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d down towards

the river.

Edging closer, Steve saw they were unmasked red-stripes armed with

swords and bows. There were four of them gathered round a fire burning

inside what looked like a pierced metal bucket. The sight of them was

a timely reminder that he would have to proceed with caution. There

might be other check points further on.

Retreating into the darkness, Steve went down a path leading directly

away from the river, climbed over a wall at the end and turned onto the

road about half a mile from the landing stage. The road had a bare

dirt surface.

Across the river, beyond the line of warehouses and dock buildings, the

horizon was aflame. A flickering orange glow pushed back the velvet

night and lit the undersides of billowing drifts of white, brown and

grey smoke. The Fire-Pits of Beth-Lem. His visit there would have to

wait. He had other, more pressing business to attend to. With a

quickening heart, he turned east and strode forward confidently. Each

new step along the road brought him nearer to Clearwater and a new

adventure. He had been the first Tracker to return alive from the

Plainfolk. If not the first, he would be one of the select few to

return alive from the land of the Iron Masters. And this time, he

would not return empty-handed.

As he pushed on into the enveloping dark, Steve had no idea that

Clearwater, as a member of Lord YamaShita's entourage, was preparing to

pass the night in considerably more comfort on the other side of the

river.