美铁之战系列 第三卷 铁领主 第15部分

Ittooktheshapeofahungry,dirt-stainedfugitivearmedwithaknife

andaprimitivehalberd.Hisbodyboretheswirlingpatternsthat

identifiedhimasaPlainfolkMute.Buthewasnoordinarylumphead.

Hisboneswerewellformed,theskincoveringhisyounghardbodywas

assmoothassaddleleatherandhehadnotbeenringedorbranded.The

hardblueeyeswerethoseofawarrioratbay,notahuntedslave,and

akeenobserverwouldhavenoticedthathisdarkbrownhairhadturned

blondattherootstomatchthegrowtharoundhismouthandalongthe

lineofhisjaw.

HisnamewasSteveBrickmanbut,unliketheindustriouslong-dogatthe

HeronPoolwhoansweredtothesamename,hewasthegenuinearticle:

2102-8902

Brickman,S.R.fromRoosevelt/SantaFe,NewMexico:graduateof

LindberghFieldAirForceAcademy,Classof2989.

Trainedasawingman,Stevewasnowa'mexican',oneofaselectgroup

ofundercoveragentscontrolledbyAMEXICO,anultra-top-secretunit

workingdirectlyforthePresident-GeneraloftheAmtrakFederation.

Officiallyhewasdead,killedinactionoverWyomingTerritory.The

fictionwasnotallthatfarremovedfromthetruth.Hehadbeenshot

downduringacombatmissionoverWyomingand,sincehittingthe

ground,hadcomeclosetodeathonmorethanoneoccasion.Inan

action-packedyear,Stevehadfoundhimselfinsometightcornersand,

onceagain,hewasinallkindsoftrouble.

CHAPTERFIVE

Forthepasttwoweeks,SteveBrickmanhadbeenlivingdangerouslyas

anillegalimmigrantinaforeigncountrywhosepeoplespokean

incomprehensiblelanguageandactedwithextremehostilitytowards

strangers.Ithadquicklybecomeobviousthathecouldnothavechosen

aworsedisguise.TheIronMasterstreatedMutejourneymenasslaves

who,whennotworkingunderthewhipsofoverseers,wereherdedinto

prisoncompounds;thegroupshehadseenmovingalongroadshadbeen

chainedtogetherandcloselyguarded.Hehadnotcomeacrossany

renegadeTrackersbut,ontheevidencesofar,theywereprobably

gettingaroughridetoo.

Unabletomakecontactwithanybodywhocouldhelphim,Stevehad

becomeascavenger,stealingscrapsoffoodwheneverhecould.But

thereweresoldiersandofficialseverywherecheckingthemovementof

goodsandpeople.Itwasliketryingtomovearoundoneofthe

Federation'sundergroundbaseswithoutanIDcard.

Steve'sbasicdilemmawasthis:hecouldnotmoveopenlywithout

becomingpartofthesystem,butifhedidfindawaytobecomepartof

itasaMuteheriskedendingupinachaingangunabletomoveat

all.

Inoneofhismoresuccessfulsortieshehadmanagedtostealapadded

cottonblankettohelpwardoffthebone-chillinghoursbeforethe

dawn,butonhislasttwoscavengingexpeditionshehadalmostbeen

caughtandhadonlyescapedbytheskinofhisteeth.Toevadehis

pursuers,hehadtakenrefugedeepintheforestsandtherehehad

remained,livingonwhateverwildgamehecouldcatch,andmoving

mostlyatnight.Stevehaddiscoveredthatthehoursbetweenduskand

dawnweretheonlytimetheIronMastersceasedtheirrelentlessround

ofactivity.Evenso,itwastoodangeroustolightafire;anything

ediblehemanagedtocatchorstealhadtobeeatenraw.

Theday,nowdrawingtoaclose,hadbeenwarmandsunnybut,for

Steve,ithadbeenastenseandfrustratingasthedaybefore.Andthe

daybeforethat.Themissionthathadbroughthimtothelandofthe

IronMastersandwhichhehadenteredwithhopelesslyinadequate

preparation-seemeddoomedtofailure.StevehadcometoNe-Issanto

findClearwaterandCadillac.Hisonlyleadwasareported

conversationwhichhadmentionedaplacecalledtheHeronPool.With

noideawherethatmightbe,hehadbeenworkinghiswayacrosscountry

inamoreorlesseasterlydirectioninthevaguehopethatsomething

mightturnup.Uptonow,hisluckhadfailedhimandtherewasno

pointintryingtokidhimselfanylonger.Hehadnoideawherehewas

orinwhichdirectionhewassupposedtobeheading,andtheonlything

hehadtolookforwardtowasanothernightoffretfulsleeponan

almostemptystomach.

