Cullhaven
Hernes Son
Basically:
A space traveller becomes stranded on a primitive planet - his ship is in orbit, I think, and he cant contact it to tell it to come get him. There is a native race whom he decides he has to rope in to building the equpment to make a device to call his ship to pick him up. Meanwhile the local shaman/magician decides to kill him and this ends up with his enviro suit ( which hardens on any sharp contact) making the spear bounce off. The Magician thence believes that he is a rival magician come to usurp his power and plots to kill him. The traveller sees winning the " magical" contest as an ideal way of getting the natives to help him.
I am sure its by a well know author, but searches online have not stumped anything up. Anyone help?
A space traveller becomes stranded on a primitive planet - his ship is in orbit, I think, and he cant contact it to tell it to come get him. There is a native race whom he decides he has to rope in to building the equpment to make a device to call his ship to pick him up. Meanwhile the local shaman/magician decides to kill him and this ends up with his enviro suit ( which hardens on any sharp contact) making the spear bounce off. The Magician thence believes that he is a rival magician come to usurp his power and plots to kill him. The traveller sees winning the " magical" contest as an ideal way of getting the natives to help him.
I am sure its by a well know author, but searches online have not stumped anything up. Anyone help?