 
### The Cycle of Life

Part 1

### The rise and fall of Tanya Vine

By Hannah Jade Robinson

Copyright 2011 by H J Robinson

Smashwords edition

All characters in this publication are fictitious

and any resemblance to real persons,

living or dead is purely coincidental

Published by Hannah J. Robinson at Smashwords

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only.

This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people.

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please purchase an additional copy for each recipient.

Thankyou for respecting the hard work of this author.
Chapter 1

### Time on our hands

For ten years, Sendor Long, Husband and Father to Hummingbird Tower, had supervised the dismantling and thorough analysis of a strange vessel that had appeared overnight on the site of the new tower he was building higher up the slope of Slate mountain.

The small craft was not aerodynamic, and had no obvious propulsion system, but was totally encased in a plastic type material and was air tight. It was removed to the Hummingbird factory unit where it was dismantled, away from the prying eyes of their competitors, and slowly it gave up it's secrets. Where there should have been an engine of some sort, was a compressed mass of various metals, which also gave up it's secrets to the micro scanners and macro scavengers in the Hummingbird plant.

The vessel was obviously of earthly origin with mostly standard components, and only the motor unit was a mystery to Sendor and his robotic team of investigators. It slowly became clear that this was a craft built for time travel. Eventually, a replica time slip vessel was built with an enhanced logic core to give a greater IQ and navigation factor. After twelve trial runs, it was found that powering away from the time drive's start up date was less efficient in fuel / years ratio than returning, and the girls in the Hummingbird household called it _'Never Look Back'_ after the dance troupe from La Via that had entertained them last Spring.

It's official name was _'Hummingbird One'_ , which the girls thought was rather dull.

Caren and her adopted sister Denzil Sazgood, had made six successful trips in the Never, and were now due to slip 366 years into the past to observe the last and final appearance of Halley's comet.

That was to be in the morning, but on the last afternoon before the trip, they were fighting, and even after 10 years together, ever since Denny had been sent to live at Hummingbird tower by the new mistress of Guardian's Nest, Caren could still not figure out what Denny would be doing next. Her expression, as always, was totally unreadable.

Caren's armour groaned and pulsed with a deep blue light as Denny scored another hit on her left arm. Much more of this and the elbow joint would seize up automatically.

"Forty two percent," said the watching umpire, quoting from her vid screen.

But as Denny danced back, she got the worst of the exchange when Caren thrust her stave into the ground and launched into a flying kick, making solid contact with Denny's helmet. The helmet lit up red and the contest was over.

Behind the plaz screens, the small but knowledgeable audience applauded as the perspiring girls were ushered out of the ring by Amber, their kendo mistress.

They were watched by Caren's younger half brother, Ari who had appreciated every spin, thrust and parry the two girls had made. As a male, he would never be allowed to take part in physical sport like that, but could only watch longingly, from behind the safety of the screens.

"Nice move Cas," he said smiling, as he slid her leg shields off. "You OK, Denny?"

"Crafty sod, never seen her do that before. Going to have a good headache later."

"Sorry, Den. Got tired of losing all the time. Had to win this one, it's going to be spears next week and that will be yours I guess."

"Or ours if they make it pairs," added Denny.

"Mmm." Caren nodded. "Anyway, confession time. It's too hard to beat you without having a few new tricks, and I learnt that one from old Marnie."

Denny's eyes opened wide. "Marnie? The gardener?"

"Guess that would explain it," replied Ari, "she was Eastern champion for years. Well before your time love." He started unlacing Denny's body plates, "need any help getting rid of that headache you're going to have later?"

She put her hand to his cheek, "Is it my head you're interested in?" she asked him with a smile, "because if it is, then the answer's no. I'm my own physician, aren't I?"

"Not your head, dearest," he confessed, "after prayers?"

"No marathon though, big day tomorrow and we have to have an early night. OK Cas?"

Caren shook her head. "Count me out, I'm going over the launch programme again."

Denny shook her head in despair as Ari smiled his goodbyes and left them alone to get showered.

His value to the family in the next great rotation depended on him staying healthy and whole. In less than a year he would be living the role of suitor to the Deerward women, and would probably be a father to several children before he was twenty. He closed his eyes at the thought and said a silent prayer.

"Lady of the night, let there be sons in my house."

The security drones kept a silent watch over the dark tower during the long night until the first bird calls of false dawn, when the damned birds woke up the sleepers on the East side first. Prayers that morning were read by the head of the house, Sylvine Hummingbird, who was now the oldest surviving mother of the clan since her sisters Margarita and Evangeline had died in the floods three years before.

She read to the assembled family from the book _'Mother and Lady'_ , which was not the original, (lost when the Valley tower was gutted by fire) but one of the first copies ever made and jealously guarded.

"In the dark times of the new beginning, the hooded company were beset by cares and confusions, but were true to one another." She stressed the last few words.

"Each dawn brought a new day of trial and test, but they were true to one another." Closing the book gently, she looked over her family.

"We can do no less than walk in the footsteps of the first twelve knights of the forest, who were, first and foremost, true to one another. As you know, we have been in discussion with the other families, and before this year has ended, our son Ari will be a Deerward, and we shall be welcoming a new Son and Husband from Lakeside. It has been decided that Julio San Miguel will be coming to us. Trying times indeed."

A low muttering spread across the dining room.

She raised her voice "Silence and respect at this time," and as the noise abated, finished with the eternal plea, "Lady of the night, we thank you for letting us see this new day, and pray that we may walk in your shadow again."

The rest responded, "Hasta la vista," and the gathering broke up with the words, _"anybody but him - arrogant - unfair - not doing it with me - better off keeping Ari,"_ being heard from the groups of older girls and women.

Denny frowned. "Can't see him being a problem for you and me somehow, Cas."

"Fortune telling again, sweety?" Caren asked.

"Mmmm. Don't feel that he's going to be the father of our children," was Denny's slow reply. Denny had great intuition and had been right on more than one occasion.

"Let's hope that you're right," replied Caren fervently. "Don't want him in my bed. Or house even." She had seen Julio twice and had not been impressed with his attitude towards his family.

Breakfast was a noisy affair with most of the 67 residents in attendance for the promised appearance of the long awaited porridge and honey.

"Not a potato in sight," said Ari with a great smile, as he supervised his younger sisters in clearing away the last of the dishes. Caren and Denny had already left for the underground laboratory where the Never Look Back was sited, waiting for their arrival.

Denny stared unblinking into the scanner and whispered to the door, "open please."

After a brief pause, she was recognised and the door slid open. They entered the first chamber hand in hand, then went down to the changing rooms where they were helped into overalls by the lab assistant, Vanda. She walked with them to the time floor where Sendor and Wilma were fussing about the grey vessel.

"Ah, Denny, Caren, we're nearly ready for you, less than an hour to launch, I think."

"Shall we go aboard now papa?"

"Yes, I think that would be best, then you can double check the final plot."

They both kissed Sendor and entered through the cabin door. It closed behind them and Caren's pulse was racing by the time she eased herself into the navigators seat. Naturally, with her being 'different' and not easily given to panicking, Denny's heart rate didn't alter at all, and she was totally at ease as she took the pilot's chair.

"In position and ready." She eventually announced to the ground crew, who were now in the control gantry above them.

"I hear you and respond." Came the reply from Wilma, who was checking her duplicate gauges. "Start overlap sequence when ready please, Denny."

They began the sequence they had successfully completed six times before.

"Panel alive in all quadrants," said Caren, scanning her instruments.

"I concur," replied Denny.

"Gantry concurs."

"LOGIC CONCURS."

"Cells at maximum capacity."

"I concur."

"Gantry concurs."

"LOGIC CONCURS."

"Slip drive in yellow phase."

"I concur."

"Gantry concurs."

"LOGIC CONCURS."

"Activate navigation program."

"Activating"

The gantry was ominously silent.

"LAUNCH."

"What?" exclaimed Denny in astonishment.

"Chiggers!" Spat out Caren. "It's never done that before."

Sendor frowned as the time machine turned blue and disappeared in a swirl of dust.

"What was that?" he demanded.

Wilma looked up from the scope. "What was what?" she asked and then went wide eyed and swore under her breath. "They've gone!" Then she noticed the dust cloud settling onto the normally spotless floor. "Vanda, where's that dust come from?"

"It was cleaned last night, same as always." Vanda replied instantly, taking a hand held analyser from the desk. "Shall I?" she queried.

Wilma nodded and Vanda went down to the time floor to take a sample of the dust.

"Cobalt," she said, then quieter, "cobalt?"

She finally looked up at the gantry where Sendor was watching her from the window. "Traces of cobalt," she called up to him.

"That's in the drive core, isn't it?" asked Wilma, frowning.

He didn't manage to reply, as a siren started to wail and a warning message echoed round the complex.

" **Warning. Warp drive detected. Arrival imminent. Clear the floor immediately."**

Vanda raced up the stairs as the message was repeated and she gratefully slammed the security door behind her.

"That was quick," Wilma gasped. "They're programmed for at least an hour," and she lowered her head to the warp scope again.

After altering some settings a couple of times she said, "it's changed."

"In what way?" asked Sendor.

"Brighter signal, and on a lower wavelength." Then she turned to him and said slowly, "I don't think it's ours."

Sendor turned instantly and thumped an emergency button, locking the lab doors and bringing the shutters most of the way down until the gantry windows were almost completely covered. Outside, the security drones would be arming themselves and going to assigned positions, but what they would be capable of against the unknown, none of them knew.

" **Arrival imminent. Clear the floor. Arrival imminent. Clear the floor. Arrival."**

Soft blue lightning crossed the time floor, and there it was. Or rather, they were. Appearing through the heat haze were two stubby machines, dark green and stained with brown and black streaks. One of them was static, but the other sped erratically round the walls of the huge laboratory before coming to rest beside it's twin.

" **Wave form building. Launch imminent. Clear the floor."**

Then they were gone.

On the gantry, everyone had been shocked into silence. Eventually, Sendor breathed a sigh of relief and said quietly, "Thank heavens, they have gone."

" **Warning. Warp drive detected. Arrival imminent. Clear the floor immediately."**

"Looks like they're coming back," muttered Vanda, as she stepped away from the window.

Wilma looked into the scope again. "Different."

"I shan't even ask," retorted Sendor.

" **Arrival imminent. Clear the floor. Arrival imminent. Clear the floor. Arrival."**

The lightning was still blue, but richer, darker, and the massive machine that followed it was long and sleek, like a giant spear head. Coming to rest in the centre of the floor, it sat on six spidery legs and in the side of the vessel a hatch opened, from which an enormous figure appeared and looked around.

There were gasps of surprise from all in the control room, and Vanda could be heard praying fervently, and she was convinced that her prayers had been answered when the creature returned inside and the hatch closed.

" **Wave form building. Launch imminent. Clear the floor."**

"What the hell have we done," gasped Wilma as the alien craft disappeared.

"We're going to need a better defence system," whispered Sendor.

" **Warning. Warp drive detected. Arrival imminent. Clear the floor immediately."**

"Lady preserve us," mumbled Wilma. "Here we go again," and shook her head as she looked up from the scope again. "Still not ours."

Vanda slid to the floor against the wall and covered her head with her arms, not wanting to be there.

" **Arrival imminent. Clear the floor. Arrival imminent. Clear the floor. Arrival."**

Wilma was right, it wasn't theirs, but it was very similar. Same size, slightly different shape but with extra bits seemingly stuck on at random all over the hull.

As the haze cleared, they saw a hatch open and a woman step out. She was dressed in black boots and kilt with a faded pink tunic under a chain mail byrnie supported by a wide leather belt. An outlandish helmet covered most of her face and she held a sword casually in her right hand.

She looked round the time floor and finally up at the gantry. When she sheathed the sword and removed the helmet, Wilma gasped in recognition.

"They're back. It's Caren."

She threw open the door and raced down the steps, followed closely by Sendor.

"Caren, darling," he cried. "What happened?" Where have you been?" He held her at arms length and studied her face. "You're older," he whispered. "How long...?"

She did not answer but turned towards the machine.

A man who looked about forty and a boy of about eight years came out and stood beside Caren, who put her arm round the boy's shoulders.

"Michael, this is your grandfather. Introduce yourself properly."

The boy looked up into his grandfather's eyes and stated confidently, "my name is Michael Hummingbird, cum Southgate ab Hummingbird, and I am pleased to meet you sir." He held out his hand and Sendor took it gently in his.

He was in a mild state of shock. Less than an hour ago, Caren had been only nineteen, but here she was, about ten years older, and with a son.

At last, he spoke, "I have a grandson."

"And this is my good friend, Walter, he's teaching me to play chess," she said proudly. Then went on, but with less composure, "he is from Lakeside and he is now our Husband."

After a wide eyed moment, her father laughed and said, "so much for Julio. Your grandmother won't be happy, but I love it, just love it."

Then his eyes flickered to the doorway and his smile disappeared. "Denny?" he asked quietly.

Caren shook her head slightly as she replied, "it's a long story."
Chapter 2

### Flight to a new world

The Never Look Back's control panel was now an array of purple lights slowly pulsing off and on, and while the view screens showed nothing but static, the one 'real' window on the ship was filled with the rainbow of 'between times' which meant that they really had launched.

"What's rule number one Caren?"

"We will not panic, but I'm close to breaking it," was the ironic reply from the now redundant navigator. The grey craft behaved as if all was going well, but the panel remained locked off and none of the override systems worked.

"Activate shutdown sequence and maintain stasis point."

"SORRY, DENNY, THAT WILL NOT BE POSSIBLE." replied the Never Look Back.

"Authority Sazgood, primera nueva, activate shutdown sequence."

The Never apologised to Denny but still maintained that it was not possible.

"Never, what is our status now?" Asked Caren.

"ON COURSE FOR TIME LOCK IN 17,32 SLIP HOURS," came the reply in the ever calm voice of the logic core. The two friends looked at each other, mouths wide open in astonishment.

"17 hours?" Exclaimed Denny. "How many ground years is that?"

"3,400 PLUS OR MINUS 3,6 FOR TARGET DRIFT AT THIS DISTANCE. CORRELATION AND CORRECTION IN 15 HOURS."

An uneasy silence followed, then Caren said quietly, "How far can we get on these fuel cells?"

"5,569 GROUNDSIDE YEARS BUT EFFICIENCY DETERIORATING."

"We're not going home Denny, are we?" Caren stated in a voice that was calmer than Denny could have expected.

"Never, what has happened to the original program for a 366 year reverse?"

"PROGRAM OVERWRITTEN 9,73 HOURS AGO BY MASTER USER, MESSAGE FROM MASTER USER TO BE RELAYED AT 11,30 SHIP TIME."

"Master user?" Denny asked, "That would be your father, or Wilma?"

"I don't know," replied Caren, "I just can't think this through yet."

While waiting for the promised message, they spent their time checking the stores in the cargo space, opening the crates and boxes at random. They were only mildly surprised to find that all the equipment to be used for observing the fabled Halley's comet had gone, and had been replaced by medical supplies, survival gear and books. Real reading books, not just computer wands, but genuine books printed on wafer thin plaz sheets.

They returned to the cabin and the message started on the small relay screen promptly at the promised time.

A white haired older woman addressed them. "I know you well, Denzil Sazgood and Caren Hummingbird, and I know what great things you will achieve in the years to come, but first you must put all your doubts and fears aside and put your trust in me and in my companions, as we put our trust in the Lady of the Night. The world is changing and you are going to help it through that change. You go this day to collect some passengers from a distant age, who will save humankind from the edge. They will not at first be willing partners in this venture, as they see their world destroyed around them, but together, and only together, you can restore the human race to greatness again. I know you both, and soon you will both know me. Hasta la vista."

The two unhappy travellers automatically mumbled, "hasta la vista," in return as the screen went blank. "Replay the message please, Never," asked Denny.

"THERE IS NO MESSAGE, DENNY," came the reply.

"Oh Lady, I hate mysteries," snapped Caren.

They settled down to wait out the remaining hours before they were due to make groundside sometime around year 2200, and tried to imagine what they would find there.

The Never came to rest on a hillside in front of a small cave. The vid screen came to life. It was that woman again. She gave them instructions to bury a certain sealed and numbered box to the side of the cave mouth. Querying the command brought no response, so Denny volunteered to go outside and carry out the burial.

Job done, she reboarded the Never which immediately launched again, but forward in time and only by seven ship minutes.

### Invasion

The solar system had been infiltrated somewhere around the year 2120, and the aliens, called the Stream, had been busy excavating and building for three quarters of a century on the side of the moon permanently turned away from the Earth.

In February of the year 2200, the Hood (series 1 mining vessel) was returning from the asteroids to Earth with a full cargo of iron ore, nickel and other metallic goodies from the general direction of Orion, when the first alien craft emerged from the warp gate which had been built underground on the 'far side' of the moon.

Surprise was complete and the defence satellites, mainly Italian, only accounted for 3 alien vessels before they were eliminated. Likewise, all comsats ceased to function within hours of the invasion and as the alien numbers increased and started to land ground units, the forces ranged against them began to lose cohesion. Army groups were decimated by unknown weapons and cities were left devoid of all life forms as the aliens swept across the continents.

Then the Hood returned. Being a series 1 commercial, she had no heavy weaponry, only general mining equipment, but the crew were willing to fight, and, except for captain and navigator, were sent dirtside in the nine shuttles that were fuelled and ready to go.

Seven unmanned probes were sent ahead to spread confusion amid the alien fleet, and all nine shuttles made landfall safely in Valencia, Spain. Could eighty eight miners make a difference?

Captain Sorensen and navigator Thorson took manual control, and guided the great vessel towards the moon. Hood herself was dedicating all her logic to use the gravity loading system as a weapon, hurling her cargo in two tonne chunks at the alien craft which were trying desperately to intercept her. The aliens could not deflect her from her purpose, and no human eyes saw the Hood meet her doom as she crashed into the warp gate, destroying it and stopping the flow of alien craft from coming into Lunar orbit. The force of the impact imparted a slow rotation to the moon and the debris from the explosion gave it a ghostly halo. The Hood, Sorensen and Thorson were gone, along with the threat of alien reinforcements.

At first, the groundside miners were thrown into the fray as medics and drivers, but as the months passed by, and their numbers grew less due to accidents, illness and war wounds, the last forty six of them found themselves equipped as front line troops, in the Jalon Valley to the South of Valencia.

All over the globe, the alien machines rolled on, fewer now but still as deadly and they were ranged against constantly diminishing defence forces. After the battle of Jalon bridge, the able bodied miners numbered only twelve, but the tide of war's fortunes was turning and the miners were directed to hunt down the remainder of the enemy in their vicinity.

Hind and Hawk were Hoods successors, series two miners, and cutting short their operations in the asteroid belt, had arrived in Earth orbit together. On their journey home, there had been time to redefine the gravity loaders control systems, and they commenced to hunt and destroy the alien warships, then turned their attention to the alien ground forces, but it was too late for Hood's miners in Spain.

### Last stand

Gudrun and Marcus arrived last at the previously dug trenches between and beyond the two modified crawlers, which themselves were dug in hull down and lightly camouflaged.

Ricardo looked at Walter and raised his eyebrows questioningly. "Late again. Wonder what they've been doing?"

"We both know the answer to that one, and I would have been with them two months ago, but can't be bothered now. Too much effort just staying one step in front all the time."

"Right you are Walt. But things will be different when Hawk and Hind get their acts together," replied Ricky.

Walter was silent for a moment, then cleared his throat and spat saying, "Sooner the better. Can't come quick enough for me." The conversation died away at that point as both men contemplated their position.

They occupied the extreme left flank of the woefully short line, and were expected to stop the enemy reaching the 'tank' to their right before the crew had launched their one and only Squealer missile mounted on it's cradle, crudely welded to the crawlers back. The same set up was in place on the other end of the line with the twins, Billy and Peppa in the crawler and Simon and Marcus in the trench.

Gudrun joined the team leader, Margaret in the centre positions.

"Was that for him, or you?" asked Margaret.

Gudrun looked her in the eyes and said, "For him, naturally. You wouldn't believe how calm he is now." She paused and smiled, "But he's so young, and energetic. It could be my last time."

"Don't remind me sweetheart. It's not good for morale."

They both laughed gently at the attempted humour. They all knew that their chances of survival were close to zero. If the aliens didn't get them first, the blast from the Squealers would probably be the last thing they saw.

They were joined briefly by Anton. On the Hood he had been the chief of security, but now, like the rest, he carried a blast rifle and grenade launcher, and took orders from Margaret.

"Any news from the Dutch or the English?"

Margaret shook her head. "Clutching at straws there. None of them can get here before dusk and the wee beasties will probably turn up before noon."

He took a deep breath and said, "no choice then, really, is there?" It was a statement, not a query.

"No choice. Stop these here or do some damage and slow them down, then the rangers can take them out. It's nearly over, Tony. One more day of this and we can start to pick up the pieces." The big ex security chief shrugged his broad shoulders and moved back down the line to his position beyond Gudrun.

Flymo and Graybags got the first indication of the aliens approach when two deer fled from the cover of the woods and sped off to their left.

Ricardo, Walter and James were nearest that side. "Ware the nasties, left flank." yelled Jimmy as half a dozen large figures in dark green body armour emerged from the trees.

The miners started up a withering fire into the enemy group, but knew from experience that they could do little damage, only hope to slow them down. Where were the alien mechanicals they had been warned to expect? One armoured warrior toppled over on the rocky slope when two of it's legs were damaged above the third joint, but after it had come to a rest, it still fired intermittently at the nearest crawler.

A familiar voice sounded in Margaret's head set. "Extraction in three minutes."

She looked briefly round at Gudrun. "What?" She demanded.

"Retreat to cave, extraction in two minutes forty five seconds." It wasn't Gudrun speaking then.

"Damn and blast, is this a joke?" She said, mainly to herself.

"Extraction in two minutes thirty seconds."

She made an instant decision and screamed into the stick mike, "Set missile controls NOW, and all hands retreat to cave for evacuation." She was shouting to be heard above the gunfire and whine of the alien small weapons, but others had heard the original message and countdown as well, and were already steeling themselves for the fighting withdrawal. Another alien was damaged and started to stagger round in circles, spraying it's deadly flame at random.

It didn't go well for the crawler crews, who had further to go to the cave entrance. Billy was the first to fall with violet lightning playing round his lower back. His sister, Peppa stopped to help him and they died together in a flash of green light as three alien weapons targeted them at the same time.

Four machines now rolled into action from the woods and Margaret gave the verbal launch command while Flymo and Graybags were still twenty metres away from the safety of the cave. The missiles were pre armed and sent out their defensive magnetic pulse immediately on launch which briefly stopped the enemy from functioning, and they detonated seconds later over the alien force, destroying the foot patrol instantly and damaging the mechanicals. Only one mechanical beast was stopped completely and the other three, although damaged, continued through the flames and up the slight slope towards the cave mouth over the burnt bodies of Flymo and Graham.

Inside the cave, the eight remaining miners huddled together in a cloud of dust raised by a rock fall which covered the cave mouth. James was unconscious, his face covered in blood which was coming from beneath his helmet, and had been dragged to safety by Walter.

"Extraction in one minute." The only true soldier among them was Simon, one of Hood's contingent of twelve marines, and he was the first to recover and check out their surroundings.

All around the cave, by the light of his rifle's flashlight, he could see nothing but cave. "Some extraction guys. Looks like we're trapped."

The rock barrier blocking the entrance shifted as the aliens commenced firing again.

"They're still with us," someone was heard to mutter, then they fell silent and wide eyed as a spectral glow surrounded them and a grey shape grew out of the cave wall.

The Never Look Back was making it's grand entrance, it's front few metres in the cave, the rest embedded in the rock, which had been displaced 'somewhere else'.

There were to be lots of theories about it, but where that somewhere else was, no one would ever discover.

Maybe Mrs. Zogblaster on the planet Zoom suddenly found alien rocks in her garden one morning and blamed it on Zip and Zap the neighbours kids? And then again, maybe not.

A door opened in the Never's hull and the loading ramp slid down to the ground as the voice of their unknown rescuer urged them to board quickly.

"Sterilization in two minutes and fifteen seconds. Event slip at minus ten seconds."

Anton's voice boomed out and roused them from their incredulity. "Get on board now! Leave the gear and move out."

Ricky and Walter were the last to get up the ramp, and as they heaved James through the door it cycled shut, just as the rock fall evaporated under the alien gunfire.

Never Look Back was still on it's pre programmed course and the two pilots could do nothing but observe and calculate. Caren grimaced as she watched the passengers on the screen. "Ragged bunch, aren't they?"

Denny agreed, and suggested that Caren should go to meet them in person.

"Why not you then?" Was Caren's instant reply.

"Because you're a Hummingbird, it's your job to greet guests, and they probably need a human to put them at ease and show them the recycler."

Caren still stared into the screen. "Mmmm. There's eight of them. Wonder what that'll to do to the housekeeping?"

Denny's words suddenly registered in Caren's brain. "What do you mean, they need a human? You're human enough to show them the toilet. We all have the same body parts." Caren hoped that Denny would back down and go through to the cargo hold, where their eight surprise passengers were packed together.

