He had never looked more like a red beast to her.

Until this moment she had been unafraid.

But now--in an instant--he terrified her.

Before she could speak what she had planned to say, he was at her side, and had taken her face between his two great hands, his coarse fingers twining in the silken strands of her thick braids where they fell over her shoulders at the neck.
"Ka sakahet!" he cried passionately.

"Pierrot said you would have an answer for me.