[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
want to know what Cloptans are doing here trying to take us out."
"You aren't the only one," Tony agreed, and trotted over to some of the
workers who were tending the water tank.
file:///F|/rah/Jack%20L.%20Chalker/Chalker,%2...20-%20Gods%20at%20the%20Well%2
0of%20Souls.TXT (97 of 157) [7/1/03 1:20:25 AM]
file:///F|/rah/Jack%20L.%20Chalker/Chalker,%20Jack%20L%20-%20...of%20Souls%200
3%20-%20Gods%20at%20the%20Well%20of%20Souls.TXT
Julian looked around at the high mountains and dense forest with its puffs of
fog and frowned. "I
don't like this. I feel very exposed here." "You went through that whole nasty
Page 114
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
business at that underground nest of cutthroats, and this beautiful spot
makes you more nervous?" Anne Marie responded, a bit amused by the contrast.
"We were attacking there, and they had to contend with us," Julian reminded
her. "Now we're the sitting targets." She looked around and above them and
then seemed to see something. Her Erdomese eyes adjusted for the long view,
bringing the bluff into clearer view as if through mild binoculars.
"Something?" Anne Marie asked, a bit nervous again. "I thought I saw something
on that bluff, but
I can't be sure. Whoever it was is gone now, though." She kept watching the
area just to make sure.
Anne Marie twisted around and rummaged through her saddle packs, bringing out
a medium-bore rifle with a scope and a clip of ammunition, which she inserted
into the stock.
She checked it, then raised it to her shoulder and panned the area, looking
through the scope.
"Can you really shoot that thing straight?" Gus asked her worriedly. "My great
uncle Reggie used to sit around and tell the family stories about his war in
Burma. I'm not sure we believed them, but he was a member of the Aldstone
Downs Shooting Club, and he took me with him once when I was still rather
young. Took pity on me, I suppose-young girl in a wheelchair and all that. I
watched them shoot some clay pigeons, but it looked rather silly. They had a
rifle range there, though, and Reggie wanted to show off how good a shot he
was to his unbelieving niece. He was quite good, I might say, and just for a
lark he let me try it from the chair. It proved quite a good platform for
small-bore. He'd take me back now and then because I liked it so much.
Finally stopped, though, when I began outshooting him." She sighed. "He's
long dead now, but these are stronger arms, better eyes, and a much better
platform."
"I wish I could hold something that would shoot," Julian commented, still
looking. "My own abilities seem to be purely defensive and useful only close
in." She finally looked away, and after a moment Anne Marie lowered the rifle.
"You are sure you saw someone up there?" Anne Marie asked her. "I'm sure. But
who knows? It might be one of the elusive natives for all I can tell about
them."
"Stay here, all of you," Gus said. "I'm going to go look for myself." Terry
started to follow, but he cut her short. "No! They can't see me, but they can
see you now."
Tony came back over, noticing the rifle. "What happened?"
"Julian thinks someone is up there. Gus has gone to check," Anne Marie told
her. "In the meantime, I thought we'd be ready just in case,"
"Interesting," Tony said, thinking and looking at the bluff. "The
Cloptans-almost certainly
Campos with what might well be Mavra and possibly Lori as well-arrived just
before dark last night. They went off in that direction, toward the
northwest, leaving much of their baggage behind one of the train sheds, and
weren't seen or heard of again. The colonel and five Cloptans came in this
morning, fully armed and with horses and pack mules, left that one back here,
and set off after the first group. They, too, haven't returned." Julian shook
her head slowly from side to side and said, "I wish Gus was back from his
scouting. I seem to remember him saying
Campos was from a pretty wild area, maybe the jungle, back on Earth."
"So?"
"Nobody with any survival experience would go into an unknown wilderness at
nightfall. No roads, no trails to speak of. It doesn't make any sense. And why
northwest? Why back yourself up against the equator, which I am told is a
solid wall like the Zone wall in Erdom? I kept trying to think what I would
do in their place." She clicked her two hoofed hands together. "That's it!"
They never went anywhere! I'll bet you they're right up there in a solid
defensive position!"
"We should know when Gus comes back," Tony said optimistically. "Until then I
Page 115
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pldoc.pisz.plpdf.pisz.plalternate.pev.pl
|
|
|