Whendarknessfell,Stevecurledupunderthestolenblanketwithhis

bladedquarterstaffclaspedinhisarms.

Hisexcusefornotbeingonhisfeetandonthemovewastheclouds

which,forthesecondnightrunning,coveredthesky;thetruthwas

thathisbodyyearnedachinglyforabriefrespite.Onehalfofhis

brainagreed;theotherhalfrefusedtoco-operate,keepingoneear

openandthealarmbellsjangling.Foratimeitworked,causingSteve

totwistandfidget,butfinally,whenitbecameclearthathewasno

longerresponding,theobstinategreycellsturnedinforthenightand

whiledawaythehourswithdreamsoffood:hot,spicyMutestews,dried

meattwists,new-bakedflatbreadandjuicyyellow-fists.Themenueven

includedamountainous,mouth-wateringpileofsoyabean-burgersfresh

fromagiantmicrowave.

Stevewokeasthenewdaydawned,springingtohisfeetwiththe

alertnessofawildanimal,allsixsensesattunedtodanger.He

slowlyrelaxedhisgriponthequarterstaff.Theonlysoundsthat

filledtheairwerethenaturalsoundsoftheforest:thecriesof

birds,someshrill,someharsh,somemelodic;animprovisedpastorale

underscoredbythestaccatochatterandsnufflinggruntsoftheir

four-leggedneighboursandplayedtoawhisperingaudienceofleaves

stirredbythewind.Thekeenlistenercouldalsohearthecreaksand

groansoftreesflexingtheirsap-filledtimbersastheycontinued

theiryearlycycleofgrowth;trunksthickeninginchbyimperceptible

inchtosupporttheupwardclimbandoutwardspreadofyouthful

branches;rootsforeverseekingafirmerfoothold,wrigglingsnakelike

throughtheearth,splittingburiedrockswithaprimevalpowerthat

defiedcomprehension.

Thenextmove,nowpartofhisdailyritual,wastocheckthetiny

radiotransceiverhiddeninthehandleofhiscombatknife.Underthe

woodenside-pieceswasamarvelofmicrocircuitrywithanalphanumeric

keyboardonwhichyoucouldentertextordataforhigh-speed

transmissionatapre-settime.Incomingmessageswereprecededbya

signalthatswitchedontheelectronicmemory.Steveunclippedthe

tinystylusandactivatedtherecallbuttonwhichcausedanystored

messagestoscrollacrossthefifteen-characterliquidcrystal

display.

Elevenfamiliarlettersmarchedacrossthescreenfromrighttoleft

andhalted.MEMORYCLEAR.

Side-Winder,theundercoveragentwhohadhelpedhimstowawayonthe

wheelboat,hadhintedthatKarlstromhadbeenconcernedbySteve's

failuretokeepincontact.Therehadbeenreasonsforthat,butnow

hehadbeengiventhemeanstodosohehadnoexcusesandnowishto

increasethenaggingdoubtsabouthisloyaltytotheFederation.

Unawarethatthedevicehadbeenriggedtotransmithiscall-signat

regularintervals,StevehadprogrammedittobroadcastHGFRinMorse

codefortenminutestwiceadaysothatafixcouldbeobtainedonhis

position.

Whengivinghimtheknife,Side-Winderhadsaid,'TheFamilyalways

keeponeearclosetotheground."

Steve,evercurious,hadbeentryingtofigureouthow.

Themaximumrangeoftheradioknifewasfiftymiles.

Buthewasnow,attheveryleast,morethanathousandmilesfromthe

nearestway-stationorwagon-train.IftheFirstFamilywereableto

trackhim,theymusthaveinstalledsomekindofsecretnetworkonIron

Masterterritorywhichallowedthemtopickupandrelaythesignalshe

waspushingout.Sofar,hehaddrawnnoresponse.Okay.Maybethat

wasbecausehehadnotfiledanyprogressreportsoraskedforhelp.

Evenso,theycouldhavelethimknowthatsomebodywasontheother

endoftheline.

DespitehisyearsoftrainingattheFlightAcademy,Steve'sknowledge

ofradios-likethatofmostTrackers-waslimitedtotheir

performancespecifications,howtooperatethemandhowtoreplace

faultycircuitboards.

