Damug Warfang and one hundred of his soldiers lurked in the trees on the hilltop, watching Peridot try to repair her spaceship down below.

Damug addressed Lousewort. "Is this the creature you encountered earlier?"

Lousewort bobbed his head up and down.

Damug sneered. "Huh, I could put paid to her wid both paws tied be'ind me back."

"She kin fight like a wolf," Lousewort said. "You shoulda seen the way she finished off old Hogspit!"

Damug turned to the ferret standing on his other side. "You there, Skaup, take fifty of our soldiers an' go 'round this 'ill- come at her along the shore. I'll take the rest an' make for the shore from 'ere, that way we'll get her between us. She might manage to shoot a few of us with her lasers but she can't kill us all!"

Bellowing and roaring, the vermin separated into two groups and charged down the hill. Down by the stream, Peridot heard them. She looked up and saw them coming at her from two sides. She was surrounded.

Terrified, she dived back into her spaceship. She pushed the button to lower the glass roof. Hopefully that would keep them out.

Once the Rapscallions got within range of her lasers, Peridot started firing. But because she couldn't lift off into the air or turn the ship around, she could only shoot the ones directly in front of her. This put her at a severe disadvantage. She was able to blast Skaup the ferret and a few others, but by then the other group of vermin, the one led by Damug, had reached the ship.

Damug Warfang jumped on top of the spaceship and started hitting the glass with a sword. It didn't break. Peridot sighed with relief.

But then a nearby fox handed Damug a big pikestaff and he bashed the pikestaff against the roof. This was much more effective. At the first blow, a crack appeared across the surface of the glass. With the second blow, the crack widened. Damug hit it one more time and the entire roof shattered. The Greatrat came crashing down into the spaceship, landing right next to Peridot. He grabbed her by both arms.

"One move and yer fishbait," he said. "What's yer name, little beauty?"

Peridot swallowed hard and tried to stop trembling. "Peridot's my name."

"I thought it was Jim!" Lousewort said.

"Shut up," Damug told him. To Peridot he said, "You're coming back to our camp with us, Peridot. I have a few questions for you."

They dragged her back to camp. They took away her limb enhancers and threw her in a cage. Peridot pounded the bars of the cage with her tiny fists but it was no use. She was stuck.

Damug walked around the cage. After circling it a few times, he stopped in front of Peridot and leaned in close to her. "Now, as I said, I'm going to ask you a few questions, and I want honest answers. Are you with them other Gem people?"

Peridot was taken aback by this query. "What other Gem people?"

"The ones that live up by the coast. You must know about them."

"No, I don't," said Peridot. "I had no idea there were any other Gems on this planet. I just arrived here last night."

Damug stared into her eyes. As a rule, he could tell when people were lying. Grudgingly, he decided she was speaking the truth. He tried another line of interrogation. "Okay, well, why did you come to this planet, then?"

Peridot crossed her arms. "That I won't tell you. It's none of your concern, clod!"

Damug picked up a big rock. "If you won't tell me why you're here, I'll bring this rock crashing down on your head and shatter your gemstone!"

She glared scornfully at him. "If you think that'd do ya any good, you're a bigger clod than I took you t'be. If you kill me, you'll never find out anything from me!"

Damug set the stone down. "Well, I have other ways of making you talk."

"Huh! Then try 'em an' see how far it gets you!"

"A tough nut, eh?" said Damug. "Well, we'll see. After you've been lying there a day or two watching the cool fresh stream water flowing by and sniffing the food on our campfires, I'll come and have another word with you. Hunger and thirst are the greatest persuaders of all."

He turned and strode away to his tent. As soon as he was out of sight, Peridot smirked. She didn't know where Damug had learned so much information about Gems, but clearly there were some things he didn't know, like the fact that they didn't need to eat or drink. He wasn't as smart as he thought he was. Maybe she could find a way to outwit him…