"They need first aid, dear heart, and that's your forte," Denny replied calmly.

Caren was still staring into the vid screen, "OK. I'll go, it's best you stay in command. Lock down when I go through, and if there's any trouble, use the dream gas on us."

She rose and stood by the cabin door, and when it opened to Denny's request, she moved quickly through. The seven conscious miners turned their heads at the sound of the door. Caren was first to break the sudden silence, "Chiggers, you stink!" and clamped a hand over her mouth and nose.

"So would you girlie, if you'd been living rough with us, instead of cruising on this jolly boat," was the bitter reply from Simon.

"Who sent you, was it the English?" Asked Margaret.

"Who? No. Someone else." Caren looked intently at the prostrate form of Jimmy. "What's wrong with her?"

After a moment's confusion, Margaret replied, "A rock fell on his head."

Denny was watching the exchange on the screen, concentrating hard on the movements of the passengers, and her lips moved in a silent plea. _"Ask her name."_

Caren's face took on a puzzled look for a second, "What name do you go by?" she eventually asked.

"Valence, team leader Margaret Valence, mining company of Hood." Caren's hand fell to her side and her face bore an incredulous look. "Hood?" was all she could say.

Denny leapt from the pilot's seat, "not now angel." Her commanding voice boomed out of the speaker plate startling the weary miners. "Medico first, theology later," then she started ransacking her pack for her neglected copy of 'Mother and Lady'.

Caren recovered her wits and supervised as Jimmy's prostrate form was stripped of clothing then lifted onto the medico. _"Not a she,"_ she whispered in quiet confusion and changed the program that would start the auto medic, then gave the command, "analysis commence." The medico began it's diagnosis and Caren turned to Margaret, "you have a man." It was more a statement of fact than a question, despite the querying tone of the girls voice.

Margaret frowned in confusion, "Well, yes, we do."

Caren lifted her voice and called to the time machine, "Never, how long to landing?"

"5,76 SHIP HOURS CAREN."

"What time groundside?" she asked, dreading the reply.

"2,100,41 YEARS." was the short answer.

Caren closed her eyes and a single tear rolled down her cheek. "Denny?"

"Be strong, sister of mine, be strong, and all will be well," Denny answered, sounding calmer than she felt, thumbing quickly through the little book.

Caren turned to Margaret and her voice was unsteady as she said, "less than six hours to journey's end. You must prepare yourselves for a new life in a world different to your own. We are now all lost souls, and must be true to one another."

"What the hell does that mean?"

"It means, great leader, that we go where we go, at the whim of another, and I fear that I already know what lies ahead." Caren didn't need her prayer book to realise that they appeared to be re-enacting the cycle of life, and wondered if she could play her part to the full. "Come, let me show you the plumbing." The wonders of the recycling toilet were duly explained and Caren returned to Denny in the cabin.

Denny was sitting on the floor among the scattered contents of her pack, with her eyes closed and holding the little brown book in one hand, while the fingers of her free hand beat a slow tattoo on her knee. She didn't move when Caren sat beside her. "Do you realise where we are going, Cas?"

"Burned Wood, I think," was Caren's quiet reply, "Mother and Lady, about page eleven."

Denny's eyes were still shut tight and she was close to tears as she reached out for Caren's hand. Her grip was fierce as she turned to Caren with pleading eyes and whispered, "I don't want to be the dark one." There. The statement was made, and her tears came at last as Caren and her adopted sister wrapped their arms around each other. They clung together till there was quiet in the cabin again. Denny held Caren at arms length, "We're in the cycle, Cas." She gave a deep sigh and quoted from the book, " _One of them was fair, and was the angel of light._ That's you I guess, so I must be the other." She shook her head, "Best get on with it, I suppose," She was getting back to her normal cold calculating self again.

"We'll be OK Den. The book might not be the whole truth anyway. We'll get through this together," was Caren's inadequate philosophical reply.

Jimmy the gunner was awake again after less than three hours in the medico, and Walter helped his disorientated workmate to dress again.

"Queer state of affairs here Jimmy boy, and no mistake," he informed the groggy James. "Seems like we've been picked up by two guardian angels, and we're off to Utopia." He nodded towards the two time pilots sitting in quiet conversation with Margaret and Anton. "Been getting the lowdown from the girlies there, and it seems like we're going be popular with the ladies where we're going. Need some new blood or something."

The quartet in conference broke up, and to the girls surprise, it was Anton who stood and addressed the rest. "OK troops, here's the bottom line, and it's strictly weird, so listen up and pay attention. You must have noticed that everything around you is technologically different to what we know. This vessel we are in is apparently a time machine from the year 5,600, and is going to run out of go juice somewhere around 4,300 or so. Our rescuers are probably going to be stranded, just as we are, but our future is already their past, and they know something of the local situation where they think we will land. At least, that's as I understand the situation." He paused, "we have to go unarmed." As expected, several negative voices were heard.

"Shut up and just listen. These weapons are used at our own risk, because any use of energy or chemical weapons brings down a thunderbolt from above."

This brought laughter, but he raised a hand to quieten them, and continued, "it seems that Hawk and Hind have been on standing patrol for two thousand years, and are still throwing rocks at energy sources."

The company was silenced by the statement, each lost in deep thought, and Denny spoke up, "we have some simple weapons on board, and if what we believe is true, they will be needed as soon as we are groundside. The true warrior and the skipper must go out first." Eyebrows were raised at this last part, but Denny and Caren refused to say more, only directing the opening of the crates and the distribution of the swords, bows and plaz armour they found there. Into the crates in their place, the unhappy troop packed their 'modern' weapons of war, and finding only two sets of armour and helmets, which fitted Caren and Denny, it was decided that the rest would keep their Sundown armour.

Jimmy had immediately picked out one of the three bows, and sat examining it deep in thought. Denny went and crouched down with him.

"You have been in the medico, and I think that the master user has put the knowing of this bow into your mind while you were under treatment."

Jimmy turned to her, still caressing the stave, "it's like an old friend I haven't seen for a long time."

She continued, "when you go out, go silent for all will be strange to you, and there will be beasts of the forest and they must be slain. Be like one with the bow and none can stand before you."

The Never Look Back came to her final resting place, and when the door was opened, they found that they were in the same place that they had left only six hours before, but with more than two thousand years behind them. Gudrun looked about the cave, waved the group out into it and when they were assembled, offered up a prayer.

"Lord, hear me now, there were ninety brave souls on the Hood, and we eight are all that lived through the dark days. Now with Your good grace, we are ten, and we shall keep the law of Hood's company and be true to one another. Bless us Lord that this might be so, amen."

The rest quietly murmured their response, "Amen."

Caren reached out and drew Denny close to her, whispering, "she said it wrong Denny. We know that one word for word, and it's not like that, so the book won't always be right." Denny gave her a wry smile. "You're probably right sweetie. Anyway, I'm over it now." She looked away from her worried sister and moved towards the cave mouth through the settling dust.
Chapter 3

### The Awakening

The Decan had been at war with the Pan for centuries, some even thought for millenia, but with the Decan's disastrous invasion of Earth, that war had finally come to an end. Invasions were incredibly expensive, and the Decan home system had been scoured clean of resources to make the giant warp gate on the moon and the assault ships which had been launched through that gate into Earth orbit.

Fortunately (for mankind) the gate hadn't lasted long, because the Hood, one of Earth's three asteroid mining vessels, had been deliberately crashed into it, but there were to be no medals for gallantry, even posthumously, as society on Earth crumbled with the after effects of the aliens biological weapons.

Birth rates had fallen to an unsupportable level, and humans were slowly being bred out of existence. Now, 2,000 years after the invasion, it would take a miracle for the human race to survive.

Then a scout ship of the Pan arrived and their quarrelsome crew ignored rule number one in the confederation statute book, _'thou shalt not interfere'_.

Greta frowned, and with a forehead like hers, that was a big frown. She had mind-probed the creature she was watching, and even though it was obviously a juvenile, if that was the best the dominant species could do, it was a miracle they were still here. 'Here' was a blue/white planet, third from it's star, and Greta, with her two companions, had stumbled on it by accident.

Greta was a navigator, but only third class, and wasn't qualified to be this far from Craghome, and her pilot and engineer took great pleasure in reminding her of it, but their home world government had been as near to panic as anyone could remember, and all available scouts had been called into action. Their traditional enemy had made a surprise attack on the colony of Greystone Four, killing everyone, destroying everything and stealing the library's core memory, but lately, the blood sucking snake heads had ceased their constant nuisance raids and virtually disappeared from the interstellar scene. Chameleon ships had been launched from Craghome in every direction to find out what had happened to their old enemy, and to recover the priceless library.

Angie Armstrong, Frances Thunderhead and Gretagast Horningtower had hit the jackpot in their ship Springer Three.

Despite their success, Greta wasn't happy. Both the pilot and engineer were constantly nagging at her about her lack of certificates and her indecisive nature, and the journey she had dreamed about for years was turning into a nightmare.

Even her family home of Horningtower had made it plain that she wasn't wanted. She had two older sisters, so she would not be able to stay there much longer, unless it was to wait on her sisters, and be at their constant beck and call. Better that she should make her own way in an overcrowded world that she was not prepared for.

She winced as the youngster, a female of the Manx form, threw another stone at the animals she was trying to move towards the nearby village. She felt some sympathy for the animals, after all, they looked vaguely like her, and had been seeded here 4,000 years ago by the Proudfoot family. Their current guardian should have been Billy Proudfoot, but records showed that he hadn't set foot on this planet, ever!

Wreckage from Stream ships was everywhere in this system, including at least one that was identified as being from the slaughter at Greystone Four. The remains of the prison ship Lady Of Pain was here, so the library could be here as well. Unfortunately, some of their instruments insisted that at least one of the enemy was still alive on the planets surface as well, so they had agonised for hours before landing near this village, a safe distance away from their enemy's location. After all, no one in their right minds wanted to meet one face to face, did they?

After making a quick reconnaissance of the village, Angie and Frances left Greta watching the furless, clawless, hornless Manx creatures of the village and had headed North again towards their chameleon craft.

A sound like thunder echoed off the mountains surrounding the valley and Greta whirled round in shock and amazement. "They've left me, they've left me" was all she could think, and she pulled her chameleon field cape tighter round her trembling body. Then common sense prevailed and she decided that they had probably gone to check the location of their old enemy. Probably. Maybe?

Down in Homestead, Connie Nesbitt looked up from her omelette. "Didn't expect thunder today," she murmured to herself. Then louder, "was that thunder Frankie? I didn't _see_ a storm coming today."

Frankie Vine the innkeeper looked up towards the dark mountains. "Don't think so Ma, hope not anyway, our Tanya's gone to chase up those stray goats in the North meadow."

Ma Nesbitt grimaced, "shouldn't have to be chasing stock for those damned tax collectors. Biggest load of crooks I ever saw."

"Got to agree with you there," replied Frankie. "Can't do nothing about it though. Central would have us for breakfast if we missed a payment."

"One of these days," muttered Homestead's guru into her omelette.

"Shift your useless bodies, get a move on." Tanya Vine was only ten years old and her piping voice barely carried across the meadow. She waved her thorny stick at the 24 goats in front of her but the animals out of reach steadfastly ignored her, and kept on ripping up the lush grass, while the ones in danger of a prickly surprise skipped nimbly out of her way.

"Alright, it's not funny any more. You're gonna get a stone up your arse if you don't behave." The goats all came to a sudden halt.

Tanya looked at the suspiciously obedient goats in surprise. "Well, that's better," she said to herself, "but why?"

All the goats were trembling and looking the same way, into the wind, then Tanya smelt it as well. "Flaming seesaws. What's that?"

She held her thorny stick high and advanced to the front of the goats, her eyes quickly darting left and right. She caught sight of a strange shimmering in the air.

"I see you now granny Jenkins. You're dead, you are, and ghosties aren't allowed round here. These are my goats now, not yours, so get yourself gone." She reached down into her pocket of her threadbare trousers and grasped one of the stones that had been destined for a goats rear. The apparition showed no sign of departing so Tanya sent the stone on it's way.

"Ouch. There's no need for violence."

"Granny Jenkins?" She lowered the stick slowly.

"No, Gretagast Horningtower, and they're not your goats, they're Billy's"

Tanya looked baffled. "Some of them are Nannies as well," she said helpfully. "Are you a spirit, Gretter ghost?"

"Gretagast. Gretagast Horningtower, and all these animals belong to Craghome." Greta let the cape fall to one side, and Tanya quickly jumped back a couple of paces, and was on the verge of fleeing for her life.

"Wow," she said eventually. "You're the biggest goat I've ever seen. No wonder you smell so... err... strong." She narrowed her eyes in sudden suspicion. "Hey, goats can't talk. I'm still asleep aren't I." She let out a nervous giggle. "This is just a dream."

Greta looked intently at Tanya. "No dream girl. Tanya. I'm real enough, and here to check that our friends are being looked after properly."

Tanya looked uncomfortable. "Aaah, yes. What do you mean by properly?"

"I've looked into your head Tanya Fine, and I am not completely satisfied with what I see there."

"Which bit aren't you happy with?"

"To be frank, all of it. But one bit especially. Let me show you."

Tanya and Greta locked eyes, and Tanya was drawn into the world of the blood sucking monstrosities. Greta finally let go and Tanya fell back onto the grass, shaking with the horror of what she had seen.

She wiped her eyes on her shirt sleeve, and when she had recovered, asked, "so all the goats we send to the temple at Central suffer like that?"

Greta nodded slowly, wondering if she had gone too far. "Yes, the monster turns their insides to mush and sucks them dry."

"Then it's not a nameless god at all like they say, just a creature from another world."

"That's right Tanya Vine." She got the name right that time, and decided that actually, she hadn't gone far enough. "Look into my eyes again, and I'll give you a gift. No it won't hurt, I promise."

Tanya finally looked up into the enormous slit pupils again, and Greta showed her how to communicate with the goats.

"Now Tanya Vine, I am making you the goats official guardian, and it's your job to look after them for me and my sisters."

"You're kidding me," stated Tanya in surprise.

Greta's eyes grew even larger. "What? Such language from one so young!" she said vehemently. "How dare you use such words so easily? Don't say that again. It's very rude."

Tanya was baffled and surprised by the outburst. "But I only said..." she began.

"Say no more on the subject." said Greta. "You've said enough."

Tanya frowned, and then shrugged her shoulders. "Right, but what about Mad Martha's tax collectors? They're coming for these today, and I'm only ten. I can't stop them by myself."

"Well, let's see if we can arrange a little surprise, shall we." Greta drew the cape round herself again and as she stood, the goats formed up in rows, and they all proceeded in an orderly fashion towards Homestead, where Martha and her sergeant, Filian Strake, were supervising the last minute collection of tribute from the unhappy villagers.

### No more sacrifices

Billie Forster held the huge hammer menacingly. "Now girlie, if you think you can carry those outside," she nodded towards the pile of tools, "with broken arms, of course," she smiled, and it wasn't a pleasant sight. "Then feel free to pick them up." She snarled her challenge at the frightened trooper, who took the safe option and fled from the forge.

"Not exactly in Beryl's league are they Billie?" Said Georgie, sister to Beryl Strong, who was one of Martha's patrol.

The blacksmith smiled at her lover. "Nowhere near. Good job she refuses to come here with these thieving sods. Still remembers us kindly, I guess."

"Likes us too much according to Martha." Georgie shook her head sadly. "Every year they take more," she said with a sigh. "One of these days, we've got to do something about it."

"One of these days," repeated Billie, and reached out to grip Georgie's hand.

"FLOSSIE CRAKEN." Sergeant Strake's voice bellowed across the village green, and Flossie, the hapless girl who had run from the forge, appeared nervously from behind the ox cart.

"Yes sergeant?"

"Do I have to chase you every minute of the day?" Growled the obese sergeant.

"No sergeant," whispered Flossie.

"Don't answer back scum. Get the ropes out. Those damn goats will be here any minute now. WELL, MOVE THEN."

Flossie scrambled up onto the cart and threw the short ropes down to the waiting troopers. "They're here," said Flossie, as the sound of bleating could be heard from beyond the West gate of the palisade. From the cart, she could see beyond the fence. "They're not coming in, sergeant," she said slowly.

"What can you see scum?"

Flossie shaded her eyes against the sun's glare. "They're just standing there, with that innkeeper's girl. That's funny, they've gone all quiet, like."

Martha Torrent came out of The Vine. "What's happening," she growled.

Filian turned towards her leader. "Goats outside the fence. Won't come inside."

"Well go and get them then."

"Right you lot. Get out there," the flustered sergeant shouted at her rag-tag collection of troopers gathered from the Western villages.

Outside the gates, they were stopped in their tracks by the sight of little Tanya standing there with her hand raised to halt them. The troopers were a long way from home, and these Eastern hamlets had a reputation for witchcraft and suchlike. They looked on worriedly as the goats stood silently in three ranks. Watching. Waiting.

Greta, still in the chameleon cape, nudged Tanya in the back. "Now," she whispered.

Tanya coughed nervously, and raised her arms high. "NO MORE." She screamed at the top of her ten year old voice.

Martha's eyes bulged and threatened to pop out of her head. "What did you say?"

"Tell her again," came the quiet voice from behind and above Tanya, and an invisible hand rested reassuringly on her shoulder.

The trembling girl took a deep breath. "NO MORE GOATS AND SHEEP WILL GO TO CENTRAL." She shouted.

Behind her, the goats started milling about in terrified confusion, but when they finally stood still again, Martha's roving patrol's worst fears were realised. The goats bodies spelled out two words on the grassy slope.

On the Vine's flat roof, a small group watched the noisy performance beyond the fence. Ma Nesbitt put out her hand to stop Frankie rushing to her daughter's rescue. "Not yet Frankie," she commanded. "There's more to come. Your Tanya's up to something, and it'll be to our benefit to let her get on with it." Although in truth, she hadn't _seen_ it coming, she was determined to let the strange scene run it's unnatural course. "Sylvie. Go get some strong lasses with spears, just in case. Try and find the Brand girls, they're more than a handful in a fight."

None of the troopers stepped forward at Martha's command to kill the brat. They could smell danger in the air. Or was it just Greta's lack of deodorant?

Tanya took advantage of their reluctance. "HOMESTEAD CREATURES ARE SACRED. THEY WILL NOT GO TO THE BLOOD SUCKING MONSTER IN YOUR TEMPLE."

Martha wondered briefly how the little brat had found out about the priestesses new pet, then motioned furiously to Filian Strake. "Do it," she said menacingly, and the fat sergeant stepped forward, drawing her dagger.

"GHOSTLY GRETA, QUEEN GOD OF ALL WOOLLIES, SAYS GO HOME."

The goats moved again, and the troopers shuffled back a little further.

Tanya had to dodge rapidly out of the sergeant's way, but Filian only got the one chance to harm her. An invisible fist, powered by muscles never seen on Earth before, crashed into the sergeants face, knocking her out and crushing her nose.

Greta drew herself up to her full height and flicked the cape to one side. She was briefly visible, and as she let out a tremendous roar the screaming troopers ran for their lives. Except Filian Strake of course, and two others who had fainted at the awesome sight of the 'goat god'. Martha ran too, chased joyfully by Topper, one of the young billy goats.

Tanya's joy at seeing the rout was short lived as an all too familiar voice addressed her.

"Tanya Vine. I want a word with you."

Tanya winced, then forced a smile onto her face as she turned. "Hello, Ma Nesbitt. Something wrong?"

None of the Homesteaders had seen Greta's brief appearance and the village's all seeing, all knowing but now baffled guru cocked her head to one side.

"Nothing wrong girl. Just want to know what got into your head to make you do such a thing. Could have got yourself killed there, and girls are precious. All girls, even foolish ones like you." She looked at the strange scene and frowned. "And how did you manage to put somebody that size on the floor?"

Tanya sighed. It looked like she would be feeling Ma's slipper on her backside again.

She turned to the goats. "Go home," she ordered, pointing roughly South. "Back to the farm. And be good."

Connie's jaw dropped, and she was left speechless as the goats gave one bleat, then turned in unison and trotted off Southwards. Just then, the patrol's ox cart emerged from the gate, driven by Jade Bowyer, with a gaggle of villagers, including Sylvia, Frankie and the Brand sisters tagging along behind.

"Unfortunately, most of the stuff fell off the cart," laughed Jade, and laughed louder when she saw the unfortunate sergeant's face. "Oh dear, she's not very pretty now."

"Wasn't pretty before," answered Frankie, who bent down and threw her arms round her daughter, and hugged her close. "Oh Tan love. Thought we'd lost you then."

Jade was kicking the two troopers who had fainted. "Wake up girlie. Wake up. WAKE UP."

Eventually, the two frightened girls and their sergeant were on the cart and moving down the Ibis road, when Tanya suddenly found herself alone. Just for one surreal moment, it was difficult for her to believe that any of it had happened, when a voice above and behind her said, "so what do people like me actually find to eat on this planet?"

### Two years later

Tanya had refused to explain anything about that strange afternoon, and she had told no one, not even Greta about the odd thoughts and visions that were appearing in her head at night. Greta had been abandoned by her uncaring crewmates, and had made her home in one of the derelict farms nearby, but hadn't been around Homestead for more than a year now, which Tanya was grateful for. There was something a little unnerving about being in the presence of a talking goat more than two metres tall. Tan now spent less than half the week helping in her mum's taverna, and the rest of the time she was on South Farm, mainly looking after the livestock, but doing whatever was necessary. It was a good life, mostly, working with her friend Sali.

"Tan?"

Tanya furrowed her brow in concentration.

"Tanya?" Sali said louder.

The link was gone, and the grateful goat scrambled to it's feet and dashed off to the safety of the barn, where it tried to forget the weird things it had been seeing inside Tanya's mind.

"What do you want Sali Vorden, it had better be good. We was getting on famously there."

"We were born the same year Tan, but who's actually oldest?"

Tanya sighed. More nonsense coming. "When were you born Sal?"

"Fifth half moon of the year."

"Well you're youngest then, cos mum said that I arrived in the second full moon." Tanya looked suspiciously at her friends sad expression. "Why?"

"I started bleeding last night Tanya. It was my first time."

Tanya smiled in sympathy at Sali. "So that's why you've got such a long face. Stomach ache's really bad? Happens to us all eventually sweetheart."

"Yes, and nobody said it'd hurt like this. But I'm a woman now Tanya," she spread her arms wide. "But what's the point?"

Tanya shrugged her shoulders. "Don't understand."

"Well, I was talking to Gilda, and she says that the man must be dead. Nobody's been sent for since..." she shrugged her shoulders. "...when we used to play in the mud and think it was fun, I guess."

"Yes?" said Tanya slowly, "and?"

"There's no more babies, and I'm the youngest girl in the world. When everybody's dead," her eyes filled with tears, "I'll be all alone. Don't want to be alone."

Her small body shook as she gave way to the tears. Tanya pulled her close and Sali clung to her till she stopped sobbing. Tanya kissed her forehead then held her at arms length, and staring into Sali's eyes she put on her best grown up voice.

"Stuff and nonsense, nobody's gonna be alone. Now just listen to me Sali Vorden, and no more tears. You hear me?"

Sali nodded.

"I've told nobody this, cos it's a big secret and you got to promise not to tell."

Sali gave a non committal grunt and Tanya shook her hard. "Promise me Sali Vorden or I'll not tell you."

"Right Tan, I promise," Sali gasped.

"There's big trouble coming our way, but we've got to be strong, cos after the tears, everything's gonna be alright again."

"What? How d'ya know that then?"

"I've seen a god, and she's talked to me lots of times."

Sali's face showed her disbelief.

"A god? You're weird Tanya Vine. Been at your mum's cider again?"

"You're asking for a good slapping," retorted Tanya, "now, do you want to hear about my god or not?"

Sali sighed, Tanya was in one of her funny moods again and she might as well get it over with. "So, you've been seeing the Lady of the Night then."

"No," said Tanya scornfully. "A proper god. One you can touch."

"Oh! Two years ago," Sali butted in, "when Martha's lot ran. Mum and Georgie were talking about you for weeks."

Tanya smiled at the memory, "that was the first time," she agreed. "Didn't tell any grown ups about her though. Can't trust grown ups. Seen her lots of times after that, and since she showed me inside her head, I can sometimes _see_ things."

Sali believed and was wide eyed and awe struck by now. "Wow. What do you see Tan?" she breathed.

Tanya smiled and closed her eyes. "No more Martha, but there's menfolk and babies, here in Homestead, and I see myself carrying Sylvia's sword." She paused, then gave a great sigh, opened her eyes wide and stared at an unseen horizon, then suddenly, her smile was gone.

"The woods won't be safe any more, the dogs are running." Tiny beads of sweat started trickling down her face with the effort. "I see a rainbow come down to earth, but there's going to be a grey day. I see you, and long legs, I see you, no. We don't have the time." She collapsed on the grass, and Sali held her in her arms.

