"Patrick Tilley - Amtrak 3 - Iron Master" - читать интересную книгу автора (Tilley Patrick)

post would mean a perilous journey across hostile turf held by the
D'Troit and the C'Natti, but by flying high he could evade the bolts
from their crossbows. And although it was asking a great deal, it
would be safer still if he was prepared to fly when the world slept
under Mo-Town's starry cloak. By leaving at sunset before the next
full moon he would - if all went well - reach his destination sometime
during the following day.

At this point, Mr Snow broke off and rummaged through his untidy pile
of possessions. After much cursing he eventually unearthed two folded
pieces of cloth which, when opened out, proved to be rectangular
banners made of fine white fabric.

In the centre of each was a blood-red disc - the mark of the Iron
Masters. The banners - which had been brought from Beth-Lem aboard one
of YamaShita's wheelboats - were to be fixed beneath the wings of the
arrowhead where they could be seen by people on the ground. To ensure
its safe reception, the craft was also required to give off a trail of
white smoke as soon as it reached Iron Master territory. Green rockets
- which Cadillac had seen fired into the sky on his last visit to the
trading post - would signal where he was to land.

So far so good. The Iron Masters appeared to have covered all the
angles. All except one - the possibility that Mr Snow might proceed to
embellish the agreed plan with a few details of his own. Cadillac was
to shed his body-paint and go disguised as a Tracker, wearing the
clothes of one of the fallen cloud warriors whose head was now staked
outside Clearwater's hut. With his clear skin, his newly acquired
knowledge and a short haircut, no one would suspect he was not a
Federation wingman. But there was more. The ribbon sewn above the
right-hand pocket of his tunic would identify him as '8902

BRICKMAN S.R."

The irony of the situation triggered a burst of shared laughter,
obliterating all thoughts of danger - and the equally daunting prospect
of losing his long black hair.

While Cadillac tried to strike a mental balance between the risks and
the benefits that might flow from accomplishing such a challenging
task, Mr Snow unveiled his final surprise. The craft Cadillac had
built would need an extra seat for his armed escort.

Clearwater.

Dressed as a She-Wolf, with her unblemished olive skin hidden under
swirling patterns of black and brown, Clearwater would pose as an
emissary from the clan M'CalI. Her real task was to provide moral
support and if the need arose - use her formidable powers as a summoner