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are good or ill. But first let us speak of The Chosen. Did your

clansmen return safely and in good spirits?"

Mr Snow was familiar with the term 'The Chosen', but for some reason,

didn't catch on immediately.

'Clansmen...?"

'Cadillac, Clearwater and Cloud-Warrior."

Mr Snow's present anxieties vanished under a great surge of elation.

'They escaped from the Eastern Lands? I' 'Escaped and more! They are

The Chosen - the first of the Lost Ones whose return heralds the coming

of Talisman!" 'It is true that these three were born in the shadow of

Talisman. By what token do you know them as The Chosen?"

'The words were born on my lips!" exclaimed Carnegie.

'The Thrice-Gifted One appointed me to be the first to recognize them

and name them! And when the history of the Plainfolk is retold in the

ages to come, the Kojak will be remembered as the clan that first gave

them shelter, and whose valiant warriors played a decisive part in the

victories achieved by their mighty powers!" 'Victories...?"

'Over the arrowheads, the iron-snake and the wheel-boat!" 'Sounds like

they've been busy,' grumped Mr Snow."Tell me more."

Carnegie-Hall gave him the whole story including to his credit - the

treacherous deal struck with Izo Wantanabe which, as events unfolded,

had reinforced his belief that his steps had been guided by Talisman.

And as might be expected he laid great emphasis on the part the Kojak

had played in the destruction of the wheel-boat.

As Mr Snow sat listening to Carnegie's graphic description of how the

Kojak had massacred the horse-borne samurai, red-stripe infantry and

sailors who had struggled ashore, his sense of foreboding increased.

All this had happened weeks ago. Since when, Cadillac, Clearwater and

Brickman had departed in triumph, with a pile of booty and more than a

hundred head of horses - the four-legged beasts which the dead-faces

had tamed and learned to ride but which, up to that moment, Mr Snow had

never seen.

The trio had last been reported heading westwards towards Nebraska.

The southern route! Mr Snow silently cursed the Sky Voices for sending

him in the wrong direction. No doubt, by the immutable perverseness of

Sod's Law, his proteges would - barring some mishap have arrived at the

settlement within a day or two of his departure!

Never mind. Carnegie-Hall's story had amply confirmed Mr Snow's belief

that his two young charges and the cloud-warrior were destined to

achieve greatness.

They were indeed The Chosen, recognized and hailed as such not just by

the Kojak, but by the clans they had encountered in crossing the

Central Plains. Whatever misfortune might befall them, they would

survive and grow ever stronger, for the power of the. Thrice-Gifted

One was upon them. An invisible force which, if not an impervious

shield, would preserve and heal their earth bodies and the spirit

within.

Once again Mr Snow regretted that he would not live to see the saviour

of the Plainfolk revealed. But he now understood why the Sky Voices

had directed him towards the trading post. It was here the immediate

danger lay, and it was here that his gift of power and his courage

would be sorely tested.

Perhaps to the limit- and beyond...

'What you have said explains a great deal." Producing a pipe charged

with rainbow grass, Mr Snow lit it, taking a soothing puff before

offering it to his visitor. 'Old Golden Nose is not going to let such

a catastrophic reverse pass unavenged."

Old Golden Nose was a nickname derived from the elaborate black and

gold mask which Domain-Lord Hirohito Yama-Shita wore whenever he

appeared at the trading post. Depending on their rank, all

Iron-Masters wore masks of one sort or another when dealing with the

Mutes - a practice which had given birth