Among the Scented Ones

In Short

On the forbidden tropical world of Saaar, human refugees live in disguise among the underground-dwelling Garros, concealing their identity behind artificial scents and surgical alterations. When an endless stampede of giant green-crested lizards shatters their vehicular tube highway, young Earthman Besan Wur, instructor Nard Rost, and student Relsa Dav are cast into the jungle. Captured by primitive savages and forced into brutal labor, they must execute a perilous escape. The story has endured as a classic pulp science fiction adventure exploring identity, rebellion, and adaptation in an unforgiving alien ecosystem.

The Story

The narrative opens on the broad Saaaran plain as a massive herd of stampeding green-crested saurians, known as denars, thunders westward, destroying a metal vehicular tubeway. Besan Wur and Nard Rost barely escape their collapsing passenger wheel, scrambling into the safety of giant node trees where they find Relsa Dav clinging to a high branch. As the forest begins to buckle under the weight of the endless lizard horde, the trio makes a harrowing crossing along pitching lianas and rocky ledges to reach the relative safety of the uplands near the Cratur Hills.

Seeking shelter as night falls, they enter a cave only to be ambushed by a band of savage, semi-civilized natives. Bound by stinking rawhide ropes, Besan, Nard, and Relsa are marched to a canyon valley village ruled by a ruthless sub-chief named Detch. There, they are sold as slaves to a corpulent master named Noch and fitted with heavy wooden neck collars. Soon after, Lifa, a vengeful outcast former mate of Detch who seeks to punish him and her brother Noch, slips into the slaves' cave and helps them cut their yokes.

Besan infiltrates Detch's quarters to rescue Relsa. Confronted by Detch, Besan seizes a sword-knife and, drawing upon his fencing training, slays the savage in a duel filled with choking defensive fumes. Fleeing northward toward the distant volcanic cone of Rhilg, the group is pursued by armed warriors. When cornered near the rim of a gulch by reddish-haired bearlike craturs, Besan uses stolen bags of narcotic goorn dust to pacify the beasts and drive them into a violent frenzy against their pursuers. During the chaos, Lifa abandons the group to flee southward. As Besan prepares for the consequences of his bleeding arm revealing his true red blood and lack of Garro scent, Relsa and Nard reveal they already knew he was Terran. Embraced for his courage and intelligence, Besan looks toward a future where human knowledge and Saaaran resilience can unite.

How It Unfolds

• The voyage begins — A massive stampede of green-crested saurians shatters the metal tubeway, plunging travelers Besan Wur and Nard Rost into immediate mortal peril.
• Refuge in the branches — Abandoning their crushed vehicle, the men climb into towering node trees where they rescue Relsa Dav from the roaring lizard horde below.
• Captured by savages — Seeking shelter in the rocky uplands, the trio is ambushed in a dark cave by primitive nomads and dragged off in chains.
• Toiling in the valley — Sold into forced labor by the sub-chief Detch, the prisoners endure heavy wooden collars while toiling in the sunlit agricultural terraces of the canyon.
• The alliance with Lifa — A vengeful outcast woman named Lifa cuts the captives free in exchange for a promised passage to the inner city of Rhilg.
• The duel in the cave — Besan confronts Detch in his quarters and uses a sword-knife to defeat the brutal savage during a desperate rescue of Relsa.
• The goorn dust trap — Cornered during their flight northward, Besan hurls narcotic goorn dust at charging craturs, inciting them to attack the pursuing savages.
• A shared truth — When Besan's blood runs red and exposes his Terran heritage, his companions reveal they already knew, accepting him for his courage rather than his race.

The People

• Besan Wur is a young Earthman living secretly among the Garros who lacks natural defense scent glands and must rely on artificial fumes, surgery, and his fencing skills. He harbors a hopeless love for Relsa Dav and evolves from a timid fugitive into a resourceful, decisive fighter willing to risk everything to protect his companions.
• Nard Rost is a gray-haired Garro instructor whose mate perished in the initial stampede. Wise, steady, and observant, he guides the younger fugitives, maintains radio contact with rescue dirigibles, and values true courage above racial origin.
• Relsa Dav is a slim, deep-eyed student at Rhilg University caught up in the disaster. Despite moments of terror, she displays quiet resilience on the perilous journey and shares a mutual affection with Besan.
• Detch is a hulking, pulpy-nosed savage sub-chief who captures the refugees, treats them brutally, and claims Relsa as his mate before meeting his end at Besan's blade.
• Lifa is Detch's vengeful, stripe-haired former mate who assists the prisoners' escape to spite her abusers, desiring only wealth and status before abandoning them in the hills.

In Its Own Voice

• Describing the perilous sanctuary of the backward planet, the narrative notes: "To Besan Wur this backward planet of stampeding monstrosities and stinking humanoids was Sanctuary. Here he could be free--until they discovered he gave off no odor...."
• Reflecting on his secret identity and the artificial measures required to pass among the alien population, Besan recalls: "He was an Earthman, one of a hundred-odd Terrans living secretly among the Garros on forbidden Saaar."
• Expressing the deep cultural divide enforced by his alien upbringing, Besan laments his perceived inadequacy: "He who had never killed an animal, or struck a blow in anger, was praying to all the unknown powers of space that he might strike the life from Detch's hulking body!"

What It's Really About

The story examines the psychological weight of total societal control and rigid conformity. Originating from an Earth system governed by absolute rules and a complete aversion to violence, Besan and his fellow exiles grapple with the primitive, visceral realities of survival on an untamed world. The narrative questions whether peace maintained through amnesia and forced compliance holds true moral value compared to genuine courage, loyalty, and individual agency. It also explores themes of passing, assimilation, and xenophobia through the lens of disguised humans trying to blend into an alien civilization.

Why Read It Today

Readers who love classic mid-century pulp science fiction filled with hazardous alien ecosystems, desperate escapes, and resourceful protagonists will thoroughly enjoy this story. Reading it feels like stepping into a fast-paced planetary romance where danger lurks behind every tree and technological ingenuity clashes with savage wilderness. While modern readers may notice period tropes typical of 1940s pulp fiction—such as somewhat rigid character archetypes and melodramatic romantic framing—the brisk pacing, high-stakes action, and surprisingly progressive resolution regarding racial and bodily differences make it an engaging and memorable artifact of early science fiction storytelling.