a smart career move; a means by which - through his new status and the
valuable contacts he was making - he would be better able to organise
their escape from the Federation.
But although he wanted to secure freedom for Clearwater and her child
their child - he was beginning to lose the absolute certainty that his
future lay with the Plainfolk. Steve was confident that in any contest
for leadership of The Chosen, he would beat Cadillac hands down, but it
was no longer that simple. The emergence of Roz as the fourth element
in the equation had upset his calculations. Their guard-mother's
revelation that they had been exchanged for her own new-born children,
and as a consequence might not be related by blood, had undermined the
kin-folk bond. They might still be linked by the mid-bridge but Roz
was no longer under his control - the little sister content to bask in
his shadow.
Steve could not understand why the mysterious force that the Mutes
called 'destiny' - and which had so favoured him - had brought Roz and
Cadillac together, but he knew his rival would grab this heaven-sent
opportunity to even the score. He would make the most of the situation
and might even succeed in turning Roz against him. If she were to
place her new, frightening power at Cadillac's disposal, it would be a
whole new ball-game.
nd where would Clearwater - who from his own observations while on the
Red River wagon-train had developed an unexpectedly close rapport with
Roz stand in all this?
It was, Steve decided, a potentially dangerous situation.
If he did not tread carefully, he could find himself the odd man out.
And if that was so, it would be better off to remain where he was - in
the Federation. But how could he sell that idea to Clearwater?
The short answer was- he couldn't. She would regard it as a complete
and utter betrayal. And half of him agreed with her. Her return to
the Plainfolk had been promised by Mr Snow. Steve had seen enough to
convince him that prophetic visions and utterances were not to be taken
lightly, but the other, darker half of his psyche found itself
increasingly attracted to an alternative scenario based on the
breathtaking supposition that the First Family themselves might be
super-straights or, at the very least, were Trackers who had interbred
with this rare, gifted type of Mute.
Steve had no hard proof, but once the germ of this idea had entered his
head, it began to make more and more sense. Externally, super-straight
Mutes were indistinguishable from Trackers. They also shared one
important attribute with the known members of the First Family - both
were immune to atmospheric radiation.
