Part 29 (1/2)

So far so good. Round Two.

'The individual who came with you from the sky and now works at the Heron Pool - is his name Steven Roosevelt Brickman?”

'No. His name is Cadillac. Like me, he is of the Plainfolk and the clan M'CalI. His mother was Black-Wing.

His father was Heavy-Metal.”

'What were you hunting when Cadillac first ”chewed bone”?”

'Fast-foot.”

'What was the name of the warrior who challenged him?”

'Shakatak D'Vine, from the blood-line of the D'Troit.”

'Did Cadillac kill him?”

Clearwater hesitated. 'He fought bravely and well.”

'I shall only ask you once more. Did he kill him?”

'No, sire. I did.”

'What is your relations.h.i.+p to Mr Snow?”

'He is my teacher and guardian.”

'Is he an agent of the Amtrak Federation?”

'No, sire. He abhors the Federation and all its works.

He has sworn to pit his strength against it until the last breath leaves his body.”

Tos.h.i.+ro's outward stance did not change one iota but inwardly he was crumbling as fast as the scenario he had laid before the Shogun. Every answer this gra.s.s-monkey gave confirmed the claims made by the accursed mexican. Instead of giving him sake when he started shooting his mouth off, n.o.buro should have cut his tongue out...

He rallied his flagging confidence and tried again.

'Have you or Cadillac, acting without the knowledge of Mr Snow, entered into league with your enemies?”

'No, sire. Such treachery would be unthinkable. We were sent to help you in exchange for new, long sharp iron.”

'Rifles.”

'I have not seen these objects but I have heard that word used by the clan elders.”

'Why do you and Cadillac paint your skins?”

'Because we wish to be like our clan brothers and sisters. To us, who are of the Plainfolk, it is not a disguise. That is how we truly wish to be.”