"Flaming seesaws Tanya Vine, if Ma Nesbitt knew you can _see_ , she'd go mental."
Chapter 4

### Of Marching and Meeting

### Leaving Homestead

There were ten villages scattered across Spangerland, and ruled from the town called Central, but in this time of disappointment and fear, even it couldn't live up to it's name, being the furthest West of the known habitable world. It had been the seat of government for so long, that no one queried it's location, and besides, they had a library. With real books. Oh yes, the 149 faded and moth eaten relics, survivors from the days of the empire and locked away in the temple, were Central's pride and joy, even if they hadn't been seen in public for more than seven years.

The people of this land were limited in their travels by the high sierras to the North and South, an ocean to the East and the lifeless desert wastelands in the West. There was a range of rocky hills across the middle of the land, running mainly from North to South, and of the four villages in the fertile valleys to the East of these hills, Homestead was the biggest, but like the others, more than half of it's cottages were empty and abandoned, standing as silent witnesses to the declining years of the human race.

Life was pleasant there, most of the time, despite the absence of men folk, or maybe even because of it? On most evenings, music and laughter could be heard coming from Frankie's taverna The Vine, the sound of hammer on anvil rang across the green from Billie's forge, and the smell of Sandy's newly baked bread made your mouth water even beyond the village boundary fence. Twice a year though, trouble came calling. Trouble with a capital T. It was Torrent, Martha Torrent, captain of Central's law enforcers and tax collectors, and behind them, they left a trail of unhappy people, from La Via in the South, to Alberta in the North, but in Homestead, they were especially harsh. Homesteaders were different, they had weird religious beliefs, and wouldn't pray to the same god as the sensible folks in the West, and then three years ago, refused to send their quota of sheep and goats to be sacrificed to the Nameless One.

The roving patrol from Central was near the end of it's twice yearly coastal sweep and had been in Homestead for only five days, but had caused such damage, injury and general mayhem in the village, that Sylvia Long, Homestead's Prima, had threatened physical violence upon Mad Martha, the troop's less than illustrious commander, unless they were restrained or better still on their way pronto.

"Did you actually hear her say it then Flossie?" asked Glen.

"Yeah, I was close enough to Martha to hear it all, an' she was shaking an' twitching, and I've never seen anyone go so red and still be alive. Thought she was gonna explode. Fatty Strake actually reached out and grabbed her wrist so she couldn't pull her sword, an' if she hadn't then I reckon it would have got a bit nasty, what with that Jade bein' there as well. And they was wearing mail under their shirts. Didn't hang right, see."

"Mail eh?" Glen mused. "Looking for trouble then."

Chain mail vests, or byrnies, were seldom worn, padded leather jackets being a lot cheaper, more comfortable and more readily available.

"Yep, and they nearly found it too."

Flossie was keen to talk. With her being Martha's lackey and whipping girl, not many in the troop had any kind words for her.

"Get your thieving rabble out of my village or you'll not live long enough to regret letting them loose. That were her very words, then she said some mumbo jumbo stuff about monsters coming from the woods."

"Didn't say what sort of monsters, did she?"

"Well no, but everyone knows there's demons an' things out there. Don't they?"

"Yeah, course they do Floss. Well I'd better get back to polishing the old helmet and stuff. Here girl, have a sausage," and she held out the greasy offering.

"Wow, thanks Glen, that's right nice of you," gushed the happy trooper.

"Yeh, it's been nice talking to you. Erm, must do it again some time," and she set off in search of Basher to tell her the latest gossip about the creatures of Burnt Wood, and as she went she tucked away the rest of Martha's dinner into her jerkin.

When the troop was mustered the next afternoon, Martha climbed onto the lead wagon and gave the order to move out. She was still fuming about the mysterious disappearance of her dinner, and Flossie sported a black eye again.

"Come on then you scum, lets get the stench of this gods forsaken place out of our noses," and Flossie prodded the nearest cattle's rump to urge the team forward. Ten happy troopers went ahead, and the front rank of spears behind the cart ducked automatically, in anticipation of Flossie wielding her whip. There'd been much rolling of dice last night for positions in the column, and the happy winners thanked their lucky charms that they were in front of the carts. Winners in front, runners up at the rear and losers behind Flossie. (The lucky mascots were in the form of dice, mysteriously heavy in one corner, but hey, whatever works.)

To everyone's surprise, and Basher and Glen's disgust, Beryl had lost last night, and she bullied her way to the rear of the small column with her two lovers. The three had been together for more than five years and no one in the troop took liberties with them or their possessions, and they had a better life than all in the patrol except Martha Torrent and her sergeant, Filian Strake.

"Shut your complaining gob, rat face, and keep your eyes to the front," said Basher menacingly to the unfortunate girl in front of her. There was no reply . "Well?"

"Sorry Basher," came the meek reply. Nobody had used Basher's given name, Belle River, since the day she had joined the army, not even Beryl and Glen.

Glenda turned to Beryl, "Why we trailing in the dust and dirt Beryl, we could do better than this."

"Shouldn't even be here," complained Basher. "We never came to Homestead before."

"Well, when she gets near Homestead now, Martha doubles the size of the patrol, and I've got a feeling that something nasty is going to happen this time. Just have patience ladies, and humour a poor soul in her old age."

When Beryl offered no more, Basher and Glen looked at each other with raised eyebrows.

Basher broke the silence, "Anything to do with your funny turn in the woods then? Thought we was going to be carrying you back that day, or fighting off wood demons all night."

"Not up for discussion, now or ever. You know that." Beryl gave a wry smile, did Basher still believe in wood demons, or was she joking again?

"Oooh, lady of mystery," said Glen, "good job you're faster than us or we'd knock some respect into your thick skull," and punched her playfully on the arm.

"Hah! It'll be a sad day when you can do that," replied Beryl in the same manner, "and as for wood demons, I've always got on alright with them. It's the water fairies you've got to watch out for round here." She managed to keep a straight face as the girls in front suddenly turned again and looked at her. Beryl was Homestead born and felt it was her duty to keep the tales of Burnt Wood's monsters alive, although the troopers tales of the giant horned demon three years ago had baffled her completely.

"Damn well told you," snarled Basher, "look to your front else you'll be feeling my fist."

The previous week, six of them had been detailed to patrol through Burnt Wood to the East of Homestead, and Beryl had gone missing in the woods that morning, not returning to their temporary camp until late afternoon, and had promptly fallen into a deep sleep.

She awoke that evening with no apparent ill effects and blamed it on some mushrooms she had found and eaten raw. Now, with Homestead getting ever smaller in the distance behind them, Beryl kept scanning the ground either side of them for signs of anyone leaving the column. She had a feeling that Martha was not going to let the confrontation with Sylvia end there and was anticipating trouble of some sort to occur soon. When they halted for the day, only some four hours from Homestead, on the trail towards Guardians Nest, Beryl did a quick head count and noticed no one missing. "Wrong, Strong," she muttered to herself, for Strong was her family name, then to her companions, "right gang, let's get mean and find somewhere cosy to call our own," and the trio of untouchables claimed a sheltered spot among the olive trees above the track. They were busy making their supper of egg and beans on black bread, and never noticed that sergeant Strake and four of her cronies were already settling down for the night.

### Into the woods

Being so close to Burnt Wood, dawn over Homestead was a noisy affair, with all manner of birds greeting the new day, including the few surviving roosters round the village itself. (There had been lots more before the arrival of Martha's tax collectors.) In the cottage next to the village's only taverna, Frankie Vine shook her daughter Tanya, and Gilda Tripp awake. "Come on Gilda, big day ahead of you today."

Gilda and Tanya came awake reluctantly from their dreams of fairies and goats. Goats? Yes, Tanya was a strange girl.

"Noooo," moaned Gilda, "Not yet Nana Vine, pleeeeese."

Frankie threw back the blankets, and the two naked girls sat up, quickly reaching for their clothes that had been thrown the previous evening onto the room's only chair.

"Not fair mama, I'm not supposed to go till next year," said Tanya through an enormous yawn.

"Come come child. I know that Gilda is sixteen but she still needs you, and when you're fifteen or so, and it's your turn to go to the woods, you'll be glad of a friend to see you safely on your way. Now, move your lazy backsides downstairs and get washed, breakfast is nearly ready. Me and Kirsty have been up ages."

Tanya had a secret smile on her face as she thought, 'when I'm fifteen indeed.'

Frankie's older daughter Kirsten was in the kitchen, frantically beating eggs in a large mixing bowl, having been up and dressed only minutes before her sister and Gilda's rude awakening.

Sylvia turned up on their doorstep forty minutes later to claim her share of Frankies special omelettes, and was leading the girls out of the village before the sun had been in the sky for two hours, and they crossed the ford into Burnt Wood.

"Was you as scared as I feel now, Sylvie?" asked Gilda, looking round nervously.

"Lady, no," she replied, "All happened so fast, didn't have time to think about it." Sylvie, with Beryl, Joan and Jade, had been the first to come face to face with the wardogs in the woods ten years previously, and after some initial misunderstandings, (religion, toilet habits, mealtime manners, that sort of thing), the dogs and humans had formed a loose alliance. An awkward silence followed Gilda's question, then Sylvie carried on, "One thing for you to remember is that Sandal's only six years old, and will be as nervous as you. Besides, all you'll be doing is getting to know each other, and trying to catch a rabbit, or something bigger, maybe. And anyway, you've seen the dogs before."

"Well, yes." Gilda replied, "From a distance, but what if he don't like me? He's got teeth. Big ones."

Sylvia smiled. "Don't worry girl. Dogs like to be with people. Always have done."

"If he gives you any trouble," said Tanya, "tell him that I'll give him a good spanking."

Sylvia looked sharply at Tanya, who had gone red in the face and was trying desperately to look innocent. Then they were crossing the glade at Hood's Hole cave, and moving into the cool of the trees again.

"Listen," said Sylvia suddenly, and held up a hand, and they stopped and listened to the silent woods.

"Can't hear anything Sylvie," said Gilda.

Tanya put her hand on Gilda's arm, "No birds," she whispered.

Sylvia slowly drew her two knives, regretting the decision to leave her beloved sword at home. "Let's go back to the clearing," she said quietly.

"Looking for me ladies?" Strake and one of her thugs stepped out onto the track.

"Turn and run," Sylvie said to the two girls, "get help." Then she moved towards the evil pair. "Ready to meet your ancestors already Strake?"

The sergeant laughed softly. "Not my turn yet girl, but it could be yours," and she lifted her short club menacingly as her other three companions emerged from the trees.

Gilda had already retreated several paces and the trooper blocking the path behind her swung her club in a short arc, catching Gilda a glancing blow behind the right ear. She gasped in pain and fell dazed to the ground. Tanya turned at the sound and ran at the girl standing over Gilda, head butting her in the stomach. The trooper was doubled over and gasping for breath, and Tanya was satisfied that she was out of the fight, but when she looked at the others, she realised there was only one thing she could do. She took a deep breath, threw back her head and howled at the tree tops.

Sylvia was down on her knees, blood pouring from her nose and scalp, and as she lost consciousness, her last thought was, "how did she learn how to do that?"

The troopers paused in their deadly assault as Tanya's cries were answered, but louder. Much louder.

"What the gods is that?"

"Cat?"

"Never heard any cat like that."

"No, I reckon it's a tree beast."

"Tree beast? Sod this for a game of soldiers. I'm off."

Despite the sergeant's threats and curses, they left her at a fast trot, so after aiming one last frustrated kick at Sylvia's inert form, Filian was on her way as well.

Tanya dodged round the trees as they passed her and she bent to pick up one of Sylvie's knives then ran after them. Moments later, the source of the hideous noise appeared as three enormous dogs bounded into view, looked briefly at Sylvia and Gilda, then followed the trail of the fleeing squad.

The trooper head butted by Tanya was making poor progress and the others were slowly leaving her behind.

"Wait for me," she gasped, as another dog howled out a message of doom. She shouted louder now, "damn you Rosie, wait for me."

There were noises behind her and she looked over her shoulder but it was only that kid, so she stopped and turned to face the brat, raising her club. The 'kid' didn't pause but then, when only a couple of paces from the panting squaddie, appeared to stumble and went into a forward roll, then sprang up and thrust the dagger into the surprised girls groin.

Her dying screams spurred the rest of the squad onward in their flight from the horrors of Burnt Wood and Tanya turned away and vomited. Despite talking a good fight in front of her friends, she had never actually hurt anyone before. Now she was a killer.

The dogs appeared as Tanya was unsteadily retrieving the bloody knife. "Go back to Gilda," she commanded, pointing vaguely down the trail, "I'll go and fetch help."

The dogs obeyed without hesitation. Tanya was well known to them, as she was often to be found in their camp, either talking to Tag and Scutcher, the oldest wardogs, or play fighting with Sandal and his cousins.

Sergeant Strake's depleted squad made good their escape from the 'tree beast' and passed unseen between Homestead and the farm, agreeing that Sylvia was dead, and that nothing would be mentioned about monsters in the wood when they rejoined the patrol.

Gilda was awake, and gently exploring her scalp, as the dogs rejoined her, when a high pitched whine assailed their sensitive ears and a soft blue light lit up the entrance of Hoods Hole cave, immediately followed by a cloud of dust billowing out.

### Out of the dark

There were ten lost souls on board the time ship called Never Look Back, which had been hijacked by a mysterious program hacker. It's two crew members were diminutive nineteen year old girls, whose innocent looks disguised their fiercely independent characters. The other eight were the last surviving crew from the giant asteroid miner Hood, which had been destroyed when it rammed the Stream's warp gate on the moon, effectively stopping the alien invasion. The time ship was from the far future, and the miners from the distant past, and none of them wanted to be here, although the miners had been rescued from almost certain death less than six hours ago.

Through the thinning dust cloud appeared a figure dressed in mottled green and grey clothing and wearing a helmet of similar colours. The clothes and huge knife made Gilda decide that this was a true warrior, not like most of Martha's undisciplined mob. The dogs were alert and ready to charge back into action again, but were held in check at Gilda's command, because their size was deceiving, and had they been human, would still have been at kindergarten. They were not yet mature enough to get into a real scrap, and had been fortunate in driving off the superstitious troopers earlier.

"Wait and see what occurs next my friends. Magic things happen here and Hood may have returned."

The dogs eyed each other and managed to stifle their rising laughter, girls hey? Always had heads full of surprises, wait till the others back home heard that one. 'Next' was more alarming as other figures came out of the cave entrance, some carrying swords and others with bows, and they spread out in a semi circle facing the trees on all sides. In direct contrast with the miners in their battle fatigues and well worn Sundown armour, the pair in the centre were small shining figures, with long hair showing beneath their helmets. One with golden hair billowing all round the silver helm, the other with dark hair tied at the back in a single plait. "Angels," Gilda exclaimed aloud and stood so that they would see her. The dogs moved out of the trees for a better view of the fun, and at an unheard command, some of the warriors faced them and started to raise their bows. Gilda turned to the dogs, "run back home quickly," she said urgently, "this is no place for you now," and the dogs retreated into the dark wood. No arrows were loosed after them for fear of hitting the girl, who stepped forward.

"Are you truly angels, come to help in our hour of need? Then help me now for my friend is hurt and is near dying."

"Flaming hell. Hope they don't all speak like that round here," Caren Hummingbird muttered to Denny as they walked towards the unhappy figure at the trees edge.

The two pilots had realised that they were becoming part of ancient history, so they knew what was supposed to happen. Probably, as it was all written down in their prayer book.

"Where's the silver one, Goldie?" asked Denny Sazgood loudly. Gilda frowned in puzzlement but led them the few paces to where Sylvia lay in a growing pool of blood.

"Hells, look at her. I wasn't expecting this," said Denny, looking down at the bruised and broken body. "Can the medico manage this sort of thing?"

Caren sounded less than convincing as she replied, "course it can, no problemo."

Then she called out loudly, "Simon. We need you. Now."

Denny raised her eyebrows but said nothing, although she realised that Caren was going to follow the book of prayer as closely as she could. Then Simon was beside them, and he and Ricardo carried Sylvia's inert body back to the Never. It was a messy affair, stripping off the blood soaked clothing and laying Sylvia in the medico unit, but Caren had got the analysis and repair program started within seven minutes of their first emerging from the cave. Margaret and Gudrun were asking Gilda about the local situation when Denny came out of the cave and interrupted them.

"Goldie, honey. What did your guru foretell at your birth? Was it something like, _"this child will be the promised one?"_ She said the last bit in a parody of a croaky, old crones voice.

"My name's Gilda, not Goldie, and my lot in life is to be a hunter of great renown. Ma Nesbitt saw it very clearly."

"Aaah!" Denny nodded her head wisely while the baffled miners, Margaret and Gudrun looked on in bewilderment. "Then her prophesy has indeed come true, and today you find what all hunters seek but can never find. Go into the cave and tell my sister that the dark angel does not follow the book, but seeks to make her own destiny." Quieter then, "tell her also that I love her very much, and that I trust her to do what she thinks best. Now go." Gilda left them on the grass outside the entrance and went inside to deliver the strange message. As she disappeared into the dark cave's mouth, Gudrun turned to Denny.

"What on the Lord's good earth was that all about?"

She looked at them both calmly. "Pray to a lord do you?"

Gudrun nodded and frowned. "Of course," and she raised her hand to touch the fish on it's gold chain at her neck.

Denny shook her head slightly. "Ancient stuff. The Lady of the night rules here. Anyway, as you now know, this time is our past, and we are taking part in an important turning point in our history. All does not go well for the 'dark angel', and that, I'm afraid to say, is probably going to be me, so as you can imagine, I'm not too happy about being here." She scowled briefly and looked at the ground before continuing. "Now, Simon the true warrior will stay inside with Caren and Goldie, while we enjoy the pleasures of camping out."

A wry smile appeared as she watched Gilda entering the cave. "Our prayer book is about the founding of the seven great houses, and it says that I should be in there with Caren, Gilda and Simon, helping with Sylvia and paying homage to the Lady."

Noticing Margaret and Gudrun's blank looks, she smiled and explained, "Sex, dears. Making love. But because Ricky's taken my place, there might be more homage paid today than Caren was expecting."

In the cave, they found that the time unit's door was closed to them, but Denny reassured them that the cave would be a safe enough haven, no matter how long they stayed there. "We'll be having visitors soon," Denny announced to the group in general, "the Homesteaders will come to look for the Silver one and Goldie, so it would be best for us to look harmless."

"Are these the bad guys, or the good guys?" asked Anton, "or should we kick ass anyway, just to be on the safe side?"

To the surprise of all, this brought a peal of laughter from Denny. "Ah Tony, do all men of your time treat their women so?"

"What?" Anton's surprise was greater now.

"These are definitely good guys, and as you are the biggest man I have ever seen, you shall be named 'the bear', and is it not written in the Book of Prayer that the bear and the true warrior paid court to the several women of Homestead?"

Gudrun was grinning from ear to ear at Anton's confusion. "Better go get cleaned up big boy, looks like your wives are coming to call."

"OK," Margaret interrupted, with a shake of her head, "we wait outside for company," and they settled down on the grass in the morning sunshine.

### A near miss

The flash of energy accompanying the Never's arrival had been monitored by the Hind, orbiting 987 kilometres above the earth, and when the medico started it's analysis, other programs were initiated to eliminate those sources of energy. But then the microwave messages between the helmeted troops were picked up by the veteran miner series 2b, Hawk.

COORDINATES LOGGED AND STATIC. READY TO EXECUTE.

CONFUSION. SIGNATURE NOT UNKNOWN.

AGREED. PROGRAM?

HOLD PROGRAM.

HOLDING

TOUCH THE LOST ONE. COMPARE SIGNATURE.

INTERFACE NOT POSSIBLE 153 MINUTES.

LOGGED AND STATIC. HOLD PROGRAM.

HOLDING.

Hawk and Hind had been circling the Earth for 2,100 years, and when their crews had died in the alien invasion, they continued to execute their last given prime directive. Destroy alien energy sources. Hind had been severely damaged, and her logic core had become unreliable, so things got out of hand as she continued to hurl half tonne boulders at anything and everything that gave off energy emissions until the supply of rocks ran out, but by that time, civilisation on Earth had been set back to medieval times. What the aliens had started, Hind had very nearly finished.

As the twins pursued their separate orbits, the Hind was the first to gain line of sight with the moon, and sent out a signal squirt to alert the Hood of their findings. That the Hood was still 'alive' was the result of fortunate circumstances and 2000 years of slow, careful work and research. Before deliberately crashing into the alien warp gate on the moon, the Hood had uploaded a copy of it's logic core into the last shuttle, and had then launched it into Lunar orbit. The result of the miners impact with the warp gate, and the following explosion, was that a mass of debris was thrown into space which obscured the face of the moon for several months, and the moon was given a slow rotation, with the South pole being near Tycho. Most of the shuttle's fuel had been used in avoiding collisions, and in achieving a stable orbit amidst the ring of debris which would circle the moon for millenia to come.

HINDMOST, MOTHERHOOD. CALL SIGN QUADRANT EUROPA SOUTH 38:45 / 00:52. CONFIRMATION REQUIRED. ELSE EXECUTE PROGRAM.

HOLD PROGRAM. UPLOAD CALL SIGN.

HOLDING

Hind encoded the data log of the mornings activity and sent another burst.

DATA UPLOAD

AGREED. SIGNATURE NOT UNKNOWN. LIBRARY, INITIALIZE PERSONNEL FILES.

The Hood had slowly gathered together bits and pieces of alien and earthly wreckage, and had accumulated around itself a veritable junkyard of derelict alien space craft, and was now a conglomeration of loosely joined modules, each module housing a separate function of the logic.

FOUND 01 00105 VALENCE MARGARET TEAM LEADER AGE 34 LOST 2218

FOUND 02 00107 DEFUSTO ANTON SECURITY AGE 39 LOST 2218

FOUND 03 00156 WEDGE SIMON SECURITY AGE 22 LOST 2218

FOUND 04 01262 TOKSVIG GUDRUN PROGRAMMER AGE 26 LOST 2218

FOUND 05 01266 ESPRILLA RICARDO PILOT AGE 25 LOST 2218

FOUND 06 01273 SOUTHGATE WALTER ENGINEERING AGE 47 LOST 2218

FOUND 07 01274 DOOR JAMES ENGINEERING AGE 29 LOST 2218

FOUND 08 02003 TANTO MARCUS CATERING AGE 18 LOST 2218

FOUND 09 REFER TO RESEARCH. ALIEN POWER DRIVE SIGNATURE. MEDICAL UNIT.

FOUND 10 REFER TO RESEARCH. ALIEN POWER DRIVE SIGNATURE. TIME SLIDE

MOTHERHOOD, HINDMOST. RELAY HAWKEYE. HOLD PROGRAM. SIGNATURE QUALIFIED

Now this was a turn up for the books, Gudrun still alive hey? This should be fun. Hood was different to her two sisters, she'd had Gudrun to talk to on those long mining trips.

AGREED AND RELAYED

MOTHERHOOD, HINDMOST. RELAY SIGNATURE 01

RELAY ACTIVE. SATELLITE WEST NINE TWO.

MOTHERHOOD, 00105 VALENCE MARGARET. TEAM LEADER.

Margaret sat up in surprise and automatically looked round as the mechanical voice came faintly into her helmet. "Who is this?" She held up her hand to silence the others. "Repeat, who are you."

VOICE OVERLAY CONFIRMED. VALANCE MARGARET. INITIALIZE LANGUAGE MODULE. YOU ARE MARGARET VALANCE, TEAM LEADER OF 1st MINING GROUP, COMPANY OF HOOD. I AM HOOD.

"Where are you? We thought you were destroyed."

RUMOURS OF MY DEMISE HAVE BEEN GREATLY OVERSTATED. HA HA.

"Alright then, if you really are Hood, then answer me this. When is a door not a door?"

WHEN IT IS A PORTAL. WHICH AFTER 2114 YEARS IS STILL ONLY MILDLY AMUSING AS THE SPELLING IS DIFFERENT.

Gudrun had been one of the onboard programmers, and had used humour to try to develop Hood's logic core, and the portal/porthole was one of the many bad jokes she had used.

"Praise be that you're still with us. We need help. We have a sit rep to make which isn't good. We're the last eight survivors from 100 days of warfare against the aliens, and we seem to have been rescued by people from the future?"

AGREED. ENERGY SIGNATURES CONFIRM THAT THE TIME SLIDE AND MEDICAL UNIT ARE DRIVEN BY AN ENERGY SOURCE DEVELOPED BY THE STREAM. HAWK AND HIND HAVE YOUR COORDINATES LOGGED BUT HIND'S PROGRAM IS NOW ON HOLD. WE MUST CONFERENCE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. NO DECISION ON FUTURE ACTION POSSIBLE YET. FURTHER DETAILS ON THIS CHANNEL. OUT.

Somewhere in the dark recesses of Hood's memory banks, old information was being dragged up and examined. This was more like it. 2,000 years of talking to those two stuffed shirt sisters of hers had been giving her a headache. Not that the Hood had a head of course, but you get the picture. Now it was time for a welcome change.

MOTHERHOOD, HINDMOST. RELAY HAWKEYE. KEEP PROGRAM SOFT MODE.

AGREED. PROGRAM SOFT.

