'You went..."
'Yeah. And when I got there, I found a whole family of 'em - climbing
all over it. A big male, about nine feet tall on his hind legs, two
mothers and five cubs- ' 'Babies? Oh, I wish I'd been there!" 'I'm
glad you weren't. The port aileron had been torn off and they'd ripped
great holes in the underside of the wing. It was lucky I had my
carbine."
'Did you manage to drive them off?."
'And store up more trouble? Of course not. I killed them."
'Oh, Caddy! How could you?!" Roz pounded his shoulders with her
fists.
Cadillac caught them and squeezed hard. 'Listen!" he hissed. 'The
bear is an animal you don't mess around with. Those cuddly little
babies you're so upset about grow up to be big and mean, with paws
twice the size of a man's hand and claws that can tear your head off
your shoulders with one swipe!" Roz was surprisingly strong but it
wasn't the physical force she exerted that made him let go. It was the
look in her eyes. The same look that had chilled Steve to the
marrow.
'Not my head..." She stood up.
Cadillac got to his feet with a placatory gesture. 'I didn't mean to
hurt you. I was- ' 'You didn't..."
'Roz. There's another question I need an answer to.
The night we..."
'Yes, I remember..."
'When you went into the hut you said - "There is no need to stand
guard. My power will protect us both." Steve mentioned something
about it. Are you a summoner - like Clearwater?"
'A kind of summoner perhaps. I'm not sure. I have never seen anyone
use earth magic. And I have not seen or. read a seeing-stone, but now
and then - like you - my mind receives glimpses of the future."
'Why do you smile?"
'Because Steve has always thought he was gifted with a sixth sense,
second sight. But it was I who glimpsed what was going to happen, and
sent a message - in that same instant - into his mind."
