Dream Park

arranging a bonfire with wood handed to him through the entrance. Tony called from a far corner of the building: 'Chester? Two cases of Coca-Cola.'

'Save a bottle for each Gamer. Smash the rest,' Chester directed. Tony began smashing bottles with his gun butt.

Presently Eames and Margie were back with three big gasoline cans. Margie was glad enough to relinquish her heavy can to Griffin. He began splashing the fluid across the painted map of harbor and airfield.

It didn't smell.

He splashed a bit on his hand and sniffed at it. Nothing. He touched his tongue to it.

Water?

He looked up-and half a dozen Garners were looking at him in disgust. Griffin continued distributing the 'gasoline'. He felt like an idiot. Of course Dream Park wouldn't permit a huge bonfire in Gaining Area 'A'. The fire, when it came, would be a hologram.

The small Nazi ship leaned drunkenly above them as Chester's group stood looking up. The remaining Gamers followed to within twenty feet, and stopped. They were well trained.

The ship didn't look all that stable.

'Forward bow,' S.J. said. 'I bet if someone gave me a lift up I'd find a rope ladder, and-'

'No need,' Chester told him. 'There are hand holds set in the side amidships. You can do the honors as soon as I make a scan.' He raised his arms and chanted his incantation.

Griffin found himself looking around at the others instead of watching the emerald fireworks. Someone else wasn't paying much attention, either.

Dark Star was pretending to watch Chester, but she was care­fully rubbing something out with her foot. He watched her slow, subtle grinding motion, almost as if she were putting out a ciga­rette. Then she shifted her balance to one foot, locked her hands behind her back, and waved the inverted fist back and forth.

Alex glanced back. Bowan was watching her hands intently. A signal, then. Signalling what?

When the green glow faded, S.J. mounted the metal ladder and

climbed aboard. 'All clear here, Admiral,' he called, and disap­peared from view. Dark Star was fourth in line to board, and Griffin arranged to be last.

'Just a second,' he whispered to Acacia. Unobtrusively he wandered over to where Dark Star had been standing. Rubbed al­most into oblivion, but still discernible, was an immense footprint. It was all he could do to stifle a yell of surprise.

He scrambled up after Acacia, enjoying an excellent view of her trim posterior. She helped him on board, and he drew her firmly over to the side.

'Acacia, why would you hide a clue?' Acacia looked puzzled, and he rephrased. 'What I mean is, if you saw a sign that in­dicated danger to the group, would you have any conceivable rea­son for not telling the rest of us?'

She thought about it. 'Well... I'd be lowering the chances of survival for the other players. That would mean fewer people to divide the group bonus with. If we won.'

'Hmm... is that all?'

'Well, if you were the only one who knew what was coming, you'd have a better chance to prepare a plan of action. You'd look really good once the feathers started flying. I guess you know that the Garners vote a special point bonus for Best Player. Then there are points for bravery...'

'Any monetary incentive?'

'Only indirectly. When you've accumulated enough points to be a Game Master or Lore Master, then you can start making money.' Her words held an unspoken question.

'I'll tell you later. Just keep on the lookout for a big monkey.' 'Say what-?'

Oliver came for them. 'Come on, guys. Things are hotting up.' Acacia reached out and stroked Oliver's chin, feeling the three-day growth of beard. 'You look terrifically fierce, amigo. I bet Gwen loves it.'

He playfully brushed her hand off. 'Come on,' he grinned. They followed the Warrior into the cabin, where most of the Garners were busy searching. Griffin noted that Dark Star cast fre­quent worried glances out of the windows.

A steel door stood open in the back of the cabin, and narrow metal stairs led down into darkness. Maibang climbed out of the gloom, followed by Chester.

'I think we may have something,' he said, waving a roll of

paper. 'We found it wedged behind one of the engines.' They cleared dust and twisted scraps of metal from a table top and spread out the scroll. Chester arched a single thin eyebrow. 'A map...'

S.J. was squeezing his head between Chester and the table, and his little brown eyes lit up. 'Aerial survey map, chief.'

For once Henderson seemed undisturbed by Waters' enthusi­asm. 'Significance?'

The Engineer turned the map upside down, and flipped it back­wards before placing it right side up again. 'Don't seem to be any markings here...'

Chester was tracing a line with his forefinger down what seemed to be a river. The map covered a mountainous region, readily rec­ognizable as New Guinea. 'Pre-Inversion,' he murmured. 'Any­body see anything interesting here?'

Alex scanned the map carefully from across the table, differen­tiating the grays and blacks into jungle and plain. 'There's a blank area about the size of a dime right there, in that mountain range.' Chester's gaze followed the pointing finger to a pale circle amid a patch of jagged lines. 'Maybe someone dripped coffee on it? or water?'

Alex ran his finger lightly over the surface. 'Nope. Paper's not rough there. I think that's our clue.'

Henderson nodded ungrudging admiration. 'And I think that you're right. Well then, if it's a clue, then...' He paused, scratching the three-day stubble on his chin. 'If our Illustrious Enemy doesn't appreciate anyone speaking their names, then just maybe they don't like anyone to find them, either. A spell in­tended to make them invisible just might backfire with a photo­graph, leaving a blank area like this.'

Acacia was still puzzled. 'But why a German boat?'

Chester waved it off. 'Visual contrast. It tells us where to go. It is in context, though. German spy planes and high-altitude cam­eras would have been ideal for supplemental fly-bys in World War Two. Just a matter of cooperative technology. Kasan, do you recognise this area?'

The little guide hemmed and hawed for a minute, then nodded his head. 'And look here, effendi. We have a large body of water. That would fit with what Lady Janet told us.'

'Good, good. Where is this?'

'Hmm... I believe there is a volcano in here, but I can't find it. It may be hidden in the blank spot.'

'May be?' Chester seemed skeptical.

'Let's not expect too much from a poor native guide, kimo sabe,' he said modestly. 'Trust me. It's there. And if... since it's there, I think we have here a half-day's march, along the coast, then inland.'

'Excellent. Progress at last.' Chester scooped up the roll and curled it, folded it once and stuck it in his backpack.

Holly Frost sniffed the air. 'Let's have a danger read, Boss Man. I don't like this setup too much.'

'You're first-level magic. You handle it.'

'Much grass. Hear me, oh gods!' She tried to spread her arms imperiously, but her knapsack was ill balanced, and she had to shift it on her shoulder. She was totally unembarrassed. 'Reveal Danger!' A green cloud enfolded her. One edge of the cloud swirled with crimson light.

Chapter Twenty-One