Part 4 (2/2)

Cadillac stared at her in surprise. 'So... that evening, when the two of us were on the sh.o.r.e of Lake Mi-s.h.i.+ga and I saw the sea burning, it was you and not Steve ' '- who saw you trapped underwater and about to drown. Yes. From that moment on I knew you were both approaching a point of extreme danger. I didn't have the full picture, but I kept my mind open - ready to receive and act upon Steve's call the minute he came through.”

'Amazing...”

'No more amazing than the gifts you and Clearwater possess. I'm glad I was there to help. Otherwise you and I wouldn't be here now.”

'No. This other power Steve spoke of...”

'Ahh, you mean this... ?”

Cadillac found himself looking at Clearwater. And then, as he reeled back in astonishment, Clearwater became Steve Brickman, and then, before he could react fully, Brickman became Mr Snow!

'Old One!” cried Cadillac, stumbling forward.

Mr Snow, his blue eyes twinkling, reached out to steady his young protege, and chuckled mischievously.

'Did you think I had abandoned you? Why do you think I brought you together with this young girl?”

It was incredible. The voice! Every detail of his face!

The odour of the skins that made up his long cloak. The bony hands, attached to sinewy arms full of vigour! He could not be imagining this, it was far too real! Mr Snow had not died on the wagon-train.

He had come back!

'Don't go, Old One,' he begged. 'Stay with us!” Mr Snow met his plea with another throaty chuckle.

'Fear not! As long as you keep my memory alive in your heart, I shall never be far away from you. The powers that were gifted to me by Talisman now dwell within her and will protect you both in times of danger! Love her and cherish her and - above all - be valiant! There are perilous times ahead!” So saying, Mr Snow turned on his heel, his outstretched arm describing a great sweeping arc on the ground and, as he turned full circle, Cadillac found himself surrounded by a ring of D'Troit warriors, armed to the teeth and baying for blood. His stomach turned over and his mind went numb. It was like being thrown into a pit with the Hounds of h.e.l.l.

He turned to Mr Snow for help, but the Old One had vanished. Looking down, he found a Tracker carbine in his hands. There was a bayonet mounted under the barrel cl.u.s.ter and magazines in all three breeches.

With trembling fingers he selected full auto and began firing from the hip, spinning round to cover the circle as the screaming warriors closed in.

Volley upon volley of needle-point rounds chewed holes in their bodies, and shredded their faces in a spray of blood. But as each man went down, two more appeared to take his place! On they came - drawing closer and closer - the sunlight catching their flickering, probing blades.

The roar of their voices drowned his senses. He kept firing, firing, severing knife arms, pulverising bone and muscle. He could feel their hot breath, their spittle on his face. He drove the bayonet savagely into the nearest body, felt the barrels of the carbine press against the chest of the warrior as the blade sank in up to the hilt - and found himself looking into the grinning face of Shakatak D'Vine! He shut his eyes but he could not blot out the vision, could not escape from the nightmare that had engulfed him. He felt his own body convulse with shock as a dozen ice-cold steel blades pierced his flesh, felt the hot rush of blood, the screaming pain, the crus.h.i.+ng, suffocating weight as the warriors fell upon him and began to tear him limb from limb .Oh, Sweet Mother. Save me. Ahhh. A-AHHH. AAA-AA-AA HHHHHH.

As his brain caved in, overwhelmed by terror, his physical and mental agonies vanished. An incredible lightness filled his body and, with it, a wonderful sense of release. He felt a cool hand upon his brow, the soft touch of lips upon his mouth. He opened his eyes and found Roz kneeling beside him.

What was she doing here? Had they killed her too? Cadillac stared at her for a while, unable to understand then, as the memories of his death flooded back into his mind, he threw his hands across his face.

And when that failed to halt the tide of blood, he turned over on his belly and hugged the ground.

Roz stroked the back of his neck and whispered, 'It's all right. You are safe. It's over.”

Cadillac smelt the gra.s.s and the earth beneath him. It seemed real enough. He slowly eased himself up onto his elbows and scanned, his immediate surroundings. They were alone. No shattered bodies, no blood, nothing.

The D'Troit warriors whose breath, weight and steel had overwhelmed him had been summoned out of thin air. In recreating Shakatak, Roz had drawn upon and fleshed out his deepest fears. And she had used the same power to transform herself- in his eyes - into the Old One, Clearwater and Brickman.

<script>