[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]leaving the Idol behind.
No, Englor had discovered Dimension X and sent at least one full-scale
expedition into it. (Never mind whether there was more than one Englor. That
way lay madness.) The Englorians had left the gun here, the inhabitants of
Latan had found it, and they had made it into an Idol. That seemed the best
explanation for everything Blade had seen here. He remembered with uneasy
clarity Lord Leighton's words about the
Dimension X secret probably not really being much of a secret anymore.
And if Englor discovered inter-Dimensional travel at least two centuries ago,
what had they done with it since then? Except that it might not be two
centuries to Englor's Dimension; it might be only a few years.
There were too bloody many questions running around loose for Blade's peace of
mind. He decided to start reducing them as fast as he could. Step one was to
pick up the Idol and the magazines and stow them away in his pack. Step two
was to get back outside.
Step three was to get out of Rutari territory as fast as possible. Blade knew
he just might find a few answers by exploring these caves, but it was likely
that somebody would notice the missing sentries, draw the appropriate
conclusions, and make more trouble than he and Crystal and Cheeky could
handle.
Blade scooped the magazines into his pack and picked up the gun. The UZI's
plastic sling was cracked and yellow with age and spotted with mold. Blade
unhooked it and left it on the altar, making a mental note to make a new sling
out of some of the leather thong once they were out of the cave. A sling would
leave both hands free for a useable weapon like his bow and arrow. He couldn't
imagine that the UZI
was still useable, and even if it wasn't a piece of junk, the ammunition would
have deteriorated hopelessly.
Blade grabbed Crystal and said, "We have the Idol. Let us take it to its
lawful home among your people before the Rutari come."
Crystal nodded and found the leather thong. They followed the thong back to
the entrance of the cave.
Outside they delayed their leaving just long enough for Blade to find a deep
crevice in the side of the valley. He dropped the two dead sentries and all
their gear down the crevice. It was now getting toward the rainy season in
this part of the mountains; one good storm would wash away any bloodstains. If
it looked as if the sentries had vanished by magic, it might sow fear among
the Rutari and delay their pursuit, giving the Uchendi more time to prepare
for the attack.
With Cheeky on Blade's back, he and Eye of Crystal walked hand and hand into
the mist as the valley of the Idol vanished behind them.
Chapter 24
They were in Uchendi territory, as far as Blade and Crystal could remember.
They'd been in it since dawn, and both now looked forward to a good night's
sleep with no worries about mounting guard.
Cheeky shared their pleasure, though Crystal had been heard to grumble that he
hadn't shared the sentry duty. Although there had been no physical or
telepathic signs of pursuit, they still couldn't take chances.
"It would be just too shameful for us to end up spitted by some ezinti herder
either of us could have slain with one hand," Crystal said. "I will not go
into the Great Sleep merely to gain more of the Little Sleep."
Page 87
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Very sharp indeed, thought Blade. Eye of Crystal had enough common sense about
war, apart from what he was teaching her, to make a good war chief. Of course
they weren't going to let her take that job, but this wisdom might ease her
way to becoming She Who Guards the Voice. She'd have to play that one herself,
though. He wasn't likely to be around to advise her.
Now it looked as if they might not be able to sleep easy tonight after all.
There were too many small signs of a large mounted party in the area-ezinti
droppings and a few tracks, traces of campfires and latrines imperfectly
hidden.
"Maybe it is Uchendi," said Eye of Crystal.
"Maybe," said Blade. "But then why would they be trying to hide at all?" Both
tribes were careful about leaving clean campsites; they were natural
ecologists. But neither spent the extra time involved in concealing all their
traces when they were in friendly territory.
"You think the enemy is ahead of us?"
"I think we should be ready for the worst."
Blade debated with himself the idea of burying the Idol, then the two of them
splitting up and heading south separately. One of them should make it home and
be able to lead the Uchendi back to the person with the Idol. However, the
Rutari might already be watching them. Besides, he was reluctant to leave
Crystal, and she would almost certainly refuse to leave him.
They moved on, eyes roaming the landscape, hands close to weapons. Blade had
his bow strung and wished that he had a functional UZI or even a good
automatic pistol with an extra magazine . . . .
They came up to the bank of a stream, and Blade looked carefully up and down
it, then at the hillside above the far bank. Lots of rocks and stunted trees,
but nothing within spear-throw. He motioned Eye of
Crystal forward after him. As she came she unslung their waterskins from her
belt and dipped them into the stream.
Blade stepped up onto the far bank. Crystal was reslinging the bulging
waterskins when suddenly the hillside sprouted human figures. Blade froze,
then grabbed wildly for his bow, turned to shout to Eye of
Crystal-then recognized the figures as Uchendi archers, raising and drawing
their bows. Only one actually let fly, but that arrow went thuk into the
gravel bank no more than a yard from Blade. He pulled it out and waved it at
the archers, not sure whether he should curse them for their taste in
practical jokes or praise them for their skill in laying the ambush. If all
those archers had let fly, he and Crystal and Cheeky would now be punctured
corpses turning the stream pink.
Cheeky was yeeeping with the tone Blade recognized as his laughter.
("All right, you little bugger, what's so funny?")
("You are, Master. I felt you getting ready to die, when I knew the Masters on
the hill were friends.")
("You-you heard their minds?") For a moment Blade felt like dunking the
feather-monkey in the stream to improve his manners.
("Yes. I am sorry if it was a wrong thing. I would have told you if I heard
the minds of the bad Rutari
Masters.")
("I should bloody well hope so!") Cheeky might be more intelligent now, but he
was still an incorrigible practical joker. Blade shuddered at the thought of
the feather-monkey's getting in telepathic contact with the Project's
computer-then realized that under controlled conditions that might be a rather
valuable experiment.
Meanwhile, the Uchendi warriors were running down the hillside toward Blade
and Crystal, laughing and shouting their war cries. They ran up to Blade, each
boasting about his skill in finding a hiding place.
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