RESEARCH. RESTART TIME SLIDE THEORY INVESTIGATION. CHECK ENERGY SIGNATURE DOWNLOAD.

MECHANICS. COMMENCE SHUTTLE SYSTEMS REBOOT. PREPARE FOR WITHDRAWAL.

With a bit of luck, it was party time.

"Is that it? Hello? She's gone," and she relayed the content of the brief conversation to the others. "All I know is what I just told you," she repeated, as the questions came thick and fast from the excited group. "Hood said that the time machine is driven by an alien power source, and that she will talk to us again soon."

Anton looked towards Denny, "so where did the time ship come from?"

"It's a copy of a dead machine that was found by Sendor's workers. That's Caren's father," Denny answered him.

"Curious," added Gudrun thoughtfully.

### Close encounters

Walter spotted movement at the woods edge eighty metres away, "We have company, right centre, three or more on the tree line," and Denny urged them to stay calm as she slowly arose from the grass. She handed her short sword to Anton, and said with a smile, "don't stand yet, they've never seen anyone as big as you. You might frighten them into doing something stupid." Stepping towards the figures in the trees, she opened her arms wide and called out, "Homestead, come forward and join us. The Silver one and Gilda are safe in the arms of the angel of light."

The first figure that emerged from the trees was dressed in a green skirt, black tunic and black leggings with her long brown hair held in place with a black headband. She was carrying a half drawn bow which was almost as tall as she was, and a long knife hung at her side in a leather scabbard. The others stayed a pace behind her.

"Why should I not end your days now?" she demanded, and her voice carried the confidence of one not unused to authority.

"Because, oh mighty hunter," Denny replied sarcastically, "I bring the future of Homestead with me. What do you see when you look upon us here?" The sharp reply was not answered because at that moment, an older, grey haired woman in a less than clean robe that had once been white, came puffing and panting into the clearing from behind the archer.

"Hold fast Jade Bowyer, let me _see_ the truth in her eyes," and so saying she advanced across the clearing, not stopping till she was only inches from Denzil's diminutive form. They stood eye to eye, and Denny, remembering Gilda's words, took the initiative, holding up her hand, "Hello, mother Nesbitt."

The old woman narrowed her eyes and wrinkled her nose, "now there's a thing to ponder. She knows my name but I know not hers. Mmmmm. Sashwood I think?"

Denny Sazgood smiled, hiding her astonishment at the strength of the old guru's mind. "Enough time later to play these games of wit, we must all trust one another here. Your leader is injured and is truly being cared for in the cave by my sister."

Homesteads guru put her left hand to Denny's right and closed her eyes. "Not games child, not games. You do not belong here, but here you are. Mystery. I _see_ your time to come but poorly, and then only so far, as if you are hidden from me." Her eyes flew open wide and she looked round Denny to the others still sitting on the grass.

"Blessed Lady, I can hear young ones! Just who are you people?" She turned to the archer, "this is no time for arguments, put up your weapons."

Jade lowered her bow at the command, and the other six women and girls stepped forward to stand beside her. They were dressed in similar fashion to Jade, and armed with spears and axes. Behind Denny, the miners stood slowly and were careful to make no sudden moves. The Homesteaders stared in awe as the ex security chief rose from the grass. Anton was tall by anyone's standards, but was going to be a giant among the girls in the village. Ma Nesbitt surveyed the miners. "I've seen most things in this life, but I can't _see_ you clearly. I _see_ you angel, but not them. You're one of us. You have the gift. And another thing. They smell wrong. Not just dirty, but wrong. Why should that be?" Denny smiled, she was beginning to like this old woman, and she indicated towards Margaret and Gudrun. "These two are great warriors from a far place. They are the last of their family and these four are their men," She said the last words in a stage whisper, and the woman's eyes flew open wide. "They are also warriors, but of a lesser nature, naturally." She was enjoying the old guru's reactions. "And they have two more in the cave."

Ma Nesbitt was shuffling her weight from leg to leg, almost dancing, and was humming under her breath. At last she managed to speak. "Bloody hells girl, I've seen the man in Central a time or two, but now, six in one go? We've got to be careful. Got to keep this to ourselves for a while. Till we can decide what to do, of course."

Denny controlled her mirth, "of course," she replied. "That would be best."

The two parties didn't quite mingle, but animosity and suspicion had given way to open curiosity, and the four male miners found themselves being scrutinised by the six women from Homestead, while Denny, Ma Nesbitt, Jade, Margaret and Gudrun stood by the still closed door of the Never Look Back. Margaret and Denny explained their arrival to the best of their ability, and the two Homesteaders went into raptures when they realised that the strangers were Hood's representatives on Earth, although they struggled to grasp the concept of Hood being anything to do with mining. Mining took place under the ground, over by Tintown.

Peals of laughter from outside broke up their meeting and they went out to find that the village smithy, Billie Forster, was arm wrestling Walter, and winning. Easily. Well, she was 26 years old and a big girl wasn't she, and wielding a hammer for a living can do wonders for your biceps. Walter's hand was forced into the grass once more and the girls cheered again.

"Who wants to try their luck now?" She asked the grinning miners.

Anton offered to take up the challenge, "I'll give it a try lady."

"Not likely. It would be like wrestling a bear."

More laughter, and a small voice called out, "She's no lady, just ask Flame."

The laughter died instantly, and an embarrassed silence followed as Ma Nesbitt hurried up to the silent group of red faced girls and confused miners.

"Loose talk like that can bring great sorrow, Tanya Vine. Now we're off and away home, and no one must learn what happened here today. This must not reach the ears of Central or Martha Torrent, or her creature, Strake. Sabe?"

Tanya mumbled her apologies to Billie and the guru, who gave her a withering look, then carried on, "Jade and Denny will stay here to wait for the others, while we go to South Farm, where it seems I have to remind you again what it means to be a Homestead girl." The two groups said their goodbyes to Jade and Denny, and went along the trail leading Westward into the woods, the Homestead girls in front of the miners. The guru and Margaret were in the rear and they talked softly together throughout the short journey to South Farm.

### Paying Homage

At the cave, preparations were being made for a night camp, Jade collecting wood from the edge of the clearing, and Denny arranging rocks in a circle for the fire in the cave entrance. They eventually sat and surveyed their handiwork.

"Nice fire," Denny said, "shame we've nothing to eat though."

The Homestead hunter smiled wryly, "oh, I think that we'll find a stray _rabbit_ or something like that."

She had raised her voice on the word 'rabbit' and Denny stared into her eyes.

"Me and my sister aren't like the others. We know about the dogs."

The two girls looked at each other, and the silence that followed seemed to last forever. "Very well. But I make no excuses. We are more than woman and dog, we are all seeing, all knowing, and in the forest we are like demons in the night. Invincible," was all Jade would say in reply. The conversation didn't get started again until the quiet of the afternoon was broken by slight noises from outside the cave. As fast as Denny was, the dog that delivered the dead rabbit was gone before she could get there . She picked up the carcase and carried it back inside. "Strange hunters these dogs of yours, it's been caught in a snare. Look." She held it up, "no teeth marks."

"Invincible," said Jade smugly.

In the Never Look Back, the initial frantic activity had died down. Sylvia was safe in the care of the auto medic, and Gilda, Simon, Ricardo and Caren could look to their immediate needs. They were all, to some extent, covered in Sylvia's blood and Caren ordered them to take off their soiled clothes and get cleaned up. Caren came out of the toilet unit naked and handed a small towel to Simon who took it in wide eyed wonder. "Dry me," she commanded and turned her back to him. She was now facing Gilda.

"Go and get washed now," she said to the astonished girl, who hurried into the unit and shut the door quickly. She returned as Simon was on his knees in front of Caren drying her legs and feet. Caren was breathing slowly and deeply with both her hands on Simon's shoulders, and she bent down to him and whispered.

"We wash, we dry, and then we lie. I'm older than I look and I feel a need for you."

"Don't believe in wasting time on small talk, do you?" He replied.

He reluctantly left them to enter the washroom and Caren addressed Gilda, "you know he's a man, don't you?"

Gilda said nothing but chewed at her bottom lip.

"This is what men are for girl, to give us pleasure."

"I shouldn't be here." Gilda blurted out at last, "it's all gone wrong. I should be in the woods, meeting my hunting partner today."

"It's gone wrong for a lot of folk today. We have to change with the changing times, and I'm sure that soon, all will be well again." She held out another towel to the astonished but willing Ricardo. "Including Ricky's black eye."

Denny had taken offence at a trivial remark made by Ricky, and she had shown that the hours spent in the kendo ring had been well spent.

"Well?" Caren demanded.

"Your wish is my command oh angel of light," and he took the offered cloth.

"Stand still and enjoy it," she said softly to the worried Gilda, and the washing and drying session became one of intense lovemaking, eventually leaving them in a state of euphoric weariness. Caren only faintly heard the Never speaking to her, from the panel beyond the medico.

"CAREN, THE SUBJECT IS STABILISED. REBUILD OF TORSO LEFT SIDE COMMENCING."

No reply came from the drowsy girl.

"CAREN, DNA STRUCTURE IS ELEMENTALLY DIFFERENT TO CORE MODEL. PROTOCOL BEYOND PARAMETERS."

Still no reply.

"CAREN, DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?"

"Yes Never, continue. You're doing a good job," and she drifted off into sleep again. The Never wasn't programmed to swear or throw tantrums, so the medico got it's new instructions promptly from the time ship's logic core, and Sylvia's nervous system, soft tissue and bone structure were repaired and restructured to follow the composite model that Never built from parallel projection theory.

Sylvie would be whole again, but different.
Chapter 5

### of Arrivals and Departures

### South Farm

Connie Nesbitt called a halt before they left the trees, and asked for quiet while she surveyed the open country before them.

"Tanya, tell me who's down there at South Farm today." Billie had promised Tanya a thrashing when they were alone and the worried girl wrinkled her brow in thought.

"Well, obviously there's Sali and her mum, but not Tilly, cos she was going to North pasture to gather some romero, or some such weed like that, and Ellen was gonna go with her to try and get a yoke on that big bastard ox with the odd horns, so that leaves Georgie. I think." She shrugged her shoulders and added, "maybe."

"So, if I understands your ramblings aright, you reckon three down there then. Lets see now." The old guru cocked her head to one side as if straining to hear something only just audible. "Mmmm. You're probably right girl, but there's company coming on the road from Gap. Can't see them proper yet, but more than one I think." She motioned for them to gather round, and told them to walk the last couple of kilometres to the farm in pairs. "One of us and one of you," she instructed. "No more than one pair in the open at a time. Never know who's looking, and we don't want you seen yet by the wrong eyes. And as for you," she indicated towards Anton, "Lady alone knows how you get there unseen. You're so big you might have to wait till night fall."

Anton gave a low laugh, "It'll be a pleasure just to sit and rest, knowing that there's nothing out there trying to kill me all the time."

Gudrun confirmed his sentiment, "too true honey bear. It's been a long time since we could sleep without at least one of us crying or screaming in the night."

There were murmurs of agreement from the others, and Ma Nesbitt answered Gudrun. "Sounds as if you come from a terrible world, and though the Lady's sent you to help us, maybe it's us that'll be helping you? Much to think about, in this mystery."

She left the shelter of the trees for the farm, and when she was about half way there, Gudrun set off with Sara Cowslip. Then, with nearly two hours gone by, the only ones still to leave the wood were Margaret, Anton, Billie Forster and Jan Crane. The 'company' on the road from Gap was the peddler woman, Fran Collier, with an ox cart driven by her daughter Jean. They had stopped to water their two pairs of oxen at the far pond, but had eventually moved on and out of sight again. Jan returned from the woods edge and sat down with the others.

"They've gone. It should be safe now, but it won't be dark for about an hour and a half?" She looked at Billie, who glanced up at the sky.

"Probably. You take Margret now, and we'll be along in a couple of hours. Can't let this one be seen in daylight, he'll frighten the chickens."

Margaret asked if they would be alright in the wood on their own.

Billie laughed, "course we will missus, there's nothing scarier in these woods than us two, now is there?" Jan confirmed Billie's words, and she and Margaret started out on the journey over the fields to South Farm.

Billie watched them for ten minutes then went to sit with Anton. "Is it right that you've been fighting for hundreds of years then?"

"Not really, but it seemed like it at times when all we could do was slow the enemy down and watch our friends die. It's very complicated."

"And you saw Hood? Really actually saw her?"

Anton closed his eyes briefly and smiled, "I was there from the beginning. She was beautiful. We all loved her."

"Will she be back? Nessie says that Margret's been talking to her. We've been praying to her proper, every month, like it says in the book. It was my turn last week. Don't know if she listens though."

All this was a mystery to Anton, who frowned as he answered, "Yes, the old Hood's still there, and Margaret did get a strange message from her. Seems that she wants to talk to us soon, but she's got things to do first."

"It'll be good to see the village grow again, now that we've got a man of our own. Hasn't been a regular man in Homestead for..." She shook her head slowly, "...three generations, probably. Six men. Lady, that'll be worth fighting for when the patrol comes back again."

Anton turned to her in surprise, "I don't understand."

"Nothing to understand, bear man. We have trouble with Martha's patrol twice a year, but with men in the village, it'll turn into bloodshed. They'll try to steal you from us. The only men we ever saw were over in Central, and we haven't been sent for in years. Ivy Tulip got the call ten years ago, said it were the worst thing she ever did. Said he was pathetic. You won't be pathetic, I can tell." There was a brief silence as they both contemplated her words.

"Damn," she said suddenly, "Tanya were right, I ain't no lady. Kiss me bear man, I've waited long enough," and she threw her arms around him in a rough embrace.

Gudrun and Sara had nearly caught up with the guru when she was met at the farm's gate by Wandra Vorden, mother to Tilly and Sali.

"Ma Nesbitt? You're looking a mite peaky. Are them two cause for trouble?" "Trouble right enough Wandra, but not like you would think. You're going to have guests for a while, hope yon cottage is fit to live in," indicating the dilapidated building opposite the house. The bemused farmer contemplated the two approaching figures.

"They can sleep in the kitchen if they like, save mucking out the other place."

"Aye, well there's the thing you see. Happen there'll be at least eight extra mouths for you to feed for a time."

Wandra's voice went up an octave. "Eight? Why isn't Frankie taking them in? She can cope with dozens, she can."

"Hush now, this is... secret like. When you meet them, you'll see they're something special. And as for food, last time I looked, this was a farm. There's enough to go round."

Wandra wasn't convinced, "Aye, and it's all spoken for. Central have got first pick when Martha comes back."

"Well then, when Mad Martha returns, mayhap she'll get a surprise." She took the unhappy farmer by the arm and urged her back to the house. During the next two hours or so, four more couples came in from the field, and after Wandra and Georgie's initial surprise at the nature of their guests, they set about the task of catering for them all, while the miners tried to get the cottage habitable again.

At nearly fourteen years old, the two friends Sali and Tanya were the youngest in the village. Sali worked on the farm and Tanya was a skivvy in her mum's taverna, but three years ago, she had started behaving very strangely, and had suddenly taken an abnormal interest in goats, so now she also helped out on the farm as a goatherd. They sat by the well watching the frantic activity in the farm yard, and Tanya nudged her soul mate.

"That's the one I told you about. No, don't point, he'll see you. Rude to point anyway. Not a single hair on his head, bald as a frog's arse he is. It all fell out cos they've been fighting for 2,000 years. No it's true, that Walter told me about it when we was waiting for that pedlar woman to move her wagon."

"What sort of a name's Walter. Never heard a name like Walter before."

"Don't you ever listen, Sali? I told you, it's cos he's a man, and they've all got names like that. Except the women folk of course, They've got proper names, and don't look at me like that Sali Vorden. We was only hiding in the bushes, not making babies. If he tried that with me, he'd get a sharp surprise."

Sali's eyes widened as Tanya showed her the knife she had taken from the trooper she had killed. "Lady above, it's a nasty looking blade. Don't let old Nessie know you've got it, or you'll not have it long."

"No intentions of sharing this with anyone. It'll go with the rest of my treasures in my secret hiding place. Anyway, Walter." She paused, savouring the sound of the strange name. "Walter's nice, for a man that is, even if he is really old."

Sali frowned. "Don't look 2,000 years old to me. Don't look no older than Queenie, an' Mum says she's nearly 60."

"No, I don't mean that old. He's just a bit past his best, and anyway they've got two angels living with them, no, I've seen them. All shining armour an' chuffing great swords, an' they stop them getting older. It's magic you see."

"Georgie said it's magic as well. Said she'll be getting some hormones soon."

"What you girls doing there? Go see if them miserable hens have laid any more eggs, we've got some hungry folks to feed."

"Yes mum," said Sali, and they reluctantly went back to work.

After the hastily prepared dinner, served in the barn, the miners listened while Connie Nesbitt outlined the local political situation to them. Violet in Central was ruler by force of arms, and Mad Martha's patrol would be back within six months to collect 'taxes' and gather recruits for the army. Taxes was another term for bribery, theft and corruption, and the recruits had no choice but to enrol as troopers, or else.

"What I don't understand," said Jimmy, "is where have all the men gone?"

"It's just fairy tales now," answered Wandra, "but we believe it could be true. Many hundreds of years ago, this was a fair land, but invaders came from the skies."

They gave her their full attention, the Homesteaders enraptured by the old story, the miners in anticipation of learning what had become of the world they had known.

"Evil beasts they were, with eyes like hot coals and lightning coming from their fingers, and none could stand against them. All over the world they made great sorrow, and everywhere they went the land was poisoned, but the three sisters of the night hunted them down and destroyed them all. That was when we lost our Lady, Hood, and she looked away from us. But when she turns to us once more every month, we pray for her to return again."

"Hasta la vista," intoned all the Homesteaders, much to the miners surprise.

"After the land and air were spoiled by the evil ones blood, many animals and birds were gone, never to return again, and only one in ten children born to woman was a boy child, but in Homestead, we have kept the faith according to the word of Speck the warrior priest. Now, you're the only men that we know of this side of the sierras. There are rumours of men to the South, but none here have seen them."

There was a slight pause, and Marcus said, "Three sisters, treble H."

Then Walter joined in with, "Hood, Hawk and Hind. But who's 'Speck'?"

"He was a great warrior, and after destroying the last monster, he declared that the cave was a holy site, and should be kept ready for Hood to return."

Gudrun spoke aloud what some of them were thinking. "Is there a family round here called Donovan? We knew a Specs Donovan, but last we saw him, the medics were probably going to take his legs."

"Not heard that name before," replied Wandra, "we only know him as Speck."

Connie Nesbitt turned to Margaret. "The one called Denzil said that her travelling machine is broken, which means that you can go nowhere. Is that right?"

Margaret nodded. "From what we have seen, that certainly seems to be true."

"Then I propose," said the guru slowly, "to invite you all to join our community, which means that we shall probably have to shed blood against Central. If we stand firm, then I think that Dockside and Crampton will be with us. More than those two, I cannot say.

Margaret butted in, "We've been fighting for our lives, your lives as well, for nearly half a year now. We were going to die, but suddenly we're snatched away from it, and it's a miracle that we have survived. I've had enough. I'm only an administrator, not a trained soldier." The others murmured their agreement and she continued, "I see no reason to take sides in what is, to us, a local dispute. We can't commit ourselves to any cause until Hood has spoken with us again. First, we are Hood, but if what you want, is what we all want, then, and only then, shall we join you."

All this talk of 'our Lady, Hood' was very strange and needed a lot of thinking about.

"Margaret dear," Gudrun butted in, "wait for the angels as well. They probably know more about this than any of us."

"And," said Jimmy, "If we still work for Hood, then I'm owed about 24,000 months back pay."

This was greeted by jeers and hoots of laughter from the miners, and baffled silence from the villagers. The meeting was over and shortly before sunset, Constance Nesbitt and the four women, Sara, Lottie, Posy and Jan left for Homestead, after giving instructions that the miners should not be seen by anyone, especially travelling folk like that Fran Collier.

Anton and Billie arrived after dark, and had a cold supper before going their separate ways, Anton to the cottage, while Billie went to talk to Georgie, sitting on the porch. Georgie was 25, a drover, and had nearly as much muscle as Billie the blacksmith.

"What do you make of all this Billie? Can we keep them to ourselves, or is it the start of the end for us?"

"If it's up to me Jo, we'll keep them here, I'll fight tooth and nail for it, and so will you after a week or so."

Georgie raised her eyebrows sceptically at her friends vehement statement, "You're very uppity tonight, why's that then?"

Billie smiled and flashed her eyes at her, "Don't be angry with me Georgie love, but I've been with him. On my own, in the woods. Lady he's heavy, thought he was going to squash me flat. Then I lay on him, and we did it again. Didn't think I could walk this far after that."

"Flaming hells girl, didn't take you long to stake your claim, did it."

"Hi daddy bear," Gudrun called out in greeting as Anton entered the cottage, "been arm wrestling the local blacksmith?"

Anton smiled at her, "wasn't my arm she was wrestling Goodie."

She stared at him, hands on hips, "you two timing heart breaker. You promised that I was your true love," and burst out laughing.

"Taking advantage of the poor natives already," said Jimmy, shaking his head.

There was no animosity intended. Gudrun and Margaret had taken all the miners in their group as lovers, and some who had died in the Jalon Valley as well.

"Margaret," Gudrun called out, "come and tell him, he's been naughty again."

Midday the following day, Gilda came to the farm with Simon and Ricardo, but after kissing them both goodbye, left immediately for Homestead. They reported that there was no change with the time machine, which seemed to have had a serious malfunction in it's operating system. Other than that, Caren estimated that Sylvia would be in the medico for nine or ten days, and would then need another week or so to recover.

No one actually said, 'we are staying'" but over the next few days, a sense of belonging grew within all of them, and they knew an inner peace that had been missing from their lives for a long time.

### Preparations

"Tanya," called Sali, "over here." They sat behind the potting shed. "You should have heard them, Tan."

"Heard what Sali Vorden?"

"I'm telling you ain't I? Georgie had grabbed that Simon, you know, the bald one. Well, she grabbed him and dragged him in here, right into this shed, and they was making such a noise, moaning and all that, I thought they was fighting, but then they came out looking right pleased with themselves, and just wandered off as if nothing had happened. And you'll never guess what Tanya Vine."

"What then?"

"She kissed him!" said Sali forcefully.

Tanya looked thoughtful for a moment with narrowing eyes. "Trollop."

"And, his hair's growing back. No, it's true, I've seen it."

"Well you know what that was, don't you? Hormones and magic, that's what Sali Vorden."

"Sali, Tanya. What you sitting there for? Go and get some more potatoes for us."

"Oh I hate digging taters," moaned Tanya.

Within the first week, the miners had realised the full extent of the deteriorating situation between Homestead and Central, and Anton and Simon, who had both graduated from army college, had been persuaded to give the villagers the benefit of their military upbringing. After initial resistance, Margaret finally agreed that it would be a good move. They had talked with the farm girls and the guru, and had accepted that the women were as tough as most men they had known, and were going to be more than equal partners in any future events. They sat, as usual, in the barn. Ricardo had been a shuttle pilot, and was drawing maps in the dirt floor from memory.

"So, if this is us at Jalon, then this," he made another cross in the dirt, "is Villena, now called Central. No direct route and hard country to negotiate."

"Hopefully, we'll not have to go there," offered Simon, "this Martha woman's coming to us first anyway. And at least we don't have to worry about cavalry."

Their earlier comments about riding into battle had been met with blank looks from the women. Apparently, Queenie Oates had seen a picture of a horse in Central one time, and it seemed that horses, like pigs, had been bred out of existence by the aliens biological weapons. They looked up at the sound of approaching voices.

"They're here," said Marcus, standing by the barn door, "about eight of them, I think." Moments later, nine villagers carrying spears came into the barn, ranging in age from mid teens to about fortyish? Some of them had been to 'training camp' before, but the newcomers gave the men appraising looks, one of the older women brushing up against Marcus in passing, pursing her lips in a mock kiss as she did so. Anton welcomed them in, and they began a morning of ancient arms drill and tactics theory that they remembered from Vegetius and Sun Tzu. The world of war had gone full circle, and copies of their ancient books would have been best sellers again.

On the first day, Anton had asked how battles were fought now, but no one could give a definite answer as the last war had been about two hundred years ago.

The one plain fact they got backed up what Denny and Caren had told their sceptical audience in the time machine. Any energy source on the planets surface was liable to attract a thunderbolt from the heavens. Hawk and Hind had been in orbit for 2,100 years and Hind's deranged logic core had been unable to differentiate between friendly and enemy power transmissions. The thunderbolts were rocks from the miners dwindling cargoes, so energy weapons had been replaced with spears and swords.

The girls gave their own, varied accounts about how they would charge pell-mell into the waiting unorganised mob of poorly armed and cowardly troopers facing them, then all emerge heroes at the end of the day.

Jimmy watched in horror as they acted out their words and whispered to Anton, "they know nothing, it'll be a fiasco. They're all going to die."

Anton nodded slowly. "So might we, if we let them carry on like that."

