He stumbled, and she fell with him. They lay there, at the roots of a white-barked tree, in each other's arms, and they looked into each other's eyes and knew they couldn't go on.
They heard the shouting voices.
She said, "I don't feel anything. Funny. I'm not angry or afraid or anything."
They clung to each other suddenly. He ran his lips along her cheeks and hair and he wiped the tears from her cheek with his own and he murmured things without really hearing them.
"I'm glad we're together," said Jeni.
They heard the breaking of the underbrush.
Abruptly, he stood. He faced the approaching sounds and made fists at his sides. His eyes were wild. "Damn you! Damn you! Damn You!" he cried.
"It's their way," said Jeni. "They're hunters. It's their way."
There was no anger in her voice.
A creature emerged from the white-barked trees. He stood there and stared at Lon, and stared at Jeni upon the ground. He seemed a little frightened himself. He lifted his weapon.
Lon stared back, taking in every strange detail. It was his first close look at one of these invaders from the planet called Earth, which was third from the Sun and had one Moon.
He waited for the noise of the weapon, wondering if he would hear it.