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like the eye sockets of gray, bleached skulls. The Princess frowned at him.
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"Thought I heard something, that's all," he informed her, staring resolutely ahead.
They continued on through the city, but Luke's curt disclaimer belied his uneasiness. He _had_ heard
something. As they walked along the meandering pathway and the buildings drew closer about them, he
felt a crawling sensation on his neck as if someone, or something, was staring at him. It became an almost
palpable feeling. Yet every time he jerked around sharply for a look, there was nothing. Not a suggestion
of movement, not a sigh, not a sound.
He was grateful when the buildings started to thin out and become less numerous. Empty doorways
beckoned to him and he was tempted, very tempted, to enter one of the ruined structures to find out if its
interior was as well preserved as the outside.
This was not, he reminded himself firmly, the time for playful exploration. Their first concern was to find
the way out, not to go poking through this ancient metropolis. However wonderful it was.
He wondered what had caused the extinction of Mimban's advanced races, of the temple-builders and
the Thrella and the others. Interracial warfare, perhaps, or maybe sequential decadence ending in their
being overwhelmed by aborigines like the greenies.
Rock scrapped on rock. This time when he spun there was a hint of movement behind a wall of
stalagmites off to their left.
"Don't tell me you didn't hear _that_."
"Rocks fall from the roof constantly in caves," the Princess agreed readily. "I know how you feel, Luke.
I'm still pretty jumpy myself."
"This wasn't my nerves," he insisted. "There's something following us. I saw it move."
Ignoring the Princess' protests, he started toward the ridge of colored spires. The sound wasn't repeated
and there was no movement. Walking in a half-crouch, he reached the far end of the little wall and
peered around it. There was nothing there.
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_"LUKE!"_
Ben Kenobi would have been proud. In one smooth motion he threw up a hand to ward off the shape
falling toward him, activated and drew the lightsaber at the same time. Unknowingly he performed both
actions with the same arm. The hand he threw up defensively held the saber.
The creature was quickly cut in half.
Luke ran back to rejoin the Princess. She was pointing ahead. Their path was blocked by two more of
the bipeds. Others appeared behind them, two, three more, moving in on them cautiously.
"Coway," Leia commented, bending to pick up a broken stalactite. She shifted it efficiently in her hand,
held it like a dagger, as the humanoids stalked them.
Each was slim and covered with a fine gray down. Their eyes were shrunken, dark orbs. Yet they
appeared to see Luke and the Princess clearly enough. Each wore a kind of abbreviated set of trousers
from which dangled assorted primitive instruments and many charms. These were matched by others
hanging from upper arms and neck.
All were armed with a long, thin stone spear made of flowstone. A couple also carried double-bladed
axes. They displayed no fear of Luke's lightsaber, despite its recently demonstrated lethal qualities. This
indicated either a fair knowledge of human technology from surface visits, or else a bravery born of
ignorance.
Luckily their tactics were equally primitive. With a rolling cry, the three behind all charged together, while
the two ahead rushed in several moments late. The slight difference in time was critical.
A single swipe of the saber sliced two of the thrusting spears in half. The third jabbed at the Princess.
She blocked the thrust with her stone, got her legs around the onrushing native's and sent it crashing to
the ground. Rolling over on top of him, she brought the stalactite section down hard on its skull. There
was a plastic breaking sound and blood gushed freely.
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Luke ducked a wild axe swing, cut both legs out from under the wielder. By now the two latecomers
had entered the fray. Luke dispatched one with a thrust that cut off the hand holding the spear above the
wrist. Its owner collapsed on the ground, moaning and holding the cauterized stump.
More cautious than his companion, the second pulled up hastily. He started jabbing at Luke with his
spear. Luke promptly cut off the spear point, whereupon its owner threw the shaft at Luke, spun and ran
back the way it had come.
Luke turned to the Princess. She was adroitly dodging the alternating cuts and jabs of the remaining
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