第96节

And the Herald? Ah, yes ... he was walking past Min-Orota's troops

towards the government detachment, moving forward on a line that would

take him to Steve's right. Steve tracked ahead with the 'scope and

caught sight of Toshiro's horse with its distinctive trappings.

Another mounted samurai was holding the reins. Steve watched as the

Herald was helped up into the saddle. He had obviously decided to

improve his chances of survival by staying mobile. Smart move . . .

Steve called Jodi and Kelso back into the study and handed out the

combat vests. They put them on under their tunics. Steve helped

Cadillac into his. 'I hope you know how to use this stuff..."

'If you do I do."

'Yeah, well, this is the one to watch." He unclipped a gas grenade and

explained its effects to Cadillac and Clearwater, and how they could

protect, themselves by using the face-mask. He handed the last one to

Clearwater and told her to try it on.

Steve saw her eyes widen in alarm through the visor as her muffled

voice leaked through the side-filters. 'I feel as if I am drowning!"

She pulled the mask off quickly.

He laid a calming hand on her arm. 'There's nothing to be frightened

about. You're not going to suffocate.

Just breathe deeply. You won't have to wear it for long, but you must

put it on when you see any of us give this signal -' he brought his

hand down over his face.

'Immediately. You understand?"

Clearwater nodded.

'And don't take it off until we remove ours. You got that?"

'Yes."

'Okay. Time to get changed." Steve produced a canvas tote-bag and

handed it to Clearwater, then placed a faded blue Tracker worksuit on

top of it. 'Pack your white mask, robe and whatever you're wearing

underneath in the bag. But do it carefully. Did you bring that set of

body-paints?"

'Yes. They're bundled up with the clothes I came in.

Plus the other things you asked for."

Steve turned to Cadillac. 'What about your walking skins?"

'I burned them."

Steve eyed him. 'Trust you. Where're the body-paints you told me

about?"

'In one of those cupboards..."

'Well, we need 'em." Steve laid the bag of precious pink cleaning

leaves on top of the worksuit. 'Put these in too, plus anything else

that might come in useful." He signalled Jodi and Kelso to precede him

through the door. 'Okay. We're just gonna take a look around.

You've got five minutes to get changed and packed.

Then we'll go over the plan." Steve stepped quickly outside, then

popped his head back into the room. 'And while you're at it, why don't

you two patch things up?

We've got a long haul ahead of us, and we're gonna need each other

every step of the way."

He slid the door shut and joined Jodi and Kelso at the far side of the

adjoining room, whose window screens faced the side wall of the Heron

Pool compound.

Kelso eyed him thoughtfully. 'I ain't too happy 'bout that lumphead

walking around with all that hardware.

Suppose he turns it on us?"

'Yeah,' murmured Jodi. 'I thought we were taking these two guys back

as prisoners."

'That comes later,' said Steve. 'At the moment, we're all supposed to

be on the same side. You're a couple of renegades helping us make the

break. You want to get back to the Big Open, and they're going back to

their own people."

'And you're going with them..."

Steve shrugged. 'Listen. As long as they believe that, it's gonna

make our job a whole lot easier - right?"

'I just hope you know what you're doing,' muttered Kelso.

'Trust me,' said Steve.

Steve stepped out of the pavilion on to the rear veranda and walked

down the steps into the yard. Beyond it was a small vegetable garden,

then a short stretch of grass which ended in a line of shrubs and