Elementarystuff.Allyouneededwastobeabletoread.

ThecommunicationsequipmentissuedtoTrackerscontaineddiagnostic

displayswhichtoldyouwhichbitsneededreplacing.Yougota

requisitionorder,drewthemfromthestores,andplugged'emin.It

waswiththecircuitboardsthatthemysterybegan.Theknowledge,

skillsandprocessesthathadledtotheirdesignandmanufacture,and

thefundamentalscientificprinciplesonwhichitwasallbased

remainedtheexclusivepreserveoftheFirstFamily.

Steveclosedupthehandleofhisknifeandreplacedthestripofrag

thathadbeenwrappedaroundit.Heknewhistransceiverwas

operationalbutwasthenetwork?Theonlysurewaytofindoutwasto

sendamaydaycall-theonethinghedarednotdo.Hewasinurgent

needofamapofNe-Issanwithalarge'X'markingthelocationofthe

HeronPool,andavideotapecontaininganinstantcourseinJapanese.

ButAMEXICOcouldsupplyhimwithneither.EvenifKarlstrom

condescendedtobailhimout,askyhook-MXslangforanairborne

rescue-wouldservenousefulpurpose,andthearrivalofabackup

squadwouldonlymakethingsmorecomplicatedthantheywerealready.

No.Hewasresponsibleforthepresentsituationandtheonlywayto

comeoutlookinggoodwastosolveitonhisown.

Stevemadealongrolloftheblanket,tiedtheendstogethersothat

hecouldcarryitloopedoverhisshoulder,andsetoffinsearchofa

stream.Inthesehillstheyweren'thardtofind.Hefilledhissmall

drinking-skin,thenslappedwateronhisfaceandarmsandattemptedto

ruboffsomeoftheaccumulatedgrime.

Theblackandbrownmarkingsonhisbodyremainedintact.Once

applied,thepaste-likedye,firstconcoctedbyalong-lostgeneration

ofMutes,wasimpervioustosweat,didnotstainorfade,andresisted

normalwearandtear.MrSnowhadtoldhimitcouldonlyberemoved

withtheaidofspecialfive-fingeredpinkleaves.

Whenscrubbedvigorouslyagainsttheskin,thecrushedfibresreleased

achemicalsubstancethatchangedthenatureofthedyesothatitwas

nolongerwaterproof.

Stevehadnothadtimetocheckouttheremovalprocesshimself,buthe

knewitworkedandhadbroughtabundleoftheleaveswithhimincase

heneededtomakeaquickidentityswitch.

HethoughtbacktothememorabledayhehadsecretlywatchedClearwater

andCadillac'comeclean'andre-ranthesubsequenteventsacrossthe

screeninsidehishead.Connectingwithhereyesonthenighthehad

bittenthearrowhadbeenafantasticsensation,butthediscoveryof

herunflawedbeautywasthemomentwhenhislifehadchanged;hadtaken

onnewmeaning.Eventshadconspiredtoforcethemapartbutonhis

returntothePlainfolk,MrSnowhadrevealedtheyweredestinedto

cometogether.Knowingwhathehadbeensenttodo,Stevehadtriedto

pushherfromtheforefrontofhismind,butwheneverhesawsparksof

sunlighttrappedintheripplesofacrystal-clearstreamhername

sprangtohislips.Whenheknelttodrinkinitscoolness,the

reflectionthatrosetotouchhislipswashers,nothisown.Shewas

everywhere.Theunbrokenblueofacloudlessskyrecalledhercalm,

unwaveringgaze;theslim-leggeddeercarriedthemselveswiththesame,

lithe,sure-footedgrace,thescentofwildflowersrecalledthe

garlandsinherhair.Nothinghadchanged.Hisfeelingsnowwerejust

asstrong,justasoverwhelmingasontheirlastnighttogetherwhen

shehadslidhernakedbodybetweenhissleeping-furs...

Hard-edgedrealitystagedacomeback,bringingthecurtaindownonhis

soft-focusreverie.Theunfulfilledlongingsarousedbysuchthoughts

werebetterburied.

Risingfromthestream,Stevefastenedhiscombatknifetotheinside

ofhisleftforearm,thenwoundasecondgrimystripofragaroundit,

makingitlooklikearudimentarysplint.Bythetimeanassailantgot

closeenoughtoseewhatitreallywas,thebladewouldbeattheir

throat.

.Therisingsunhadnotyetclearedthecrestofthehillinfrontof