around, too.'
'Well, hell.'
'Better get your helmet on, son.'
'Yeah, I… hey, is that the fork coming up?'
'Looks like it.'
'You know, Sam, I was thinking?'
I quickly forgot what I'd been thinking as the rig suddenly lurched to the left. The red light stopped blinking and a loud warning buzzer sounded. I fought the control bars, at the same time thumbing the trim tabs for the stabilizer foils. We were heading straight off the causeway, and the Roadbuilders didn't believe in guard rails. Letting up on the power pedal, I twisted the traction control on the right bar. The fork was dead ahead, and we were clear over in the extreme left lane. The rig straightened out just in time to save us from flying over the edge of the causeway. We wanted the right fork but I could see now that we'd never make it. With the failed right-front roller, I couldn't get back over to the other side of the road in time. The rig was under control for now, but… I angled my head toward the side port to get a view of the roller. It had turned the color of confectioner's sugar, trailing a plume of white powder. A flaky piece of it broke off, flew up and nearly hit the cab. I had to slow down; no choice.
And we had missed the turn-off. Turning around was going to be a problem for two reasons. The Skyway is four lanes across, counting the two narrower 'shoulder' lanes. It's wide, but not nearly wide enough for the rig to turn around in without backing off the road. Only here, there was a two-meter drop to mud or water. And even if a dry patch came up, I was not about to give our pursuers a chance to catch us broadside to the road. I had to keep moving.
However, there was a problem with that, too.
'Jake! Jake, can you read me?'
'Yeah, Carl.'
'What happened?'
'We had a roller go sugar-doughnut on us. That's why I missed the turn-off.'
'Jake?' It was Sean.
'Yeah.'
'Jake, according to our maps, this road leads to a potluck portal.'
'I know.'
And this time, it wasn't one on Winnie's Itinerary.
This time, It could lead to oblivion.
Chapter 9
'Don't look now,' Sam told us, 'but here comes a missile.'
'Just one?' I said.
'It's presenting a weird image… can't be just one. Nope. Tricky devils. Pretty sophisticated stuff, Jake. I can't get a fix on them.'
'Start hosing with the stern exciters.'
'I already have. Little out of range. Wait a minute. Okay, here we go.'
A few seconds went by.
'Merte! Can't hit a thing. They're still closing.'
A few minutes later, a series of muffled explosions came from behind.
'Did you get 'em, Sam?'
'Somebody did. It wasn't me.'
'Carl,' I said. 'Had to be.'
'He didn't get all of them. BRACE YOURSELVES!'
Off the causeway to the right up ahead, the swamp erupted into a geyser of mud and dirty water, accompanied by a tremendous explosion that shook the cab. As we passed, it all came down on us, a shower of slop and debris. A chunk of shattered treetrunk slammed against the foreward port but didn't break it.
'They're playing for keeps,' I said.
'That one was damaged or we'd have been goners,' Sam said.
'Thank God for that Chevy, though I'm surprised it let one get through. I was beginning to think that vehicle was magic.' I flicked the headset mike on. 'Carl? Sean? You guys okay?'
'Check.'
'Affirmative, Jake. A bit dicey, though, wasn't it?'
'Yeah. Carl, I was under the impression that buggy of yours didn't miss.'
'It usually doesn't. Must've been a fluke.'
'Here's your chance to prove it,' Sam said. 'A whole 'nother flock of 'em coming right at us.'
This time the Chevy didn't miss a one. Seven quick bangs and the scanners were clear.
'Nice shooting, Carl,' I said.
'You think that's the worst they can throw at us?'
'Don't know. Let's hope they quit and go back.'
'No chance of that,' Sam said. 'Here they come.'
'Carl,' I said, 'can you sic Fido on them?'
'Who? Oh. l call 'em 'Tasmanian Devils'.'
We had tried to draw Carl out on his vehicle's strange weapons system, especially the horrific dust-devil- appearing phenomenon, designated 'Sic 'im, Fido' on the fire-control panel. Carl had told us that he knew nothing whatsoever about how the weapons worked; he knew only how to use them.
'Whatever you call it, can you fire it on the run like this?'
'Yeah, sure. But I only have three Tasmanian Devils. You said you accidentally fired one back on Seahome. There are three blips back there.'
'You mean one of those nightmares couldn't take care of all three of them?'
'No, you only get one to a target. When it completes its assignment, it disappears. Don't worry, Jake, I've got other stuff I can use.'
'The question is,' Sam put in, 'what kind of stuff are they going to throw at us next?'
'Don't know, Sam,' I said. 'They're probably wary of Carl now. They know he has potent defenses. I have a feeling they'll want to keep their distance. Are they still closing?'
'Yeah, but it looks like they're maneuvering into position for something. Probably lining up for a concentrated mortar barrage. Those have to be paramilitary vehicles. They've got far more armaments than your average civilian roadster.'
'This isn't Terran Maze. What road regulations they have here, if any, aren't exactly enforced to the letter. I'm willing to bet it's Zack Moore back there. Sam, give me a skyband channel.'
'You got it.'
'Breaker, breaker,' I called, using the age-old skyband hail. 'Breaking for those three goodbuddies at our back door-come on?'
'Back at you, goodbuddy,' came Zack Moore's voice. 'Jake McGraw, is that you? Fancy meeting you here.'
'Yeah, fancy that. Zack, old boy, you and me got something to settle. But what say we leave my friends out of it? This is strictly between the two of us.'
'Negatory, Jake. Fact is, l have a personal grievance against a few of them. Especially the tall skinny bitch?what's her name?Darla? None too friendly, that one. Needs to be taught a lesson or two, and I have ten men here who are excellent instructors. The same goes for that other little whore of yours. Seems she likes to bite, too. And if you're listening, Sean Fitzgore, be assured that I have a full lineup of entertainment planned for you and Liam.'
'Wouldn't miss it for the world, Zack, boyo,' Sean said pleasantly. 'Though you'll be hard pressed to perform
