第96节

He did not reveal that they were both gifted

unmarked straights or give any details of his overall assignment.

Side-Winder did not press him further on the subject.

He just listened in silence then grimaced worriedly.

'Sounds like you've bitten off a big one, compadre. With some luck and

a following wind I can get you ashore but from there on in you're on

your own."

'Are there any more of our people over there amongst the Iron

Masters?"

Side-Winder laughed drily. 'Are you kidding? Lumps they can do but

not even Rio Lobo can turn one of the good ole boys into a

dead-face."

'What I meant was - are there any more like you?"

The smile vanished from the mexican's face. 'If there are, they

haven't told me. And if you weren't still wet behind the ears you

would know not to ask. If this was meant to be a team effort you'd

have heard about it."

'Point taken. Can you at least tell Rio what the score is?"

'Not immediately but yes, I'll see they get the word.

Anything special you want me to say?"

'No. Just tell 'em I'm still on the case - and that I need a new

back-up squad."

'I have a feeling they already know that."

Steve looked at the mex sharply. 'News travels fast."

'Bad news always does. Anything else?"

'Yeah, there's the rifles."

'Rifles?"

'The M'Calls just took delivery of the first hundred. I gather there's

more on the way."

Side-Winder frowned. 'They didn't come off this boat."

'No, they came off Yama-Shita's. Special delivery."

Steve gave the mexican a brief description of the weapon and its

capabilities.

'Ahh.. , I wondered what the noise was."

'Where were you?"

'Down here. I'm not allowed to put my nose out of the door while the

boat is run up on the beach."

'I see. Can you pass that information on to Mike X-Ray One?"

'I'll 'try,' said Side-Winder. The new boy was so painfully keen, he

didn't have the heart to tell him that a sample of the new weapon had

been despatched to Rio Lobo over twelve months ago.

'There's a couple of other things. I'm gonna need some clothes - and I

want to know everything you can tell me about the Iron Masters."

Side-Winder met this request with a solemn nod. 'I made a big mistake

with you, friend. When I laid you out I should have thrown you

overboard. Is that all?"

'Not quite. How long is the trip?"

'To Beth-Lem? Ten days. Did you get to see any maps while you were at

Rio?"

'Yes. Mike X-Ray One took me over the ground himself."

'Lucky you. Okay, we ride the big water all the way to Lake Erie and

make landfall near a NavRef point called Cleveland. The Iron Masters

have joined up three rivers with canals and locks -' Steve frowned at

the unfamiliar words.

Side-Winder gave him a brief explanation of how canals and lock systems

worked. 'What it means is that these boats can sail right through from

Lake Erie to the Allegheny ' 'Which runs down to BethLem."

'Correct."

'Is that another name for Pittsburgh?"