had ever seen. Skorkan knows he must obey you, Keetak said. He will do anything you ask and will harm none of your people. Hello, friend pet, Johnny said. The rhinocaur turned and looked at him with his little blue black eyes and grunted a greeting. Johnny noted it, it probably meant hello. Was that his speech, Johnny asked? Yes, Keetak answered. They have more words than the other creatures of the Greenlands. Only the monkeys of all our friend pets come near being as smart as they. They are a people, too, of great courage. At the mention of the word monkey, the little red ape whom Johnny had rescued from Ed began to chatter and jump up and down. He likes you and wishes to go with you, Keetak said. Do you want him to? Oh yes, Johnny answered. The monkey leaped to your shoulder. Johnny suddenly had an idea. Could the Leopardess, her cubs and the arrow-bird come to, he asked. That is, if they want to. Keetak understood what was in Johnny's mind and nodded his approval. It is a good idea, he clicked. It would be a good way to prove to your people that the animals can be friendly. The Leopardess was suddenly beside Johnny, rubbing up against him like a big cat. She looked up into his face and growled in the way that Johnny knew meant, come. Johnny looked at the wristwatch. We do have to hurry. He threw the bag full of the precious claws over his shoulder and stepped toward the rhinoceros. How am I going to get on, he asked with a sudden surprise. A series of grunts came from the rhinoceros that sounded something like laughter. Then it lay its horned snout upon the ground and grunted again. Climb on, Keetak said. Grasping one of the long snout horns, Johnny clambered aboard his strange mount. Good-bye, he shouted. All around, hundreds of the Marva were hanging from their trees. They waved, and he waved back. Let's go, he clicked to the rhinoceros. And so began the race through the jungle. The great rhinoceros moved forward with thundering speed. The Leopardess and her cubs loping along beside them. When one of the cubs grew tired, it leaped on to the rhinoceros back, curled up beside Johnny, and went peacefully to sleep. The arrow-bird perched on one of the beast's horns and the monkey beside it. They did not stop for rain or rivers. Everywhere the jungle seemed to have blossomed forth with animals who waved and grunted, growled, clicked, or sang greetings to them as they went by. The broad back of the rhinoceros was a perfect place to travel, Johnny found. It swayed hardly as much as a helicopter and bounced much less than a tank. It was not long until Johnny had followed the Leopard Cubs example. He found a hollow in the big back, curled up, and went to sleep, lulled by the steady swinging movement and the thunder of the rhinoceros' hooves. Johnny woke with a start. The monkey was pulling one of his ears. They had reached the settlement. Johnny glanced down at his watch. He had slept six hours. The rhinoceros had stopped right at the edge of the meat-tree grove that bordered the settlement. Through the screen of trees Johnny could see the high gray walls. It was about half a mile to the gate. Johnny wiped the sleep out of his eyes and puzzled as to the best way of making his appearance. Go that way, Johnny clicked and pointed. But stay where you can't be seen from the walls. At a slow trot, the rhinoceros carried them to a place directly in front of the gate to the settlement wall. Johnny saw that the gate had been repaired. Beside it was a steel door through which a single man could be admitted. You wait here for me, he said to the animals. Let me down, friend rhinoceros. He tied his bag of claws to the rhinoceros' horn and then walked down the huge head to the ground. The arrow-bird flew over it and lit on his shoulder. It had not understood. Wait, Johnny repeated. Wait I will come back. The rhinoceros wondered a few yards away and began to munch on some bushes. The leopard growled to her cubs and began to climb a meat-tree in search of food. Johnny smiled. They were good friends to have. Johnny slipped through the bushes and trees until only one antelope berry bush was between him and the wall. The guard tower was directly in front of him. The men in the tower must have noticed the swaying of the bushes, for they were looking directly toward the spot where Johnny stood. Johnny slipped from behind the bush and stepped into full view. He smiled and waved jauntily to the guards. As casually as he could he started toward the door. Halfway there he began to skip for sheer joy. The guards were staring at him open-mouthed. Obviously he had no armor on. He had had to use his shirt to make the bag for the claws. The only clothes he wore was the baggy pair of shorts Rick had made him. The steel door at the base of the guard tower opened at his touch. He closed it carefully, opened the inner door, and then climbed the stairs to the guard tower instead of going straight into the colony. There, too, were double doors. Hello! he said as he entered. The three guards on duty were so surprised that they couldn't speak for a second. One of them was old Jeb. Before they recovered Johnny went up to Jeb. Would you call my father, Jeb, and tell him to come to the gate? It was funny to watch their faces. Johnny, you're safe! Jeb suddenly exploded. He swept the boy into his arms and swung him about. He stopped, pushed the boy away from him, and tuzzled his hair. I can't believe it, but you're safe! Sure am, Johnny said with a grin. Then he became serious. How