It was no problem, the Torres felino chief assured El Tigre. The signalmen would be busy by first light, and descriptions would be flashed all the way to Patagonia. There was no escape.
Meanwhile, the True Human inhabitants of Torres huddled indoors, with doors and shutters barred.…
Now El Tigre rode into Rangua South Stage. The camp had been re-erected overnight, and a number of people from North Stage were there too, because it was generally felt that South Stage would be where the action was.
They expected El Tigre to initiate that action — and this time they would be listening.
«Pegman’s here,” Karina said to Runa. They rode behind the men, like errant children being brought home. «There’s his sailcar. He must have come back right after the accident. Strange he didn’t stay.»
«Have you ever known the Pegman to do what we expect?»
Teressa said, «Probably he’s gone into hiding. After all, he is a True Human. He got out of Torres while the going was good. Did you see how those crewmen kicked, on those crosses? And the yelling — True Humans died noisily, that’s for sure.»
El Tigre and his followers rode grimly up the hill in the direction of the community hut, where a crowd was now gathering. The girls lingered beside Estrella del Oeste, pondering the whereabouts of the Pegman. Suddenly their whole world had changed; their sister was dead, the Canton was in an uproar — and the Pegman represented a link with the past; with the childhood they’d left behind so suddenly. Karina fingered the ancient woodwork, slippery with rain.
«Nothing’s ever going to be the same,” she said.
And a voice suddenly spoke, hollow and ghostly.
«Who’s that? Who’s that?»
Karina said, «It’s the Pegman. He’s in there.»
«Have they gone? Huh? Is that you, Karina?» The Pegman’s eyes appeared at a gap in the warped timbers.
«Have who gone?»
«The Palace Guards. They were here, didn’t you know? They commandeered the Estrella — stole it, if the truth be told — and sailed it back from Torres. I was scared, I tell you. When I saw them coming I hid in the hold. I knew they wouldn’t be poking about amongst the kegs of grease.» There was a scuffling and he emerged from the cargo hatch, swung himself to the ground and glanced around nervously. «What’s happening?»
«Father’s holding a meeting,” said Runa.
«We’re going to wipe every True Human off the face of the Earth,” added Teressa.
«I’m a True Human.»
«You’re out of luck, Pegman.»
The Pegman’s eyes sought Karina, but he found little comfort there either. Her face was set, the lips clamped together. Then, after a moment, she said,
«We didn’t find those bastards, Enri. We’ve been looking for them all night. They got clean away.»
«You mean Captain Tonio and his wife and son?»
«That’s who I mean.»
He was silent, remembering the unintelligible discussions on the deck. And those final words, couched in tones of quiet menace, You will report to the Palace in the morning. Captain Tonio’s family, in trouble. Enri didn’t know the whole truth of the matter; but one thing he did know, it was easy to misjudge speed in a sail‑car.
Rayohad been so fast.… Unnaturally so. He’d seen a car break away from the shruglegger team once, and run backwards down the bank at Jai’a. And, like Rayo, it had hit the curve at terrifying speed, and the guiderail had collapsed.… One felino had been killed. Enri had pitied the captain.…
The El Tigre grupo stood before him, a fighting team.… Enri decided to keep his mouth shut. Casually, and just to change the subject, he asked, «Where’s Saba?»
And their eyes told him.
«Saba?» he said, as something seemed to hit him in the stomach. «Saba?»
«Her neck was broken,” said Karina. «And other things.» She was watching him strangely and, after a moment, she stepped close. «Tell me, Enri. Tell me right now!»
«They were on Estrella ,” he muttered, unable to look into the furnaces of her eyes. «They’re probably at the house right now. The guards told them to report to the Palace in the morning. They may have left.»
«Come on!» said Karina, beginning to run. «Let’s tell father, quickly!»
The Pegman looked after them. «I couldn’t help it,” he said to himself. He walked to a nearby team of shrugleggers. Cupping his hands trumpet-fashion he bawled at the leader. «Couldn’t help it, couldn’t help it! Couldn’t help it!»
The creature regarded him in dumb puzzlement.
«But father, we’ve got to get after them! Isn’t that what this whole business is about?»
El Tigre regarded Karina somberly. They stood in the community hut on a makeshift stage. The place was jammed; the audience spilled out through the doors. The South Stage leaders were grouped around El Tigre: Diferir, Manoso, Dozo, all the influential felinos united in a common cause.
El Tigre said, «There are more important things, Karina. Tonio is small fry.»
«But Saba.… Your own daughter …!» Karina was shaking his arm trying to get him to look at her; but El Tigre had learned the folly of looking into Karina’s eyes. «How can you fool around with some stupid meeting when the murderers are getting further away all the time! We have to get after them, now, and nail them up like we did the crew!»
El Tigre said, «Listen, Karina. The important thing is, the True Humans have started using metal to build ships fast enough to spell the end of us. Look at this crowd. It’s the biggest we’ve ever had — half of North Stage is here, too. And this time we’re united. We’re going to put our plans to these people, and they’re going to agree with them. It’s the revolution, Karina.» Yet there was no excitement in his voice. The spark had died at Torres, with Saba.… «Now, what are they going to say if I send them all running after a couple of True Humans? They’ll ask what kind of revolution this is. They’ll say instead of dealing with the big issues, El Tigre is pursuing a personal vendetta. Can you understand that, Karina?»
«No, I can’t! I can’t believe it, either! We’re just back from burying Saba, and we know who the murderers are, and all you want to do is talk!»
«I’m sorry.» El Tigre’s attention was wandering. Torch was calling the meeting to order and he needed to marshal his thoughts. «That’s the way it is.»
«Well, if you’re not going to do anything about it, I am! I’m going to Rangua with the grupo, right now, and we’re going to hunt down those bastards, and you’re not going to stop us!»
The girls headed straight up the hill at a run.
Arriving at Tonio’s house, they found every sign of a recent hurried departure. Although the rain was still falling steadily they were able to follow the trail into the forest, where three mules had obviously been tethered overnight.
«They headed west,” said Runa, examining the grass.
The felinas loped through the forest. «The Palace,” said Teressa finally, halting and motioning the others to stop, too. Ahead of them lay the vast open area; the grounds, the private sailway running through, and the huge ancient building. And the guards, too powerful for even the grupo to tackle.…
«So what do we do now?» asked Runa.
«There are the mules — see?» Karina pointed. «So they’re still in there somewhere. We just wait for them to come out, let them get clear of the guards, then we take them.» Her fingers itched.
But it didn’t work out like that. Eventually Tonio, Astrud and Raoul emerged, accompanied by two guards. For a while the True Humans stood under the portico, sheltering from the rain. They put on black cloaks, drawing them tight around the neck and pulling the hoods over their heads. Presently a sailcar arrived, halting nearby. The five people climbed aboard, the crew let off the brakes and hauled in the sails, and the car accelerated quickly away, heading north.