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CHAPTER 18

      AS SPRING rises, the sky stays light long after the sun has set. And through this diffused, pearly twilight, the small party of travelers looked down a slope of brown grass at an arm of rock that stretched out into the river.

      "Let's stop a while," Itok murmured, sitting down in the grass. Steel, who was half-listening to a far-off bird call good night to the sun, nodded in dreamy agreement.

      Only Ware was unmoved by the softness of the evening. "No," he said, "We've got to get down to the water."

      Taking the pony's halter he headed down the hill. With a reluctant glance at the others, Hasty followed him.

      Going down, Ware set a fast pace, and the incline was steep. The wagon picked up speed as it jolted along, and soon the pony was forced to a trot, then to a gallop.

      The Ezzeman looked after them in alarm. "Hey," he cried, "You're going too fast." Leaping up, he ran after the cart.

      Hearing its master call, the pony tried to stop, bracing its little hoofs in the grass, but the slope was slick with dew, and both wagon and pony continued to slide at the same pace.

      Ware seized pony's harness, adding his weight to that of the little horse to try to slow the cart. When Itok and Hasty caught up with him, they grabbed at the cart and dug their heels into the grass, and just at the foot of the hill their combined efforts slowed it to a stop.

      The pony stood with lowered head, panting, raking them all with its malevolent glance. "How dare you endanger the Serpent's Daughter," Itok hissed furiously.

      Ware shook his head and began urging the animal on again. "We have to get out on the point right away."

      "Why are you in such a hurry. The barge hasn't come yet," Hasty said, falling into step.

      Ware gave him a restless glance. "It's because . . . because — can't you feel it? Something is ready to happen!"

      They reached a marshy spot as he spoke, and the wheels of the cart sank deeply into the wet ground. Ware took hold of the traces to help the weary animal pull. Hasty and the Ezzeman got behind to push. "We could do this easier," Hasty puffed, "In daylight."

      "Push!" Ware commanded. The wheels turned, and the cart inched forward. Looking up, he could just see Zex outlined against the darkening sky, and Steel a little below him. "I have to get them down here," he thought.

      Several minutes more of effort brought the cart to solid ground. Panting, Hasty leaned against its side while Itok began scraping the worst of the mud from its wheels. But Ware' urgency would not let them rest. "It's all rock from here to the end of the point," he said, "Go out there now — I'll get the others."

      As Ware headed back, he looked up and saw that Zex was still at the crest, staring back at the farmland behind him, his broad shoulders just visible against the sky. Steel came up from the far side of the hill and stood beside him.

      Then — his heart thudded violently — a third figure appeared and then a fourth. That wasn't Steel. Not Zex. A troop of men had come silently over the hill while he was struggling with the cart in the mud below.

      Where was Steel? Peering around desperately, Ware saw movement. Then came the wet sound of feet moving through mud, and a voice cursing. With a burst of relief, he whispered, "Zex? Over here!"

      "A fine dirty mess you've brought us to."

      "Hush. Look up the hill — soldiers!"

      Zex jerked his head around to look. "Ah!"

      "Where's Steel?"

      "Here," she answered.

      "Come this way," Ware whispered, "Hurry."

      They hurried, mud clutching at their feet. Above them someone shouted, "There she is!" Steel caught her breath sharply, and they crouched low, expecting soldiers to loom up before them in the darkness. Then another voice cried, "You're right. See it there? Upriver!"

      A light was moving across the water. It was not Steel they'd seen, but the raft. There came a rush of hope that was as painful as fear. "Run for it," Zex growled. "Maybe we can get to the barge before they reach us."

      They were on firmer ground; now they could run. Steel slipped once and fell. Zex caught hold of her elbow and dragged her along as if she'd been a child.

      The raft slid across the water toward the bank. The soldiers were still behind them — in the mud.

      Ware, Steel, and Zex sprinted along the rocky point. They were now so close they could see that the light came from a small fire at the center of the raft.

      A hiss. "This way." It was Itok.

      "Soldiers behind us . . ." Steel panted.

      "Tell me something I don't know. They can't see us, Lady — I'm guarding you."

      The raft glided toward shore. "Come on," Zex whispered, "Out in the water. We'll meet it."

      Then it came: a terrible sword-thrust of the mind that knifed through the darkness and knocked Ware off his feet. Steel fell without a sound. And with an anguished cry Itok crumpled against the cart.

      Soldiers' voices floated along the point of land. "Look. I see something."

      Dim figures running, and then Arm's voice rose in sudden frenzy, "Master. WE'VE FOUND THEM!"

      "Steel!" Ware gasped, but Zex had already caught her up and flung himself into the water. Clutching her in one arm, he swam toward the raft with Hasty close behind him.

      Seeing Steel on her way to safety, Ware hoisted the inert Ezzeman to his shoulder and dashed into the water after Zex.

      Cold! This current flowed from the icy hearts of mountains!

