第111节

oor

and found Cadillac sitting in solitary splendour, he was so taken aback

by the masked figure's imperious bearing and immaculate diction, he

instinctively bowed and started to apologise before he cottoned on.

Fortunately, he had a sense of humour. What was even better, it meant

they were in with a chance.

Steve already had a Mute identity, but it was exchanged for a new

one.

Sets of worn clothes, slave-tags and 'yellow cards' were distributed to

Jodi, Kelso and Clearwater; travel papers and money were provided for

'Yoko Mi- ?Shima'. Their slave papers and toll-gate stamps purported

to show they had been purchased on behalf of the courtesan at Fin,

where there were regular small-scale auctions as well as the big one in

late spring following the annual western, expedition of the

wheelboats.

Slaves were a disposable asset; a medium of exchange that was more

secure than carrying cash or banknotes which could be stolen by the

thieves and vagabonds who preyed on unwary travellers. Indeed, some

enterprising merchants who had made a close study of the seasonal and

regional fluctuations in the labour market had amassed considerable

fortunes by buying up slaves and slipping them to wherever there was a

quick profit to be made.

Why feed slaves through the winter in Mali-ina and Nofo-skosha, where

the ground could not be worked, when they could labour fruitfully on

plantations in the warmer climes of Fyah-jina and Karorina?

Side-Winder took charge of Steve and the other 'Mutes' as they came

aboard the wheelboat, and shepherded them down into the gloomy bow

section of the lower through-deck reserved for the transport of

slaves.

Cadillac's carriage-box was taken to the door of the cabin that had

been booked in the name of Yoko Mi-Shima and he did not meet up with

the others until they all disembarked at Bu-faro.

The big mexican remained his usual taciturn self, and only related to

them in his official capacity as Mute overseer. He did not treat them

any differently from any of the other slaves on board, and because of

the lumps on his forehead, Jodi and Kelso assumed he was a genuine

Mute. Clearwater appeared to share their opinion, but Steve was not

sure what she really thought.

Maybe the Plainfolk had other, more subtle, ways of recognising their

own kind.

With her help, Steve had concocted Mute names and brief cover-stories

for Jodi and Kelso to use in case any of their fellow-travellers wanted

to know where they came from. He himself had adopted Cadillac's

identity.

Why not? It was a fair swap and, best of all, he didn't have to make

anything up. Small parties of Plainfolk Mutes came and went, but they

were the only ones riding the water all the way to Bu-faro. As it

happened, there was very little interchange between groups even when

the deck was crowded. Most Mutes became sullen and withdrawn when

being transported over water, so their own silence was not viewed as

suspicious.

Steve had daily contact with the big mexican, but did not tell the

others what the real connection was, and he did not tell Side-Winder

what he had learned about AMEXICO's links with the anonymous undercover

organisation that Skull-Face worked for. Or that he had been named as

one of the intermediaries.

In the short time that had elapsed since joining AMEXICO, Steve had

learned that operatives did not probe into the details of each other's

missions. You didn't ask questions and you didn't give anything away

without clearance from the Operations Control Centre at Rio Lobo.

Side-Winder did not even enquire how he and his friends had reached

Ari-bani. As far as he was concerned, that was Steve's business - as

he had made clear when Steve had attempted to speak about their escape

from the Heron Pool. His job, said the big mex, was to oversee their

safe passage to Bu-faro - and from there to the Big Open. Apart from

that, he didn't want to know.

Unable to see anything but sky through a small latticed hatch-cover in

the deck above, Steve spent the greater part of the trip sitting close

to Clearwater. Jodi and Kelso had found themselves a niche between

some bales a few yards away. It must be a strange experience for them,

thought Steve. Both had previously been openly contemptuous of

Mutes.

Now here they were, clothed in the coloured skin that was the mark of

their mortal enemies, and, for the moment at least, their lives

depended on how well they could act the part.