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168
Jack L. Chalker
"They will fry in the netherhells for this!" the leader grumbled. "I will
chase them for eternity!"
"Never mind the regrets. Who put you up to this? And what's so special about
that woman?"
"Courier from the Masalur border," the Qatarung responded, giving up his
struggle. "They bring us news and link the cells together. They gave us the
descriptions of those three and at first said to let them pass if they came
by. About a week ago we had that changed. They didn't care about the magician
or the little one, but the tall, skinny one was to be taken at all cost and
whoever brought her to any active border post would be rewarded beyond their
dreams. That's what it said."
"Why?"
"How the hells should I know? First they said find a thin, pretty girl and a
fat one. Then they said never mind the thin, pretty girl, just kill the fat
one if you see her and bring something of her for a reward to prove you did
it. Then they say they want the tall. skinny one, but alive. We just try and
keep the orders straight and follow them. Fellow saw you all and recognized
you a couple days back. He contacted us last night and we came after you,
that's all."
"Are there more of you ahead?"
"I dunno. Maybe. Probably. Most of our side's gone to
Masalur, together with some of the tribal chiefs, to see the demonstration."
"What demonstration?"
"I don't know! They don't tell people like me stuff like that! Just that
anyone who wants proof of rebel victory should be at the border of Masalur hub
by the evening of the Feast of
Glicco. That's eleven days from now. It was supposed to be last week, but they
had to postpone it for some reason so they say then for sure. Most have
already left, 'cause you need big-shot magicians to get into Masatur and most
of them on our side'll be going to the hub border as well."
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"Thank you, my friend. You have been most helpful, in your own crude way,"
responded Halagar, and very cleanly and neatly slit the Qatarung's throat and
left him gurgling and writhing in the road, choking to death on his own blood,
next to the other two, one of whom had stopped all movement.
Halagar ignored them. "Damn! The gods know how far the horses have bolted, but
at least they bolted our way. Dorion, WAR OF THE MAELSTROM
369
pick up the guns. Boday, search those pouches on their loincloths for
ammunition. We may need these." He looked up at the sun. "We will also need
all the light we can get."
Boday came up with about twenty rifle bullets and six hand-loaded shotgun
shells. It wasn't much, but it was better than being almost totally
defenseless.
Halagar held one rifle in his left hand and took Charley's hand with his right
and began walking down the road.
For Charley, the attack and the brutal defense had been a mixture of sounds
and long-term fear, but she'd simply fallen back and hoped that it would all
miss her and it had. She still wasn't very sure of Halagar, but at least today
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he'd earned his pay.
"Surely they must have mistaken us," Boday insisted as they walked. "It is
insane. Why would they want Boday?
Perhaps, within tall, short, fat, thin, man, woman, we all look alike to
them."
"Uh-uh," Dorion responded. "They knew who we were.
Magician, pretty little one, tall skinny one and even that reference to the
fat one. And their news was recent, too, because they knew the hunt for
Charley had been called off, and were apparently ahead of the gang back at the
borders or they'd have taken us. That means the word is going back from
Masalur's border where the bigwigs are. No, they weren't very good at being a
rebel band, but they knew a jackpot when they saw it and went after it, and
apparently you're it.
The question now is why? As near as I can figure, you just came along for the
ride through all this. Something you know? No, that can't be it. You've been
with us since the
Kudaan, so anything you know we should know, too."
"Boday came along because her darling Susama needed her and needed to be
protected," the artist pointed out. "And to find new inspiration."
"Beats hell out of me," Halagar agreed. "I can't figure it, and I sure didn't
figure it. It means we're going to have to find some kind of disguise for you
at the next and last border crossings, though, and stay out of real
visibility."
But as they walked it kept going through Dorion's brain, again and again. Why
Boday? Why particularly Boday? The only thing she'd done that in any way
linked her to this was
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170 Jack L. Chalker that she'd made that rattier bizarre
marriage to the missing
Sam, and. . . .
He snapped his fingers. "Yeah! That's it! It must be it!"
He turned to Boday. "1 knew you were married to this Sam, Susama, or whoever,
but I figured it was kind of a love match. I never really connected. . . .
That marriage spell you got that's a real civil Tubikosan marriage spell? To
her?
They actually let you do that?"
Boday nodded. "Indeed yes. It is considered immoral, true, but it is not
illegal. In fact, it is actually mandatory if one is going to do it, since
they wish their ha! deviants known and registered and classified instead of
hidden, so we can be kept in our own place and not sully the temples or be [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]