'Don't you find it strange - being underground again?"

Steve grinned. 'It's a long story. But there is one thing I miss - Mr Snow."

Cadillac's eyes reflected his feelings at the mention of his old teacher's name. The too. When he died, it left a big hole in my life."

'In all our lives,' said Steve. 'He was a wise man who knew that life was not meant to be taken seriously." He eyed Cadillac. 'He gave us a lot of good advice. Maybe it's time we started acting on it."

'Yehh, maybe we should." Cadillac looked at the wrist.w.a.tch he'd taken from Fran. Six thirty-five. 'We'd better go. I'll send Roz in to say goodbye."

They shook hands briefly. Cadillac hesitated then said: 'About Mr Snow. This used to upset me but. he liked you. A lot."

Steve smiled. 'I like to think he did - even though I didn't always deserve it." He reached out and gripped Cadillac's shoulders. 'Thanks for telling me. I know what he meant to you."

'Take care .... ' Cadillac gave him a friendly thump on the ribs and headed for the door.

'I will! And Caddy-' 'Yeah?"

'I love the dress!" Roz came in. 'Caddy says we have to keep this short."

'Like the last time."

'You can always reach me."

'Are you happy?"

Yes. Very. Can't you sense it? This is how it was meant to be, Steve." She read his thoughts. 'We'll always be like brother and sister, but you must let go of the old me. The colours on my face and body are more than skin deep. They go right through to my soul! We are of the Plainfolk! I know you're involved with Fran, and I know why, but be careful. Don't let them tempt you into betraying us! You must help to free Clearwater!" 'I will!" Cadillac poked his head through the door. 'Roz!" 'I'm coming!" She embraced Steve. 'Give my love to Clearwater - and tell her we'll soon be together."

They walked out onto the verandah. Cadillac was hefting the stick he'd used to knock out Fran. He grinned, 'This is the bit I've been looking forward to.

Where d'you want it?"

'At the end of the verandah where Fran found me. It'll help keep the story straight." Steve got into position and kne;t down.

'I was thinking of a wound to the scalp - a little blood is always impressive - then a knock-out blow to the back of the head."

'Whatever. Just don't knock my brains out. I'm going to need my wits about me when I wake up."

Cadillac moved behind him. 'Okay, this may hurt."

'Go ahead. It's all in a good cause."

The first blow struck Steve on the right side of the head just above the temple, knocking him to the ground.

'Owww! f.u.c.k me!" He felt the blood start to trickle down his cheek.

Gritting his teeth, he raised himself groggily on all fours and then a thunder-bolt collided with the back of his skull ....

When he came to, Steve found himself lying gagged and bound inside the house, next to the body of Yoshijiro.

Sometime around dawn he heard the sound of horses, and a little while later, Skull-Face and two of his colleagues entered. Finding that Yoshijiro had been killed in their absence produced the predictable reaction, but again Steve didn't understand what they were saying.

Skull-Face looked at his head wound then cut him loose. Steve sat and nursed the lump that Cadillac had raised on the base of his skull. Get a grip on yourself, Brickman. It doesn't really hurt. You're a Mute, remember? Learn to shut off the pain. Yeah, thanks a bunch ....

'What happened?"

'What ...?" Steve blinked painfully. 'uhh, I'm not sure. We both heard voices. Speaking j.a.panese. Yoshijiro thought there were six of them. soldiers from the Palace... coming to search this place."

'They couldn't have been - otherwise you wouldn't be here."

'No... obviously .... ' 'Did you see them?"

'No. Your man wanted to take them out. I offered to help. We went outside. He went left, I went right - got as far as the end of the verandah and. that's the last thing I remember." Steve dropped his hands from his head and looked around in alarm. 'Where's Commander Jefferson?!" 'Gone missing,' said Fujiwara. 'That's one of the things that puzzles me. why did they leave you?"

Steve looked bewildered. 'Search me. If we knew who jumped us, maybe we'd have the answer."

'Yes." Skull-Face stared at him intently, but Steve's head wounds provided him with a perfect excuse to screw his eyes up and look away while he thought of what to say next.

'Does this mean our trip to the Federation is off?"

'No,' said Fujiwara.

'Because I'm sure I can cut you a deal. I don't have the same pull as Commander Jefferson, but I do have access to the President-General, and the head of AMEXICO."

'Good. We found some horses, but I think it's going to prove too dangerous to try for the mainland. We'll ride south to the coast and try to get hold of a boat."

'Now - in daylight?"

'It shouldn't be too difficult." Skull-Face swallowed a smile. 'This is supposed to be one of the strongholds of the Toh-Yota, but it's amazing the number of people that can be bought with money."

'That's something we don't have in the Federation."

'Wise decision."

Steve knew he was treading on dangerous ground but his need to know overrode his caution. 'You mentioned one of the things that was puzzling you, what was the other?"

'Ahh, yes." Skull-Face's inscrutable black-b.u.t.ton eyes fastened on Steve. 'I can't understand how Yoshijiro came to get himself killed with his own bow and arrow."

'I'm afraid that's partly my fault,' replied Steve. 'He gave it to me to use when we went outside to beat off the intruders and that's when .... ' 'You got hit on the head,' said SkullFace. He gazed at Steve intently then gave a satisfied nod.

'i'm sorry."

Skull-Face waved off the apology. 'These things happen .... ' It was some time later, when they were running south with a full head of sail away from Aron-Giren, that Steve discovered a major flaw in their escape plan.

Fujiwara and his three remaining colleagues had ditched the powerful hand-sets they had been using soon after hearing that Ichiwara had been caught red-handed!

Terrific. They were now left literally at sea, with no way of contacting AMEXICO or any other Federation agency or outpost. And that meant there would be no quick, cosy airlift from the beach at Cape Fear to Houston/GC. They were going to have to do it the hard way ....

Back in the Federation, Karlstrom had pa.s.sed the news of Fran and Steve's arrival to the President-General, and both now expected this to be followed up in a day or so by a progress report on their negotiations. Neither man had any inkling that the operator who had sent the message from the hidden radio room had been killed, along with Ieyasu and his top aides, for with their demise the lines between Ne-Issan and the Federation had gone dead.