‘Hurry then,’ he sang. ‘Go quick. I will bring the baby.’
‘Down there,’ said Chantiforth Bins, pointing to a ridge along the side of the Enigma. ‘See them, Myrony? Spider? Just to the left of that tall splinter.’
Chantiforth Bins had gone on to Deepsoil Five from Harmony, and in Deepsoil Five he had found Myrony and Spider Geroan – along with Aphrodite Sells and two unhappy Explorers. The Explorers had left for the Deepsoil Coast. Affy was still in Deepsoil Five with Spider’s man. Chanty, Myrony, and Spider had decided to come to the Enigma and give it one more try before returning to the Coast themselves. After all, where else could their various quarries be heading?
Now they stood almost where Tasmin had when he saw Lim and Celcy die, looking down on the area between the Enigma towers from the north. Beneath them the ground quivered in a ceaseless tremor.
‘I see ’em,’ Myrony admitted nervously. ‘Now what?’
‘Slash ’em off and get back to Splash One,’ Cantiforth said, lifting his rifle.
‘No,’ said Spider Geroan.
‘Whattaya mean, no,’ Myrony objected. ‘That’s what we came for, Geroan. Get rid of the Tripsinger and the Explorer, and there both of ’em are, down by the splinter.’
That’s the wrong one,’ said Spider Geroan. ‘He’s only an acolyte. Where’s the right one? Ferrence?’
‘Ah,’ Myrony remarked. ‘Yer right, ya know. There’s the fuckin’ Tripsinger. I see his robe. Down there at the bottom, with the girl. He’s out o’ range.’
‘So, slash off these two, then go down and get those two, what’s the fuss.’ Chantiforth was in a hurry. Things were happening back on the Deepsoil Coast. Things that might threaten the profit from this whole job if he didn’t get there soon to protect his rights. He lifted the rifle again.
‘No,’ said Spider again. ‘You hit these two up here, those two down there are going to see it. They’ll run off, back into the range most likely, where we can’t follow.’ Spider narrowed his eyes in concentration.
‘I told you we should’a brought those Explorers.’
‘What good would that have done?’ As ever, Spider’s voice was quite expressionless. ‘They said there was no way they could get us by the Enigma, and everyone in Deepsoil Five agreed with them. You can’t use a noodle to beat bantigons, Bins. It’s all going to work out anyhow.’
‘Damned if I see how. The fuckin’ man is out o’ range.’
‘She’s the one that came up with the Enigma score,’ Chantiforth observed. ‘She’s going to sing it right now, isn’t she? What else would she be here for? Well. That gives us some time.’
Spider nodded. ‘While they’re occupied, we’ll sneak down behind these ’lings. You and Myrony hide there, as near the Explorer and the acolyte as you can get. I’ll go on down and get into range for Ferrence before you slash off these two.’
‘What about the girl with Ferrence?’
‘I’ll keep her,’ Spider said, affecting not to notice the expression of revulsion that crossed Bin’s face. It had been a very long trip, and he had not had any amusement for a long time, had not had that particular excitement that came with watching the one thing he had never experienced. He examined Clarin through his glasses. Good. He liked that type, that age. They were strong and agile, capable of many contortions and pleas before they died.
‘You’ll yodel when you’re ready?’ Myrony asked. ‘I don’t like bein’ around those fuckin’ Presences for very long.’ They started toward the gap in the Crystal through which Tasmin had stared down. ‘Wait!’
‘What’s the matter with you?’ Chantiforth demanded.
‘We take out these two first, then go on down where Spider is, and he’s done the Tripsinger, then this Presence starts to shake and jiggle, how do we get back over the top here to get back to town? Affy’s there, waitin’ for us.’
‘He’s right, you know,’ Bins said to Geroan. ‘Our mules are back there in Deepsoil Five. And all our supplies. I’m not eager to live off the country all the way back to the Coast. Even if we don’t go to the Coast, it’s a long hike around by way of Harmony.’
Spider ruminated. ‘All right. I’ll make a small change in plan. Do it just the way we’d said. You go on down a little way and cover these two in case there’s trouble. I’ll go all the way down and take out the Tripsinger and the girl first. These two up here won’t be paying any attention; they’ll be busy with their boxes. I’ll come back up, meet you, then we’ll all come back up here to the top before we slash off the Explorer and the acolyte. Kind of spoils it for me, but that’s the way we’ll do it.’ Though it did not show on his face, Spider was disappointed. He did not tolerate disappointment well, and only by substituting a mental image of Aphrodite Sells for Clarin in his plans for the next day or so was he able to feel quite comfortable.
The others had no objection. They stood quietly, checking their weapons, waiting for the tremors to cease.
There,’ sang Bondri. ‘That one is Tasmin Ferrence. Prime Priest Favel said he had hair that color.’
‘Yes,’ agreed Vivian. ‘That’s Tasmin all right. Keep the baby here, Bondri, will you?’ And she slipped out of the grove of settler’s brush and made her way toward Tasmin and Clarin.
Behind her, the viggy messenger who had brought the earlier word returned again. ‘More Loudsingers,’ he sang softly to the assembled troups. ‘On the Mad One’s back. High against the sky.’
‘Ready?’ asked Donatella, her fingers poised over the box.
‘Ready,’ nodded Jamieson, grinning. He stared around him at the little flat place between the towering scarlet peaks. He wanted to remember it, just as it was. His mind felt like there were flames leaping over it, laughing flames. He remembered every score he had ever sung, every one he had ever seen! ‘Ready,’ exultantly.
Their hands came down together and the music
