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suddenly uneasy. If

these guys didn't do it right... He tried to concentrate on what Mr

Snow was saying but the drums and the equally thunderous responses from

the clan drowned his words.

'Heyy-YAHH!! Heyy-YAHH!!" they roared, fists punching the air above

their heads.

Mr Snow held up his arms then swept them round towards the fire in a

gesture of supplication. Steve saw something leave his hand and fall

into the flames. There was a dull 'whoo-oompf!'. A dazzlingly bright

light flared briefly in the heart of the fire and was quickly swallowed

up by billowing clouds of dense white smoke. Now completely hidden

from the audience, Kid-Creole and Doctor-Hook moved closer to the

bonfire and Offered Steve a cupped hand.

Come on, Brickman. Nothing to it...

Steve placed a boot on each palm and laid his hand on their heads to

steady himself. In one swift movement, they raised him level with

their shoulders then straightened their arms like well-oiled pistons,

punching him high into the air. Looking down, Steve saw tongues of

orange fire shooting up towards him through the swirling clouds of

smoke. A rising blast of heat slammed into him, searing his throat and

lungs. For one brief moment, Steve's nerve failed then, an instant

later, he snapped back into action. He jack-knifed his body, turned

head over heels then threw his arms out sideways, spreading the dark

cloak like the wings of a giant bird of prey as he curved down to

earth, landing on the balls of his feet by the side of Mr Snow.

The old wordsmith grabbed Steve's wrist as he bounced back up and

raised it above his head like an old-time boxing referee. 'Well done,'

he muttered. He turned to address his wide-eyed audience. 'You see

how my words echo the will of the Thrice-Gifted One?!" he cried.

'First Talisman gives us a great victory and now the cloud warrior he

sent from the sky and took back through the earth is returned to us to

perform a mighty deed in his name!" The ground shook as the clan leapt

to its feet and roared approvingly; the drums thundered. 'HEYYyahh!

Heyy-yahh, heyy-yahh, HEYYYAAHHH!!" Steve was filled with sudden

foreboding. 'What do they expect me to do?"

'Don't worry,' said Mr Snow. 'I'll think of something."

'What about Kid-Creole and Doctor-Hook? If they talk, won't it ruin

everything?"

Mr Snow shook his head. 'I put their minds to sleep and told them to

forget what happened."

Before Steve could react to the news that he had been given the

heave-ho by two zombies he found himself surrounded by Mutes, laughing

and shouting and leaping up and down. As they made their way back to

Mr Snow's hut, the clan formed two jostling lines on either side, those

at the rear running round to the front to catch another glimpse of the

newly-returned cloud-warrior.

Men, women and children called out to him excitedly as he passed

between the rows of bright-eyed, eager faces.

Hands reached out to touch him. Steve could only presume that their

owners hoped some of Talisman's powers he was thought to possess would

flow into them.

Kid-Creole and Doctor-Hook, Mr Snow's strong but silent bodyguards,

thrust aside those who got in the way.

Steve tried to adjust to the new situation. The rapid changes in his

fortunes had left him momentarily bewildered. How stupid. He, more

than anyone, should have realised that the Mutes, with their faulty

memory banks, might not remember him. But not even he, in his wildest

dreams, could have imagined making such a triumphal return. As they

entered Mr Snow's hut, a small, still nagging voice warned him to be on

his guard.

Something was wrong. Things were going far too well.

Brickman had always considered himself to be lucky but he was not prone

to self-deception. He had achieved his first objective but it should

not have been this easy.

When the last group of celebrants had drifted away and some semblance

of normality had returned, Night-Fever, the She-Wolf with the fearsome