There was a sudden, loud noise as if some giant spring had suddenly popped its
winding and sounded off. Birds flew from the trees and the river in panic, and
at almost the same moment something slapped them incredibly hard and overturned
the canoe.
Hawks came up for air and looked around, then was relieved to see two other
heads break the surface. Head for the far shore! he shouted to the two women.
Forget the canoe!
The sound came again, behind them, and this time the canoe was struck with a
full blow. It seemed to rise up, coming apart as it did so, then collapsed into
the water as a set of shapeless pieces of skin and frame. The wave from the blow
came at them, and they relaxed and let it carry them toward the near shore.
They reached the bank only meters apart and managed to get on shore. There was
no thought of remaining in that spot: Another blast of the invisible hand might
come at any moment.
Survival wisdom called for them to scatter in three directions and run until
pursuit was foiled, but their sense of family overrode that part of it. The land
was covered with a shallow film of water out of which a forest grew. There was
little shelter and no rocks or other obvious protection. They could only make
certain they were all within sight of one another and start running as far in as
possible.
That’s right, Hawks. You just keep running, a sardonic voice, electronically
amplified, said from what seemed to be everywhere. You’ll find if you keep
going this way that the river played a joke on you and doubled back again. If
you go right, it’ll be on three sides; if you go left, well, you’ll run into a
big surprise.
They did not pay any real attention to the voice but kept running until, as
predicted, they came to a riverbank.
They heard that terrible sound again, and they saw a wall of water coming toward
them as if a giant hand were skimming the top. The point was clear. They
couldn’t swim across, not there.
Hawks stopped the women and gathered them to him. It’s no use, he told them.
I’ve been a romantic fool, damn it all! They just sat here and waited for us to
spring their trap!
Then if we are surrounded, we must fight our way out or die trying! Cloud
Dancer responded bravely, and Silent Woman nodded assent.
How could he explain to these two infrared sensing devices and a certainty that
this area had been cleared of all people so only the fugitives would show up? Or
the power of some of the weapons that might be at the disposal of the enemy?
No, he responded. Long ago you told me of the foolish warrior who charged
into overwhelming odds only to show his bravery and die a legend. This is not
Roaring Bull and his Illinois or even a tribe as we understand tribes. Right now
they could send things through the air, as they did that giant unseen hand, that
would make us drop in pain or knock us completely out. It makes no sense to even
try to die in such a battle when there is still the small but real possibility
of a deal. These are men, not demons. They will talk, and so we will talk.
She was not convinced. But—
I am chief and husband to you both! he said gruffly. They will let you leave
if you wish. I am what they want. Dissolve the marriage and the tribe here or
obey my orders exactly! I permit no other choice!
Cloud Dancer looked at Silent Woman and frowned, but when she saw the response
in the other’s face, she looked back at him, resigned. Talk, then, husband and
chief. We are part of you.
He looked around at the suddenly silent, still swamp.
All right! he shouted. So what now? Come out with our hands up? You didn’t
leave us anything else!
They did not hear their pursuer approach, although they were more than attuned
to such things, but suddenly he was there, not far away. He was ugly as sin, and
he held a weapon in his hand that was quite out of keeping with his looks and
dress.
You don’t have to shout, the Crow Agency man said. I’m right here. The name’s
Raven.
Hawks stared at him. I must be vital indeed to send a Crow this far south.
Aren’t you hot?
Steaming. He shrugged. It’s part of the image, you know. You want to tell the
ladies not to try anything, that I can knock all of you cold on your asses
before you can blink?
It is not necessary, Crow, Cloud Dancer responded, making his nationality
sound like a foul and obscene thing. We understand you.
Raven was taken aback, then he nodded. Yeah, English Cross was in that pack,
wasn’t it? How’d you like the survival program? I had a part in creating it,
which is why I could figure out exactly how you’d act. Damn. Must be a flaw in
It. You did get caught, after all.
Hawks actually felt crushed, but he had to make a brave show of it for the sake
of his honor. All that running, all that violence and tension, all that taste of
freedom— all illusion. The issue had never been in doubt.
You’d still be free if you hadn’t stuck to the river, Raven noted. Fact is,
they’d’a had to send a Val after you to catch you if you just went east or west
or even north. The only ones known on Earth the Vals didn’t ever catch were ones
that just went into the wild and got kinda swallowed up. ‘Course, once you took
on the many-colored lady here, it was easy to spot you, but some clothes would
have taken care of that. He sighed. Well, come along. We got work to do yet.
Aren’t you afraid that I’ll tell you why I’m being chased? Hawks asked,
wanting to throw his one weapon. What was death to him was death to all. But
that didn’t seem to disturb the Crow.
Well, I’m damn curious, if that’s what you mean. Cause me a lot of trouble if I
knew, I guess, but not as much as you. See, they know that you know, so Master
System knows it, too. Can’t change that. But they don’t know if I know until
they got you under the machine, and I got you first, so I can cover. Tell me if
you want or not. Makes no nevermind to me.
Hawks stood there, suddenly startled and confused. What do you mean, they
know? he asked. Who are they? Or, better yet, who are you?
I’m a handy man with big ambitions, the Crow answered him. Got you kind of
tossed in my lap by a colleague. My fat comes when I deliver you, even if it’s
split.
Even Cloud Dancer was starting to get the idea. You are not from Council, she
said suspiciously.
Well, in a manner of speaking I am. Officially I work for the Agency, which
works for the Council under contract. Not this one, though. You’re too plenty
important to trust to mere people. I’m sure the Val’s either right behind us or
just ahead of us, but it don’t matter. We’re gonna leave him running in circles
for a while. By the time they get the idea, our part will be done.
Hawks wasn’t sure whether this was a good thing or a bad thing. He had been
prepared to deal with the logic of Master System, even though the odds were
slim, but with a new player in the game, he was in as bad a position as before,
only at the mercy of an unknown third party.
Who are you working for?
The same man that the courier was working for. As you know, she didn’t make it.
I assume she made contact with you and passed it along.
She’s dead, he told the Crow. She died maybe a day or so after she landed,
probably from injuries suffered in the crash. I found her body and her papers.
Uh huh. And you read them, I guess.
You know I did.
Not until that moment. Thanks. So this hasn’t been for nothing. Now, come
along. I don’t want to meet any Vals around here. We can fill in the story
later.
All of us? Cloud Dancer asked him.
You bet, lady. I want all three of you, and just the way you are suits me
fine.
Hawks’s initial fear and then resignation were slowly being replaced by anger.
Council chasing him was one thing, but this was some mercenary, some bounty
hunter. Also, though his lack of clothing felt quite natural, it was somewhat
demeaning among strangers, and particularly around men like this one.
Raven had a fairly elaborate camp set up in the center of the peninsulalike
area: a small portable dome that bristled with antennae and detectors. It was
only now that the Hyiakutt man realized that their captors were probably few in
number—everything could be remotely run from here. Still, this was high-class
equipment, Upper Council level at least, and he wondered where one like Raven
would get access to it for an unauthorized or freelance mission.
The answer to that was revealed when they met the Crow’s companion. Both Cloud
Dancer and Silent Woman gawked with a mixture of fear and wonder at this new
woman, who was so tall, so muscular, and so very black. Cloud Dancer had never
seen anyone before who was not of the People, and from Silent Woman’s reaction