'Yeah.You'llseethelandingstagefortheferryabouthalfamile

downriver.IfIwereyouI'dkeepwellclearoftheroadbetween

sun-upandsunset.Especiallyoverthenextfewdays.Yama-Shitaand

hiscrowdareduetotravelthatwaytomorrow.There'sgoingtobea

lotofpeoplegatheringattheroad-sidetopaytheirrespectsashe

goesthrough."

'Willyoubestayinghere?"

The?No.Theseboatscarryshipmentsallovertheplace."

'Inthatcase,Imayseeyouagainsometime."

'Maybe..."Side-Winderuncoiledalengthofropeandloweredit

overtheside.

Steveslungthequarterstaffacrosshisbackandsliddownintothe

water.Assoonasheletgooftherope,Side-Winderpulleditbackin

andshutthehatch.Stevestruckoutforthefarbankandcameashore

nearaclumpoftreesthatreacheddownalmosttothewater'sedge.

Unrollinghiswalkingskinshedressedquicklyandtookstockofhis

surroundings.Beyondthetreeswasalargepatchofnewlycultivated

grounddividedintoneatsquares.Keepingtothepathsseparatingthe

squareplots,Steveworkedhiswayroundtowardsthelandingstageand

tookcoverbehindaclusterofwoodenshackswithlightedwindows.A

smallknotofpeoplestoodbytheroadsidewhereitslopeddowntowards

theriver.

Edgingcloser,Stevesawtheywereunmaskedred-stripesarmedwith

swordsandbows.Therewerefourofthemgatheredroundafireburning

insidewhatlookedlikeapiercedmetalbucket.Thesightofthemwas

atimelyreminderthathewouldhavetoproceedwithcaution.There

mightbeothercheckpointsfurtheron.

Retreatingintothedarkness,Stevewentdownapathleadingdirectly

awayfromtheriver,climbedoverawallattheendandturnedontothe

roadabouthalfamilefromthelandingstage.Theroadhadabare

dirtsurface.

Acrosstheriver,beyondthelineofwarehousesanddockbuildings,the

horizonwasaflame.Aflickeringorangeglowpushedbackthevelvet

nightandlittheundersidesofbillowingdriftsofwhite,brownand

greysmoke.TheFire-PitsofBeth-Lem.Hisvisittherewouldhaveto

wait.Hehadother,morepressingbusinesstoattendto.Witha

quickeningheart,heturnedeastandstrodeforwardconfidently.Each

newstepalongtheroadbroughthimnearertoClearwaterandanew

adventure.HehadbeenthefirstTrackertoreturnalivefromthe

Plainfolk.Ifnotthefirst,hewouldbeoneoftheselectfewto

returnalivefromthelandoftheIronMasters.Andthistime,he

wouldnotreturnempty-handed.

Ashepushedonintotheenvelopingdark,Stevehadnoideathat

Clearwater,asamemberofLordYamaShita'sentourage,waspreparingto

passthenightinconsiderablymorecomfortontheothersideofthe

river.

Butshehadsensedhisfleetingpresenceandknewtheywouldmeetagain

asforetoldinthestone.Untilthatmoment,thepowerthatshehad

pouredintothequarterstaffwouldprotecthim.

IntheFederation,Commander-GeneralKarlstromalsohadreasontofeel

confident.Intheessentialfield-tests,Brickmanhadprovedhe

possessedtherequiredcourage,endurance,.dedicationandruthlessness

requiredofeverymexican.Allinall,ithadbeenamostsatisfactory

performancebutthenaggingdoubtsabouthisloyaltyremained.

AfterlearningfromHighSierraaboutthedestructionoftheback-up

squad,KarlstromhadbecomeconcernedatBrickman'sfailuretomaintain

contacteventhoughhehadthemeanstodoso.Hisonlyconsolation

wasthatRozBrickman,whowasunderconstantsurveillance,hadnot

displayedanysignsofphysicaldistresssinceBrickmanhad

successfullyrejoinedtheM'Calls.Therehadonlybeenoneinstanceof

psychosomaticwounding-whenshehaddevelopedbriefsympatheticskin

lesionsonherribcageandleftarm.Hergeneralconditionand

demeanourindicatedthatBrickmanwasstillverymuchaliveandthe

latestsignalfromSide-Winderconfirmedthathewasalsooncourse.

HismeetingwithBrickmanhadbeenmostfortuitous.OnKarlstrom's

instructions,hehadgivenBrickmananewradio-knifethatcontainedan

additionalrefinement.Itautomaticallybroadcastanintermittent

signalthatalloweditspositiontobeaccuratelyplottedevenif

Brickmanfailed,ordecidednottomakecontact.

AslongashekepttheknifeinhispossessiontheFirstFamilywould

knowwheretofindhim.