Sukey screamed and Raimo yelped an obscenity.
Ahead of them the narrowing Rhône slanted downhill at a one-in-five gradient, the river lashed to a foaming frenzy by the rocks of its tilted bed. The boat seemed to dive into the rapids and a great avalanche of ochre water crashed over the canopy and temporarily engulfed them. Then Mojo broke free and came to the surface, planing along among monstrous standing waves and granite boulders, rolling so steeply that yellow water climbed halfway up the watertight bubble first on one side, then on the other. The noise was almost insupportable. Raimo’s mouth was wide open but his yells went unheard amidst the uproar of the cascading Rhône.
A dark mass loomed ahead. The boat heeled nearly sixty degrees to starboard as they went whipping around a tall rock pinnacle into a crooked slot between files of huge boulders. The air was so filled with flying spume that it seemed impossible that their skipper could see where he was going. Nevertheless the boat continued to zig and zag among the rocks with only an occasional bump against the pneumatic fenders.
A respite came in the form of a deep cut where the river flowed free. But the voice of Highjohn called, “One last time, folks!” and Bryan realized that they were rocketing through the defile toward a veritable fence of sharp crags, fanglike chunks of broken granite against which the yellow river waters crashed in overlapping curtains of spray. There seemed to be no way through. The stunned time-travelers gripped the arms of their seats and braced for the inevitable impact.
Mojo raced toward the tallest of the rocks, pitching violently. It crashed into the foam, but instead of hitting solid rock or sinking, it rose higher and higher on some unseen surge. There was a thrumming blow against the port side as they bounced off a rock face, completely drowned in the opaque pother. The boat seemed to roll a full 360 degrees and then wallow free to sail through the air. It landed with a bone-jarring impact, water closing again over the top of the canopy. Almost immediately it popped to the surface, floating in complete tranquility across a broad pool that spread between low walls. Behind them was the cut they had just traversed, spewing a horsetail cataract, like the outflow of a titanic drain, into the basin thirty meters below.
“You can unfasten your safety belts now, folks,” the skipper said. “That’ll be all the cheap thrills for this morning. After lunch, it really gets rough.”
He came back into the passenger compartment to check the canopy for possible leakage. “Didn’t take in a drop!”
“’Congratulations,” whispered Bryan. With one trembling hand be fumbled with the buckles of the harness.
“Give you a hand?” suggested Highjohn, bending over to help.
Released, Bryan rose weakly to his feet. He saw that all the others, including Creyn and Elizabeth, were motionless in their seats, eyes closed, apparently asleep.
Fists on hips, the rivermen surveyed the passengers with a slow shake of his head. “Every goddam time. These sensitive Tanu types just can’t take Cameron’s Sluice, being afraid of water as they mostly are. So they zonk out. And if the torc-wearing humans show any distress, the Tanu just program a zonk for them, too. Kinda disappointing, you know? Every artist likes to have an audience.”
“I take your point,” Bryan said.
“I don’t often get a rarey like you, no torc and all and man enough to come through it without a case of the yammering fantods. This lady without the torc”, he pointed to Elizabeth, “must have just fainted away.”
“Not likely,” Bryan said. “She’s an operant metapsychic. I dare say she just did her own calming mental exercise and napped through the excitement, just as Creyn did.”
“But not you, eh, sport? I suppose you’ve been on rough water before.”
Bryan shrugged. “Hobby sailor. North Sea, Channel, Med. The usual thing.”
Highjohn clapped him on the shoulder. His eyes twinkled and he gave Bryan a comradely smile. “Tell you what. You come on forward with me and I’ll show you a thing or three about driving this tub before we reach Feligompo. If you enjoy it, who knows? There’s lots worse jobs you could settle into in this Exile.”
“I’d enjoy riding with you in the wheelhouse,” Bryan said, “but I won’t be able to take you up on your offer of an apprenticeship.” He grinned ruefully. “I believe the Tanu have other plans for me.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Claude awoke. A cool breeze blew through hanging strings of wooden beads that screened all four sides of the prisoners’ dormitory and kept insects from flying in. Two guards paced around and around outside the shelter, bronze helmets turning as they scanned the inmates, compound bows strung and ready, resting lightly on their shoulders where they could be drawn in an instant.
The old man tested his limbs, and by God, they worked. His field adaptation system was still Go after all the years. He sat up on his pallet and looked around. Almost all of the other prisoners were still lying as though drugged. But Felice was up, and Basil the Alpine climber, and the two Japanese ronin. Faint yapping sounds came from a closed basket next to a sleeping woman. There were snores and a few moans from the other sleepers.
Claude quietly watched Felice. She was talking in low tones with the three other men. Once one of the ronin tried to protest something she was saying. She cut him short with a fierce gesture and the Oriental warrior subsided.
It was very late in the afternoon and quite hot. The space within the walled fort was deep in green shade. A smell of cooking wafted from one of the buildings, making Claude’s mouth water. Another meat stew, and something like fruit pies baking. Whatever its other flaws, the Exile society certainly ate well.
Having finished her discussion, Felice crept across the crowded floor to Claude’s resting place. She looked keyed up and her brown eyes were wide. She wore the sleeveless kilt-dress that was the undergarment to her hoplite armor, but had put off the rest of the uniform with the exception of the black shin guards. The bare areas of her skin were lightly sheened with perspiration.
“Wake Richard up,” she whispered peremptorily.
Claude shook the shoulder of the sleeping ex-spacer. Muttering obscenities, Richard hoisted himself onto his elbows.
“We’ll probably have to do it tonight,” Felice said. “One of the fort people told Amerie that by tomorrow we’ll be into very heavy country where this plan of mine wouldn’t have much chance of working. I need open space to see what I’m doing. What I’ll do is pick a time before dawn tomorrow when it’s fairly dark and the bear-dogs are running on the dregs of their second wind.”
“Now wait a minute,” Richard protested. “Don’t you think we’d better discuss this plan of yours first?”
She ignored him. “Those others, Yosh, Tat, Basil, they’ll try to help us. I asked the Gypsies, but they’re half crazy and won’t take orders from a woman anyway. So this is what we do. After the midnight break, Richard changes places with Amerie and rides beside me.”
“Come on, Felice! The guards’ll spot the switch.”
“You change clothes with her in the latrine.”
“Not on your…” Richard blazed. But Felice caught him by the lapels and dragged him over the floor on his stomach until they were nose to nose.