"Tilley, Patrick - The Amtrack Wars 05 - Death Bringer [txt]" - читать интересную книгу автора (Tilley Patrick)

Mo-Town, the Great Sky-Mother had withdrawn into the Black Tower of
Tamla to weep for her people. Many would perish but the Plainfolk
would survive and become a great nation under the banner of Talisman.

As a Mute, a revered sage and walking history book of the Clan m'call,
Mr Snow knew that the journey through the Valley of Death had to be
undertaken with as much good grace as one could muster. The Wheel
turned, The Path was drawn. Human beings could not change their
destiny; it was the hubris of the unenlightened that fostered the cruel
illusion they could do so.

But meanwhile, three of the principal players were missing. Where in
the name of Talisman were they? In a few days, the clan's trade
delegation would be ready to leave for the annual gathering on the
shores of the Great River. Mr Snow had two choices: to go with them,
or stay behind. And the cloud-warrior had two ways to return with
Cadillac and Clearwater: by smuggling themselves aboard one of the
giant wheel-boats due to travel along the Great River to the trading
post, or by a more direct, overland route through the territory that
had once belonged to the Io-Wa and Ne-Braska.

A year ago, Brickman had stolen aboard one of the wheel-boats at the
trading post and had been carried away to the Fire-Pits of Beth-Lem.

If he had managed to complete the journey without being discovered he
might decide that this was the best way to return. In the bustle of
trading activity, with Mutes helping to load and unload the
wheel-boats, they would have an excellent opportunity to steal
ashore.

Once there they could rejoin their clanfolk, becoming part of the
delegation which would then travel home across the plains during the
period of truce known as 'Walking on the Water'.

That was the sensible way, but the journey from Ne-Issan took many days
- perhaps weeks. Finding a place on a wheel-boat where three people
could remain undetected for days on end would not be easy. Mr Snow had
been taken aboard one for a brief audience with Lord Yama-Shita. They
were giant structures but they also carried a large crew who constantly
swarmed back and forth like ants on a dunghill. And the wheel-boats
only came to the trading post once a year. To return via this route
meant boarding the right vessel at exactly the right moment. The
cloud-warrior was resourceful enough to gather this information but
what if they missed the boat? Or escaped much earlier and were unable
to take the longer but safer way home?

Mr Snow's dilemma arose from his desire to be at the chosen point of
arrival in case his powers were needed to fight off any pursuers. For
they would be pursued.