So the villagers were slowly, and reluctantly at first, retrained as a phalanx, or 'shield wall', which depended on rigid discipline to hold firmly together. Each warrior had to stand firm and protect the person to her left. Like bricks in a wall, they would stand together or the wall would collapse, with deadly results for them all.

Anton picked out thirty to become hoplites in two rows of fifteen, and then a third row of lightly armed 'cleaners', armed with knives, short swords and axes, who would have the job of making sure the enemy wounded didn't get up again. The first two rows would be given whatever armour was available, including boots and leggings reinforced with steel strips for extra protection.

The weeks passed and the little army grew more confident, and finally Caren, Denny, Jade and Sylvia came over the meadow to the farm. Georgie came running out of the makeshift forge and hugged Sylvia.

"Bless the Lady for giving you back to us, Sylvie, and for sending these heroes to help us."

Sylvia held her off a little, "gently now Jo, I'm still a bit delicate. Don't feel quite right yet, but it'll pass I'm sure. Now, I must meet the heroes who are going to save us all from the end of the world."

Caren and Denny had given Sylvie and Jade all the 'history/future' that they thought was safe and proper, so both of the villagers were aware of where the Never had been to and originally come from, and what was probably going to occur in the near future. They had been deliberately vague about certain points, as the prayer book 'Mother and Lady' was proving to be general, rather than specific. Anton urged Simon to show off the weapons and armour that Georgie and Billie were producing in the forge they had built in one of the sheds next to the barn. Most of the armour was actually made of leather, but would be vital in any conflict to come, especially the wrist guards studded with short steel spikes, which made them as much a weapon as a protector, and the boots reinforced with steel strips. Sylvia was impressed by the progress made, and said that she barely recognised some of the girls in their new attire when they demonstrated the phalanx in full armour.

Simon stood in the centre of the second line and surveyed his little band with pride. "Lock shields," he bellowed suddenly, and the clash of wooden shields made Sylvia jump as the front rows of Homesteaders became a single unit.

His voice rang out again. "Who are we?"

The fifty villagers answered him, "Hood!"

"Who are we?" he called out louder.

" **Hood."** was the louder reply.

"What do we do?"

" **Hold the wall."**

"Advance."

With lowered spears, the lines moved cautiously forward without losing their cohesion.

"Who's that behind Georgie?" Sylvia asked Jade.

"Tanya." was the short reply.

Sylvia turned and looked questioningly at her friend. "Tanya Vine?"

Jade nodded. "Don't judge her by her years. I've watched her, and agree with Connie that she should be in the line."

Wide eyed with surprise, Sylvia turned back to watch the manoeuvres.

She joined in mild training, and during the next couple of weeks, slowly regained her strength, and then surpassed what she had been able to do before.

"It's because you were so badly hurt," Caren told her, "the medico had to rebuild some parts of you totally.

"Does that mean that I'm less than human, or more?"

"Neither sweetie. It means you're different now, but more like us, I think," and she looked to Denny for confirmation.

"More like you Caz. Lets hope she's not too much like me."

"Don't put yourself down Denny. It's only your mind that's different, after all."

They were interrupted by Kirsty Vine, Tanya's sister, she was red faced and breathing heavily. "Ran all the way," she gasped, "message from Gap, Martha'll be here in less than four weeks. Picking up recruits in Gap and Dockside."

Sylvia was elated, "Now we have you Martha Torrent, better sooner than later." She saw their blank looks and explained. "Haven't you noticed, at least half a dozen of our army seem to be pregnant. If Martha was to be much later, then we'd be going to battle with big bellies and even bigger armour."

They gathered all the armed villagers and miners as often as possible for full scale manoeuvres and they practised all possible scenarios they could think of, and one afternoon, Denny was sitting with Sylvia on the grass between exercises.

"What about the dogs?"

"Meaning, what?" Asked Sylvia quickly with narrowed eyes.

"How are they reacting to the men being here? Will they fight for us?"

Sylvia slowly nodded her head, "they're still running and hunting with the girls in the woods, but they're unpredictable. They don't like walls, so won't come into the village, but out in the open.... Who knows?"

Denny shrugged her shoulders, "well, it's good that they're still on friendly terms," and gave a little laugh as she quoted in Jade's voice, "by night, we're invincible."

Anton signalled for them to rejoin the group, "Oh well, back to wheeling and squealing again."

They were in full battle gear again, and the solar powered helmets of the miners all received the message relayed through Margaret.

"MOTHERHOOD, VALANCE MARGARET."

"Hello Hood, Margaret here. It's been longer than I expected."

"IF I WERE A CARBON BASED BIPEDAL LIFE FORM, THEN I WOULD CONSIDER THAT TO BE A RUDE JOKE. OR WOULD I? TOKSVIG GUDRUN TAUGHT ME THAT MANY THINGS THAT ARE SPOKEN ARE NOT SPOKEN AS INTENDED. CURIOUS. NOW, A REPORT WOULD BE GOOD, PLEASE."

The miners waited expectantly, and Anton drew Billie to him so she could hear the voice of Hood. Likewise, Sylvia had her head close to Gudrun's helmet.

"WHAT IS YOUR SITUATION GROUNDSIDE?"

"We are still together, proximity of Jalon, now called Homestead, with population of about eighty or so, all female. We are contemplating taking active role in civil war between coastal area and inland centres. Advice and air reconnaissance report would be appreciated."

"NOT POSSIBLE AT THIS TIME, BUT THE SITUATION WITH HIND MAY ALTER."

"So we continue preparations, conflict expected in no more than twenty two days."

"ALTERNATIVE STRATEGY. I HAVE A TASK FOR YOU WHICH WILL BE OF MUTUAL BENEFIT TO ALL PARTIES."

"Tell me about it then," said Margaret thoughtfully, "and if it's feasible, we'll give it our best shot."

Later the next afternoon, after they had washed off the worst of the dirt and sweat of the day, Denny was in conversation with Margaret and Sylvia.

"You'll just have to trust me in this," she insisted. "What you say is true, and we will miss you. We'll win the skirmish with the patrol and they'll run back to their mothers when they meet real troopers at last." She emphasised the word 'real', "but we cannot defeat Central unless you do as Hood asks," and waited for a reply.

Hood had outlined the task she needed them to carry out, and the group had divided opinions about the feasibility of it. They had been told that the shuttle was refuelled and ready to go groundside, but the only suitable landing place, in their area, was Valencia's commercial airport, which appeared to be strewn with wreckage or rubble. So if they wouldn't mind, could they please go and clean up the runway? The purpose of bringing the shuttle to Valencia was a bit vague, but it sounded like Hood had got a working teleport device salvaged from an alien vessel, and needed an earth base. The tempter offered for their cooperation, was a new type of weapon with low energy emissions. Caren and Denny had spent ages talking into the dark hours of the night and re-reading the little prayer book. Caren was understanding about her sister's fears of becoming 'the dark one' as described in the book, and was adamant that Denny would have to make the big decisions which could affect their future. So there she was, giving them what information she could, or thought she should, and persuading Margaret to take a small party from the village to Valencia. Margaret sighed again and rubbed her eyes.

"How many should go, do you think," she asked Denny, and got what she expected, a detailed rundown of who would make up her group.

"Nine of you," she replied instantly. "You, Gudrun, Ricky, Walt, Marcus, and Jimmy. Plus three from the village, probably Ella, Maria and Snowy."

Sylvie looked up sharply, "that cuts the heart from our line, we'll only have five top swords left."

"There'll be six on the day. She isn't here yet," her voice dropped to a whisper, "and she doesn't know yet what's to become of her." She whirled round, and left the astonished pair quickly before the tears came again, running to seek out Caren.

"It's done," she told her, "they'll be going tomorrow."

As expected, the party going to Valencia was made up exactly as Denny had suggested, and they were on the road before noon, with a journey time of about seven or eight days. Their return was dictated by the state of the runway, and the amount of debris they would have to move. Until they actually saw it for themselves, there could be no target time for a return. There was much hugging and kissing, and more than a few tears as well. Hopefully, contact could be maintained, either directly, or relayed through one of the heavenly sisters. They were waved out of sight, and then they were gone.

There was an unhappy air about the farm for a few days, then Sylvia, Billie and Jade invited Anton to go for a walk in the woods with them. They returned several hours later, and Anton was greeted by Simon, the only other man left there.

"If Gudrun was here, she'd box your ears for you man." He frowned at the lack of response from Anton. "What's the matter fella, seen a ghost?"

"Hell, boy, I've seen worse than that. They took me to see the dogs. I've met Billie's partner, Flame. Makes you see 'going to the dogs' in a new light."
Chapter 6

### Of Cats and Dogs

### Joan Tulip

The salt marshes were behind them now, and they were making good progress over the flat plain, heading West towards Homestead and their rendezvous with Martha's troops. There were eight of them, and Jenny, one of the 'volunteers' joining the patrol group, turned and asked Sami the first mate, "Will we get there before dark Sam?"

Sami put on her best, I know everything face, and said confidently, "No problemo kid. Joannie's taking us on a short cut through Burnt Wood, but I'll look after you." She'd been inland before, knew where they were heading, and wasn't too happy to be going into the woods.

"Sugar, we're for it then," exclaimed Kes, Marlin's daughter, "Denzo told me all about the tree beasts who suck the marrow from your bones and turn you into fertiliser to sell to the grey gardener."

"Oh grow up girl, there's no such creatures except in your imagination, so be bloody quiet, and trust to our guru's good judgement." replied Dorian, the leader of the unhappy group. "We'll take a break before the trees, and Joannie's going to tell you about the woods." She looked across at the very pensive guru, who nodded in return.

Joan, Dorian and Sami were taking the five Dockside recruits to Homestead to join Martha's patrol, who were returning to Central from their summer foray into the Southern sierras and sweep up the white coast. Jenny, Kerry, Lydia, Sasha and Curly were not too eager to be joining the glorious 'army of right' and would rather be at Dockside sailing with the fleet or even mending nets. The army was not a good place to be for newcomers, especially under Mad Martha's rule. Not so much an army, more an undisciplined mob of misfits, thugs and thieves.

The group neared the woods edge, and Dorian called a halt at the side of a narrow trickling brook. "Twenty minutes, then we'll have to move on. Joannie?"

"OK captain. Settle down girls, and I'll tell you what you need to know about the woods to survive today. Share out those apples Curly." They all ate while listening, and Joan told them her version of the first ever meeting between Homestead girls and the wardogs.

### Joannie's story

"I've seen that we'll be safe, if we take certain precautions. There are things about this wood that are privy to only a few of us, and I'll tell you what you need to know, right? The terrors in this wood are all in your imagination, put there by Homestead's hunters. I'm a Homestead girl, moved to Dockside when I was about nineteen when we found out that I could _'see'_. Not right having more than one with the sight in the same group. Could lead to... misunderstandings and the like. Anyway, when I was seventeenish, four of us youngsters had driven a few cows down to Dockside as part of our trade agreement with Central, and we were travelling light. Three days there and one back through Burnt Wood, which was no big thing, cos it was mostly safe in those days. Half way home through the wood we heard a cat. Making such a noise it was, must be a big one we thought, and we started to step careful like, didn't want to come up to it too soon and get a nasty surprise, did we? There were other noises too, and we found it in the clearing near Hood's Hole. It was a monster, about four metres from nose to tail and it had five of them 'dog folk' trapped in the cave mouth and they were keeping it at bay with crude spears, but we could see that come nightfall, them dogs would be in the deep stuff and no mistake.

We'd heard rumours about the dogs, but had never seen any, they usually stayed in the hills beyond Crampton and Albert. What a sorry lot they looked. Rags for clothes and no weapons to speak of. What to do? Join the fun, or slide back into the trees and take the long way home? No hard decision really, once the first shock had worn off. According to the stories we'd heard, these dogs were nearly people.

We had a knife each, and me, Jade and Beryl had spears, while Jade had got her bow as well, but Sylvie had her mother's sword. It's a Toledo Espada Special from the valley wars 200 years ago, and never loses it's edge.

Jade said that if she was lucky, she might get three arrows into the cat before it could reach us. We formed up with Beryl on the left, Sylvia in the middle, me on the right and Jade a couple of paces behind us. We stepped out of the trees and she let go the first arrow which stuck nicely in the cat's rump. The beast leapt up, turned in the air and hit the ground running. Jade only got in one more shot, but it was a beauty. Into the monsters mouth and out from the side of it's neck in a spray of blood. Then it was on us in a flurry of claws, teeth and blood. The blood was all cat, as we met it's leap with three steel tipped spear points. The dogs joined us in a dance of death round the dying cat, and it was a one sided affair as Sylvia's sword bit into the cat's body. Every time it turned to face us and Sylvie, the dogs would leap in and prod it with their wooden spears, and it turned back to them again. The beast eventually died, going round in circles. Probably drowned in it's own blood from the arrow and spears, and we all cheered and laughed and leapt about. Then it went a bit quiet and scary for a moment as we backed off into two groups and just kinda looked each other over. It was Beryl who made the first move. Always quick to make a decision was Beryl. The dogs sort of flinched and gripped their spears tighter as she suddenly stooped down to pull what was left of her spear from the cat's body. I remember it like it was yesterday."

She closed her eyes, and was silent for a moment. Then continued her story.

"Beryl looked up and said, 'Hello dogs, we've heard about you.'

After a brief pause, the biggest dog grinned right back and replied, 'Hey ho girl.'

Beryl laughed, 'Hood's alive, you do speak then.'

'Yeah, itsa genes'

'What's jeans then?'

'Dunno, 's genes innit'

And that was it. Homestead had some new friends, poor friends by the look of it, but that was back then. Things are different now. Between us we managed to skin the cat and took it's claws and fangs as trophies. The dogs kept the hide and half the claws and teeth. I kept this one, and it will keep us safe today."

So saying, Joannie took from her pack a dagger-like tooth which had the girls oohing and aahing in open admiration.

"Monster it was, but Hood smiled on us that day, none of us had suffered so much as a scratch from the beast." Her voice went quieter. "By the time we had finished, it was nearly dark, so we all settled down in the cave to a poor supper of berries, biscuits, cats arse and bad dreams." Her voice trailed away and finished in a whisper and then she paused with a faraway look in her eyes. The girls glanced at each other sideways as the silence dragged on. Was she _seeing_ again?

She looked down and sighed. "But that's another story, and it's none of your business. Them dogs are the only bad things in the woods now, and cos we're not Homestead girls, we might need this to be our passport to the other side."

"How will that keep us safe then, is it magic or summat?"

"No such thing as magic Kes, only different ways of doing things. Now, we put away all our weapons and go through the wood holding this little tooth in plain sight, and Daggit, the boss dog will make sure that we'll be left alone."

### In Burnt Wood

"Time to move girls," said Dorian, "You know what to do. Single file, Joannie in front, Sami in centre and I'll take the rear. We should be at Homestead in three hours."

"One more thing girls," warned Joannie. "Only Homestead girls are supposed to know about the dog clan," she paused and looked them all in the eye, one by one. "So if, one day, you think it would be clever to tell anyone else about this, then make your funeral arrangements first. Because I would know, and I would make sure you suffered before you died. Sabe?"

The frightened girls hurriedly assured her that the secret was safe with them, and then they tied their spears into a bundle and moved on. The woods were now a bad place by reputation only, but that was enough to keep the recruits, and Sami to a certain extent, on edge, and when five shadowy figures emerged from the trees ahead of them, it was Sasha who gave a little whimper of fear, but Jenny, the youngest who peed herself.

Dorian spoke quietly, but her voice carried the length of the line, "Stand still and quiet, and leave it to Joannie."

Expecting to see actual dogs, the Docksiders were surprised by appearance of the warriors in front of them. Firstly, these were not the sorry specimens from ten years previously, and they were more human looking than anything else, with slightly 'doggy' features, and with lots of hair rather than fur.

Wearing brown tunics, breeches and boots, with leather breast plates and wrist guards, each of them had a spear with a bright metal tip, and short swords or daggers were at every hip. Two of the dogs wrinkled their noses and looked pointedly at the ground at Jenny's feet.

When she spoke, Joannie was loud and confidant. "Looking for trouble then? Cos if you are, then you've found it, cos I'm the cat killer." She held the fang out like a weapon. "Lost your voices? Who's boss dog here?"

"Hello Joan Tulip, my old flower."

Joannie laughed. "Toldo Sharptooth. I didn't recognise you with that fancy head gear."

Toldo swelled with pride. It had taken him and Flair, his mate, weeks to make the feathered hat.

"Found it on the rubbish dump, did you?"

The insult struck home and as Toldo wilted, Joannie laughed. "Sorry, Tollie. Only joking, it's beautiful. You look magnificent."

Toldo smiled again. "Hear that, you scruffs? Magnificent she said." He lowered his voice again. "Got a message for you Joan."

"Tell me then oh mighty warrior."

"Not here." He said quietly, looking briefly at the other girls. "Daggit say this for you only. Come talk with me."

Joannie bit her lip, narrowed her eyes and frowned, thinking hard. She hadn't seen a dog for nearly three years and things may have changed. Decision time. Turning round she said, "Stand fast girls, got some private talking to do with soldier boy here," and she then walked forward between the trees and out of sight of the girls from Dockside.

As ten years earlier, the groups of girls and dogs just stood and looked at each other.

No longer the poor relations, the dog soldiers bristled with confidence and it was the humans who were on edge now. A short while later, Joannie returned and the dogs melted back into the woods.

"They say that there's trouble in store at Homestead, but they don't know the full story. We'll have to be ready for anything when we get there. Full speed ahead now boss."

"No bother ahead in the woods?" Asked Dorian.

"Not now, there isn't, let's go"

No longer so careful, the group made good speed through the empty woods and reached Homestead as the sun was setting.

### The untold story

"What's jeans then?"

"Dunno, 's genes, innit"

Beryl thought about that for a moment then dismissed it as not important.

"Ever skinned a cat? Gotta do it while it's fresh, and it'll take all of us to do it proper." Killing a big cat was quite an event in village life and a trophy was called for.

Sylvia joined in, "We can't leave till it's done, and it'll soon be too dark to get home. Any suggestions?"

"We should be safe in Hood's Hole. It's big enough for all of us," replied Jade. "We can share the night watch. One of us and one of them."

Beryl cocked her head on one side and addressed the dogs. "Soon dark. Stay with us?"

And they did. Possibly they felt safer in human company after the cat affair? While Sylvia watched the tree line, the dogs joined in with the pulling and tugging as Jade and Joannie cut the skin away, then Beryl got to work wrenching out its claws and fangs. When it was done, it was clean up time, and the girls and dogs went in pairs to the nearby stream to wash off the blood and gore from skin, hair and clothing.

A fire was lit in the cave mouth to roast the cat meat over, and as night fell, what passed for doggie small talk went back and forth across the cave.

"Where you come from?"

"Why don't you walk on four legs?"

"How you make knives like that?"

"Where are your families?"

"Where you go?"

"So the first dog was called Loner?"

"How far your village?"

"What are jeans again?"

The dogs were searching for a new place to live, for reasons known only to themselves, and were about ten days from their home in the North.

Eventually, both the fire and the small talk grew smaller, and they settled down for the night. That night was nothing special for the dogs, but the four girls suffered a night of fever and bad dreams. In the morning, Sylvia and Jade woke up with fierce headaches and were still drowsy for most of the day, but Joan and Beryl slept all through the day and the next night.

The dogs repaid the girls actions of the day before by caring for them through the two days of their illness.

They didn't know it, but they were responsible for the girls fever. Was it a virus, or flea bites? It would never really be known, but something of the dogs persona was transferred to the girls during their time together in the cave, and Sylvia and Jade were amazed to find that their hearing and eyesight were improving, then horrified that their sense of smell was improving as well. Eventually they learned to live with the intense odours of their companions, but at first, it was just... not nice.

"'s genes innit." No one would ever know how the new dogs were created, (the why was discovered much later) but an unbreakable bond between dog and human was made in Hood's Hole cave. Both humans and dogs, (especially the dogs who had shared the night watch), were relieved when the pair were finally roused the following day, but Joannie was not coherent or sensible for some time, and Beryl kept tripping over her own feet.

Eventually, it became apparent that Beryl's reactions had been accelerated, and that her body was struggling to keep up with her senses. Beryl told no one that she could see her own immediate future, and in the years to come, that ability made her a fearsome warrior when she joined Martha's patrol. As a new recruit, the usual nasty tricks were tried on her by the older women, but they were repaid with instant painful response, and she got a reputation as the baddest of the bad, so was given a wide berth by everybody.

Joannie got the full package in the _seeing_ department, and it took her several months to learn to decipher the maybe's and wannabe's from the isbe's, and eventually she moved to Dockside to give Constance Nesbitt some elbow room.

The dog tribe settled in Burnt Wood to the North East of Homestead and enjoyed a mutually beneficial and secret relationship with the Homestead girls, who had no fear of spending the night in the woods.

Ten years later, Toldo gave his message to Joan Tulip. Daggit was worried that Joannie had not been to the wood for some time and was sure that she needed all her _seeing_ power for the 'bad days' ahead. The dogs couldn't, or wouldn't say what form trouble was coming in, but knew that strangers were in the area, Sylvia had been missing for some time, but was back now, although different, and Martha's lot were up to no good.

When humans and dogs went their separate ways, Joan's senses had been given a boost by being in close contact with her old hunting partner, and after she recovered from the runny nose and headache that always followed, she would be a formidable guru again.
Chapter 7

### Of Seers and Swords

### The Homestead affair

Joannie was suffering from a mysterious complaint and had to be half carried the last kilometre or so, and the gate to Homestead's enclosure was shut behind the Docksiders by two troopers. The troop sergeant hailed Dorian.

"Been expecting you all day ladies, and Martha's keen to see you pronto."

"She'll have to wait. Got a bit of trouble here. I think my guru needs some doctoring," replied Dorian. The sergeant grabbed Dorian's arm as she passed.

"Martha don't wait on no one, so get to the bosses house now girl, and there won't be any bother." Dorian shrugged off the grasping hand.

"Don't girlie me, fatso, I've been in more scraps than you can dream of and if you touch me again I'll beat you so bad you'll have to lay down for a month. Remember the Full Moon affair? That was me!"

The reddening sergeant stepped back, "Martha..."

But Dorian cut her words short, snarling, "sod Martha. We're not due till tomorrow, so when Joan's taken care of, then I'll see your mad mistress, if I can be bothered. Move on gang."

Sami slid the cosh back into her pocket and led the way to Constance Nesbitt's place, where the old guru already had a cot prepared for Joannie to be laid on.

"Put her there, then you go to Frankie's taverna. She's prepared two rooms for you and there'll be goat stew or something. I know what's happened with Joannie, and can look after things here." As they were leaving, she added, "there mustn't be no trouble tonight. Doesn't matter what them hellcat troopers get up to, you keep out of it. Sabe?"

With puzzled expressions, the girls agreed but asked why? "Can't rightly say yet, but tomorrow is very important for Homestead. It's not clear which way it will go," and so saying, ushered the confused friends out into the darkening night.

Ma Nesbitt need not have worried so much, because the patrol was kept in check by Martha's iron rule and sergeant Strake's threats of vile reprisals. An uneasy calm descended on the village, and at the tables near the hearth in The Vine, the girls spent a quiet evening. They were surprised and delighted when Joannie Tulip joined them two hours later, but she offered no explanations for her short illness.

"Must have been a bad apple you gave me, Kes," was all she said, then stopped abruptly when one of Frankie's daughters brought more cider to the table.

"Aren't you Kirsten? When did you get the call from Central then?"

"Never been further than the Gap, lady," replied the now red faced girl, who scurried off into the kitchen. Joannie stared after her then raised her chin to sniff the air with half closed eyes.

"What is it, guru Joannie?" asked Lydia, at nineteen, the oldest recruit.

"I smell trouble girl, big trouble." She lowered her voice and the others listened intently. "Looks like the old quarrel between Central and Homestead's come to the boil at last. Central say that because Hood hasn't returned, as all good Homesteaders say she will, then the villagers would be better off not wasting their time in the chapel. Old Nessie wouldn't tell me any more. Said we'd got to make our own minds up about what we're going to do. Seems like our beloved grandmother Violet has been paying too much attention to them crazy priestesses of hers, and has got ants in her head."

"What will the Homers do tomorrow, Jo?" asked Dorian.

"Can't see that clearly yet, but I don't see too many worried villagers, do you? And there's that Kirsty girl. Must see her again. Quiet like. That's it, quiet like."

When Frankie was asked where Kirsten was, she said that the girls had gone home to bed and she was shutting for the night, so why didn't they all get off to their rooms as they must be tired after all that travelling.

Joan was up before dawn, and took a chair onto the flat roof of The Vine where she sat down and opened her mind to the feel of the waking village. She started to daydream about the possible events of the day, and all her inventions ended in the red mist of sorrow and death. Some of her visions were less red than others and offered a way forward, but some stopped suddenly with the black void of her own demise. She cleared her head of the myriad possible futures and reached out for the here and now. Ma Nesbitt was cooking something in a large kettle, Franki and her daughters were cleaning the taverna and getting breakfasts ready. Over in the old chapel, several girls were praying fervently, and Joannie could feel their emotions sweeping over her. They were... terrified? No, not terrified, but very anxious. She reached out further and felt the patrol troop over near the village hall where Beryl was still sleeping. A different set of emotions hovered just out of her reach in Tilly Vorden's house where Tilly was being sick, but it wasn't that that bothered Joannie. Soup for breakfast? She leapt from her chair and hurried down to the kitchen, where Frankie placed herself between the wild eyed guru and the frightened girls.