is Baba? Is he all right? He's been kind of sad and upset, poor little feller, Jeb said. But how in thunder did you get here? Last we heard you were being held for ransom. Your folks have been worried sick. Oh, I got away from the outlaws and some friends brought me here. Please call everybody in the colony, will you? Tell them to come to the gate. I have something important to show them. I've got to go back to my friends now. Bye. He started to walk the door. Friends? What friends? Jeb called. You'll find out, Johnny said with a laugh. Hey, you can't go outside without armor, one of the guards shouted. But Johnny had slipped out before he could be stopped. He took the stairs at a run and was out of the heavy steel wall doors before the men could follow him. As he skipped across the open space back to the jungle, he turned his head, waved to the men in the tower, and smiled. Come back here, you little devil! Jeb shouted through the loudspeaker the guards used to guide tanks in. But Johnny shook his head and went back into the brush. Johnny waited for about ten minutes. All this time the loudspeaker in the tower was shouting for Johnny to come back in. Finally the voice changed. It was Johnny's father's voice. Johnny, his father said over the speaker, come on in here, please! I'm here now, Johnny. Johnny heard a tank starting up inside. He didn't want any tanks coming after him. Come on, friends! He clicked to the animals. He climbed back up on the rhinoceros back. The leopard came running up with her cubs. The arrowbird and the monkey, taking no chances, followed behind them, leaped to its usual perch, the top of Johnny's head. Let's go! Johnny clicked to the rhinoceros, walked very slowly out toward the big black place. Johnny clicked to one of the cubs to jump up on the rhinoceros back beside him. Johnny crawled to the broad head of the rhinoceros between two of its horns. The leopard cubs sat on its haunches beside him. The mother leopard and the other cub ran alongside them. The rhinoceros' hooves made muffled thunder as he walked. A big grin on his face and waving his hands, Johnny emerged from the jungle into full sight of his father, Jeb and many others inside the guard tower. Stop when we get a little away from the door, Johnny said to the rhinoceros. The big beast grunted its understanding. Johnny and his friends came to a halt close enough to the tower so that Johnny's voice could be heard. Open the gate, please! Johnny shouted. We want to come inside. He saw his father's startled face above him. Hello, Dad. How's Mom? Did she worry too much? Hello, Son? His father's voice was shocked. Your mother is all right. He paused. Where did you—how did you—you mean the animals? Johnny asked, rather enjoying the effect he was making. Oh, they're friends of mine. You can let us in. They won't hurt anybody. I'm bringing a present to pay for Baba and make up for all the harm we did. Look! He took a packet of the claws and opened it. He let a handful of the claws run out of one hand into the other in a shining blue waterfall. Through the microphone he could hear his father and the other men gasp. Come in here quick! Frederick Watson's voice came back over the loudspeaker. Open the gates, please! Johnny repeated. But the rhinoceros and the leopard—their friends of mine—they brought me here. They won't hurt anybody. I promise. The big steel gate slowly opened. Writing on the back of one of the greatly feared rhinoceros, Johnny entered the colony. It seemed that everyone in the colony had heard of Johnny's strange return. Pioneers, men, women, and children, hunters, and guards were hurrying toward the big gate. At the sight of the rhinoceros, a woman screamed and the crowd ranced, gathering in all directions. Captain Thompson, two other colonists, and a hunter held their ground. Their attotube pistols out. Don't shoot! Don't shoot! Johnny shouted. Beneath him the rhinoceros trembled. He won't hurt you. He's our friend. He stroked the arrow-bird on his shoulder. Look, even an arrow-bird. Slowly the attotube pistols that had been leveled at them were lowered. Hesitantly one or two of the people began to move back toward the little group. A woman came running toward Johnny. It was his mother. Tears were running down her face. Even she was finally stopped by the bewildering sight of her son surrounded by jungle animals. Let me down, Johnny clicked to the rhinoceros. The big animal lowered his head. A cry went up from the people as the leopard is bounded after him. Johnny threw his arms about his mother. Oh, Johnny, Johnny! His mother said over and over, holding him tight against her armor. She stiffened as the mother leopard rubbed against them and the arrow-bird lit for a moment on her shoulder. Mother, I want you to meet my friends, Johnny said. This is Mona, the Leopardess, and her two cubs, Pat and Mike. And this is Skippy, the monkey. I haven't named my arrow-bird yet. Then he spoke to the animals. This is my mother. Johnny's mother stood there for a moment too bewildered to speak. The Leopardess licked her hand. Then Johnny led his mother to the rhinoceros. This is my friend Skorken, the rhinoceros. He gave me a ride all the way here. Isn't he beautiful? Then he clicked to the rhinoceros. This is my mother. The huge creature grunted. Skorken said hello, Johnny said. Her eyes wide with the strangeness of it all, Johnny's mother nodded a wordless greeting to the creature. Just then Johnny heard a sound he had been waiting for. It was the sound