belt, extracting a thin black cigar.
“That’s good to know.”
“They’ll kill you if they can, and drink your blood afterwards. But if you escape, you usually don’t have to worry about disease.” The red-bearded man took a glowing stick from their small campfire and got his cigar going.
They were all seated around the campfire. Flash was studying the rough map Hopp had given him. “Our slavers will be heading this way?” he said, tracing a finger along the splotchy paper.
“Yes,” said Hopp, exhaling a swirl of smoke, “that’s the route to the slave market.”
“Maybe if we keep after them all night,” said Flash, “we can catch up with them.”
“Probably not, my friend.” Hopp reached over to tap the map with the wet end of his cigar. “What your slavers will do is reach the river about there someplace. They may be at that spot already.”
“You mean they’ll travel by boat down to the settlement?”
“Many of them have forlorn little boats of their own that they use in their trade,” explained the red-haired man. “There are also a few crooked bargemen—not that almost all bargemen aren’t crooked—who don’t care who they carry. They’ll take anybody downriver if there’s a little money in it.”
“Can you help us get hold of a boat?” asked Flash.
“Nothing to it,” chuckled old Abel, his feathery hair seeming to flicker in the firelight.
“We have some friends on the river,” said Hopp.
“I’d like,” said Flash, standing up, “to get going tonight.”
Hopp remained seated. He took another puff at his cigar. After watching the exhaled smoke spiral up and away into the darkness, he said, “The best we can do for you, my friend, is first thing in the morning.”
One of the old man’s hands appeared from under his tattered cloak. He pointed at Jape. “Ought to rest,” he said.
“Abel’s right,” said Hopp. “You ought to give that wound a night to start healing, my friend.”
Jape said, “I suppose so, but the longer we delay the worse it is for Narla.”
“Patience,” said the old man.
Flash said, “Okay, we’ll stop here for the night and get going tomorrow at dawn.”
One of the blue men had been listening to the portable radio. He detached the earphones now, snapping his fingers to attract Jape’s attention.
“Something you want me to hear?” said the four-armed man.
The blue man’s head bobbed up and down.
Jape put on an earphone, frowning. He listened for a few silent moments, then put the radio aside. “A fresh announcement by the militia,” he told Flash. “Seems the effort to catch us is being stepped up. Captain Suel is quoted as saying they’re bringing in the latest technological devices to aid in the hunt for these vicious animals.”
Flash looked inquiringly around the circle. “What exactly does that mean?”
“Well, my friend,” said Hopp, “it’s not likely they can get tanks into the jungle here. And that roof of leaves and branches makes it pretty tough for any airships to spot us . . .” His voice trailed off as he rubbed his forehead thoughtfully.
“Dogs,” said the old man.
“I was thinking about that,” Hopp said. “We hear the Mesmo National Militia has robot dogs especially designed to hunt runaway slaves and the like.”
“We’ve got a pretty good lead on them,” said Flash. “If they’ve just turned the dogs loose now.”
“The river’ll help you, too,” said Hopp. “I don’t think even robot tracking dogs can trail you on the water.”
“Yes, so maybe well be safe,” said Flash. “But the rest of our friends are traveling inland. Huk and Mallox and Sixy.”
“Patience,” repeated Abel.
“He means,” said Hopp, “there’s nothing you can do about that, Flash. You’ll have to wait and see what happens.”
“I don’t like waiting,” said Flash.
CHAPTER 30
A mist was on the river, thick yellowish vapor that swirled and scurried along the surface of the black water. It
“That’s good to know.”
“They’ll kill you if they can, and drink your blood afterwards. But if you escape, you usually don’t have to worry about disease.” The red-bearded man took a glowing stick from their small campfire and got his cigar going.
They were all seated around the campfire. Flash was studying the rough map Hopp had given him. “Our slavers will be heading this way?” he said, tracing a finger along the splotchy paper.
“Yes,” said Hopp, exhaling a swirl of smoke, “that’s the route to the slave market.”
“Maybe if we keep after them all night,” said Flash, “we can catch up with them.”
“Probably not, my friend.” Hopp reached over to tap the map with the wet end of his cigar. “What your slavers will do is reach the river about there someplace. They may be at that spot already.”
“You mean they’ll travel by boat down to the settlement?”
“Many of them have forlorn little boats of their own that they use in their trade,” explained the red-haired man. “There are also a few crooked bargemen—not that almost all bargemen aren’t crooked—who don’t care who they carry. They’ll take anybody downriver if there’s a little money in it.”
“Can you help us get hold of a boat?” asked Flash.
“Nothing to it,” chuckled old Abel, his feathery hair seeming to flicker in the firelight.
“We have some friends on the river,” said Hopp.
“I’d like,” said Flash, standing up, “to get going tonight.”
Hopp remained seated. He took another puff at his cigar. After watching the exhaled smoke spiral up and away into the darkness, he said, “The best we can do for you, my friend, is first thing in the morning.”
One of the old man’s hands appeared from under his tattered cloak. He pointed at Jape. “Ought to rest,” he said.
“Abel’s right,” said Hopp. “You ought to give that wound a night to start healing, my friend.”
Jape said, “I suppose so, but the longer we delay the worse it is for Narla.”
“Patience,” said the old man.
Flash said, “Okay, we’ll stop here for the night and get going tomorrow at dawn.”
One of the blue men had been listening to the portable radio. He detached the earphones now, snapping his fingers to attract Jape’s attention.
“Something you want me to hear?” said the four-armed man.
The blue man’s head bobbed up and down.
Jape put on an earphone, frowning. He listened for a few silent moments, then put the radio aside. “A fresh announcement by the militia,” he told Flash. “Seems the effort to catch us is being stepped up. Captain Suel is quoted as saying they’re bringing in the latest technological devices to aid in the hunt for these vicious animals.”
Flash looked inquiringly around the circle. “What exactly does that mean?”
“Well, my friend,” said Hopp, “it’s not likely they can get tanks into the jungle here. And that roof of leaves and branches makes it pretty tough for any airships to spot us . . .” His voice trailed off as he rubbed his forehead thoughtfully.
“Dogs,” said the old man.
“I was thinking about that,” Hopp said. “We hear the Mesmo National Militia has robot dogs especially designed to hunt runaway slaves and the like.”
“We’ve got a pretty good lead on them,” said Flash. “If they’ve just turned the dogs loose now.”
“The river’ll help you, too,” said Hopp. “I don’t think even robot tracking dogs can trail you on the water.”
“Yes, so maybe well be safe,” said Flash. “But the rest of our friends are traveling inland. Huk and Mallox and Sixy.”
“Patience,” repeated Abel.
“He means,” said Hopp, “there’s nothing you can do about that, Flash. You’ll have to wait and see what happens.”
“I don’t like waiting,” said Flash.
CHAPTER 30
A mist was on the river, thick yellowish vapor that swirled and scurried along the surface of the black water. It
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