Many Colored Land by Julian May

Author:Julian May [May, Julian]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Retail, Speculative Fiction, Personal, 096 Top 100 Sci-Fi
ISBN: 9780547892474
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Published: 1981-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

13

CLAUDE AWOKE. A cool breeze blew through hanging strings of wooden beads that screened all four sides of the prisoners' dormitory and kept insects from flying in. Two guards paced around and around outside the shelter, bronze helmets turning as they scanned the inmates, compound bows strung and ready, resting lightly on their shoulders where they could be drawn in an instant.

The old man tested his limbs—and by God, they worked. His field adaptation system was still Go after all the years. He sat up on his pallet and looked around. Almost all of the other prisoners were still lying as though drugged. But Felice was up, and Basil the Alpine climber, and the two Japanese ronin. Faint yapping sounds came from a closed basket next to a sleeping woman. There were snores and a few moans from the other sleepers.

Claude quietly watched Felice. She was talking in low tones with the three other men. Once one of the ronin tried to protest something she was saying. She cut him short with a fierce gesture and the Oriental warrior subsided.

It was very late in the afternoon and quite hot. The space within the walled fort was deep in green shade. A smell of cooking wafted from one of the buildings, making Claude's mouth water. Another meat stew, and something like fruit pies baking. Whatever its other flaws, the Exile society certainly ate well.

Having finished her discussion, Felice crept across the crowded floor to Claude's resting place. She looked keyed up and her brown eyes were wide. She wore the sleeveless kilt-dress that was the undergarment to her hoplite armor, but had put off the rest of the uniform with the exception of the black shin guards. The bare areas of her skin were lightly sheened with perspiration.

"Wake Richard up," she whispered peremptorily.

Claude shook the shoulder of the sleeping ex-spacer. Muttering obscenities, Richard hoisted himself onto his elbows.

"We'll probably have to do it tonight," Felice said. "One of the fort people told Amerie that by tomorrow we'll be into very heavy country where this plan of mine wouldn't have much chance of working. I need open space to see what I'm doing. What I'll do is pick a time before dawn tomorrow when it's still fairly dark and the bear-dogs are running on the dregs of their second wind."

"Now wait a minute," Richard protested. "Don't you think we'd better discuss this plan of yours first?"

She ignored him. "Those others—Yosh, Tat, Basil—they'll try to help us. I asked the Gypsies, but they're half crazy and won't take orders from a woman anyway. So this is what we do. After the midnight break, Richard changes places with Amerie and rides beside me."

"Come on, Felice! The guards'll spot the switch."

"You change clothes with her in the latrine."

"Not on your—" Richard blazed. But Felice caught him by the lapels and dragged him over the floor on his stomach until they were nose to nose.

"You shut up and listen, Captain Asshole. None of the rest of you have a hope in hell of getting out of this.

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