[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
with a gasping wheeze.
A few moments later, the rear hatch opened and Kane and Domi climbed out.
"Thanks," Sky Dog said.
Kane snatched off the feathered bonnet. "For what?"
"For turning off this demon."
Kane smiled mirthlessly. "Wasn't my doing. The damn thing ran out of gas."
Sky Dog was both relieved and apprehensive. Leaving the monstrous vehicle to
crouch on the road didn't have much appeal for him.
"The Cats have extra fuel cans," Kane said reassuringly. "We can use them to
gas it up and move it."
He eyed Sky Dog's bloodied arm. "Bad?"
' 'Bad enough. It's broken.''
"Blood loss looks minimal. I think we can fix you up."
Kane stepped to the corner and peered around the wag. Flanked by four
horsemen, the column of
Magistrates shuffled down the highway, Abrams at its head. He attempted to
Page 34
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
maintain some shred of dignity, even though he limped very badly. The long
trek back to Cobaltville would be exceedingly painful for him, but Kane
couldn't muster much compassion.
Smoke continued to roil from the interior of the rocket-blasted Sandcat, but
not as much earlier.
"Better get some men to put out that fire," Kane said. "The thing may not be
roadworthy anymore, but you can salvage some parts for old Titano here."
82
JAMES AXLER
He affectionately patted the metal hide of the war wag.
Sky Dog shouted instructions to a group of warriors, and they busied
themselves tossing handfuls of dirt into the immobilized Cat and beating out
flames with blankets taken from their horses' backs.
Grant strode up from the grassland, wielding one of the Colt Commando
autorifles. "Six casualties," he reported. "Five dead." He paused, then added,
"Standing Bear is one of them."
Kane felt a pang of sadness. Weeks ago, he had fought Standing Bear and
defeated nun, more by trickery than skill. Rather than allow the warrior to be
dishonored, Kane had permitted him to put the mark of the trickster wolf on
his face. Unconsciously, he touched the thin scar on his cheek.
"What we do now?" Domi asked.
Grant hooked a thumb over his shoulder. "Assign a detail to attend to the dead
and wounded. Then we'll have to figure out how to get these wags off the
road."
Grimly, Domi said, "Still think we should chill Mags."
Sounding slightly aggrieved, Grant replied, "We explained that. If they don't
go back to Cobaltville, another party will be sent out. Bigger and better
armed and we probably won't be here."
"Baron Cobalt may send out another party anyway," declared Kane. "Not a recon
squad, but a full assault force. Sky Dog spit in his eye, humiliated him. But
now he knows enough to be cautious. And afraid."
Kane almost added
And vengeful, but he decided to let Sky Dog and his people enjoy their triumph
without worrying about the future.
Outer Darkness
83
He started around the war wag, saying to Sky Dog, "There'll be first-aid kits
in the Cats. We can start treating that arm and the other wounded."
He had walked only a few paces when his path was blocked by a group of
warriors. They regarded him with flinty eyes, and Kane came to a halt,
wondering if they were friends of Standing Bear and held him responsible for
his death. The plan had been his, after all. He surveyed their angular,
uncompromising faces, all of them fearsomely painted, and he reflex-ively
tensed his wrist tendons, preparing Ms hand to receive the Sin Eater. He
glared back at them.
As if that was a signal, a high-pitched ululating howl burst from the throats
of the assembled warriors.
They raised lances, knives and axes over their heads, shaking them at the sky.
They shouted two words over and over, "Unktomi Shunkaha! Unktomi Shunkaha!"
The braves voiced their tribute to the man who brought them victory, chanting
the name their comrade
Standing Bear had conceived as an insult, but now synonymous with cunning and
courage Trickster
Wolf.
Kane recalled what Brigid had said to him a short time ago after Tibetan
bandits had bestowed upon him the title of Tsyanis Khanpo, the King of Fear.
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]