第1节

and Clearwater were no ordinary Mutes. They had been born in the

shadow of Talisman, and Brickman, the cloud-warrior, was also gifted

and resourceful and as cunning as a coyote. And though he did not yet

understand why, he too had been touched by Talisman.

If there was a chance to escape then these three would seize it, for

between them they possessed the power to overturn nations. That had

been their destiny from the day they had been born. But where were

they? Day after day, Mr Snow had posted sentinels to keep a special

watch over the eastern approaches to the settlement but the

long-awaited travellers had failed to appear.

They were not dead. In an uncertain world, that was the only thing Mr

Snow was sure of. Cadillac and Clearwater were the sword and shield of

Talisman, saviour of the Plainfolk who - according to prophecy - was

due to appear in human form. Cadillac was to use his great gifts to

prepare .the way for Talisman, and Clearwater was to use the immense

forces at her command to protect the Thrice-Gifted One until his own

powers were fully formed. Which, for instance, would be the case if he

entered the world as a new-born child. On the other hand, if he was

present in someone already alive, with his powers over heaven and earth

lying dormant until the chosen moment, then her given task was to

protect that individual until Talisman chose to reveal himself. She

would do this instinctively, without necessarily understanding why,

because Talisman would draw her to him.

Mr Snow had often wondered if Steve Brickman bore the Talisman within

him. The cloud-warrior's descent from the sky into the hands of the

M'Calls had been foretold by the Sky Voices. He and Clearwater had

been destined to meet, and in giving herself to him body and soul she

had broken the solemn vows that bound her to Cadillac - grievously

wounding her former lover's pride in the process.

In time, Cadillac would get over it. It was he who had seen their

separation in the stones. Clearwater was destined to journey into the

dark world of the sand-burrowers that lay beneath the deserts of the

south.

Home of the iron-snakes that crawled through the land leaving a trail

of devastation behind them, and the arrowheads which carried the

cloud-warriors across the skies.

Warriors armed with long sharp iron and fire-seeds which erupted into

smoke and flame with the sound of earth-thunder.

Not the pure flame that swept the tree-spirits up towards the heavens

but an evil cousin conjured up by the sand-burrowers. A flame whose

thirst could not be quenched by water, that clung to flesh and burned

through to the bone.

Yes, these were dark days. The time known as The Great Dying had

come.

A time when the courage of the Plainfolk would be sorely tested.

Mo-Town, the Great Sky-Mother had withdrawn into the Black Tower of

Tamla to weep for her people. Many would perish but the Plainfolk

would survive and become a great nation under the banner of Talisman.

As a Mute, a revered sage and walking history book of the Clan m'call,

Mr Snow knew that the journey through the Valley of Death had to be

undertaken with as much good grace as one could muster. The Wheel

turned, The Path was drawn. Human beings could not change their

destiny; it was the hubris of the unenlightened that fostered the cruel

illusion they could do so.

But meanwhile, three of the principal players were missing. Where in

the name of Talisman were they? In a few days, the clan's trade

delegation would be ready to leave for the annual gathering on the

shores of the Great River. Mr Snow had two choices: to go with them,

or stay behind. And the cloud-warrior had two ways to return with

Cadillac and Clearwater: by smuggling themselves aboard one of the

giant wheel-boats due to travel along the Great River to the trading

post, or by a more direct, overland route through the territory that

had once belonged to the Io-Wa and Ne-Braska.

A year ago, Brickman had stolen aboard one of the wheel-boats at the

trading post and had been carried away to the Fire-Pits of Beth-Lem.

If he had managed to complete the journey without being discovered he

might decide that this was the best way to return. In the bustle of

trading activity, with Mutes helping to load and unload the

wheel-boats, they would have an excellent opportunity to steal

ashore.

Once there they could rejoin their clanfolk, becoming part of the

delegation which would then travel home across the plains during the

period of truce known as 'Walking on the Water'.

That was the sensible way, but the journey from Ne-Issan took many days

- perhaps weeks. Finding a place on a wheel-boat where three people

could remain undetected for days on end would not be easy. Mr Snow had

been taken aboard one for a brief audience with Lord Yama-Shita. They

were giant structures but they also carried a large crew who constantly

swarmed back and forth like ants on a dunghill. And the wheel-boats

only came