第22节

Pool. The slaughter surrounding our escape was the river of blood on

which you carried Clearwater away." Cadillac smiled disdainfully.

'You see how it all fits together?"

'Yeah, it's neat. Okay, so I blew you out of a job.

And yes, I conned the Federation into thinking I was working with

them.

It was the only way to get you out of there. I'd promised Mr Snow I'd

do my best to rescue the pair of you - and that's what I did. Your

place is with the Clan m'call. And if you're still peeved because I

forced you to face up to reality, well tough on you!" 'The reality,

Brickman, is that Clearwater is now a prisoner of the Federation, held

on board Red River.

And until she is rescued, you have only kept half your promise to the

Old One."

'Sweet Sky-Mother! Caddy, for crissakes, be practical!

Okay, Clearwater is not dying but she needs medical attention! That's

why all this talk of storming the train is sheer lunacy. She can be

moved, yes, but you're not going to be able to walk out with her thrown

over your shoulder!

'She'll have to be evacuated properly - preferably not in the middle of

a fire-fight - and for a while she'll need to be cared for by a

doctor.

The only person we can rely on to do that is Roz. Which means we have

to get her out in one piece as well, plus some of the drugs, dressings

and equipment that are stored in the blood-wagon 'We have no need of

such things. The Old One can heal her."

'The Old One didn't save everybody after the battle with the

wagon-train. He can set simple fractures and use plant-based

substances to keep some types of wounds free of infection but he's not

a miracle worker. You might as well stuff his herbal remedies up your

ass for all the good they're going to do Clearwater. You are right, I

goofed - but at least I managed to save her life."

'And I'm grateful for that..."

'Good. All you've got to do now is get used to the idea that we can't

get her off the train. I'm the only person who can rescue her."

'Oh? How?"

'By switching sides - talking them into believing I'm still the

straight arrow they thought I was. I'll have to go back to the

Federation with Clearwater and then, when she's better, try and find

some way to get her and Roz out into the blue-sky world."

Cadillac looked dismayed. 'But that could take months, years!" 'It

could do,' admitted Steve. 'You got any better ideas?"

'I don't know - surely there must be some way we could ' 'Caddy! For

the last time! Forget the fucking train!

What are you gonna do? Hang around in the hope that someone's gonna

leave a door open? There's absolutely no way your people can get on

board! I've served on one of those things! The spectre of Mutes

running wild inside a wagon-train is the nightmare all Trail-Blazers

share.

But it doesn't keep them awake at night because they know it can't

happen. That's why the trains are designed the way they are. Even if

you got past the guns and the steam jets there's still no way you can

get inside. When those ramps are up, those wagons are shut tighter

than a gnat's ass!" Malone came out of his reverie. 'The wagon-master

. . ."

Steve had almost forgotten he was there. 'What?"

'The wagon-master. He wouldn't lower a ramp for a bunch of Mutes, but

he might lower it to let a group of Trail-Blazers on board - 'specially

if they had some lumpheads in hot pursuit."

Steve saw Cadillac's interest quicken. 'Meaning...?"

'Well, it's just an idea but. if we were somehow able to get hold of

enough helmets, uniforms and rifles..."

'Disguise ourselves as Trackers?" asked Cadillac.

'There'd have to be enough of us to seize control of the ramp and hold

it long enough to get more of your people aboard."

'You're crazy,' said Steve. 'D'you think the guys running Red River

are just gonna sit there and let it happen?

As soon as you show your hand at the top of the ramp, they'll close the

fire doors at either end, unhitch the wagon then pull away and reform,

leaving you sitting there with nowhere to go!" 'They could do,'

admitted Malone