      Ahead of him, Zex reached the raft and thrust Steel into the waiting hands of Hearth and Ember, then hauled himself aboard. "Get rid of the light," he growled, "The soldiers are right behind us."

      Ware shoved Itok aboard and was half out after him when the Ezzeman choked out one word: "Ess-Issa!" and fell unconscious on the deck.

      Ware had forgotten her. The painted cart was still on land, and they must not leave Ess-Issa behind! "Aunt Hearth — take the barge to the end of the point and meet me there," he cried, and began swimming back toward shore.

      The cold of the water was so intense that Ware could hardly tell when his feet touched down. Ducking low, he half-waded, half-swam parallel to the bank.

      The soldiers were peering vainly across the water. "Where is it," one cried, "I saw it before, and now it's gone."

      "It's still there, you fool! They've just covered the fire," Arm shouted angrily. "Go in after it. Swim out to where you saw it last!" He gave one of the men such a push that it tumbled him into the river.

      Hidden by darkness, Ware came out of the icy water. Now where was the cart?

      Farther up the shore, one of the soldiers kindled a torch, and others began lighting sticks from it. One man flung his brand far out on the water, where it floated for a moment, burning, before it was doused by the wet. Although the flickering lights showed no sign of the raft, a second man entered the river, and he and the man Arm had pushed began swimming feebly.

      The cart was where Ware had left it. Grabbing the pony's halter, he ran the dozen paces to the end of rocky promontory. But at the river's edge, the animal stopped, refusing to enter the water. They had harried it and hurried it, and this was the last straw. It would not put hoof into that freezing element. In vain, Ware yanked at its harness. The pony tried to bite him.

      In desperation, he unhitched the animal and waded out into the water, dragging the cart after him. He had no idea how to get the heavy thing aboard the raft, but there had to be a way.

      "Aunt Hearth? Steel? Where are you?"

      Just as the raft slid into view, a shout came from down the bank. "Look, men — there it is!"

      Ware was almost waist deep now; the cart had begun to float. "Help me," he cried desperately.

      Arm's voice shouted, "Get them! Up on the bank and run!"

      With a great splash and a wordless exclamation, Ember was in the water, flailing toward him. "Get ON! ON!"

      Hearth called, "Hurry! We're in the current."

      Ware heaved upward, but he couldn't raise the wheels over the side. "Help me get this aboard." The cart bobbed wildly, scraping the side of the raft.

      "Idiot — what are you doing. GET ON!" Zex shouted, leaning against the bargeman's pole, bracing the raft against the current.

      The soldiers were almost on them.

      Ware shoved desperately at the cart. It was too heavy, too heavy. Ember, beside him in the water, saw what he was trying to do and got on the other side of the cart. He, too, strained upward, but the water was too deep. They couldn't raise it high enough.

      Splash! Now Steel and Hasty were beside them, lifting.

      "One-two-THREE!" They heaved at the bobbing cart, but the raft was moving away from them, into deeper water.

      Arm reached the water's edge. "I'VE GOT THEM NOW!"

      "Curse it!" Zex threw down his pole and leaped into the water beside Steel. "LIFT!"

      Up went the cart. Into the air. Onto the raft.

      Ember flung Hasty aboard and climbed on after him. Steel caught the end of a log as the raft slid past her. Two swimming strokes and Zex had joined her. One effort put him aboard, and he caught up his discarded pole. Together, he and Ember began guiding the raft into the swift current.

      Still in the water, Steel looked back . . . and saw Arm's fist close on Ware' hair, jerk him backward, and thrust him under.

      The raft was slipping away. With a roar of frustrated rage, Arm hauled Ware up again, and lifted his blade to cut his throat before plunging out after the raft.

      The knife went up, Arm tensed for the blow — and then his body arched suddenly backward, bent by the force of Steel's knee against his spine.

      Releasing Ware, Arm turned and dragged Steel from his shoulders. Ware opened his eyes — Steel! Rearing out of the water he clenched his two hands to form a great hammer, and slammed them against the side of Arm's helmeted head.

      "AH!" The force of the blow flung Arm aside into deeper water.

      Clutching at Steel, Ware flung her out of Arm's reach as, out on the raft, Hearth caught up a rope and hurled it toward them. "Ware! Steel! Here!"

      Steel caught the rope and thrust it toward Ware, gasping, "Come ON!" The raft picked up speed and they were jerked under the water and away.

      Hand-over-hand they dragged themselves along the rope, strangling, breathing more water than air. They were being swept away. "Help me here," Hearth shouted, and Zex caught up the rope's end and began hauling it in.

      Then they were bumping along at the edge of the raft. Hands reached for them, clutching at clothes, hair, anything in their eagerness to haul them out of the water.

      Up they came, exhausted, teeth chattering with cold — while far behind them in the darkness, the Arm stood breast-deep in the river, shaking his fists in impotent fury.

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