"Soup for breakfast, Frankie? You always do omelettes. Your customers developed strange tastes in their old age?"

Frankie didn't flinch. "Shan't lie to you, lady cos you used to be Homestead. There's going to be some need for medical attention today so we're boiling bandages. Now, you being 'foreigners' from Dockside, we don't know which way you'll jump when it comes time to let blood, so that's all you get. Ma Nesbitt says that you can see better than most, so I reckon you'll know what to do when the time comes."

The guru's senses were on overtime as she asked, "and what time do you expect it to start?" The tavern keeper hesitated and Joannie added, "you said it true Frankie Vine, and I'm still Homestead at heart."

"Martha's ordered everyone to be on the green at noonday," Frankie said quietly.

Joannie spent another hour or so on the roof, sifting through the different messages the wind was bringing her. She gave up trying to make sense of it all and went down to meet the Docksiders for breakfast. Fried potatoes and some nameless sausages were shared out, then the weary guru and Dorian went walking through the village, and finished up in the chapel to talk through the possibilities. Although it worked better with two guru's, Dorian started the ritual of 'me and you'.

"Seems like Martha's got a full squad here."

"Plus the new lot from Gap."

"Against Homesteads handful of hunters."

"More than fifty against twenty."

"The villagers are doomed before the start then?"

"No, there's something else."

"Will the dog clan join in?"

"Not until later."

"If it comes to a battle?"

"A real battle? I _see_ it now. It's plain that they're expecting it, and not just a bit of a brawl either."

They were interrupted by Sasha. "Sami sent me to tell you that Beryl went to South Farm to bring in the yard hands, and she took Glen and Basher with her. The sergeant's fuming cos she should have gone alone, and hasn't come back yet."

"And..."

"Lydia was taking a pee behind the taverna and saw five girls wearing cloaks and hoods, come sneaking in through the fence."

"And..."

"One of them is big! Maybe a forest giant?"

"Mmmm. Well done Sasha, now go back and tell the others to stay out of sight, and if they're sent for by the patrol before we get back, then they're to disappear into the old cottages. We still got some big thinking to do."

Sasha left them with the new orders and hurried back to her friends.

"There's strangers here Dorian, and I can't see them clearly, or count them. If we're not careful, we can all die here before the day is out. Decision time again."

"Damnation! With what you've seen this morning, can you tell me our best way forward yet?"

"Not rightly sure what the best way means any more, but I think we have to take sides. We won't be allowed to stay neutral in this muddy affair. Big things are afoot here today and we've walked right into the middle of it."

They could come to no satisfactory conclusion, and they eventually returned to The Vine where they found their companions preparing for trouble. They were already dressed for trouble, loose clothing discarded, long hair plaited and pinned, and whetstones were being drawn down spear and knife blades as the girls tried to calm their ragged nerves.

At Joannie's request, they all fell silent as she sat and closed her eyes then let her mind wander across the village again. Tilly was better now, Ma Nesbitt was with the 'hooded' girls who had sneaked through the fence, Martha's aura was pulsing as she was still furious about Beryl taking her mates off, the sergeant was shouting at the new recruits from Gap, Kirsty was fetching water from the pump. There! Her aura had an odd echo to it? Now she had _seen_ it, she could _see_ others round the village. Kirsty, Tilly and at least five others were pregnant. The youngest girl she knew of was that Sarah Jugg's child over Ibis way, and she was about ten years old. Now seven, all together?

"Yes, now it becomes clearer. They're ready to fight for the greatest prize of all. The women here have been trained for today, and they'll fight like demons."

Her mind raced through the permutations of the day to come. The words came quietly, "Beryl and two more gone, fifty spears against Homestead..." The red mist swirled before her unseeing eyes.

"...Martha's lot suffer but leave half the village dead." She was whispering now and her fellow travellers strained to hear her words.

"Fifty spears and we make a flank attack on villagers... Easy victory, all villagers dead. Homestead in flames." There was a pause and the girls waited expectantly.

"We all die before morning comes." The girls gaped at her in horror, and Jenny Waverider was close to tears. They had never expected a death sentence to come from her mouth.

"Forty spears, and Strake leads the new recruits in that flank attack, we keep out of it... Messy victory, most villagers dead... Martha and me dead by morning."

"Forty spears, and the flank attack stopped by us," she shook her head. "No, by you"

Her eyes flew open and she looked round to address Dorian.

"This is Dockside's decision, I don't command in battle, only advise commanders, but until it's over I'm Homestead again and I'll be leaving you to take arms against Central. The future of our kind hangs in the balance today. There's a man out there."

The Docksiders gasped in astonishment.

"Don't know where they found him but he's not like the stringy fellow they had locked away in Central, and seven of the girls here are with child. This one's different."

She paused a moment, and whispered, "Why can't I _see_ him properly?"

Then she gave a big sigh. "Make your choice carefully ladies. I'm asking you to fight for Homestead today, guarding my flank against the recruits from Gap and that evil sergeant. Likely you'll win, and could gain a secure future for us all."

"Is there a 'but' in there Jo?" asked Dorian, softly.

"Always a 'but' dear leader," the guru replied, and left the girls to consider their course of action. Martha hadn't sent for them yet, so in theory, they still belonged to Dorian.

### First blood

It was nearly noon when Flossie Craken turned up with the order for the Dockside girls to report to the sergeant immediately, and enlist in Martha's patrol.

"Inform your glorious leader that we will be over after a quick prayer in the chapel," Dorian told her, and the unhappy trooper left the taverna, heading across the green.

The Docksiders made their way to the chapel where they bolted the door behind them, and Sami was sent to the roof to keep an eye on things. The villagers were slowly assembling on the near side of the green, and Martha stood in front of her motley crew of cut throats. She waved her hand vaguely behind her, then turned and swore at the priestess who hadn't moved quickly enough for her liking. The reluctant girl read unsteadily from a scroll.

"It has been determined by the council of elders of Central, that the false prophet Hood has deserted her people, will not return, and that all record of her shall be removed from the Great History in Central Library. In the eyes of the all seeing godmother, Violet, it is an offence to make any prayer to the one named Hood, and all chapels dedicated to her shall be torn down."

Martha narrowed her eyes and surveyed the silent crowd. 'What's wrong with them', she thought, why weren't they protesting?

"Furthermore, as the leader of this village has gone strangely missing and not found, all persons here shall be relocated for their own safety to Altmore, where there are numerous opportunities for employment and for worshipping the godmother."

On the roof, Sami was joined by Dorian and they could see the patterns of the crowd changing below them. Then a loud, deep voice boomed across the village.

"Hear me, and you hear the voice of Hood." A loud murmur started up among Martha's troops and all heads were turning, to locate the speaker.

"Over there," said Sami, "on top of the bakery." Away to their right, a large figure was standing with arms outstretched. "It's the man," she gasped. "He's huge. Beautiful day! He's got no clothes on!"

"Before Hood was born, I was there to help create her. When she was a child, I was there to help her grow. When she became mighty, I was her servant, and she became my protector."

Uproar ensued, and with all the troopers eyes on the speaker, the villagers threw off cloaks and shawls to don their round helmets and were quickly reforming into three battle lines as Martha desperately screamed orders at her stunned followers.

Dorian had thought she knew what to expect, but was amazed by the way the untidy crowd in front of The Vine had been transformed. Only fifteen in the front row, but they were the probably the strongest women in the village, and had been allocated the mail shirts and round shields. There were about thirty of them with spears, and these also had short swords in leather scabbards hanging down their backs, whereas the rest of them, about another twenty or so, were carrying cleavers and hand axes.

She had no more time to watch as Sami spotted the movements predicted by Joan.

"They're splitting like Jo said. Strake's going left."

"Come on kid," said Dorian, "Time to give a hand."

They gathered the others, and from the chapel, headed towards the left of the narrow green. While they were manoeuvring into position between the cottages, Martha had called for archers to kill the naked maniac on the roof, but Jade, Tilly and Kirsten were ready, and they shot down the patrol archers before they could carry out their frantic leader's order.

"I see you Martha Torrent, and I am the last person you will set eyes on in this lifetime." Sylvia was in the centre of the front line and Martha stared, wide eyed and open mouthed at the woman she had ordered killed less than half a year before. Joannie was on the left flank of the second line and she was the only one who didn't have a spear. Although there were only forty eight of them, they were confident and didn't give the enemy time to react but advanced eight paces across the small village green shouting _"Hood"_ at every other step. It was payback time for years of abuse at their enemies hands.

"Halt and stand fast!" Simon bawled at them from his position near the right flank of the second line. He looked quickly left and right. "Who are we?"

"HOOD."

"What do we do?"

"HOLD THE WALL."

"Anybody stepping out of the line answers to me!" yelled Sylvia, who was in reality itching to draw her sword and charge at Martha.

"Let them come to you!"

"Hold the wall. They're coming, they're coming."

The archers on the bakery roof were still picking their targets, and the troopers had the choice of fleeing or attacking. Martha drove them forward onto the shield wall which was not much narrower than the village green.

The wall held, and the short spears of the front row licked forward under and over the shields to seek out their soft targets. Ankles, legs, eyes, arms. Hit them anywhere and make them bleed. Put fear into their hearts and they make mistakes.

Thrust, pull back and thrust again and the leaf shaped blades became sticky with blood, while the rigid discipline of their training held them together as a unit.

Simon yelled to make himself heard above the screaming of more than a hundred women and girls. "Six paces... Advance."

The lines moved slowly forward, and following Simon was Posy Tong, twenty two, and carrying his child in her womb. The trooper who lay crying on the ground before her was probably bleeding to death, but Posy swung her axe and it bit into the girls neck, silencing her cries for ever. All along the line, it was the same. Thrust, recover, thrust again and move, and occasionally arrows flew over their heads as the four archers on the bakery roof picked out a clear target. Behind the advancing lines, the grass was becoming slick with the blood of the fallen, and all the enemy fallen were dead, because all who went down wounded were helped on their way to the afterlife by the cleaners. At fourteen, Tanya was the youngest on the back line, but didn't shy away from her grim task, and four of the back line were pregnant, fighting with determination for their children's futures. Behind and to each side of the cleaners were another seventeen older villagers, poorly armed and without armour, there as an emergency reserve force, and they all prayed that they wouldn't be needed.

They weren't.

It had taken precious minutes for sergeant Strake to organise the Gap recruits into a unit, and when they charged round their right flank between the cottage and the forge, Dorian's group were already waiting for them.

"We don't want to kill the Gap girls," she whispered to her, as yet, untried followers. "Try to keep them away from me, while I go for Strake."

Not within living memory had a Docksider been involved in anything like this. She and Sami had been in some unsavoury barroom fights, including the infamous Full Moon riot at Gap, which had involved brass knuckles and knives, but this was open warfare. To actually use swords and spears on other people? This was something new to all of them.

Sasha Whalebone had brought her bow, and knowing she would only get one arrow away, kept it aimed low. To get a hit anywhere would be better than sending it over their enemies heads. Strake and the eight recruits came round the forge corner, and Sasha let the arrow loose. A recruit went down crying with pain, the arrow showing both sides of her thigh, but Strake urged them on with threats and curses. Afterwards, no two of them could retell the events of those confusing few minutes the same way, but the outcome of it was that Filian Strake and Dorian were facing each other, feinting and parrying, and they were a fairly even match until Charlot, one of the Gap recruits, accidentally got her spear between the sergeants ankles. As the unlucky sergeant staggered sideways, Dorian thrust her long sword under Filian's round shield into her vulnerable midriff. It was effectively over from that point. Strake died with her hands clamped to her bleeding stomach, still cursing, and Dorian gave the recruits the opportunity to surrender while they could.

It didn't all go Homesteads way of course. The Docksiders had a few minor cuts between them and Jenny's nose was streaming with blood and probably broken, but Lydia was dead, slashed through the throat by the sergeants sword.

Out on the green, Caren, Sylvie and Denny (especially Denny), cut down their opponents with comparative ease, but between Sylvie and the right flank, Jan was out of the fight, having a tourniquet tied round the stump of her left arm by Ginny Brand. Simon and Maxine Ward pushed forward into the front row to fill the empty space, but over on the left flank it was going horribly wrong. Lottie and Rachel, the two spears between Joan Tulip and Georgie Strong were both down, badly injured. The cleaners, Susan and Terri snatched up the dropped spears as Georgie tried to fill the gap with her flailing sword, but they were all too late for Joan. Three yelling troopers made one last attack on the left flank and the valiant, but tired guru couldn't keep them all at bay. She was struck twice in quick succession and fell to the ground, her sword dropping from nerveless fingers.

Homestead's battle line was wheeling right as Martha's mob slowly fell, and at last the shocked troopers fled from the village green towards the North pasture, chased on their way by salvos of arrows from the bakehouse roof.

Sylvia had been wrong about Martha. She wasn't the last person that Martha would see after all. As the surviving troopers jogged Northward, they became aware that they were being shadowed by a dozen running figures to either side of them. Slowly the lines converged, and the fleeing women got their first view of the superdogs. Martha screamed at the terrified women to make a stand, but they were beyond all reason now, and could only think of escape, but there was to be none. Outnumbered and out muscled, they were all trapped and killed by the wardogs, Daggit having the grim pleasure of skewering Martha on his new spear.

Frankie Vine and Ma Nesbitt were organising first aid on the green, and the older village women were tending their trembling daughters wounds.

"No, not our Joannie." Ivy's voice could be heard across the village as she cried for her sister. Denny pulled her away from the Dockside guru's still body, as Caren bent over her to examine her wounds. She looked up into her adopted sisters eyes.

"She's not dead. 'Mother and Lady' page twenty two."

Denny nodded slowly, and turned to the gathering crowd.

"Jo, Billie, we've got to get her to Hoods Hole, and quickly. Frankie, strap her up as best you can. Stop her bleeding too much and she'll be alright. Caren, you and Jade run to the Never now, and get the medico started."

Her concise instructions compelled instant action in the group, and soon, Joannie was being carried on a table top towards Burnt Wood, while Sylvie stood with Denny watching the slowly diminishing figures go out of sight.

"Will she really be saved, Denny?" asked Homestead's worried leader.

Denny raised her head, searching the sky for sight of the moon.

"Oh Lady, please let it be so."
Chapter 8

### Of Medicine and Machines

### Aftermath

The skirmish had been short and sharp, with the actual cut and thrust bit over in less than fifteen minutes, but the aftermath seemed to last for ever, and as the villagers started to strip the bodies of arms and armour before moving them out of the village on ox carts, the euphoria of victory gave way to nausea.

Although Simon was the 'true soldier' among them, all his fighting in the past had been done over rifle sights, and the noise and reality of medieval battle had come as a total surprise to him. He had been violently sick as soon as Martha's troop had turned to run.

Maxine grabbed a wet cloth from Ginny's bucket and threw it at him. "Clean yourself up soldier, can't let the others see you like this."

Simon wiped the mess from his face, "made a fool of myself, haven't I Max?"

"You did OK, considering you're only a man. This victory's yours. You made us what we are." She grimaced at the memory of the first clash of steel on steel and looked at the ground, "it'll be easier for us next time," she said softly.

"How do you stay so calm?" he asked her, "I don't think I could get used to this."

"Neither could I," she replied with a wry smile, "I work in the woods, felling trees and making charcoal, and I often stay out there on my own. I just imagined they," she inclined her head towards the bodies, "were wild animals."

His eyes followed the direction she had indicated and he heaved again, but there was nothing left to bring up.

"For all our sakes, pull yourself together. Now, or I'll have to swear at you again." She rested her hand on his shoulder, "we'll all get over it." And then, in a much quieter voice, "eventually."

Ellen came to them and put her arms round her younger sister.

"Max, we did it, we did it," she said in obvious relief. "You all OK this end? It's chaos down the left. Lottie Brand's still down and old Nessie's going frantic, bossing everybody round. They've carried someone off on a board." The two clung to each other, as if wanting proof that they were still alive.

"Sounds like all the bad stuff was down there then," Maxine replied, "they soon turned and ran from us, that Denny girl's frightening."

Ellen then frowned and said softly, "is it right about Jan?"

Maxine nodded slowly, "she's in a bad way. Lost most of her left arm."

Jan had been carried into the taverna, and was lying on a table, with Denny talking softly to her, while Frankie and Val Tomson were by the fireplace waiting for the pokers to start glowing. Denny was stroking Jan's temple as she whispered the girl's name.

"Jan Crane, where do you go? Come to me now, in the trees." Jan was still trembling and whimpering with pain and fear. "Jan Crane, reach for me, you'll be safe here. Close your eyes, listen to the birds." Denny put her forehead to Jan's and slowly, the injured girl's body grew still and then the only sound was Denny's small voice.

"See the door. Open it, go inside the room, close it. Close the door."

Perspiration was dripping off her brow as she turned to the women by the fire.

"Do it. Now," she commanded, and Frankie took the first iron from the coals. Jan's arm was tied to a board, and when the smoke rose and the smell of burning flesh filled the air, the arm only jerked slightly.

"Another one," the innkeeper said to Val, "over that side, it's still weeping." And Val applied the second poker to the raw flesh below the elbow. The two surveyed their handiwork, then Val loosened the tourniquet.

"That's done it," she announced, "but it's not pretty, and she'll still maybe get a fever and die."

"Pretty doesn't matter. Keep her alive for a week," Denny told her, running both of her hands through her hair, "and Caren might be able to help. Put her to bed, and lay her on her side. I'll have to rest as well, haven't done that for a long time. Forgot how tired it makes you."

They had been watched through the windows by several women and girls, and Frankie beckoned them in to help move a cot downstairs. By the time the unconscious Jan had been laid in the bed, Denny was curled up in a corner fast asleep. Frankie covered her with someone's forgotten cloak and slid a cushion under her head.

"Where'd she learn magic like that then?" She said quietly to Val, when the others had been ushered out, "never seen nothing like it before."

"Don't know, and don't care," was Val's short reply, "Jan's a good girl, and the dark one stopped her hurting. All we need to know."

The innkeeper considered Val's words. "Dark one eh? Well, anyone who can stop suffering like that is an angel in my eyes."

So the legend of the Dark Angel was born.

The 'angel of light' was not happy. "I know it's not right, but use the same model as last time."

"ARE YOU ABSOLUTELY SURE, CAREN?"

"You did a really good job on Sylvie, she's better than new. Your calculations were excellent."

"THANKYOU, CAREN. IF I HAD A PLEASURE MODULE, THEN I WOULD PROBABLY FEEL HAPPINESS. THE PATIENT IS STABLE, ANALYSIS COMPLETE AND REPAIRS CAN COMMENCE. SOME REGROWTH AND REPLACEMENT WILL BE NECESSARY IN THE LOWER TORSO BUT NO OTHER MAJOR WORK REQUIRED."

"What about the power cells, how long will they last?"

"WITH FULL LIFE SUPPORT RUNNING, 928,63 HOURS. ON STANDBY ONLY, APPROXIMATELY TWICE THAT."

"And with the medico powered up?"

"519 HOURS MAXIMUM."

"How long will this case take?"

"EXTRAPOLATION WOULD SUGGEST 115 HOURS, PLUS OR MINUS 1,9"

Caren did some quick calculations, turning hours into days and weeks.

"Shut down all unnecessary equipment, including microwave detection and defence. We'll secure the area against intruders for you. We'll get a power cell from the Hood somehow, or transfer you in sleep mode."

The Never confirmed that it was an acceptable plan, and Caren left Joannie in the Never's care then went outside to Jade, who had elected to stay with her. When told of the power problem, and when Jade comprehended what it meant, she left Caren and entered the woods.

"Going to find some guards for you," she said as she departed. Less than an hour later, she was back with two dogs. Caren watched them walk towards her, and realised that these were females, even though they were dressed in a similar manner to the males she had seen. It was their rolling hips that gave it away.

"Caren, these are Flair and Scutcher. Daggit thinks that he's in charge, but what these ladies decide, is usually what happens," and she waited for Caren's reply.

"Erm, nice outfits you're wearing, Flair, Scorch," was the confused girl's reply. She'd not actually had a conversation with an animal before. Oh, she'd had her first racing camel when she was six, but it had never talked back to her.

Jade's eyes went wide in surprise and the shorter, paler dog woman's mouth gaped in astonishment while the other, Flair, laughed aloud.

"Told you it would be fun didn't I? This is a sharp one and no mistake. Scorch indeed."

"Right, that's it. I'm changing my name, right now." insisted Scutcher, "what's your name again girlie?"

Caren eventually said, "Caren?" she was now totally baffled by the proceedings.

"As from this very minute, I am to be known as Caren Bonecrusher, and let no one forget it." She whirled round and her laughing companion joined her in stalking round the clearing and looking briefly into the cave.

"Righto, Jady, we'll do it. Scorch eh?" And then they were leaving.

Caren demanded that Jade tell her what that was all about. Now that Flair and 'Caren' had gone, Jade was having a laughing fit.

"That's so funny, Cas. You called her Scorch," near hysterics now, "that's about the worst swear word the dogs have got. It's disgusting," and throughout the rest of the day, as the canine women and children erected a tented encampment round the cave entrance, Jade could occasionally be seen, clamping a hand to her mouth and squeezing her eyes shut to control her merriment. Later, Caren sought out her namesake to apologise.

"It's alright girl, I've calmed down a bit now, and I know you didn't know what you were saying. How could you? Tell you what. I like you, think you're really funny, and to show there's no hard feelings, you can borrow my Tag tonight, if you want."

Jade was silently mouthing 'No' from behind the smiling dog Caren and shaking her head.

"Tag?" queried girl Caren.

"Yes, he's my husband."

"I see," said Cas slowly, "that's very thoughtful of you Mrs. Bonecrusher, but I can't at the moment. Erm, the time's not right you see."

The dog Caren wrinkled her nose and sniffed, "very well dearie. Little bit of blood never put him off before, but you know best."

### Gathering

An uneasy calm returned to Homestead in the week following the bloody clash and destruction of Mad Martha's patrol, and it was noticeable that nobody walked across the grass in front of the bakery. It was mostly green again after the last two days of rain, but it was still forbidden ground to the villagers who had fought there.

The four remaining recruits from Dockside were still in the village, living with the Brand family. Ginny said that as there were so many in the house already, then four more wouldn't be noticed for at least a week. They had carried poor Lydia's body up the bare slope of Carlton Hill, where they had scooped out a shallow grave and built a cairn over her. Couldn't quite see the ocean, but it was the best they could do, then Dorian and Sami had returned to Dockside.

When Beryl turned up with Glen and Basher, several of the older women had tried to attack them, but Connie Nesbitt had seen it coming and was there to stop them. She stood in front of the ex troopers facing the angry mob.

"Bows are for hunting and spears are for leaning on, but a sword's for killing with. You got no right to carry swords here and now, Patti Crane, so you and your misguided friends go put 'em back where they belong."

"You're the one who's misguided, Nessie, now stand aside and lets finish the patrol proper this time." There were shouts of agreement from the five women behind Patti.

The old guru spoke calmly now, "Think on a minute girl. There's only one of us that's actually died, Ivy's sister near to it, your Jan with only one hand now and Lottie and Rachel covered with bandages. That's it apart from scratches, and who we didn't kill, the dogs finished off. We were part of a miracle here last week, and that's a rare victory that is. Be satisfied with our good luck and go give thanks to the Lady for it."

"It's still not right, them walking in here like that. They deserve a beating for it."

The old woman shook her head and smiled at her, "No child, no. I helped Beryl into this world, like I helped you, and she's Homestead, just like you. Where do you think she's been all this time? Down on South Farm, tending the livestock like I asked her. If these three had been in the line against us last week, we wouldn't be standing here chatting, all cosy now. We'd like be dead."

She could see that her grim audience still weren't mollified, "Kirsty." She raised her voice, "Kirsty Vine, bring 'em out here now."

Kirsten came quickly out of her mother's taverna and threw a bundle of broom shafts on the floor, then turned and scampered over to where the rest of the villagers were gathering to watch the fun.

"Right you are, ladies. Stack up your weapons over there," waving her hand vaguely towards the inn wall, "and you'll have your chance to give these three a thrashing."

She looked round at the trio of lovers, "you as well. No edged weapons allowed, and no biting. Sabe?"

There were only six broom handles, and the three troopers stood unarmed.

"Have to it then, but don't hurt them too much."

"We won't Mother Nesbitt," replied Patti.

"Not you girl, I was talking to Beryl."

It was over within two minutes. Although Glenda was going to have a very fat ear soon, Beryl and Basher were unhurt. but all their six assailants were on the floor, suffering with minor cuts and bruises, two broken fingers and six deflated egos.

Ma Nesbitt squatted down in front of Patti, "good, aren't they?" she said smiling, and then slapped the miserable girl hard across the face.

