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than wagon speed. Keep on both sides, never bunch, and if anything opens up go
like hell!"
It wasn't a very satisfactory plan, but considering the alternatives it was
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the best available. At least they knew now what they were dealing with, if not
the location and exact numbers. The train was formed up yet again, the people
were briefed and, if they could handle them, given arms. Then they pulled out.
A little over an hour later they all saw where the ambush had to be. The open
desert area was growing wilder and nastier as they went, and in a few miles
more the road would descend from the cracked desert with the tendril-like
lurking plants and into a canyon formed by a now dry riverbed that, either in
the past or on rare occasions now, had lots of rushing water in it. The canyon
narrowed around the road in at least two places, either one of which had
perches that seemed impossible to reach but, if they could be reached, would
be ideal spots for ambushers. For now, though, they were still on the sippiqua
flats, a fact that made everyone a bit nervous.
Jahoort stopped the train with the intention of sending men forward on either
side with binoculars and rifles, with the hope of spotting the ambush and, if
not taking them out, at least making it very hot for whoever sat there. If
there was enough of a crossfire from enough rifles and pistols, one bullet at
a time or not, then the wagons might be able to haul ass through the narrows
before they could be cut down. The road was also very well defined through the
area;
Jahoort, if he knew the location of the gun, might risk running the thing at
night. From the rear of the train came the sudden shout of "Dust behind!"
which put an end to such thoughts. The raiders from Bi'ihqua, as the navigator
had figured, had closed on the train and were now riding full in to force them
forward into the slaughter.
Jahoort quickly rode back to the rear of the train. "How many you make it,
Dal?"
"Shit! Must be a dozen at least. Maybe more. Remember, they been hittin'
trains in Bi'ihqua and gettin' away with it!" Sam and Boday had jumped down to
see what was going on, just like some of the others. The dust cloud
approaching told the story, and they knew as well as the crew what had to be
ahead.
Boday let loose her whip. "Well, little flower, we die together!" she sighed.
"They shall never take you unless it is over the body of Boday! Do not be
downcast! It was meant to be! And the heroic death of Boday will awaken the
critics who will proclaim her a legend and the greatest artist who ever
lived!"
Even Charley was pretty glum right now. "All this for nothin'. Damn! Wish I
had a couple of guns right now!"
Sam had just stared at the cloud, not believing that it could really be
happening. Not now. Not to her, and Charley, and Boday. Not to those nice
kids.
. . . She clutched the Jewel of Omak. "Demon, get us the hell out of this!"
You expect miracles or something? asked the demon. I'll save you if I can but
you know my limitations.
"Damn it! You forced me into this!" she screamed, suddenly terrified.
Charley sighed behind her. "I sure wish we had one of your damned
thunderstorms now," she sighed.
"What?" Sam was hardly even sane anymore as she continued to stare.
"One of your damned thunderstorms. Can't you see what would happen if it
rained on them? Especially here?"
My God! Why not? Sam thought crazily. They came every time before!
Distances were deceiving on the flats; the crew was circling and setting up
die train for defense methodically, with no sense of hurry.
Sam looked up at the sky. A few wispy, white clouds in a pale blue field,
nothing more. Just like back at the cabin long ago. . . .
"Okay!" she screamed up to the heavens, loud and forcefully. "You
blood-sucking nightmare storms! You been huntin' me and huntin' me! Well here
1 am! Come and get me!"
The wispy clouds started to move. The fact that they actually did both awed
and
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0-%20When%20the%20Changewinds%20Blow.txt startled her, and at first she didn't
believe it, but they were actually moving!
Thickening. Drawing moisture from behind them-from whatever sector of Tubikosa
was now along the border maybe ten miles back!
Now there was a near solid wall of clouds in the distance, going from horizon
to horizon, a weather front so straight you could have drawn it with a ruler.
On their side it was sunny and blue, sucked of any clouds, but at that line it
was dark and rumbling. . . .
"Holy shit! You did it!" Charley exclaimed, a little awed herself, No, not
quite ruler straight. Centered perhaps right over the road there was a
prominence coming out from the front, forming . . .
A head. A clearly defined picture of a face in the clouds sharp as a cheap
photograph and just as solid. A face and a neck going down to the shoulders,
with arms out, infinite arms, that were the front itself. . . .
A face she knew.
Charley might have been awed but she was more scared than that and she had a
sudden horrible thought. "Sam! Boday! Get in the wagon! Get us the hell off
this mesa or we're gonna be sucked up, too!"
Sam just continued to stare and Boday did not understand, so Charley went up
and actually shook Sam and repeated her panicked warning.
"Charley-the clouds! There's a face in the clouds!"
"I don't give a fuck if there's God Himself in the clouds! We gotta move and
you got to warn the rest!" Charley was nearsighted. She could see the storm as
an approaching line of darkness but could not make out even so huge a detail.
Jahoort and the others weren't so oblivious, either. They yelled and screamed
and told people to forget anything and just do a firm hitch and get into the
canyon and stop. They had to beat that rain.
That Boday heard and understood as well, and she practically yanked Sam away
and back into the wagon, which they'd never even gotten into defensive
position.
Charley needed no persuading-she was back inside quicker than they could get
on the seat and jiggle the reins.
Nargas weren't very fast animals even when pushed, and the dip down into the
canyon was narrow, really no wider than two wagons' worth if that, and a bit
more than a mile away at the start. It was going to be a very near thing for
most of them as the front with the strange head came ever on.
Sam peered back nervously. "But it's gonna catch me this time!"
"One damned problem at a time!" Charley yelled, wondering if they would make
it?
Some of the professional and veteran drivers, sure, and maybe all the ones on
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