The Crossroads of Time by Andre Norton

Author:Andre Norton [Norton, Andre]
Format: epub, pdf
Tags: Demonoid Upload 6
ISBN: 9780839824183
Publisher: Lisa's E-Book Collection
Published: 1978-05-15T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TEN

He was a boy, perhaps just into his teens, dressed in ragbag collection of patched clothing. And in the crook of his arm was a rifle ready for use, the muzzle of which swung threatenly as he slowly pivoted to survey the interior.

"Empty," he called. "Jus' as we thought, Manny. He was goin' it alone. We said so." There was a tone of accusation in that.

"Yeah?" The answer from the outside was dubious. "Well, that ain't exactly how the Sarge heard it, kid. And it pays to use your brains, as you oughtta know by now. Ras, you stand guard while we see if we can flush us out another bird."

A second figure entered. This was no boy, but a small, very lean man with gray hair and suspicious eyes alert to every feature of the basement. His arm also cradled a rifle and not one but two knives hung from his belt.

"How long ago did you say that hider picked this guy off?" he demanded, his eyes still cataloguing every detail of the sorry camp.

The boy squinted at the patch of sunlight on the floor as if that were his timekeeper. "Two, maybe three hours ago, Manny. This here fella came out with his water can and the hider sniped him neat. We was on point duty, workin' our way down here for a look-see. Then Ras—he used that ricochet trick you learned us—got the Limey. I did a squirm and saw they was both dead. This fella got it in the head and the Limey took it in the middle. But they both had it—right enough!"

"Then how come this fire's burnin' so good?" Manny asked.

The boy spun around to stare at the flames. "How do I know? We've been makin' point around here for two days now and there wasn't no one here but this one guy—nobody! I did a squirm when he was out yesterday and this place was empty. No sign of another guy holin' up here. I don't care what Long did tell the Sarge— there's only bin one fella here since we've been on point! Go'n ask Ras if you don't believe me!"

Manny scratched a finger through his thick crop of brindled hair.

"Well, you and Ras look around for the cache stuff. I'll take point 'til you're through."

He went out, to be replaced a few minutes later by a second boy not much older than the first. And he too was armed. He stopped short upon viewing the fire.

"How come—?" he was beginning, when the other turned on him.

"Now don't you go on like Manny. He thinks this fella musta had him a buddy."

"But we ain't seen no one else!" protested Ras. His hair and skin were dark; he was plainly of a different nationality, even race, than his freckled faced companion whose tangled mop of hair was light brown.

"Sure. Only a fire don't lay more wood on itself. Let's look for the stuff and get outta here on the double. I don't like spooky tricks.

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