第70节

returned. 'You'd better have this. I'm sure you'd like to let your

friends know what's happening."

A slim bundle wrapped in black silk dropped into the grass a few inches

from Steve's forehead. It could only contain one thing - the combat

knife with the radio hidden in the handle.

'Are you serious?"

'Sure. You can tell them how well you're doing. We don't want anyone

making a rash move at this stage, do we?"

'No, I guess not..."

"That stuff inside the handle. Is it possible to take that out and

throw the rest of the knife away?"

'No. I can't explain how it works, but the set's powered by a layer of

special crystals sealed into the blade."

'Okay. Stow it at the bottom of your mailbag until you can find a

better place to hide it."

'Thanks,' said Steve. 'Any chance of getting my bladed staff back?"

He already knew what the answer would be, but what the hell? It was

worth a try.

The question triggered a snort of laughter. 'Are you crazy? That

knife is enough to get you killed in under ten seconds flat What d'you

want to do - hang a sign round your neck?"

'You're right. Okay, forget the staff. Just give me back the bundle

of pink leaves. I can't start work at the Heron Pool until I've washed

this gunk off."

'Don't have 'em on me, sport."

Steve cursed silently. 'So when am I going to get them?"

'When the time's right."

'I'm not going to be able to get into an airplane decked out as a

Mute."

'I know that."

'Okay. How soon can I get a transfer?"

'I'm working on it."

This guy's stringing me along, thought Steve. 'Are you trying to tell

me there's a problem?"

'Nothing serious. It's just that, because of the "interests" I

represent, I can't be seen to intervene directly on your behalf. To do

so would compromise your position as a "free agent" - and might even

endanger the whole operation. I have to work, ahh...

obliquely, through my contacts on the Consul-General's staff and key

officials in the main post-house. It's they who have to okay the

move."

Terrific... 'Let's hope they don't lose the paperwork.

When will we meet again."?"

'When it's necessary."

'Yeah, but time's-' 'Don't worry. I know where to find you. Just stay

cool, hang loose and keep trucking."

Steve heard the curved long-sword whisper its way back into the

scabbard, followed by the soft clack of the layered plates of armour as

the feet walked away.

Keep trucking... What a nitwit.

Steve watched out of the corner of his eye as the samurai remounted,

turned his horse towards him and urged it into a canter. The top half

of the Jap's face was shadowed by the wide-brimmed helmet; the lower

half was obscured by a narrow white scarf held in place by the plaited

red silk chinstrap. Steve kept his nose close to the ground until the

hoofbeats faded, then got up and rubbed the cramp out of his knees.

It had been another instructive encounter, but Steve was in no mood to

hang around while the Man in Black inflated his already overblown ego

by scoring debating points. Time was running out. Side-Winder's

wheelboat would not be on the Hudson River run for ever and that trip

to Bu-faro was a crucial part of the escape plan. If the Man in Black

was unwilling or unable to move things along at a high rate of knots

then he, Steven Roosevelt Brickman, would have to go it alone.

CHAPTER TWELVE

When Clearwater woke to find Steve kneeling by her pillow, she was

neither surprised nor alarmed. Her subconscious mind, which had

already registered his presence, inserted his image into the last few

seconds of her dream, causing i