Part 4 (1/2)

'Is it this meeting of the Plainfolk at Sioux Falls?”

'Partly. That and staying alive.”

Roz placed her hands on his thighs, leant forward and kissed the base of his throat. 'Our lives are in the hands of Talisman. I never thought I'd have to tell you that.”

'You don't. It was, well - a slip of the tongue. When something good happens to you - like what's happening between us, you don't want to lose it ... makes you realise how precious life is.”

'And how precarious...”

'Exactly. The four of us may have been born in the shadow of Talisman but that doesn't mean to say we're destined to live happily ever after.” He saw her eyes cloud over and moved on rapidly. 'Sioux Falls is about five hundred miles from here. We ought to leave soon to make sure of getting there in good time.”

The image of the fearsome Shakatak D'Vine and the vicious duel they fought came into his mind. 'Thing is-there are quite a few D'Troit and C'Natti clans between here and Sioux Falls. They may not be too pleased to find us treading on their turf.”

'We could always fly there.”

Cadillac shook his head. 'We can't. Remember those bear steaks we had the other day?”

'unforgettable. They were enough to put me off meat for the rest of my life.”

'Yeah, well, I collected those up in the hills when I went up to check out the Skyhawk.Didn't set out to, but I found myself halfway there, so...”

'You went...”

'Yeah. And when I got there, I found a whole family of 'em - climbing all over it. A big male, about nine feet tall on his hind legs, two mothers and five cubs- ' 'Babies? Oh, I wish I'd been there!” 'I'm glad you weren't. The port aileron had been torn off and they'd ripped great holes in the underside of the wing. It was lucky I had my carbine.”

'Did you manage to drive them off?.”

'And store up more trouble? Of course not. I killed them.”

'Oh, Caddy! How could you?!” Roz pounded his shoulders with her fists.

Cadillac caught them and squeezed hard. 'Listen!” he hissed. 'The bear is an animal you don't mess around with. Those cuddly little babies you're so upset about grow up to be big and mean, with paws twice the size of a man's hand and claws that can tear your head off your shoulders with one swipe!” Roz was surprisingly strong but it wasn't the physical force she exerted that made him let go. It was the look in her eyes. The same look that had chilled Steve to the marrow.

'Not my head...” She stood up.

Cadillac got to his feet with a placatory gesture. 'I didn't mean to hurt you. I was- ' 'You didn't...”

'Roz. There's another question I need an answer to.

The night we...”

'Yes, I remember...”

'When you went into the hut you said - ”There is no need to stand guard. My power will protect us both.” Steve mentioned something about it. Are you a summoner - like Clearwater?”

'A kind of summoner perhaps. I'm not sure. I have never seen anyone use earth magic. And I have not seen or. read a seeing-stone, but now and then - like you - my mind receives glimpses of the future.”

'Why do you smile?”

'Because Steve has always thought he was gifted with a sixth sense, second sight. But it was I who glimpsed what was going to happen, and sent a message - in that same instant - into his mind.”