she stammered. 'It was just a feeling that *.. that built up after the first time it happened. When Steve was shot down, those two people who brought me here came to see me over at the medical school and '

'And asked you a lot of questions."

'Yes, sir."

'To which you gave evasive replies."

'I was scared. I - I didn't want to say anything in case they took me off the course. I didn't know what to do.

Nothing like this had ever happened to me before."

'Not the wounding, perhaps. But don't play games, Roz. You've known about this special gift you and Steven share for a long time. So let's have nothing but the truth from now on. A lot of people are depending on you. Do you understand what I mean?"

'Yes, sir." Play ball or Steve, Annie and Poppa-Jack will get shafted.

Along with John Chisum and her fellow students who had been 'tunnelling out' with the aid of his Sat.u.r.day Night Specials.

Karlstrom got up, came round the desk and hoisted his b.u.t.t on to the front edge. He was now only a few inches away from where she sat with her hands nervously clasped together. 'Can you read my mind, Roz?"

She looked up at him. This time her eyes and voice didn't waver. 'No, sir."

'Pity..." Karlstrom laid a fatherly hand on her shoulder. 'I would have liked you to discover for yourself the very positive feelings we have for you and Steven."

'We'? Who was 'we'? The First Family?

'You two have always been regarded as ... very special people. People with extraordinary gifts who one day - might be able to place the powers they possess at the service of the Federation. It would not be an exaggeration to say that you and Steven, along with...

certain others . . . could one day tip the scales in our favour in the battle for the Blue-Sky World." Karlstrom paused, then placed both hands on her shoulders.

'Steven is already engaged in that battle, Roz. He's out there now and he may be in trouble - although if it was serious, I imagine you would already know about it."

Roz felt her heart skip a beat. 'What do you want me to do?"

'We've lost contact with him. It could be simply because his radio has stopped working. Or it may be something else entirely."

Like the fact that the devious sonofab.i.t.c.h may have sold out on us...

Karlstrom's fingers tightened their grip. 'I want you to get in touch with him, Roz. I need to know how he is, and where he is. It's very important."

'I'll do my best, sir,' she whispered.

'Good girl. I have something here which may help."

Karlstrom went over to a wall-storage unit, pulled a map out of a tube and unrolled it across the desk top. 'Bring your chair in closer."

Roz slid the chair forward so that her knees touched the inset front panel of the desk and took a look at the map. It was printed in greens and browns to show the physical features of the terrain. The right-hand edge met a slab of pale blue. 'Where is this?"

'It's part of the north-east coast of America. That blue area is water. The Atlantic Ocean. This map shows the way it was before the Holocaust. Before the Mutes came and burned everything to the ground."

Karlstrom pointed to a navref point named Pittsburgh. 'This is where Steve landed . . . ' His finger moved from west to east along the Pennsylvania Turnpike. 'We think he went along this road and-' His finger stopped at the feature that Steve had christened 'Big D'. 'And we lost touch with him somewhere around here."

Roz ran her fingers along the route traced by Karlstrom and described several circles around Big D, then she closed her eyes and reached out towards Steve with her mind.

Karlstrom's voice continued to filter through. 'He went out to capture Clearwater, Roz. That's why we need you to help us. We want to do everything to make sure he gets back safely. If you can help us do that I promise we will never allow Clearwater to come between you and Steven again . . ."

Roz's body suddenly went limp. Her head dropped backwards, eyes closed, lips parted. Karlstrom caught her as she swayed and laid her gently against the back of the chair, then stood by ready to catch her in case she was seized by convulsions. He had never been involved this closely with a sensitive before, and watching her made him feel uneasy.

The Federation needed people with these powers in case the Talisman Prophecy turned out to be an accurate picture of future events. That was why the secret breeding programme had been initiated.

The question was - once their powers were officially recognised and unleashed - would the First Family be able to control them?

Karlstrom came out of his reverie as Roz stirred. Her eyes snapped open, widening into an unblinking stare. Whatever it was she was looking at was far beyond the confines of the room. Without looking down at the map, she reached out and found Big D, then traced her way unerringly along the circular route n.o.buro had taken to reach the post-house at Midiritana.

From there, her fingertips moved north along a route that pa.s.sed through a series of navref points -pre-Holocaust Urban areas known as Mahandy City, Hazelton and Wilkes-Barre - to Scranton, then over the border into Lord Yamaos.h.i.ta's domain to Binghampton, then to Albany on the western bank of the Hudson River - now a busy ferry crossing known to the Iron Masters as Aribani.

'He is here,' murmured Roz.

Karistrom looked over her shoulder. The map he had given her to work with did not show the various domains or the limits of Iron Master territory, but he knew from the data fed back from mexicans such as SideWinder that everything west of the Hudson river at this point belonged to the Yama-s.h.i.ta. On the eastern side lay the lands of the Shogun's family - the Toh-Yota - and beyond that, Lord Min-Orota's domain.

'What's he doing?"

'He sleeps. He has been running."

'Running? Running away? Is someone after him?"

'No, he runs because he chooses to. He..." Roz frowned as she concentrated on deciphering the images she was picking up. 'He has been given messages to carry."

'Who for?"

Roz tried again, then shook her head. 'I cannot say.

The man who has given him this task has no name." She made another attempt. 'His face and body are hidden in darkness. Only his eyes..."

She pressed her hands against her forehead. 'He makes false promises.

My brother knows this man is dangerous but he is also powerful. By agreeing to work with him he is able to go where he wishes."

'What kind of shape is Steve in?"

Roz smiled to herself. 'He is tired, but he is fit and well. He has found Clearwater ' 'Is she with him?" asked Karlstrom abruptly.

'Not any longer. They have met but have not. been together."

'Does she still feel the same way about him?"

Karlstrom saw Roz's eyes screw up tight. The blunt question upset her.

It was meant to. Her hatred for Clearwater was the McGuffin that would keep this little pixel in a co-operative frame of mind.