of a baseball dropped from a height. He looked up to see Baba bounding along as fast as he could come. Johnny was off at a dead run to meet him, leaving his mother and the other animals behind. The two of them met at top speed, and they met with such impact that both were tumbled to the ground in a heap of arms, legs, boy, and bear. Both of them were laughing when they got to their feet. Oh, Baba, you bad little bear! Johnny said. I thought I'd never see you again. And I, Baba said. You shouldn't have come back here, Johnny said. I'll have to punish you right now. He grabbed Baba, suddenly by the leg, whirled him around and around above his head and threw him as high as he could in the air. Throwing his arms around as if frightened to death, the little bear whimpered and clicked, but just before he hit the ground he made himself into a ball and bounced higher than Johnny had thrown him. Then, on the third bounce, he landed lightly on Johnny's shoulder. There the light was cut short by the sight of a fat bald man who glittered as he walked toward the crowd. For an instant Johnny was afraid. It was traitor harkness. Then he remembered the traitor's days of power were over. Mr. Harkness, he called. I've got something to show you. They said you had claws. The traitor's little black eyes fixed their gaze on Johnny. Come on, I'll show everybody. The crowd ported for Johnny and Baba and the traitor. By this time almost all the colonists and visiting hunters were gathered around the rhino-saur and the leopards. A few bold souls were timidly petting the cubs. Probably of most interest was the arrow-bird. Tired from all its riding, it had put its head under its wing and gone fast asleep, perched on the rhino-saur's horn. Johnny took the bag he had made from the shirt down from where it was hung beside the arrow-bird. He untied it, revealing the many packets made from woven rushes. Packet after packet he spilled the claws out onto the shirt until there was a great pile of jewels glowing before the people. Where did you get them? Traitor Harkness's voice rumbled. He was shocked and pale. The Marva themselves gave them to me for the colony, Johnny replied. It's a sign that they and all the animals want to be our friends. The traitor forced his eyes away from the pile of jewels and looked over his shoulder. Johnny was suddenly conscious of three hunters standing behind the traitor. Edd and his gang. I'll take those claws now, the traitor said. The gang whipped out their attotubes and leveled them at Johnny and Baba. The crowd gasped and then fell silent. Johnny's father stepped up, but one of the hunters waved him back with his gun. Johnny saw he'd been wrong. There was plenty of fight left in the traitor. He glanced around him. The animals had become very still, waiting his word. Friends, Johnny clicked, stay still. This man is a killer. Skarkin the rhinoceros snorted. The arrow-bird awoke and snapped its head into arrow position. The monkey bared its teeth while Mona, the leopardess, crouched to spring, the muscles of her haunches trembling. Johnny saw the traitor's eyes widen. The leopard was not three feet away from him. Thinking fast, Johnny stepped carefully over and put a hand on the leopard's shoulder. I wouldn't move, Mr. Harkness, Johnny said, his voice quivering in spite of himself. If you don't tell your gang to give their guns to Captain Thompson, I'll tell the animals to charge. Maybe Edd told you what I made the monkey do. Johnny's heart raced. It was a bluff. He couldn't tell the animals to charge. He knew they might be killed. No amount of claws would be worth that. The traitor's eyes were fixed on Mona. Then Skarkin snorted again, eager to fight. The traitor turned brick red. Do what the kid says, he said in a low strangle voice. The attotube in Edd's hand wavered and then came down. There was a deep sigh of relief from the crowd. Grimly and quietly, Captain Thompson gathered up the guns. All right, you men, he said, there's a room ready for you with a stockade. The fight was really gone from the traitor now. His shoulder slumped. His head down he shuffled as he was led away. Johnny's father stepped forward and embraced him. I don't understand how you did it, Johnny, he said. I don't understand anything about it, but this is certainly a wonderful day. End of Chapter 16 Chapter 17 of Venus Boy by Lee Sutton This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Chapter 17 Teachers Can't Play Hooky It was now an hour after the earth rocket had blasted off on its way back to earth. Johnny Watson lay on his stomach with his chin cupped in his hands and looked down from the top of new Plymouth Rock. Beside him, twisted into the same position, was his friend Baba, his blue nails glowing in Venus' pearly light. Near the two friends, perched on a boulder, were two of the large Venus Eagles watching every mood they made. How changed it all was down in the settlement? People were streaming back from the rocket field on foot and without armor. Beside, the Jenkins family strode Mona, the Leopardus, carrying a basket in her mouth. In the basket, the Jenkins' baby slept. Mona just loved babies. Down in the Marshberry Fields, three rhinoceros peacefully browsed. There were so many berries available now in the sea marshes that no one had to worry about the few in the fields. The Marva had left these three rhinoceros to carry people wherever they might want to go. High in the sky was a faint dot. Baba nudged Johnny and pointed. Here comes Ketak, he