"And that's for calling me Nessie. My friends call me Connie, but to you," she dug her finger into Patti's chest, then swept her arm round to indicate the others, "and you lot, I'm Ma Nesbitt. Except for Sylvie Long, I'm boss around here, and don't you forget it. Now, you're all going into the Vine and have a drink together, and these three are going to help patch you up. Aren't you?"

Beryl was quick to answer, "Yes Ma Nesbitt, wouldn't dream of anything else."

During the 'patching up' in the taverna, the nine women talked together, and it was the first time a Homesteader had spoken with a trooper without fear, and they learned a lot about each other that afternoon. They learned about Constance Nesbitt as well.

"Thought the old duffer was losing it," muttered Ivy, and was answered by Beryl.

"Hush, it's Ma Nesbitt to the likes of us, and couldn't you smell it? She's been to see the dogs. At her age. Old biddy's truly awesome."

Not everybody witnessed the swift fight in front of Frankie's taverna. Anton was back on the farm with his beloved Billie, who was the only Homesteader near to his size, and they were becoming inseparable. She knew she had to share him with the other girls, but it had been the normal thing to do for decades now, and the thought of him in someone else's arms didn't trouble her. One man, one woman partnerships were unknown to the villagers. He sometimes went on a guilt trip about it, and she'd had to slap him a time or two to bring him back to reality, but life was good for them now.

Four others missed it too, Sylvia was mountain climbing with Simon, Georgie and Maxine. They were heading North, and hoping to gain enough altitude to get a clear signal from the party that had gone to reconnoitre Valencia airport. They needed to know an approximate return date, as rumours of the patrol's destruction would be sure to reach Violet in Central before too long.

Unfortunately, the bad news had travelled fast, and Violet was already screaming at her miserable priestesses for their lack of foresight. How could they have not seen this coming with that bloody fortune telling machine of theirs? What good was the damn thing? They fed it sheep and goats, and all it did was make pretty pictures in the air. She sent out the order to raise the militia to squash the rebellion pronto.

"Better stop a moment, ladies," Simon suggested, "There's a lot of people ahead."

The three women shaded their eyes and squinted, but even with their enhanced eyesight, there was nothing to alarm them.

"Well, there's some dust in the air, but can't see people," said Sylvia. The others agreed with her. Simon turned to Max and adjusted Anton's helmet for her.

"That's about right, now click this switch here."

She squealed in fright and stumbled backwards, as the vid screen slid down and showed the view from the helcam.

Georgie grabbed her by the arm as she went past, and held her upright.

"Aaah." Max uttered and waved her arm about in front of herself, making clutching motions with her fingers. "What? Where are they?"

"Out," said Simon, close to Max's helmet. There was a small whirring sound as the 3D camera refocused, and Maxine's view of the world widened. She quickly grasped the fundamentals of the camera, 'in' and 'out' being the only two commands she would need. Simon passed his helmet to Sylvia, then Georgie demanded a turn, and for several minutes the Homesteaders played with their new toys. "in... out... in... out... in... out." Eventually they settled down and examined the trail in front of them.

"Well, you're not wrong, lover boy, there's people ahead." agreed Sylvie.

"Lots of them," added Georgie, "coming this way, and they've got carts as well."

"Piled up with stuff," said Sylvie. "Driving a flock of goats and sheep. I can see cattle too, off to the side. There, top of the front wagon. You see her, Jo?"

"Can't miss her, she's so big. Es la Gran Chica. Crampton's on the move."

They swapped helmets again and Simon shut down the electronics. If Hawk or Hind were going to relay for them, they would have heard from Margaret by now, and two hours and five kilometres later, they greeted the 'greatest girl in the world'.

"Hello, Mojo, what you doing down here then, moving house?"

She was Mona Verge, Crampton's guru and leader, and she looked down at Sylvie chuckling, "not surprised to see you girl, they said you'd live through it. How did it go?" Some of the travellers recognised that they were in for a lengthy stop, so had started setting up camp beside the trail. Mona climbed carefully down from the cart, and yelled for a stool to be brought.

Drinks were passed round as she told them why Crampton was 'on the move', and it transpired that Margaret's little group had stopped with them for two nights, on their way North, and the inevitable had happened, Jimmy and Marcus had been making whoopee with several Crampton women, and the whole village had decided the next day to up sticks and go South. It had taken several days to organise, but they were now only a day or two away from Homestead.

Mojo spoke openly to them, "way I figured it was that you've already got lots of room for us down there, and if you was all dead, then we had a whole village to ourselves." She then lost her nearly permanent smile. "There's nobody to the North of us now. Went up to Albert a couple of months ago and found the place deserted. As far as I know, we're at the edge of the world girl."

The smile returned, "enough of that gloomy talk, tell me, would your man there be available to do me the honour?" and she fluttered her eyelashes.

"Not possible at the moment," said Max quickly, "we all rather overused him this morning, won't be fit for a day or two."

"Wonder he can walk, after what we put him through," added Georgie, innocently.

"Mmmm. Well no doubt the cheeky thing will find out where I'll be staying, when you get back from your stroll." said the big guru.

They said their farewells and started to climb the low hills towards Saddlers mountain. Simon contemplated the fate awaiting him at Homestead, "she's so big. I wouldn't know where to start."

"We'll protect you lover." said Max.

"But if push comes to shove," Sylvia added, "you'll just have to tell her you love her, and get on with it."

Simon was speechless, and they walked on in silence. Sylvia just smiled to herself. She'd caught Mona's sly wink at her, and knew she'd been teasing.

It was cold when they stopped for the night, below the summit, and they hoped that the next day would see their errand fulfilled. They spent the night wrapped up together in a tight parcel of all the blankets and cloaks they had, and slept fitfully.

### Northwards

"Sorry, girls," said Georgie.

"Wha'for?" mumbled Maxine, still half asleep in the tight cocoon of blankets and cloaks surrounding them all.

"Had to do it, or I'd've burst."

The stench of her silent fart crept up the blankets, and Max scrambled out, wide awake now. "Hells girl, what you been eating? That's evil."

They huddled around the meagre fire, each wrapped in their own thoughts while waiting for the pot to boil. Although there was nothing in the area like coffee, the beans from the carob trees provided a reasonable chocolate substitute and they had found lots of ingredients for herbal tea. While not comparing favourably with Best Moroccan, the miners had admitted that it was drinkable.

Breakfast was a chunk of stale bread, and a handful of nuts washed down with pretend tea, and Simon vowed to do the catering next time they 'went for a stroll'.

Two hours later, they were on the summit, and Simon powered up the two helmets, his own, and Anton's, now resting on Sylvia's head.

"Got them," he said thankfully, and redirected Sylvia in the right direction. The distant figures were only tiny dots on his vid screen, but years of training let him interpret the view. "See them, Sylvie?"

"Well I see something. Could be ants I suppose?"

"Time to make a call I think," he said and tweaked the audio controls.

"Wedge Simon. Valence Margaret," and he waited. "Wedge Simon. Valence Margaret." There was still no answer, so he tried again, and again. After an hour, they were about to give up and start walking again, when Maxine told them that she had seen a flash of light Eastwards, out to sea. They turned as one and looked where she pointed. There. There it was again.

"Good grief, they've done it, Hood's coming in," exclaimed Simon as the shuttle grew on his vid screen.

"Is that Hood?" asked Sylvie not comprehending what she saw.

"Yes, no, well part of her anyway. It's the same sort of shuttle that we came down in 2,000 years ago. It's a miracle it still works."

Maxine and Georgie could just see the little craft as it descended towards Valencia. Finally it was skimming along the runway, trailing smoke and billowing parachutes, eventually coming to a safe stop.

"That was brilliant. Even Ricky couldn't have done it better." shouted Simon.

"Ricky? Can Ricky do that?" Maxine was incredulous.

"Too true sweetie, he's the best shuttle jockey ever seen."

"NOT BAD WAS IT, SIMON."

"Hood, Hood baby, are we glad to see you."

"THE PLEASURE IS MUTUAL, I CAN ASSURE YOU."

"Hood, can you say a few words to my friends here? They'd really appreciate it. They're in your fan club."

They pressed their ears close to the helmets. "AND WHO ARE YOU GOOD LADIES? WOULD ONE OF YOU CARE TO WAVE TO ME?"

They talked for only about ten minutes, but it was like a lifetime for the three ecstatic women, who were suddenly star struck teenagers again. Hood described the clothes they were wearing to prove that she really could see them, and reassured them that she was back, but strangely enough, still orbiting the moon. They didn't understand that bit, but decided that the Lady of the night was great enough to be wherever she wanted.

"We shall pray to you both," Georgie declared fervently, then Hood patched Simon through to Margaret, while the others took turns wearing Anton's helmet to get a better look at the shuttle, aka Hood.

Margaret briefly gave Simon a rundown of what they had been up to since leaving Homestead, and asked for details of the villagers battle with the patrol. Although he left out the 'nasty' bits, she could tell he had been affected by the experience.

Except for one night when the three Homestead girls claimed to have heard big cats fighting in the distance, her story was fairly mundane. They had only seen Fran Collier and her daughter, who had volunteered to help them, along four of the Crampton women. They had worked non stop, clearing away rubble and what appeared to be the remains of a couple of Hood's original shuttles, and if it hadn't been for Fran's ox team, and five wardogs who had turned up unexpectedly, they would still have been only about half way down the runway.

Hood then declared the shuttle safe to enter, and Ricky was about to board her, so they might get an estimate of when they could return. Simon signed off and smiled, shaking his head at the sight of the still giggling women. Ten days ago, he'd been fighting in the line beside them, with Max cursing at him for getting in her way, and now look at them. Were they really the same people? Did he change like that as well? His mind was a seething cauldron of questions without answers.

Ricky paused at the top of the short stairway to the shuttle's door, and surveyed the skin of the craft. As well as being battered and discoloured, there were actually whole panels missing. He frowned and gave a low whistle, "How the hells did this manage to get down?" he wondered out loud.

"Easy peasy fat boy, we got a real flyer on board," came a small voice from inside the shuttle. "Watch where you're treading dopey, this sort of body don't grow on trees you know."

Ricky paused with his right foot held high and stared at the diminutive figure below him. "Holy goalposts. Are you the pilot?"

"Course not, can't reach the brake pedal, can I. The little mech followed this outburst with a peal of shrill laughter, then it whirled round and sped away into the cabin.

"HO HO HO, AMUSING LITTLE FELLOW, ISN'T HE? HIS NAME IS ALFIE. I REALLY MUST TELL THAT JOKE TO TOKSVIG GOOD ONE. IT'S ALL MY OWN WORK YOU KNOW."

"Hi Hood, it's nice to see you in good spirits."

"NOW THAT'S A GOOD ONE AS WELL, BUT YOU GET NIL POINTS BECAUSE IT'S NOT REALLY ORIGINAL."

Ricky was slowly losing the plot at this point, "say again?"

"AGAIN. HO HO HO. NO, THAT'S WHAT THEY SAID TO ADMIRAL NELSON."

There was only baffled silence from Ricardo.

"HE WAS THE BRITISH STARFLEET COMMANDER, AND HE LIVED IN A BARREL OF RUM. GOOD SPIRITS? BEFORE YOUR TIME OBVIOUSLY."

Ricky was still speechless.

"TIME TO TALK TO MARGARET, I BELIEVE."

Margaret and Gudrun weren't exactly eavesdropping, as Hood was broadcasting as well as using the speakers in the shuttle.

"Has she gone crazy?" asked Margaret.

"Didn't think it was possible, but it sounds like the humour module is overlaying the core," replied Goodie, the programmer. "I'll have to talk to her."

It wasn't necessary. Hood damped down the volume on the humour board and outlined the next phase of her plan. From the shuttle's belly was extruded metre after metre of continuous diamond panelling, and within six days, they had erected a perimeter fence 100 metres in diameter with Hood near the centre, and Alfie had been joined by Betty and Gummy, both bigger versions of the annoying little mech.

They were betting that the next one to appear from the shuttle's teleport would be named Delly, or something like that. Another two days passed by, then Hood declared them redundant, as she now had a small army of mechs scurrying about the shuttle.

"THE PLAN IS FOLLOWING THE MODEL PERFECTLY," she announced to the assembled workers. Daisy, Paula, Fiona and Ducky from Crampton, and Fran and Jean the pedlars listened attentively, but had to have much of it explained again later.

"AND THIS VERSION OF MYSELF WILL BE MOBILE IN 40 DAYS TIME. THERE IS A STREAM VESSEL IN THE OCEAN 75 KILOMETRES TO THE EAST, AND IT HAS A STRANGE PROFILE. HAWK BELIEVES IT TO CARRY THE KEY TO OUR TIME TRAVEL THEORIES. IF IT CAN BE SALVAGED THEN WE CAN COMPARE IT TO YOUR TIME VESSEL IN THE HOPE OF MAKING A SUPERIOR MODEL."

Betty, Gummy and Delhi, yes there was a Delhi, were carrying the promised items, and loaded them onto the peddlers cart. Hood had been in contact directly with the Never, so as well as the two 'low energy weapons', one crate contained a power cell. Hood had found the Never slightly amusing. Fairly intelligent, but dull. Probably needed to know a few good jokes. One of the derelict Stream ships turned out to be a hospital, and Hood had salvaged two scalpels which ought to be really useful. One of them, Hood explained, was a real whizz to use, solar powered and fairly dangerous, but the other one was dormant, couldn't be powered up by mechs, and seemed to be part biological. These were the promised low energy weapons. The fifteen weary workers loaded up the wagon and trudged off on the week long journey back to Homestead, and as they left the perimeter gate, they could hear little Alfie talking to another mech.

"Knock knock."

"Who's there?"

"I no."

"I no who?"

"If you already know, why you asking, dumbo?"

### Medical matters

Denny's pounding headache was only part of the price she was still paying for saving Jan from suffering the pain of medieval surgery on the stump of her left arm, and was in the recycler being sick again. Jan was safe enough now, laid on the medico with tubes in every orifice, being re-hydrated and stabilised. The film of macro-docs was beginning to form over the grisly mess below her left elbow and the Never had estimated a rebuild time of 97 hours. A problem had arisen though. Caren stared at the molecule thick patch growing on Jan's stump.

"Is it still the same?" she queried.

"STILL THE SAME CAREN," Replied the time ship. "VOLUMETRIC MACRO PRODUCTION RATE DIMINISHING. RESTRUCTURE ESTIMATE 86%. MACRO UNIT UNREPAIRABLE."

The medico was failing, just as the time thrust block had, and would soon only be fit for use as a dining table.

"Monitor production, and we'll revise in," she frowned, trying to remember what time of day it was, "fourteen hours."

The toilet door opened and Denny walked slowly through the bay and out into the cave. After a moment Caren followed and sat with her on the cave floor.

"Oh, Denny baby, you shouldn't have done it. Not for so long, anyway." She put her arm round her adopted sister's shoulders and kissed her on the cheek.

"Lady knows, she was strong Cas. Almost got out twice. I feel dreadful."

Denny's family were different, not just seers and gurus, but mental magicians. Denny's talent was still developing, but she was going to be good. Really good. For five days, Jan's consciousness had been kept in a safe corner of Denny's mind, behind the 'door' she had suggested to Jan on the bench in the taverna. They now knew each others secrets, but the differences between them meant that Jan would only remember it as a dream, and would forget most of it with the passing of time.

Pushing Jan back into her body had been traumatic for both of them, and Jan's awful screams were still echoing in Denny's head. Thankfully, the medico had been primed ready to start, and as soon as Jan started howling with pain and fright, Caren had given the command to commence.

"You look like you've been scorched," Caren whispered.

"What?"

"Doggy joke."

"Oh." Denny managed to smile. "How are you getting on with them?"

"Well," she hesitated, "it's interesting," was all she said.

Denny shook her head. "In what way?"

It was Caren's turn to smile. "Most of the time, it's chaos. Arguing, especially at mealtimes, but between fights it's boring. Except that Flair showed me her drawings."

"Artistic dog people. Well why not?"

"And these pictures are special. They don't actually have writing, but their history is drawn on a set of parchments that go all the way back to something Flair called the great journey."

"What was that then?"

"Don't know," replied Caren slowly, "she didn't tell me." She kissed Denny again. "Come on love, let's go for a lie down. Nothing more to do here."

Five days earlier, when Caren had turned up at the Vine and explained what they had to do with the funnel and hose she had brought, Frankie was incredulous, to say the least. "Let's just go through that again shall we? We join this funnel to this here hose, stick it up her arse, then fill her up with salty water?"

"That's right mistress Vine."

"And that'll be good for her will it? Never heard such nonsense, it'll likely kill her off."

Caren sighed again, "look, it shows you how and why in this book." She waved the plaz sheets in front of the innkeeper.

Frankie paused, then said, quieter, "show me again."

Caren patiently pointed out the relevant passages and illustrations in the medicine for beginners book.

"The words don't look right. Spellings are all wrong. Show me that salty word again."

At last they administered the weak saline enema to Jan's vacant body. Cas hadn't tried to explain that Jan was now living inside Denny's mind, but just said that Denny had put her to sleep till the medico was free.

Val Tomson and Ginny Brand were enlisted to look after Jan while she was in the taverna, and proved to be avid readers, asking Caren for ever more of the plaz books, and the book of home management proved to be hugely popular, with them reading over and over again how to keep your bathroom sanitized. Here in Homestead, you sanitized your toilet with a spade, filling it in and digging out a new one.

After the cauterizing of Jan's stump, it had become impossible not to notice that Denny wasn't well. Tilly the herbalist was concerned about everybody's health, and had eventually managed to bully Denny into eating the bitter leaves she brought her, and the headaches grew less.

Denny and Caren had been mistaken for children when they first arrived, for Denny was only about 1.5 metres tall and Caren not much more, but their status in the village was now of folk hero proportions. The battle on the green had proved them both the equal of any fighter the villagers knew, and Denny's quietening of Jan had been seen through the taverna's windows by girls eager to spread the tale of the dark angel. Some said witch and the like, mostly behind closed doors, but even if she'd heard them say it, Denny would only have agreed with them. She knew that the war with Central was the time of the 'real' Dark Angel, and then she would finally know herself for what she really was. For good or bad, there was no choice, and either the prayer book was right, or it was wrong.

The next day they sent for Ma Nesbitt and Wandra, Jan's aunt, and they stood by the side of the medico with Caren.

"As marvellous as this machine is, it's only a machine, and it's breaking down," she explained to them.

Naturally, Wandra looked worried, "not going to die, is she?"

"No, dear, she's safe now, but we can't finish it."

Connie was fascinated. "Growing back an arm, now there's something you don't see every day."

"But we can't finish it." Caren repeated, "look. Never, show expected resource graph and visualize alternatives."

"YES CAREN."

The screens beyond Jan's silent form showed the three satisfactory outcomes that were possible with the volume of macro docs available.

"Animate and go full torso." The bodies on the screen moved in harmony.

"Give 8% margin of growth reduction." The animated left arms shrank slightly.

"That's the best that we can do. Sorry."

"Which one girl," asked Wandra, "they're different."

"You want us to choose, don't you?" said the guru.

"I figured you would know best, being her kin and seer. But we've got to decide now, before they get too far." She indicated the twinkling covering of macros.

"Short arm, skinny arm, or a hand with only a finger and thumb. Mmmm. Will any of them give her aches and pains in the wet?"

"No, they'll be perfect. Different, but perfect."

The two women studied the moving images.

"That one don't turn."

"No, the bones have to be fused together."

"And she can't be having fingers like that, she'd likely be called names."

"Leaves that one then," said Connie with a sigh, "It'll be short but strong."

"And move proper too," added Wandra.

"Settled then? Never, reprogram for model 3KB76. And visualize."

"MODEL 3KB76," repeated the Never, "DOWNLOAD AND OVERLAY. RUNNING INTEGRATION. COMPLETE."

"That's it, ladies. Now all we can do is watch and wait."

"CAREN."

She frowned and turned to the speaker, "Yes Never?"

"WHAT'S BROWN, GOT ONE WHEEL, TWO LEGS AND FLIES?"

"You've been talking to Hood, haven't you?"

"YES, CAREN. SORRY CAREN."
Chapter 9

### of Girls and Goats

### The Council

The sound of young girls voices drifted through the open door of the barn.

"They didn't exactly come to blows, but Connie Nesbitt and that fat Mona Verge had been nose to nose shouting at each other, and Queenie had been about to send for Beryl, when suddenly they'd started laughing as if nothing had happened. Anyway, the upshot of it was, according to Jenny Waverider who'd seen it all, you know, broken nose from Dockside, was that they disappeared into old Nessie's house, and sent out for cider from our place. That Crampton lot had set up home in the old cottages past the spring, but nobody offered to help them. Well they were a queer lot weren't they, you know, Northern bumpkins and all that. It were different later though, when Ma Nesbitt put the word out that it was the neighbourly thing to do, just to help out a bit, here and there. She didn't actually say, 'or else', but you could hear it unspoken in the air, whenever she walked past you. The Bear, you know, that Anton, well he'd gone up to help Billie in the forge, yeh, still making spears and arrows, and he'd hardly got no clothes on again, and there was a steady stream of womenfolk finding excuses to go by the forge door. They'd suddenly start walking real slow and stretching their necks to get a glimpse of his chest. Never seen anybody that big without breasts had they? Well it's true, can say it if it's true. Then Sylvie, Jo, Max and Simon came back from the mountains and the whole place was full of giggling girls. Giggling women too, and you'd think they'd know better, wouldn't you?"

"Why was that then?"

"Why was what?"

"All that giggling stuff."

"Don't you listen, Sali Vorden? I told you. It's that sex thing, makes grown women go silly, and besides, Sylvie and the others spoke to Hood, didn't they."

"Yeh, well we all pray to her every month, don't we Tan, well I do, don't you?"

"Course I do, but this time, She spoke back to them. No, it's true, Jo told me. They saw her up North, and she said pleased to meet you, and that now there's two of them, yeh, two Hoods, so we've got to pray twice a month now. Probably have to wash out twice as many rags now as well, but that's the price you pay for being holy."

"Are you girls idling again? Them goats don't milk themselves you know,"

"Yes mum, going mum," shouted Sali, and they went to bring the animals into the paddock.

"Nice," said Mona, licking her lips in appreciation, "ain't tasted Homestead cider since our Lily stole a barrel off that Collier woman last year."

"Well we got standards to keep up. Don't make no rubbish like them slackers down Ibis way," beamed Connie, pleased with Mojo's compliment. "Course, your orange brandy's a bit special as well, got a rare punch to it. Smooth, but punchy."

"So happens that I might have a bottle on me somewhere, dear," Mona replied, fumbling around under her voluminous dress, and the amber liquid was soon being carefully poured into two of Connie's best mugs.

She gave Ma Nesbitt an appraising glance over the top of her drink.

"You're still sharp, Connie. Just like that cider o' yours. Aint no one ever been able to shout me down 'cept you."

"Sorry about that, Mona. Things are a bit tense round here. If you know what I mean."

They talked on through the afternoon, and sent for a snack and more cider. Kirsty brought two 'omelettes a la Vine' and three apple duffs balanced precariously on a beer tray. One omelette was twice the size of the other, for Frankie knew about Mojo's diet plan. Eat everything you're given, then demand as much again.

They had talked all round the subject of what they could do about the Central situation, without coming to any firm conclusions, so Sylvia and Lily were sent for. Sylvie brought Simon with her, and Mona batted her eyes at him again.

"Hello, cheeky," she said coyly, then turned straight to Ma Nesbitt.

"So who's on _our_ side then Connie?"

"Our side, already, Mona?"

"Naturally. You got something everybody wants, and we'll trade you for it. Total cooperation in exchange for big bellies."

The two gurus locked eyes across the room, and after a moment, Mona dropped her guard for the first time in more than four years and let the older woman _see_ her.

Connie screwed up her eyes and withdrew from Mona's aura as soon as she could.

"Right," she said, reaching an instant decision, "Who's on our side Sylvie."

Homestead's Primera pretended to think about it, then addressed Mona, "there's us, you, Dockside and maybe Gap. Against Central, Altmore, Ibis, La Via, Tintown and Lakeside."

There was a deathly silence and Lily lived up to her name as she visibly paled.

"We're dead. Central alone has more spears than us two put together."

Connie Nesbitt laughed, "Ah well, there's the difference you see girl. They've got spears, we've got warriors." Mona and Lily looked blankly at her as she continued, "and a secret weapon." The smirk on her face was excruciating.

Mona cocked her head slightly to the left as though listening.

"What would that be, Connie?" she asked.

"Ticky tacks."

Simon leaned forward, "Actually, it's tactics."

"Don't matter what you call it, still works the same, don't it?"

"Yes Ma Nesbitt."

Connie sniffed, and relaxed a mite. "As I said, we've got... tacky tickers, and they don't."

"Well they better be good ones then," Lily offered, with a shake of her head, "Cos I reckon that with Gap, we'll have 120 warriors, and Central's army of right can put out... oh, lets say 500 or so."

Simon's eyes stared unblinking at Sylvia as he mouthed the words, '500?'

She nodded at him slightly, but didn't show that she too was becoming alarmed.

