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"Yes" said Tim, with a disarming grin. "That is true."
"But you have grazing land in this valley, as well," said Kyle. "Is there a place for two more here?"
Lungho Lei thought a moment and then returned to his di
Finally the white-haired man looked up. "You will remain here as my guests while I think on this. In exchange for your horses, I believe a place can be found for you." Then he finished his di
Kyle kept an eye on Linwah for the rest of the di
Kyle and Tim did not speak until they had returned to their room. As Kyle sat down on a bunk, quiet footsteps stopped outside their closed door. A bar slid gently into place, locking them in. He looked at Tim.
"So close," Tim whispered. "The northern steppe is so close."
"I like it here," said Kyle. "This is a settled community. And we fit in-that is, we look like we do. It would be a safe place to start life over."
"We'd be followers," said Tim in a quiet but firm voice. "The best land in this valley is already claimed. Why wait twenty years for the old men to die off and then fight with their heirs for their inheritance? Out on the steppes with nomads, life is much more fluid. We can earn our way with barter and service at first, then strike out on our own. Any open grazing land belongs to those tough enough to take it."
"I'm no rider, at least not like you are. You really like this idea of living on the steppes?"
Tim gri
"Yeah, so?" Kyle shook his head. "Oral history isn't worth much over what, seven or eight centuries? What about it?"
"So that Mongol princess came from the line of Kublai Khan, and so back to Genghis Khan."
Kyle smiled with more amusement than he felt. "After that many generations, the blood is pretty thin."
"That doesn't matter. Look, you told me once that non-literate societies value oral traditions-they have to respect them and keep them and be honest with their spoken word because they have no other records. So I believe the story."
"Yeah, that's right. So you believe it. But what of it?"
"So will the Mongols on the steppe." Tim eyed him earnestly. "Follow me yet? The distant sons of the Kha-khan arrive from Earth with the finest seed of Mongol horses ever seen since the thirteenth century. We'll be welcomed like heirs to the throne."
"I'm not so sure. Their current tribal leaders won't want to step aside. Even if you're right, they can just kill us and keep the freezer case."
"Aahh." Tim brushed that aside with a wave. "I know better than to go busting in making demands. I'll handle the tribal politics when the time comes, armed with that freezer case. I even have those phrase books to help with their language. But right now we have to get out of here."
"We can't," said Kyle. "At least, not until we've passed muster with them. They've locked us in."
"Fu
The bar slid away and then Linwah slipped inside the room, carrying a bulging pack on a shoulder strap. In both hands, she lugged the heavy freezer case inside and gently set it down. She smiled self-consciously, looking at both of them.
"Didn't you notice she liked you?" Tim said. "I saw you two talking, and I got her aside for a moment on our way out."
"Hello, Kyle," she said quietly, in accented English.
"Hi," said Kyle, suddenly realizing what Tim had in mind. "You mean we're escaping from here?"
"She can't afford to get caught," said Tim. "She can take us to a small rear gate, but we'll be on foot-no wagon or mounts."
"Why are you doing this?" Kyle asked her suspiciously.
"I've never met anyone from Earth like you," she said earnestly. "That is, Cantonese from Earth. From Hawaii You must be very brave to come all this way alone. I want to help."
"This is insane," said Kyle. "What is it, some adolescent infatuation? We can't let her get into trouble over us."
"She's the old man's daughter," said Tim. "He'll yell at her and then forget it. And after we start our herd, we'll send them both a couple of horses to make amends."
"Tim-"
"Listen, Kyle," Tim said earnestly. "This isn't a BurReloc detention center or a Hawaii state correctional center, either. No sentries, no guard towers, no sensors or lasers. It's just a house with a wall around it. Her family thinks we're locked in and they're going to sleep."
"Everyone is asleep," Linwah confirmed. "Unless we are in a feud, we only have the animals to sound an alarm."
Kyle didn't know what to say. He looked at Tim, then at Linwah. She looked away shyly. Deep down, he didn't want to go. She fascinated him, not the least by her daring. After a lifetime of following Tim's every whim, though, he simply could not summon an argument now.
"Come on," said Tim. He stood up and bundled into his heavy outdoor clothing. Then he took the pack from Linwah, slinging it over his shoulder, and hefted the freezer case. "Linwah."
Kyle was also slipping on his outer clothing. Then he hustled after them, last as usual.
Linwah moved with quick, quiet steps, stopping frequently to listen. The floor of the narrow hallway was made of small stone and some type of fine mortar; the effect was similar to concrete, but rougher. Their gentle steps made no sound.
A small door in the back of the building creaked slightly when she opened it, but no one stirred. They walked out across the grounds in the dim light of Cat's Eye. The livestock were quiet as she led them in a faster walk to a rear gate in the wall.
Kyle couldn't help steal a glance at their wagon, and the two muskylopes hobbled near it.
"I'm sorry," she said as she unhooked the gate. "The front gate squeaks badly. And the dogs would bark at the sound of hooves if you rode out. My family would be roused."
Kyle looked at her, into her eyes. She was only a word away from going with them. In that moment, he felt he had never seen a woman more exciting.
"This will be fine," said Tim. "Come on, Kyle. Even on foot, we'll reach the northern pass by morning."
"No," Kyle said suddenly.
"What?" Tim was half out the open doorway when he turned.
"I'm staying."
"Kyle!" Tim stared at him. "Are you crazy? This is no time to argue-"
"I'm not arguing. I'm staying. You go. Now."
"Didi-"
A dog barked, then another. A horse whi
Linwah gasped and ran for the house as fast as she could.
"Too late to worry about noise," Kyle said. "Come on!" He ran for one of the muskylopes. It shied, startled, when he threw a bridle over it. "Get on!"
Tim didn't need any urging. As Kyle buckled the bridle, Tim clambered on, the heavy freezer case threatening to swing free of his hand, and stretched forward for the reins. "Jump, Kyle!"
"I'll stall 'em!" Kyle shouted back. He yanked a rifle from the wagon and tossed it to him. "Go!"
Tim caught the rifle in his free hand and held it by the crook of his elbow. Then he yanked open the freezer case and grabbed a handful of frozen vials, whichever ones he happened to snatch. He tossed them on the ground. "You'll need 'em!"
Kyle swung a cartridge belt over Tim's head as Tim threw down one of the instruction manuals and a set of instruments rolled in their padded holder.