"They said you had claws." The trader's little black eyes fixed their gaze on Johnny.
"Come on, I'll show everybody."
The crowd parted for Johnny and Baba and the trader. By this time almost all the colonists and visiting hunters were gathered around the rhinosaur 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 rhinosaur's horn.
Johnny took the bag he had made from the shirt down from where it hung beside the arrow-bird. He untied it, revealing the many packets made from woven rushes. Packet after packet, he spilled the claws out on to the shirt until there was a great pile of jewels glowing before the people.
"Where did you get them?" Trader Harkness' 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 trader forced his eyes away from the pile of jewels and looked over his shoulder. Johnny was suddenly conscious of three hunters standing behind the trader. Ed and his gang!
"I'll take those claws now," the trader said. The gang whipped out their ato-tubes 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 trader. He glanced around him; the animals had become very still, waiting his word.
"Friends," Johnny clicked, "stay still. This man is a killer."