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〃‘Dusty Ayres； you say；' Scott repeated。〃
〃‘That's the only name I've ever heard him called。'〃
〃Lancer brought up the sympathizer idea。〃
〃Lunk punched his open hand。 ‘I just wish he'd try to start something with us。 I'd break his face。'〃
〃Terrific； I thought。 I looked at the three graves and wondered how our helmets would look on those crosses。〃
〃‘He's got to be hunted down；' the officer told Scott。 ‘Will you join us； Lieutenant？'〃
〃Scott was wary。 ‘I'm not going to involve any of my people until I know more about this matter。'〃
〃‘Sure thing； Lieutenant。 You take your time。 While the rest of us die。。。'〃
〃I sucked in my breath； you just didn't go around saying things like this to Scott unless you were already holding an H90 to his head。 Fortunately； Lancer stepped in to intervene。 Only thing was； he actually took it upon himself to volunteer our services。 Lunk； the big lug； seconded it； and I guess that was enough for Scott。〃
〃‘You won't regret it； Lieutenant；' the officer thanked us。〃
〃I； of course； already regretted it； but everyone else was talking tough and anxious to get started。〃
〃We left Annie and Marlene behind…much to our birthday girl's dismay。 After all； she had been ‘seventeen' for a full week now； and didn't that entitle her to share in the ‘fun stuff'？ Those were her words： ‘It simply isn't fair！'〃
〃Rook got a big charge out of this but didn't bring it up until later； after we had split up into several groups。〃
〃‘Fair？ Did she really say 〃fair〃？'〃
〃I repeated Annie's exact words into my helmet mike and laughed。 We were both in battle armor now and cruising side by side across the barren stretch where Ayres had last been seen； close to where the bodies of the three soldiers had been found。 The area had once been called ‘the Panhandle；' for reasons unknown； but it was just plain desert to us； no different from the wastes we had been traveling through since leaving the mountains behind。 Scott and Lancer were off somewhere south of us； and Lunk was riding with a few of the other soldiers。〃
〃I confessed to Rook how pissed off I was by the whole deal。 ‘I mean； what happened to Reflex Point？ Suddenly we're a posse for hire； or what？'〃
〃For once； Rook actually agreed with me。 Strange； because she had been ignoring me since the stunt I pulled at the bathroom window。 I had been taking a kind of apologetic； conciliatory tone with her ever since and now suggested that we split up to cover more ground。 But she didn't want to hear it。〃
〃‘If it's all the same to you； I'd feel better about this if we stayed together。'〃
〃I certainly didn't need to be told twice； and I'm sure I was smiling inside my helmet when the Invid ships appeared over the hills。〃
〃‘Guess we're just not meant to be together！' Rook shouted over the net just before we separated。〃
〃There were five ships bearing down on us： four rustbrown pincer…armed bat units led by one of the new blue and white monsters we had been up against in the underground city。 It was bound to happen…our Cycs were probably putting off the only 'Culture vibes for miles around…and I had said as much before we split up； but nobody wanted to hear it。〃
〃The leader dropped some fire at our tails； but we were flat out now and just out of range。 The big guy stuck with me after we separated； but Rook had her hands full with the Pincer craft。 I saw her slalom through a field of explosions； then launch and reconfigure to Battle Armor mode。 She put down almost immediately and took out one of her pursuers with a single Scorpion loosed in the nick of time。 I wanted to applaud her； but I was too busy dodging blasts from that leader ship。 There was a low mesa directly in my path； and I used it to my advantage by snaking around its base and going over to Battle Armor before the Invid ship pleted its own turn。 I hovered near the eroded wall of the butte； trading shots with the ship； but I couldn't zero in on any vulnerable spots。 The Invid was up on its armored legs； towering over me； loosing anni discs from two small weapons ports tucked under its chin…guns I didn't know existed until just then。 But after a minute of this I took off to find Rook。 As the two of us landed side by side； she said； ‘We've gotta stop meeting like this。'〃
〃I would have laughed if another blast from the leader hadn't forced us into a rapid launch。 And when we put down again； there was panic in Rook's voice。 ‘It's bad； Rand！ There's just too many of them！'〃
〃‘It's always bad！' I shouted back。 ‘Just range in on the big one and give it your best shot！'〃
〃The four remaining ships had regrouped and were closing in on us。 We both raised our forearm launch tubes； and it was then that Rook spied something atop one of the nearby hills。 I turned in time to catch a metallic glint。〃
〃‘What is that？' Rook asked。〃
〃I told her I had no idea。 ‘But if it's not friendly； we're in real trouble。'〃
〃The Invid had also caught sight of the thing； and it was apparent an instant later that they found it to be a more appealing target。 The ships zoomed past us without a shot； making straight for the hilltop。 I thought it might be Scott or maybe Lunk in the APC； but I had to guess again； because instead of attacking； the ships simply moved off； as though recalled unexpectedly。〃
〃‘I guess it's friendly；' Rook was saying； stepping out for a better view of the thing。 But that didn't make sense； I told her； following her lead。 If it was friendly to us； it would have been fired upon。 My guess was that it was an Invid mand ship…perhaps that orange and green one we had been seeing lately。〃
〃But as the thing came into view； we saw that it was some kind of side…carred cycle； piloted by a man wearing a poncho and Western…style hat。 We were trading looks with him when he suddenly fell off the bike； obviously shot！〃
〃The rogue was hurt； but well enough to ride。 Rook insisted on seeing what she could do for the wound in his arm； and he led us to a patch of forest that bordered the river we had crossed on our way into town。 He was tall and good…looking in a derelict sort of way。 His hair was parted in the center and fell below his shoulders； and he was in need of a shave and a good scrubbing； but none of that seemed to bother Rook。 She was playing nurse to his silent cowboy and enjoying herself。 I pretended to interest myself in the guy's mecha； which was unusual…it had twin scrambler…type exhaust stacks and a multimissile launch rack （the thing I had taken for a sidecar）…but I didn't miss a word of their conversation。 I had already convinced myself that the guy was an Invid plant。 He claimed to be as surprised as we were that the Invid had flown off without frying all of us； but I wasn't buying any of it。〃
〃Rook and I had taken off our battle armor。 The stranger was sitting down with his back against a tree； the poncho draped over one shoulder； letting Rook probe around inside his wound with a pair of tweezers from one of the Cyc's first…aid kits。 What she fished from his arm turned out to be an old…fashioned bullet！ But even this didn't seem to faze Rook。〃
〃‘This should help some；' she said； dropping the small projectile on the ground and treating the wound with antiseptic