第64节

lead? Was

he the Talisman - or was he his dark twin, the Death-Bringer - sired by

Pent-Agon, Lord of Chaos, whose hideous strength might, once again, be

unleashed against the Plainfolk in the final battle for the blue-sky

world?

When they had finished eating, Mr Snow reached for his pouch of rainbow

grass, filled the bowl of his pipe and lit it with a grass taper from

the fire-stone. Steve watched him draw the smoke into his lungs then

took the pipe from his outstretched hands.

'So... what happened?"

Good question. Steve had originally intended to feed Mr Snow the same

story he had given Malone, then following his capture with Jodi and

Kelso, he had hurriedly adapted it to suit his new circumstances. Now

that he was here, and had been accepted back with some ceremony he

realised that any attempt to lie would totally destroy whatever was

left of their original relationship.

There were still things that didn't add up. For that reason alone he

had to remain on his guard but it was vital he appeared to withhold

nothing. If he hoped to regain some measure of trust, nothing less

than the truth would do.

Or a reasonable facsimile of it.

Steve drew deep on the pipe and prepared to unburden himself. His

decision had lightened him considerably. He hated the mental turmoil,

the feeling of powerlessness that came in the dark moments of

indecisiveness. He liked things clear, clean cut; the rainbow grass

made it all seem simpler still. 'I have failed you, Old One."

Mr Snow took another turn on the pipe. 'Tell me about it."

Steve launched into his confession. How he had been consumed by an

overpowering desire to possess Clearwater since first catching sight of

her during the ceremony of Biting the Arrow. The furtive looks they

had exchanged as she had been escorted about the camp, the fatal night

when she had come to his hut while Mr Snow and Cadillac were absent.

Powerless to resist and unmindful of the dangers, he had broken his

promise to Mr Snow, betrayed the trust of the clan and his friendship

with Cadillac. Unable to face the consequences of his actions and in a

desperate bid to save Clearwater from sharing in his disgrace, he had

decided to run away.

Mr Snow listened silently, with the occasional solemn nod, as Steve

recounted his fight with Motor-Head, Black-Top and Steel-Eye, his

perilous flight south aboard Blue-Bird, which had ended at the Pueblo

way-station, his arrest and return to the Federation in chains, his

trial before the Assessors, his banishment to the A-Levels, and how

Roz, his kin-sister had been used as a hostage to wrest the final

secret from him. Secrets he had sworn to keep.

It had, Steve confessed, been a crushing, double betrayal, first by

succumbing to his desires for Clearwater, then by breaking under

interrogation. It was ?. . unforgivable.

"You're right,' muttered Mr Snow, his eyes twinkling.

'I'm surprised you had the nerve to come back."

'I had no choice, Old One. I learned many things from your lips last

year. My destiny is bound up with the Plainfolk. My life or death is

in your hands."

'Perhaps..."

Steve went on to describe how he had been unexpectedly lifted out of

the A-Levels and offered a chance to win back his former status by

becoming a secret agent of the Federation.

'And you accepted..."

'It was my only chance to escape,' replied Steve. 'To get back here.

To see Clearwater again."

'Even though your journey could have ended in death..."

Steve responded with a fatalistic gesture. 'I'm a Tracker. The

overground kills us with every breath we take. If I'd turned down

Karlstrom's offer I'd have been sent to the wall. This way, at least,

I can die looking up at the sky."

'What did your masters ask you to do?"

After a moment's hesitation Steve said, 'They wanted me to find you,

win back your trust, then lead you, Cadillac and Clearwater into a

trap. The plan was to bring you back alive to the Federation."

'Why?"

'After what you did to The Lady, they fear your

magic. The three of you represent an unwelcome concentration of

power. They are worried that the M'Calls might join forces with other

clans under your leadership."

'But it is not I who lead this clan. Our chief is Rolling-Stone."

'In name only,' replied Steve. 'You're the brains of the outfit. I've