«Of course.»
«What did they ever do to you?»
«If you want to stay with me,” Karina cried suddenly, «You’d better keep your damned mouth shut, Pegman!» Her eyes were bright with tears.
Picking up the scent
After a while Tonio found he was talking about himself, telling this girl the story of the disaster. When he’d finished, she said,
«If it’s any consolation to you, Tonio, consider that on many happentracks the guiderail didn’t give way, and the people of Torres lived. Consider also, that on a few happentracks you rose to become a Company man, even in a couple of instances rising to the position of second‑in-command to Silva. Consider again,” she added quietly, «that none of this matters, because the Fifty Thousand Years’ Incarceration has run more than half its course, and within twenty millennia the Triad will free Starquin to roam the Greataway once more.»
He glimpsed a vastness. «In the Ifalong,” he said.
«We work towards that day.»
«And what about me?» His chest was tight. «What happens to me?»
«Many things.»
«Yes, but what’s the norm? What might I expect?»
It was late afternoon already; where had the day gone? The rain had stopped and a fresh breeze stirred the trees outside the cottage. The birds were screeching in anticipation of night and the jaguars stretched and unsheathed their claws, limbering up for the evening hunt. And another creature stirred too; a huge beast, the only one of his kind.
Leitha said, «You will take your place in the scheme of things.»
«What do you mean?»
«Tonio, you’ve been at odds with your surroundings for some time now. You must have known it yourself — you’ve been fighting things instead of going with the flow. Soon, things will be different.»
As he left, he said, «You didn’t mind me shooting the fish, then?»
«Mind? No, I don’t mind. Today you shot the fish. It is a fact, and it was going to be a fact before it happened. It makes no difference to the overall scheme — in fact, it’s part of the scheme.»
He walked away, musing on the disturbing fatalism of those words. He was almost back at the signal cabin before he realized he’d left the fish behind. Astrud greeted him, and immediately accused him.
«You’ve been with that girl!»
«I talked to her, yes.» He was abstracted, still back at the strange cottage in spirit, still seeing the girl’s cold face.
«It’s not like you’re thinking, Astrud. She’s an odd person, but I think she could help us a lot.» He leaned out of the window, looking east. It was possible to see where the old sailway had run; the jungle was thinner, the roof of the trees just a little lower. From a certain position he could just see the ocean, probably fifteen kilometers away. «If they ever came after us,” he said, «I think she would hide us and look after us.»
«Why? Because she likes you?»
«Because it might fit in with the nature of the Ifalong,” he said, and she stared at him.
Later Raoul tackled him. «We have to move on, father.»
«I think this will suit us fine, Raoul.»
«You didn’t see the way she looked! She’s after us, I know that — and she’ll be bringing a few grupos with her!»
«Are you still talking about that felina?»
«Yes I am, and I think she’s a lot more important than that bruja you’re always with. It seems to me she’s got you twisted around her finger! ‘You will take your place in the scheme of things,’ mimicked Raoul furiously. «What about us, father? What about mother and me?»
By the Sword of Agni, he thought, the young bastard’s been following me. Tonio glanced around, saw Astrud was out of earshot, and said, «The jungle is a dangerous place, Raoul. Particularly that valley where the girl lives. You could get yourself killed, going in there.» He said this quietly, and there was no doubt as to his meaning. A different world, he thought. Survival of the individual is what counts.
Raoul had backed off as though Tonio had struck him, and now he was staring incredulously at him. «Are you threatening me, father?»
«Just pointing out the dangers.»
«Right,” said Raoul. «I understand.…»
They hadn’t made such quick progress as Karina had hoped. After a few kilometers’ climbing they’d left the sailway on the Pegman’s advice, heading south.
«Tonio will have made for Buique,” said Enri, but he lied. «This is the quickest way. The sailway took a roundabout route, because of the gradients.»
His own fury at the death of Saba had subsided and he was regretting telling the El Tigre grupo where Tonio might be. There had been enough killing. He’d heard some of the screaming from Rangua during the previous night and he knew that, so far, Karina had had no part in it. He wanted it to stay that way.
They spent the night a few kilometers below Buique, having bypassed the area where the Pegman supposed Tonio to be. Congratulating himself, he settled down to sleep. Tomorrow he would continue the wild-goose chase until Karina cooled her intentions. He slept heavily and it seemed only a moment later that it was dawn and Karina was shaking him awake, oblivious of the fact that her breasts jiggled in full view under the loose neck of her tunic.
«Enri! Wake up! Look!» She shook his shoulder violently and he dragged his gaze away from her to look in the direction she indicated.
A wisp of smoke rose above the trees, several kilometers below them.
«We’ve come too far,” said Karina.
«We can’t be sure it’s them.»
«Of course it’s them! Who else but a True Human like Tonio would kindle the Wrath of Agni? And now —” her eyes narrowed to fierce slits as she squinted against the wet brightness of the rising sun “— we’ve got them! Now we close in. Come on, Enri!»
Resignedly, the Pegman allowed himself to be led downhill, and soon they came across the upper reaches of the old sailway.
«We should never have left the track,” said Karina, with a glance at Enri.
«You’ve met Astrud?» asked the Pegman later.
«No. I’ve seen her, though.»
«She’s a nice woman. Simple, really. Very religious — she really believes the Examples. I was in her house once, and I saw texts all over the walls.»
«I know. I … kind of spied on them a while back, and I saw into the house.»
«And you want to kill her.»
“ Rayohad metal bearings! How two-faced can she be!»
«She didn’t know. I’ll swear to that, Karina.»
«Huh.»
They scrambled down further, walking in the bed of a little stream which followed the sailway. Then Enri said,
«You know.… One time, I thought you rather liked Raoul.»
She didn’t turn round. «Oh?»
«Well.… I hear you rode with him up to Rangua one day — and got into quite some trouble about it, so they say. And you followed him into the delta.…»
«And I got caught, and he didn’t do a thing to help me! Mordecai, what a creep! He’s weak, weak!»
«You’re right. He doesn’t have the guts to stand up to his father. It’s the way True Humans are raised, I suppose.»
«Maybe,” said Karina.
Later the track levelled out to a platform and there, barely visible among the dense trees, was a signal tower.
«Look at this, Enri!» Karina stood in a glade. At her feet, the remains of a fire smouldered. «They’re here.» Her gaze snapped this way and that, finally dwelling thoughtfully on the signal cabin at the top of the tower. «Up there,” she said.
But the cabin was empty. There were signs of recent habitation however; some food, skins, and blankets laid on the floor.
«Right,” said Karina grimly as they climbed down to the foot of the ladder. «They’re not far off, and the trail’s still warm. We’ve got them, Enri. Follow me, and don’t think of making any loud noises.»