“What do we do now?” Lea said.
“Have something to eat while we do some serious thinking. I suppose it might just be possible to take to the hills and follow along above the track.”
She looked up at the towering cliff and sniffed. “A lot easier said then done.” She broke out a ration pack then held out the almost empty container. “And if you will notice we are also running out of food. Whatever happens, we are going to have to turn back fairly soon, or send for the lifeship so we can resupply.”
“I don’t like either choice. We’ve come this far and we are still on their trail. We must go on. We can’t resupply because we don’t dare risk landing the ship in an area with so many fighting machines about. Which leaves a single option open …”
“Don’t say it. Just open the mouth to put in food. And then we will follow my plan. We will go back to the plain, bring the ship down and get back into orbit where we know we will be safe. We have plenty to report. After that we sit tight and wait for them to send the troops in…"
Brion shook his head in a firm no. “We are the troops. And we can’t leave until we find out just what is happening here. So that leaves us with a single remaining course open. Into the canyon.
“You’re out of your mind. That is certain suicide.”
“I don’t think so. I see it more as a fifty-fifty chance. A fast move, in and out before any more machines come this way.”
“And I can just see what is coming next. This is going to be a one-man crash operation, isn’t it? With you on foot wearing your running shoes and waving your big transparent dagger. While I sit it out here with all the metallic equipment, waiting patiently for your return.”
“That’s the sort of scenario I had in mind. Can you find anything wrong with it?”
“Just one thing. Wouldn’t it be a lot easier to simply blow your own brains out and save yourself all that trouble?”
He took her small hand in his large one, clearly sensing the worry and fear behind her harsh words. “I know what you are thinking and feeling, and I can’t blame you for it. But at this moment in time we don’t really have a choice. It’s either turn back and start the whole operation over again. Or finish it now. I’ve think we’ve come too far, been involved in too much violence and bloodshed to drop it all now. I can take care of myself. And I need to see this thing right through to the end.”
There was no point in arguing, Lea understood that and was possessed by a sensation of dark resignation. They packed the bag in silence and moved deeper into the hills, away from the canyon, until they found a suitable campsite. It had a sheltered overhang of stone and was just above a rushing mountain stream.
“You’ll be safe here,” Brion said, handing her the rapid-fire pistol. “Keep this near you at all times. If you see anything at all you must shoot first and investigate later. There is nothing friendly out here, animals, machines or men. I’ll give you plenty of warning when I get back, so don’t worry about shooting me.”
The night was cool, for the first time, here in the hills. They shared the sleeping bag for warmth. Brion fell asleep instantly, years of training had taught him to do that, but sleep did not come that easily for her. She lay awake far into the night, staring up through the canopy of the trees at the alien, star-filled heavens, so different from the sky of Earth. She was such a long way from home.
Lea woke to a touch on her shoulder to find that it was light. Brion stood over her, securing his knife into place.
“In the last report I am sure that we recorded everything of importance that we have learned so far, so you will be able to keep radio silence. And you must stay under cover at all times. This is day one and I’ll be back at the very latest by the evening of day four. I promise to return no matter what I find in there. If I’m not back at the promised time you must not wait for me. And I’m sure that you realize what folly it would be to follow me. Whether I’m here or not you must start back on day five. Bring down the lifeship as soon as you reach the plain then get off of this planet. Fast. There are other agents who can crack this nut if we fail.
But contingency…
Don’t concern yourself with these plans. I’ll see you here in four days.”
He turned on his heel and was gone. Quickly, before she could say a thing. It was obvious that he preferred it that way. She watched his great form lope easily away down the bank of the stream, growing smaller and smaller until he dropped over a ledge and was gone from sight.
15: Canyon Quest
There was no logical reason to hesitate at the mouth of the canyon but logic had nothing to do with this. Brion jumped down the last few feet from the terraced hillside then stopped. Unmoving. Listening to the silence. On each side of him the high walls of stone rose up to form a natural corridor that sliced deep into the hillside. He could see about a quarter of a mile ahead before a turn in the canyon concealed the rest of it from sight. The ground before him had once been covered with grass and shrubs, but these had long since been pulverized and ground into rutted soil. Only a few bits of greenery remained close to the rocky walls. The rest had been churned up and destroyed under the tracks of the advancing army. Machine after machine had chewed into the stony ground until it was a tumbled sea of overlapping tracks. When Brion looked down he saw that he was standing in one of the deep marks, an indentation that was more than a yard square. And this was just one part of the track of the gigantic machine that in itself was only one of a legion. And army of machines had passed this way, and for all he knew more of them could be coming towards him at this very moment. And he was going to tackle this machine army single-handed?
“Yes!” he shouted aloud, smiling wryly at the same time. The odds weren’t too good but they were the only odds that he was going to get. And with every passing instant that he stood there they were getting longer, since the chance that he might meet the enemy in this narrow canyon grew more and more possible. He started forward at a faster ground-eating trot.
The rocky walls of the canyon slipped steadily by; the churned up ground was rutted and uneven underfoot. After almost an hour of steady running he found that he was beginning to breathe heavily, so he slowed to a fast walk. He continued this way until he had got his wind back, then increased his pace again. The miles passed, one after another, the canyon was featureless and unchanging. It was mid-afternoon before the walls of rock receded as he emerged into a rocky bowl in the mountains.
This was a good opportunity to take a break. For the first time he left the well-marked track and clambered up the grassy patches between the tumbled boulders. From here the churned highway was clearly visible, crossing the bowl and disappearing into another valley mouth on the far side. After drinking a few mouthfuls of water he lay back and closed his eyes. An hour’s sleep, then he would go on. It was getting more chill at this altitude so it might be more comfortable to do his sleeping during the day, then keep going through the night. He knew that his personal metabolism could easily adapt to this. At home, on Havrk, food had to be gathered during the brief summer to prepare for the very long winter. He had gone four and five days without sleep and knew that he could do it again any time. The grass was soft, while the niche in the rocks was protected from the wind and warmed by the sun. He settled down and was asleep within a few moments.