said in his clicking language. We'll have to go down pretty soon. I suppose so, Johnny said wearily. It had been fun for a while being the only person who understood the Marva's language. When Dad and the other colonists had gone into the jungle to talk with the council of all the Marva Groves, Johnny and Baba had been there too, the center of attention. When the men spoke, Baba told the Marva what they meant. When the Marva spoke, Johnny had to tell the men what the bears meant. It had been fun being so important. It had been fun being treated like heroes, but they were already tired of it. With their new freedom to travel, there was a whole continent to explore, and hundreds of new friends to make. Ideally, Johnny watched the dot that Baba said was Ketak grow into a bird with a 20-foot wing spread flying through the sky. In its claws was a small black muzzled bouncing bear. Baba's eyes were magically good. The bird was a Venus eagle, the Marva's airplane. Before men had come and made it dangerous for them, the Marva had flown anywhere they wanted to go in the talons of these great birds. Johnny knew that the earliest hunters thought the eagles were preying upon the bears. It was just one more surprising thing about the little bears. Johnny remembered what Rick had said when he had arrived home, his wound all healed. He had really grown to respect the Marva. They have learned to live with other creatures and have taught all their friends, as they call the animals, to live in peace together. The meat-eaters have their meat tree so they don't need to attack other animals. It's amazing, Rick reported. Johnny remembered how Baba had preened himself when Rick had spoken that way and he smiled. Hey, Baba, Johnny said. How soon do you think we could take a trip all around the groves? We could get Skarkin to Karius and go visit everybody. You will have to come stay with my people, Baba said. Only a few days before, Baba had discovered a host of ants, uncles, and cousins in one of the outlying groves. Most important of all, he had found his father. I've lived with you for years and years. Now it should be your turn. Oh, good, said Johnny, we'll do it soon as they'll let us go. Look, Johnny, Baba pointed. Look at the trader. Below the fat, bald-headed little man, a pack on his back, was heading into the jungle. He waddled as he walked, but he moved straight along. Where's he going? Baba asked. Dad says he's going to start a marshberry farm, if the marver will let him. But gosh, it'll be a long time before anyone will help him. He can always live on meat-fruit and stuff, Baba said. Nobody likes him, but they won't bother him if he leaves them alone. What had happened to the trader and to the outlaws was the strangest thing of all. The marver had not wanted them punished. They said they wanted to make friends, not enemies. The thousands of marver claws that had been given to the colony had made the claws quite cheap, so that trader Harkness had become a poor man. He had been rich in hunting equipment and hunting lodges. Now all those things were valueless. Surprisingly he had refused to return to earth. Venus is my home, he had said flatly. I'll get by. Johnny had to admire his courage just as he had to admire some of the hunters who would not stay on Venus. These lean, hard-bitten men were going further on into space. To Johnny's surprise, Ketak admired the hunters too. They are fighters like the rhinosaurs. Here there is nothing left to fight. They are people of much courage. Looking down on the trader, Johnny found he couldn't help feeling sorry for him. Good-bye! he yelled, his voice echoing among the rocks. Good-bye, trader! the fat man looked up and waved back. Johnny thought he smiled. He was a real pioneer, Johnny said. Yes, Baba answered. He'll be all right. Johnny jumped back suddenly from the edge of the rock and hid behind some bushes. Here comes Mom looking for us. Baba quickly dived back out of sight too. Johnny peeped through the screening of bushes. His mother was riding toward the rock on Skorkin the Rhinosaur. This hideout was not very secret. Everybody on Venus knew about it. He stood up and waved down to her. I'm coming, mother, he shouted. His mother nodded, and the big rhinosaur turned back toward the settlement. In a few minutes, Baba and Johnny would be back in school, sitting in front of a group of men and a group of morva. Baba would be teaching the morva how to understand the talk of people, while Johnny taught the men and women how to talk and understand the language of the morva. It was a hard job. I guess we gotta go back, Johnny mourned. I guess so, Baba agreed, sadly. There is only one trouble with being a teacher, said Johnny. Teachers can't play hooky, then he grinned. Say, I've got an idea. What? asked Baba. Mom hasn't been doing her homework. Let's give a test today. Baba slapped his furry haunches, his blue teeth glowing. Let's go, Johnny clicked to the two eagles. He ran as hard as he could and leaped off the edge of the high cliff, hurtling down and down. Right behind him Baba jumped to. There was the sound of great wings and the two tremendous Venus eagles swept after them. One dived at Johnny, its claws spread. The long powerful claws hooked into Johnny's belt and whisked him through the air toward the settlement. The other grabbed Baba by the shoulders. Together the two friends flew on. That was fun, said Johnny. His furry blue-powl nodded his agreement. End of Chapter 17 End of Venus Boy by Lee Sutton