another twenty or so years ahead of him.
Trackers who avoided a violent death usually died from natural causes
between the age of 40 and 45. But Steve had discovered that he and his
kin-sister Roz were Plainfolk Mutes - smooth-boned clear-skinned
'super-straights' - reared in the underground world of the
Federation.
For some reason he had yet to fathom, Mutes had a greater life
expectancy than Trackers, remaining alert and active into their
mid-sixties. Like the First Family.
They were also immune to the lethal radiation still present in the
atmosphere - again like the First Family - a fact that had only become
apparent to Steve after his arrival in Cloudlands.
At the first mention of the name he had guessed it was an overground
installation, but he had been surprised to discover it was not a sealed
environment. The entire estate was open to the sky.
Given the favourable circumstances in which he found himself, Steve
decided it was wiser to accept the situation without comment, but it
raised several questions that were impossible to ignore. The problem
was - how could he discover the answers without jeopardising his
newly-acquired life-style and the prospects of further promotion?
His delicate balancing act inside the First Family was not the only
problem he had to contend with. Clearwater was still held in 'soft
confinement' at the Life Institute.
Her shattered left thigh was mending well and she was expected to take
her first tentative steps in September - the same month in which the
Plainfolk were due to hold their first council at Sioux Falls: an item
of news which Steve had not yet passed on to his masters. The child
Clearwater was carrying within her was scheduled for delivery in
mid-December. The official Federation calendar- designed for an
underground world untouched by the passing seasons - had discarded the
twelve pre-H months in favour of four quarters and three terms, but
even after nine centuries old habits die hard.
The fact that he had actually fathered a child was something else Steve
found difficult to accept. And he was not quite sure how he was meant
to react to the situation. From the moment he was old enough to
understand, Steve had been taught that the President-General was the
Father of All Life, but now even that - one of the basic tenets of
Trackerdom - was no longer true.
His feelings for Clearwater had not changed, but they were now tinged
with a certain confusion and more than a little guilt. He kept telling
himself that his physical relationship with Fran was nothing more than
