第108节

hat was an accident."

Fran gave him a searching look. 'Yes, well, all this mother, wife and

baby talk has given me a headache."

She hung up the yellow dress then flopped down onto the bunk bed and

vented her exasperation by pummelling the mattress.

Steve opened the-door, placed the 'Do not disturb' sign into the

eye-level slot, then looked back and smiled. 'See you later."

Emerging into the corridor, he walked past the other sleeping

compartments, knocked on the door of Bull's stateroom then, receiving

no reply, entered and went on through to the communications room. One

of the two ensigns detailed to watch the screens turned in his swivel

chair. 'Can I help you, sir?"

Steve looked around the room. There was another door on the far side,

marked 'Toilet'. 'Is Captain Chisum through there?"

'No, sir. I haven't seen him in a while."

'Okay, thanks."

Steve closed the door behind him, exited from the stateroom and checked

the other five sleeping compartments.

One of the doors was shut, the other four were empty. He knocked on

the locked door. 'John . . . ?"

No reply. He knocked again, but there was no response.

Pausing in the doorway to the crowded centre carriage, he surveyed the

interior then walked through into the last carriage.

In the crowded galley, some of the Mute staff were catching a late

lunch while others washed up the dishes from the picnic. He went past

the guard's cabin, towards the door that led to the rear observation

platform. It had a glass panel in the top half with a view of the

track running away into the distance behind them. He opened it, fully

expecting to find John Chisum admiring the view.

The platform was empty. Where the hell had he got to...?

There was only one answer - Chisum had to be in the second occupied

sleeping compartment. And if he hadn't answered, it was because he'd

got lucky and didn't wish to be interrupted. So why hadn't he put out

the 'Do not disturb' sign?

Steve felt his stomach tighten. He had started out with the idea of

pinning down Chisum for that promised talk while Fran was asleep and

out of the way. The observation platform would have been ideal. But

now a more alarming idea was creeping into his brain. He went back

inside, checked the guard's compartment, baggage room, store and galley

on his way through.

As he came back into the centre carriage he suddenly felt giddy. He

steadied himself in the doorway. Ahead of him was a sea of blurred,

animated faces. Their laughter sounded tinny and their voices echoed

sharply - as if the sound was coming down a long tunnel. And then

other voices filled his head, a growing whisper that swelled to a

warning crescendo like the wind building to a storm-force gust. Steve

suddenly realised what he had to do, and knew he had only seconds in

which to do it.

He stepped across to the nearest free-standing armchair, grabbed hold

of its female occupant, threw her aside, picked up the chair, hurled it

through the nearest window then, to a chorus of startled cries,

launched himself head-first through the gaping hole in the shattered

glass.

The window was only some eight feet above the track bed but it seemed

an eternity before he hit the ground.

He stretched out his hands in an instinctive effort to break his

fall.

As he curved downwards he saw the observation platform flash past him,

and as it did so, all three carriages exploded sideways and upwards,

throwing the rear of the tender and loco up in the air and Steve's own

world blew apart ....

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Roz's eyes opened wide with the shock. She staggered forward as her

legs buckled under her. Clearwater and Cadillac caught her

outstretched arms and saved her from falling. They eased her gently to

the ground and knelt beside her.

'What happened?!" cried Cadillac. 'Is it the baby?!" Roz leaned back

and tried to regulate her breathing as she clutched her swollen