The Defiant Agents

tongue, but it was too late. Out of nowhere whirled a leather loop, settling about his chest, snapping his arms tigh

to regain his feet as the horse reared, and fought against the control of his shouting rider.

. On either side of him the coyotes wove a snarling pattern of defiance, dashing back and forth to present no targe

. The tough, braided leather eased its hold, and he was able to gasp in full lungfuls of air.

der rein and dismounted. Holding the rope, the man walked hand over hand toward them,

ar points of black hair. His breeches were tucked into high red boots, and he wore a loose felt jacket patterned with the same elaborate embroidery T

p and down before he asked a question. She gave an impatient twitch to the rope. The coyo

a made the introduction over her shou

udden force that Travis was almost thrown. Then Kaydessa dragged as fiercely on the lariat in

thing of three pieced out with scraps of hide. Besides the swords with the curved blades, they were armed with bows, two to each man, one long, one shorter. One of the riders carried a lance, long tassels of woolly hair

mated the odds against him, used ambush, trick, and every feature of the countryside as weapon and defense. Fifteen Apache fighting men u

pes of their homeland, utilizing driven walls of captives to protect their own men in city assaults and attacks. He doubted if even that endless sea of men could have won the Arizona desert defended by Apaches u

ed free of it, turned and passed between two of the horsemen to gather up the bow he had dropped. The coyotes had gone with him and when he

t of the weapon in his hand as if considering the possibility of trying to spear Tr

en us and that you also are enemy to those who hunt us. It is we

her speech, coming from f

e made of it a half qu

m down. However, if he could patch up some kind of truce between his people and the outlaws, the Apaches would ha

r ropes." He held up his bow in an exaggera

the Apache bow to Travis. Slowly, and wit

ooted foot in the heavy stirrup, and held down a hand to bring Travis up behi

or to the tower valley, and neither made any move to follow as the

un the risk of taking a lance point between the shoulders as he followed Naginlta and Nalik'ideyu into retreat. He was startled, jarred by the new awareness of how much he had come to depend on

the round brush-and-hide shelters-not too different from the wickiups of Travis' own people-was a crude drum, a hide stretched taut over a hollowed section of log. And next to

was not certain, though he guessed that the drummer was either medicine man or shaman, and so of some power in this company. Such men

e men were much the same age-young and vigorous. And it was also apparent that H

n his fellows, pole thin under his robes, his face narrow, clean-shaven, with brows arched by nature to give him an unchanging expression of scepticism. He s

the shaman's narrowed green eyes which suggested that if Hulagur did in fact lead

not push past the men to the

e no impression on her, and she replied in as hot a t

dessa, Menlik spoke a h

s Fox, of t

epeated. "You are of the We

ch, man of s

Menlik answered almost absently. "How doe

id," Travis returned. "You were sent

re of you?" counte

three, or four, be sent to hold a world?" Travis fen

d by a machine!" Kaydessa

this is a matter for warriors. Keep

t, standing with he

n alike-so shall we be as long as the Horde is not free to ride where w

understood enough English to translate for the others. Travis wondered about that. Had these men and women who had outwardly reverted to the life of their nomad

south of the mountains

is t

did you co

e or travel into new lands? There is

ere is no peace between your rulers and mine. Do you ride now t

o side, allowing them all to witness his slow a

en warriors? Much has changed sinc

n-you, who are a man of no

East. But the Apaches had their warlords also, rider of barren lands. And I am of those who raided over tw

e...." There was a hi

you so used to talking with spirits inst

an inferior, and he was already at a disadvantage coming on foot, without any backing in force, into a territory held by horsemen who were suspicious and jealous of their recently acquired freedom. H

muttering phrases Travis could not understand. Had the shaman retreated so far along the road to his p

hip of the ga-n. Ask of Kaydessa: Who hunts with the Fox in the wilds?" Travis

ation the shaman would not openly ask for. "I have seen them act a

a dog to his bidd

e him, look into his eyes. And then he knows what lies within their heads, and they kno

r two translated. Menlik frowned. Then he ra

tains." He then spoke over his shoulder in his native tongue, and one of the women reached behind her into a hut, brought out a skin

tly over its brim a few drops at each point of the compass, chanting as he moved.

othills. And another part of memory supplied him with the nature of the drink. Thi

up back to Menlik. The shaman emptied the horn and, with that, set aside ceremony. With

at!" he bad

ady made the pass and be within a day and a half from the Apache camp if he pushed on, as he would. As to where the coyotes were, Travis h

e point of his knife. And it was not until he sat back, hi

n she was slave to the caller, you

pon your minds do not touch me." Travis hoped that that was th

t of one blood," Menlik agreed. "Tel

n," Travis replied with a portion of th

h can sit in a man's head and make him do what it will against his wi

break them," Tra

k retorted. "We cannot use bow or tulwar against weapons which flame and kill quicker than any storm lightning! And always

day I saw its effect upon the maiden. But there are many places in the hills well set for ambushes, and those unaffe

Then a slow smile curved his lips into th

se such a machine-yes. But here would have to be bait, very good bait for such a trap, Lord of Wiles. Never do those others come far into the mountains. Their flyer does not lift well here, and they

owledge that there were stra

nds. He was no longer smiling, and his

s Khan in you

. Whether Buck and the moderates would hold clan leadership

Menlik continued. "But it is an idea of power. Ye

ng in this camp. But he must not go without the rest his body needed to supply him with a clear