第11节
up from the mess-deck of the adjoining wagon
contained standard Federation fare, tasteless, processed, vitaminized
pap. After the food in Ne-Issan and the strong-flavoured fish and meat
served up by the Plainfolk, Steve found it quite uneatable.
Afterwards, when Steve concluded his account, Wallis said: 'Okay, so
Cadillac is on his way home. Assuming you're still on the case, what's
your next move?"
'I've got to catch up with him. Tell him what's happened."
Nevill stuck his oar in again. 'Isn't he going to be a little unhappy
when he hears you put his pet beaver on a wagon-train?"
Steve swallowed his irritation. 'unhappy? He's gonna be bouncing off
the walls. But that's his problem. He's lucky she's still alive.
Don't worry. I'll talk him round."
How're you going to do that?" asked Wallis. 'If Clearwater's on board
Red River it's because you arranged to put her there. How are you
going to get Cadillac to trust you when you're obviously working for
us?"
'Simple,' said Steve. 'I'll tell him the truth. I didn't contact the
wagon-train. I contacted Roz."
Wallis waved a finger at Steve and his kin-sister. 'Do the M'Calls
know about the link-up between you two?"
'No. Only Cadillac and Clearwater. Clearwater was watching from the
shore when the planes firebombed the-wheel-boat. Cadillac was below
decks with me so he saw nothing. By the time we surfaced the planes
had gone but eventually I had to come up with some kind of an
explanation.
The only way to remove any suspicion that I was still working for the
Federation was by telling them about the link between Roz and myself.
'The fact that the Federation had sent the planes to bomb the
wheel-boat meant that the First Family thought I was still working for
them. Which, of course, led Cadillac to suspect Roz's motives. So in
order to persuade him that we could both be trusted, I told him I'd
convinced Roz - who had complete faith in me - that I was still one
hundred per cent loyal. Which was why you'd sent the planes to help us
escape."
'Did he buy it?" asked Wallis.
'Yes, in his usual half-assed way. We got away from the japs, I saved
his life but - you know what it's like -' Steve gave Nevill a sideways
glance, '- he's one of these guys who is never satisfied. He's brave,
highly intelligent, possesses the most amazing mental capabilities, but
he just hasn't got his shit together."
'So what story are you going to lay on him?"
'He already knows that Roz came through to tell me she was on board Red
River. I'll tell him the shock of seeing them both gunned down
triggered another contact between Roz and myself. She knew immediately
what had happened and where we were, so I waited until she confirmed
that help was on the way then pulled out as the first plane dropped a
string of parachute flares.
'And I'll say that in a subsequent contact, Roz told me that Clearwater
was out of danger. Cadillac will be suspicious but what the hell can
he do. He has to go along with it because the only way he can keep
tabs on what's happening to her is through me and Roz. And I will
continue to claim that I didn't arrange anything through official
channels. I was never here. How does it sound?"
The six-man task force exchanged thoughtful glances.
Steve found the silence of the middle four a little unnerving. The
guys who listened but didn't say anything were the ones you had to
watch out for. More often than not, it was they who were really
running the show.
Nevill shook his head dismissively. 'Too clever by half."
'Jake, ease up will you? Give the guy a break." Wallis came back to
Steve. 'It sounds good but you may have outwitted yourself. Roz
couldn't have sneaked Clearwater on board Red River by herself. It
could only have been with our full knowledge and cooperation.
And the reason Clearwater's still with us is because Red River's
surgical team spent nearly twelve hours putting the bits back
together."
'I'm not denying that."
Wallis threw his hands in the air. 'So we're back where we started.
If Roz is working with us, and you're working with Roz - why should
these Mutes trust you?"
'It's simple,' said Steve.