«I knew no good would come of this year’s race,” said Astrud. “ Rayowas touched by Agni, and in the end he claimed her. That’s what happens when you forsake the Examples. Tonight, I’m going to pray for forgiveness. And I’ll make sure you do too, Tonio. And you, Raoul. You were involved in this, too.»
Raoul said, «I’m not sure we’ll have much time for praying, mother.»
«What do you mean? What does he mean, Tonio?»
Tonio said carefully, «When news of the accident gets back to Rangua, we may find the felinos in a troublesome mood. It might be better not to spend the night at home.»
«There were so many hurt.…» The vision of carnage was reborn in Astrud’s mind; the flames, the screaming, the crazed vampiros.…
Raoul said, «I think one of the El Tigre grupo died. That’s what Karina was crying about.»
«Mordecai!» In his perturbation Tonio swore like a Specialist. He turned, staring through the open tail of the old Estrella del Oeste at the rosy glow in the southern sky. Torres still burned.
The Us Ursa were slackening sail as the hill of Rangua South Stage loomed ahead. The rails gleamed palely against the darkness, and no sails were to be seen.
«What happened to the rest of the cars?» Raoul said. «I’ve been expecting a head-on collision.»
«I think.…» Tonio hesitated. «Perhaps the felinos refused to tow them, after the news of the accident reached them.»
Astrud said, «If you ask me, they’d be more upset about the way we sailed straight past them up the hill at Rangua.» Although her head still throbbed, the wind had helped and she was beginning to think clearly again. «I simply can’t understand you, Tonio. How could you hope to get away with a trick like that? You know how touchy the felinos are. Now you’ve probably tied up a dozen sailcars the wrong side of Rangua. I don’t blame the felinos one bit. You as good as told them they were redundant. It’s against the whole culture of the coast!»
Tonio looked away, discomfited by her accurate summing-up. «There are other pressures,” he muttered. «You wouldn’t understand.»
«Your only hope is to apologize to the felinos.»
At this totally inappropriate suggestion Raoul, with Karina still vividly in his mind, uttered an almost hysterical shout of laughter. «I think it’s gone a little beyond that, mother.»
The Estrella del Oeste glided to a stop at the foot of the bank. The Us Ursa climbed to the ground and the True Humans followed. The grass was wet with dew and South Stage still deserted.
For the first time in over an hour, one of the Us Ursa spoke.
«You will report to the Palace in the morning.»
Then the two big Specialists melted away into the night.
Over the past few moments Astrud had been reappraising the situation. Her head was aching abominably, the strangeness of her surroundings was oppressing her greatly, and some inkling of the dreadful implications of recent events was coming home to her. They were not safe. The Specialists, those odd animal-people, could present a genuine menace. Rangua was going to be uncomfortable for a while.
«I’m glad the Canton Lord is going to discuss this with you, Tonio.» That great palace on the hill represented a rock of permanence, normality and security. «It would be quite unfair to expect you to handle this alone.»
With something that sounded like a groan of terror, Tonio plunged off into the night to round up three mules. They would have to ride home from here. He hoped they wouldn’t meet anyone on the way.
The Canton Lord didn’t speak for some time, and Tonio sat watching the screen while the sweat dribbled from his body and his stomach contorted itself into knots.
«Say your piece, Captain Tonio,” said the Lord at last.
«I … we’re in trouble. The felinos are after us. You’ll have to hide us somewhere, just for a while.»
«I’ll have to, will I?» There was amused sarcasm in the voice. «You wreck my car and kill a number of people through your own incompetence, and you want me to help you? I don’t think so, Captain Tonio.»
«But they’ll kill us!»
«Think of the sailways. The daily commerce, the interlocking cultures. A thousand miles of coastline. What’s one captain more or less?»
«I did it for you, Lord Benefactor! It was all for you, at your request! You promised me —”
«Oh,” purred the voice. «Just what did I promise?»
«Well, I assumed you’d make sure I.… After all, you did organize the whole thing; Rayo, Maquinista.… If the felinos knew the Canton Lord was responsible for —”
«Are you trying to blackmail me, Captain Tonio?»
«Absolutely not. But, Lord Benefactor.… Surely, we’re in this together.…»
«Partners, you mean? You and I?»
«No! I wouldn’t presume …!» Tonio was weeping with despair.
«Of course not. What you must understand, Captain Tonio, is that there are bigger issues here than your personal well-being. I had hoped that Rayo would be an example to the whole coast of what could be achieved — and coastal unity would have outweighed the felinos’ objections. But you failed to demonstrate the craft’s capabilities. Now I cannot expect any support from the other Cantons if the felinos become … dissatisfied with their lot. And I understand they are dissatisfied. They have refused to assist the remainder of the tortuga fleet, which is now immobilized north of the town. The next step — so I should imagine — is that El Tigre will lead his people in some undisciplined raid on Rangua Town and, possibly, this very Palace.»
«No, I don’t think so,” said Tonio eagerly. «I really don’t think we have to worry about that. No, no. El Tigre? That fool? Never!»
The Canton Lord sighed, as though the effort of unintelligent conversation had finally exhausted him. Slowly and distinctly, he said, «You will leave, now.»
And an Us Ursa entered, carrying black clothing. He dumped this on a chair and approached Tonio. There was no expression on his broad face, but his fingers were curled slightly.
«All right,” said Tonio.
«Put on these cloaks,” said the figure behind the screen. «They will hide your faces — and people in cloaks are generally left alone. My guards will escort you to the Palhoa sailcar. After that, you are on your own. My advice is to take to the mountains. It will be unwise for you ever to come back to Rangua — particularly since I intend to cast you in the role of scapegoat for this disastrous enterprise. It may go some small way towards maintaining law and order in the Canton, and then again it may not.»
«I will never come back,” said Tonio woodenly.
«You didn’t tell me that felina had found out about the tortugas, Tonio.»
There was nothing he could say.
«Goodbye, Captain Tonio.»
Revolution
That same morning a band of felinos on muleback rode north through the drizzling rain. Wet and tired, they had been riding since dawn, and they had not exchanged one word during that time.
A cold, animal fury burned within them.
They’d helped bury the dead, all except the four crewmen of Rayo. Two of those men died in the accident, but the other two had taken to the hills undercover of gathering darkness.
The felinos had sent the grupos after them.
They were caught at midnight, hidden in the branches of a tree on the edge of the tumpfields. A grupo had winded them and had dragged them out of there, screaming. They had every reason to fear for their future. Within an hour of their arrival back at Torres they had been sentenced to death by an ad hoc court and, together with their two dead comrades, had been nailed to crosses on the beach, facing out to sea, in the glow of the still-smouldering Rayo. The grupos spent the rest of the night in fruitless search for Tonio and his family and at dawn the search had been called off. The general supposition was that the fugitives had somehow managed to board one of the other cars which was on the hill at the time, and had been whisked south.