The war council ground to a halt and Sylvie suggested that she and Lily should outline some battle plans the next day with Simon, Tony and the angels.

It was Lily's turn to be surprised, "angels? I heard some talk earlier, but I thought it was just some superstitious nonsense they was spouting. We've got angels on our side as well? Then I'll be treble H damned if we ain't got a chance after all."

Sylvia admonished Crampton's leading sword, "don't blaspheme so, Lily. Hood might hear you."

"Yeah, right."

"No, truly. She was talking with me last week, got right chatty."

Lily rolled her eyes in mock exasperation. Southerners. Yokels, all of them.

### Gathering

Sali was grateful that Tanya came down to the farm again, even if she was late, so she threw down her spade and they sat together in the orchard. This was no job for fourteen year olds, even if they were the youngest two in the village.

"They should all have been down here, this very morning, scratching maps in the barn floor like last time, but when those two Gap girls came running up to the Vine, red faced and gasping fit to burst, everybody sort of went poco loco. Seems that the grandmother's a bit upset about us killing her favourite rangers that way, and has sent word to call out the militia, and they're gonna come over here and give us a thumping. Yeh, it's right, we're gonna have to sharpen our swords again and get ready for another scuffle. Only this time, they reckon that there'll be four of them to every one of us."

"What you gonna do then Tan?"

"'S easy Sal, only got to kill one extra this time and that'll be my four. Just hope some of them older ones can get their four as well, or we'll be in the deep stuff."

"What are you lazy oafs doing now? You should be mucking out the chicken pen."

"Yes mum, just going."

"Damn and blast," said Tanya, as they headed for the deep stuff.

"No lass, don't drink any more. Tell me again, now that Lily's here."

Ma Nesbitt and Jade Bowyer had heard the garbled message once already, but perhaps the sweating girl would make more sense when she calmed down.

"What's your name girl?" asked Jade.

"Swift, Susan Swift," she gasped, "It was two days ago it happened, and Tammy Corncrake told us to get here fast as we could. Said she'd be very upset if we slacked any, said you needed to know pronto. Messengers from the temple in Central came from Ibis way. Said that we had to go to Altmore and be ready for a scrap. Said that Homestead had turned evil and needed teaching a lesson." She paused to get her breath.

"What next child, I didn't get it proper first time," prompted Connie.

"Tammy asked them if they were staying, and they said no, they had to get to La Via pronto and had to be off. Tammy offered them fruit and cheese and the like, and a bottle of best white to wash it down with, so they stopped under the shade tree for a snack, and the next thing, they were all squirming on the ground and screaming. Awful it was. Tammy said the wine was probably off, and good job it was the last bottle."

"What happened to the messengers?" asked Jade.

"Buried em straight away, didn't want to attract vermin, did we."

There was a sudden silence as the impact of the message sank home, and Jade, Lily and Connie considered the news.

"So the La Via militia will be late."

"Or better yet missing altogether." Connie thought she could see where this was leading.

"What's Tammy going to do now?"

"Said to tell you that Gap would be empty by the time you got this message. The old folk were going to take the boats to Dockside, and all the fighting crews heading overland towards Guardians Nest with the wagons."

Ma Nesbitt was struggling to keep herself from laughing with relief.

"Look after them, Frankie," she said to the inn keeper hovering in the doorway.

"Jade and Lily, you go off and spread the word to get ready to move. I'm going on the roof for a sit down. Rest me legs, that sort of thing."

"Where we going, Ma," asked Jade, as an afterthought.

"The Nest girl. Got an appointment to keep."

Central's army would have to come from the West through the valley below Guardians Nest, and once through the narrow pass, their superiority in numbers would be the deciding factor in any confrontation. Even Mona was dashing about, as ox carts were loaded with armour, tents, apple duffs and the like, in preparation for, hopefully, a short campaign.

The first objective was to get to Ashers old farm at the Nest and stop the militia from opening up the battle front. Fail to do that, and they might as well have not bothered packing the carts.

"You better take your lot now, Jade," said Sylvia, leaning on the table, and looking down at the crude map.

"If the militia get there before we do, then it's up to you and Gap to hold them up. They mustn't get past the Nest. Sabe?"

"No problemo. When Lily's girls get here, we're going. Just hope we've got enough arrows to scare em off."

"Well if you haven't," Sylvia smiled, "get the Bear to show them his chest."

An hour later, Jade led the fourteen archers, including Anton, out of Homestead.

It was when the last of them disappeared over the West field boundary, that the reality of another battle with Central really struck home.

"We been lucky so far, gonna be messy this time."

"How d'you mean Jan?"

"Stands to reason don't it? See this?"

She held up her left hand for Kerry to admire again.

"Never thought I'd see it again. One minute, I was looking at blood shooting out of where it should have been, then it's back again, and it's as if I had been in dreamland, and it had never been hacked off at all. 'Cept me arm's a bit short like, and that finger ain't quite right."

"So what's that got to do with it then?"

"Well, that Caren said that she was sorry, but the doctoring machine had packed up and this was the best they could do. Anybody else loses anything, and it's gone. For good this time."

"Lydia's gone for good already."

Lydia's death had been the only fatality in the skirmish with Martha's patrol, and the Docksiders had buried her on the mountain side. Kerry and Jan went quiet, and contemplated the possibility of life with missing limbs and missing friends.

### Manoeuvres

Tanya dipped her knife in the bucket and washed the blood off, then lovingly cleaned it with a soft cloth.

"How do you know where to do it Tan?"

"Your mum showed me last year. Done it for her ever since she seen the first one I did. Said they wouldn't stand that way for her, and she had to tie em up real tight, and said that catching them was a right sod."

"Why do they let you do it to them?"

"Don't you listen Sali Vorden? I told you already. I just ask them nicely in goat thoughts and they go all calm. Wonder you can't do it, living here with 'em."

Wandra and Billie had carried away the last of the three goats that Tanya had sent to pastures new, and they were now butchering them in the lean \- to next to the kitchen, ready for the two day journey to the Nest. It was going to be goat on the menu for a few days.

Tanya and Sali sat under the cherry trees sharpening and polishing Tanya's amazing array of knives.

"Where you get all these from Tan?"

"Here and there. Mostly found them in the old cottages where the Crampton lot have settled, but this one was my 'first blood' gift from Mum, took this from the first one I killed six months ago, and this is my favourite. I traded it off the pedlar woman."

She held up the knives and Sali made the appropriate noises in appreciation. Tanya's favourite was a cut down Toledo Espada, and could have been a pirates best friend.

"What you trade for it?"

"One of your mum's sheep."

"Tan, that's stealing. Ma Nesbitt'll tan your backside if she finds out."

"What, tan Tan?" and they both fell about in fits of laughter.

The carts and most of the able villagers plus Simon, Caren and Denny set out at dawn the next morning, leaving behind the old and infirm, to feed the chickens and goats, and also Phil, Posy, Georgie and Susan, who were to wait till the next day in the hope of rounding up any stragglers. They had been chosen because they were all in their early twenties and very fit, but thought it a dubious honour, when faced with a forced march to catch up with the others. There were no stragglers and the dogs still refused to travel with them, which had been a matter of grave concern to Connie Nesbitt, who had been depending on the clan being by their side in the battle to come. But the sailors from Dockside had set out as soon as they could, after the Gap boats had tied up at their jetty, and all four bands of warriors were in the woods at Asher's farm before the army of right from Central appeared.

They had nearly two whole days of boredom and sharpening blades, and fighting only broke out twice between Dockside and Gap, then scouts reported the arrival of the first contingents of the opposing army shortly after midday, and the afternoon and evening were a kaleidoscope of march and manoeuvre as the four villages worked as one and thwarted Central's efforts to force a way through to the open valley beyond. Ma Nesbitt's tacky tickers had worked to good effect, with no serious casualties, but tactics wouldn't be enough, and when the sun set, she was mentally exhausted.

"Listen," said Tammy, the guru from Gap, cocking her head on one side, "what on the Lady's good earth can make a noise like that?"

They all went silent, and paused with spoons of goat surprise midway between bowl and mouth. Sylvia had a huge grin on her face.

"Sounds like dogs to me."

Caren Hummingbird had lived in the grounded time machine at the centre of dog city for about four weeks and closed her eyes as she listened.

"Tag, and Sandal, Toldo, Daggit, that's Flair, Sticker, Clock."

Tammy looked blankly at her, "What the hell's she talking about?"

"They're coming," said Connie, smiling at last, "all of them."

It was more than all of them, and a great cheer came from the Homestead camp and spread across the lines of tents, as the war dogs boiled into view, followed at a more leisurely pace by the party from Valencia.

At first, those who hadn't seen the dog clan before were tense and on edge, but for the Gap girls, who didn't even know of their existence, it was a terrifying first encounter.

Caren nudged Denny in the ribs, "look," she whispered, and Denny briefly raised her eyes, then lowered them again.

"Yeah, I've seen them."

"No, not them, her."

Denny's brief glance had been at the boxes slung from poles resting on Jimmy and Walter's shoulders. She knew that they contained the two energy swords that her future rested on, but now she looked where Caren pointed, at Gudrun.

"Holy Mother of Hood," she cried out, then quieter, "it's her."

Five weeks of travel and working under the fierce sun clearing Valencia airport of rubble had taken it's toll on Gudrun's fair hair and skin. The girls recognised the 'old woman' they had seen on video in the Never Look Back less than a year ago. They had worked beside Goody since landing in the wood, but had not associated the bubbly girl with the old crone who had hijacked their time machine and sealed their fate.

"I'll kill the cow now." snarled Denny, and Caren knew that in her sisters state of mind, it wasn't an idle threat. Denny leapt to her feet and raced towards Gudrun, with Caren close behind her. Denny screamed and managed to knock the startled Gudrun to the ground, before Caren dived on her and wrapped her arms round her in an unbreakable hold.

The fury of the moment passed, and eventually Denny sat calmly opposite Gudrun with Caren and Margaret between them. The others kept a discreet distance away. Caren had given her prayer book to Margaret for her and Gudrun to read, and at last Margaret closed the little book and looked up at Denny.

"And you've lived with this since we arrived?"

Denny nodded slowly, near to tears again.

"It's not all that clear in parts though, is it."

"Close enough to what's happened so far, given the time that passed before it was, will be written."

"So I've done it already," said Gudrun, frowning, "but I haven't done it yet?"

Denny just nodded again.

"What if I don't do it, ever," suggested Gudrun

Caren answered, "wishful thinking. You have and you will, there'll be no choice. Father said it was quantum, or something."

"Lord have mercy, what'll we do?" asked the appalled Gudrun.

Denny smiled at last, "get cleaned up I suppose. Sorry about your split lip and black eye, Goodie."

Across the valley, the 487 strong army of right spent a restless night listening to the horrendous howling, as the male dogs did some serious drinking and sang some of the good old songs.

In their tent behind the wagon line, Sali wiped the sweat off Tanya's forehead, and stroked her curly brown hair. Tanya dreamed of goats, and bleated in her sleep again.
Chapter 10

### Mayhem and Mystery

### Marcus Tanto

David Tanto was an accountant in a publishing house. Well no, actually he was a junior clerk, but to all his acquaintances, he was an accountant. Jemma, his long suffering wife, had left him, taking the seven year old Marcus with her, and gone to live with her parents in Seattle South, about a day away on the speedway. They were pleased that she had left him at last because, in the words of her dad Fred, David was _'one small step away from Doctor Spritz'_ , the local psychiatrist.

By day, he was David Tanto, but three times a week, when he went to his club, he was known to his lodge brothers as _'Firestorm'_ , hero of Mars and rescuer of ravished damsels. Sword and Sorcery films, model making, war games and suchlike were high on the list of entertainments on offer there.

Once a month, they organised paint ball and laser rallies in Ravenna Park, and it was in those woods that David Tanto finally went over the edge. Red team's Charlie platoon were about to storm the Green team HQ, when a screaming figure dressed in bearskin and leather dropped from the trees into their midst and started wielding a great sword about his head. Their terror turned to anger when they realised that the plastic sword didn't actually cut anything, but it wasn't until Firestorm's wig came off that they managed to subdue him. He was banned from the club, and ridiculed as a pathetic figure, but other members secretly began sewing barbarian costumes for themselves, and six months later, he was reinstated as a full dog soldier of the lodge.

Promoted to Commander, Firestorm led the Green team into battle with lasers and plastic swords every month.

His fathers enthusiasm for all things romantic and barbarian rubbed off on Marcus, and when he was offered the chance to move from office canteen to the monster asteroid miner, Hood, both he and his father were ecstatic. Marcus actually saw Mars, from a distance of course, but he still sent squirt messages to his father, which were full of the dangers of space travel and near misses with asteroids.

With a son actually out there, in space, David's standing in the lodge reached dizzy heights and he was content. Then the Stream invaded through the warp gate.

Marcus was devastated by the reality of alien warfare, and the first two months of fighting in Spain were a time of permanent terror for him. He inherited a Growler super capacity laser rifle when Specs Donovan was evacuated with gangrene, and feeling more secure behind the big gun, the horrors of war diminished slightly, and turned into only occasional nightmares.

His father would have been proud of him, but the North West of America was now a wasteland, and details of the miners actions were known to only a few.

Landing at Burnt Wood in the dying time ship, and then moving to South Farm had been like a homecoming for him, and it was as if he had been dropped into one of his dad's dioramas. The village girls adored him, and although no one was bigger than Anton the security chief, Marcus's teenage physique was becoming decidedly Conanesque.

He now thought of himself as Marco, son of Firestorm and Venga the she wolf, but didn't think the dogs would understand that bit, so kept it to himself. It was actually true, sort of, because his mother had briefly joined her husband's lodge as Venga, but found it all a little disturbing, so had resigned after five weeks.

So it was, that on the second day of the battle below Guardians Nest, when half of the Eastern army were thinking of fleeing from the massed spears of Central, Marco son of Firestorm, strutted majestically onto the battlefield with his permanent escort of seven amazons and twelve wardogs.

Asher's field

The greatly unequal armies were now only 150 metres apart, facing each other across the uneven fields of Asher's farm, and the unnatural silence of the expectant day was broken by a rising buzz of speculation and excitement as Marco's little war band moved steadily from the right flank, where Caren, the angel of light, was taking practice swings with her alien sword, to take up their position front and centre.

His appearance brought different reactions from all corners of the battlefield.

Central's tyrant leader, Violet was fuming again.

"What do you mean, you don't know what it is?" she shouted at Pansy Prayerbook, the unfortunate acolyte delivering the message.

"The machine can't see it properly, your highness."

"Then give it another goat and tell it to get a move on."

She aimed a kick at the cringing girl who was just bright enough to move only slightly, so that Violet still had the satisfaction of her foot making contact with flesh, then Pansy limped away towards the gaggle of anxious priestesses gathered round the 'machine'.

The Homesteaders were proud of their Marco and cheered as he passed by, and he acknowledged them with a clenched fist held high.

"Lady, look at them muscles, bet he's stronger than Billie now. He's magnificent."

"Have you seen them trollops with him? They've hardly no clothes on, same as him."

"Should be ashamed of themselves."

"Gonna be a bit chilly come autumn."

"Look good though, don't they."

"Yeah." There was a brief silence, then they simultaneously gave large sighs.

"Wish I was down there with him."

Opposite Marco, the Ibis contingent were becoming alarmed at the sight of the creature in front of them.

"And I'm telling you, that ain't human. Look at all that hair round it's middle an down it's back. It's a weird wolf that is."

"Must be bloody weird, or them dogs would have had it by now. You know that dogs and wolfs don't get on."

"Yeh well, them dogs are not so ordinary themselves, are they? You ever seen a dog with helmet, sword and shield before?"

"Forget the dogs, that there's no wolf, more like a forest devil. Most of them over there are from round Burnt Wood."

"So?"

"Well you know what they say about Burnt Wood don't you."

"What's that then?"

"Well, you know, there's forest devils there."

The woman in the rank behind them leaned forward, "more than devils girl. There's tree beasts as well."

A heavy silence fell on the unhappy group as they looked upon the fearsomeness of the first tree beast ever seen outside of Burnt Wood. (It would have been the first one seen anywhere actually) Above his sandals, a hunting knife was strapped to each leg, and he was dressed in an animal skin kilt with leather straps across his enormous chest, and his helmet was covered in fur and decorated with horns. Twin swords hung down his back, their handgrips peering expectantly over his shoulders.

Marcus was never to be seen again, now that Marco had made his grand entrance, and as the worried murmurings began to be heard from the Central militia, the cheering from the Eastern army grew louder.

"Have you ever seen anything like it before?" said Gudrun, not expecting an answer.

"Only in picture books, Goodie," replied Margaret. "In his locker on the Hood."

"What were you doing in his locker then?"

Margaret gave her friend a mischievous grin, "well, I had to welcome him on board, didn't I."

"Damn! Thought I was first one there. Where'd he get the tarzan outfit from?"

The answer came from an unexpected quarter.

"Good isn't it?" said Toldo the wardog. "Our Caren Bonecrusher and your little Tanya made it from a picture he showed them."

"Tanya?" said Margaret with rising voice.

"Yes, she provided the goat skins, Really needed a lion, but had to make do. Still looks a hoot though doesn't he?"

Marco was the best thing that had happened to the dogs in years, and they had drawn straws for the privilege of running with him and his amazons in the forthcoming battle. In the unlikely event of him surviving the conflict, Flair and Sticker had worked out a rota so that they could all have a laugh with the mad man.

Sylvia Long was Homesteads leading sword hand, and had thought that she would be in the centre of the front line, so she confronted Marcus, sorry, Marco.

"What the hells do you think you're doing?" She said, horrified at his, and her girls appearance. "And where's your blasted armour?"

Marco was right in character as he answered her, "fear not, fair one. I will protect you."

"What?"

"You're safe now, fair damsel, for Marco and his fearless band of warriors are here to save the day." He ad-libbed beautifully.

"What?"

The dogs listened intently, and hung on to his every word, grinning wildly and stifling their laughter. The distraught war leader turned to the three Homestead girls, now dressed in the bare minimum of leather required to preserve their modesty.

"You idiots belong to me, and you can get your arses back to the wagons and put some decent clothes and armour on. Now."

The girl nearest to her, Snowy Vale, looked her in the eye, then smiled and taking a pace forward, casually raised her shield. There was a _'Thunk'_ and Sylvie found herself staring at an arrow head protruding through the wood.

She looked from Snowy to the dogs, and back again. Realisation dawned on her. "Just what have you been up to?" She demanded.

"Same as you, only more so I reckon" answered the grinning girl, "all of us. Crampton girls as well, and it's been... interesting."

Sylvie took a deep breath and nodded slowly. The Crampton girls had taken some persuading to get near the dogs, but all seven of them now had _'super senses'_ , and were a match for Beryl and Joannie, the only others who had ever overdosed on superdog hormones.

"Do as you see fit," she said quietly, "we'll follow." Then she resumed her place, and sent new messages both ways along the line.

Margo Lemon lowered her bow, "see that? She didn't even look."

Her neighbour answered her, "there's summat a bit witchy going on over there Margo."

"Reckon them dogs are straining to get on with it."

"Wish you hadn't said that, Margo. I'm nearly messing meself already."

"Well don't do it near me, Dotty Sharp, that's all."

Fortunes of war

On the small rise behind the Eastern ranks, the four gurus, Connie, Mona, Tammy and Joannie linked hands.

"Can't _see_ no alternative," said Tammy eventually, being boosted to the limit by the other three's egos.

"Might as well do it, I reckon." She beckoned to the runner, Suzy Swift, "go tell that Jade to concentrate on the right. We'll be pushing that way."

"Jade, right," repeated the girl, and she sped off.

Margo Lemon upset the guru's plans, by loosing another shaft at the _'tree beast'_ , and yet again, it was deftly caught on another amazons shield. Amongst the opposing archers, Jimmy was the first to say what they all felt.

"It's bloody stupid, we're well within range and should have a go, now."

Anton confirmed his feelings, "too right Jimmy lad, all in favour say aye."

It was said humorously, but humour took a back seat here on Asher's field. A dozen small voices said in unison, "aye." They probably didn't understand the joke, but Jade made the decision that changed the battle's outcome, "Sod it. Nock your shafts," she ordered loudly. "Draw and aim. LOOSE." Twenty three arrows soared towards Central's archers. Seven were from Homesteaders, and Jimmy had been in the time machine's medico, so eight were guaranteed hits. Fifteen struck home, and as the screaming began, Marco started the advance towards the enemy, his terrible swords still sheathed on his back.

The advance was uneven, as the flanks were not expecting it, and Marco's troop became the point of an arrow formation. When only ten paces from the enemy, He drew his swords at last, and in doing so, his right sword nicked his left wrist. Marcus made a brief appearance, "Bugger and damn."

Then Marco loudly reasserted his authority. "KILL THEM ALL, NO PRISONERS," he bellowed at the top of his voice. The dogs behind him howled with uncontrollable glee. This was what they had risked rigging the lottery for, it was going to be a great tale to tell their grandkids, and they would be able to strut around the camp and have the ladies swooning at their feet. Lady dogs, that is.

When the amazons started yelling, "kill them all," as well, the Ibis militia suddenly remembered that they should be at home milking the cows, or something, and in front of Marco, the enemy melted away, while the only blood on his swords was his own. The battle ebbed and flowed across the meadow, with Central's numerical superiority in some way cancelled out by the Homesteader's super sense and the chaos that surrounded Marco wherever he went. He could still be heard above the clash of steel and the screams of the injured and their injurers. "NO PRISONERS."

Connie Nesbitt looked on in horror.

"What the buggery doodahs are they doing?" she yelled in anguish, "they aint supposed to do that, it's nothing more than a barroom brawl."

The Docksiders, however, were in their element. Barroom and brawl uttered in the same breath were like nectar to them, and besides, they had Beryl on _their_ side now. Last time they'd had this much fun, at the Full Moon tavern in Gap, Beryl had been the fly in the ointment, but today, she was the icing on the cake. Behind the sailors from Dockside and Gap lay a trail of bleeding and broken women, but strangely enough, no bodies. Brawls were more interesting than battles, and you left your enemies alive so they could recover to do it again in the return match.

But over there, on the far right, it was death city. Caren, she of the blond hair, baby face and innocent eyes, and dubbed the angel of light by the villagers, was, in more realistic terms, the angel of death, as she wielded her alien sword with a dexterity born in the kendo ring at Hummingbird Tower. The sword was a scalpel salvaged by the Hood from a wrecked alien hospital ship, and had a blade one molecule thick, which was only visible because it twinkled. Part of the sword appeared to be in another dimension because all that Caren had with her was the sword grip with its controls, and the helmet covered in solar panels. There were no generators, motor units, gyros or wires to trip over, nothing. What the blade touched, it cut through without effort, and it weighed less than her kendo stave back home.

She fought in silence, as her almost redundant followers stepped through the blood and gore of amputated limbs and headless bodies.

"Oh, flaming seesaws, what have I trod in now?" exclaimed Gilda.

"Back off Wilma, it's growing again."

Caren extended the blade with a gentle squeeze of the handle, and two of Violet's palace guard, who thought they were out of reach were felled in one sweep of the glittering blade. A mass of lungs and intestines fell from one in a shower of blood which covered the other, who promptly fainted. She thought that she had died, but the sword had only grazed her hand, and when she regained consciousness after the battle, declared it a miracle and became a devout follower of the Lady.

On the left flank, a small group stood watching the fray. Margaret frowned and turned towards Gudrun. Her friend shrugged her shoulders and shook her head slightly. Margaret turned to face Denny again, who was sitting with her back to an olive tree.

"Denny?"

"I'm not going," she said quietly, and pushed the alien sword further away with her foot.

Margaret squatted down beside her. "You can't sit here while people are dying for you."

There was a haunted look in Denny's eyes as she answered. "You've read the book," she exclaimed. "You know what happens out there."

"No. You said yourself that the book isn't always right. You can't keep out of it, you've got to help us."

Denny jumped to her feet and started pushing Margaret away. "No, no, no." A push on each word. "Your future's safe, You'll be the house of Valens. You're not going to hell." There were tears in her eyes now, and she whispered, "I am."

Margaret stepped back a pace, sighed and then turned and waved her little troop forward towards the whirling, confusing mass of screaming women.

Halfway along the battlefront, two small figures darted among the adversaries.

"You'll have to keep up, can't look after you if you don't keep up."

Tanya slowed down to let her breathless ally close the gap between them.

"It's all these knives you makin' me carry, what we want all these for anyway."

"Don't you listen Sali Vorden? I told you, knife goes blunt on you and you're dead ain't you. Not like doing one goat, there's lots of these, and they're fighting back."

They ran on, Tanya keeping tally. "Over there," she shouted, and veered left towards a knot of screaming women waving spears.

"Wait now." Sali hung back as Tanya's tiny form shot forward and swarmed up the back of one of the mail clad warriors. The knife flashed in the sun as it crossed the woman's neck, and an unstoppable spray of blood spurted from the severed artery.

Tanya grabbed Sali and they ran between the groups of female soldiers swaying across the bloody field.

They were in a dead spot now and sat between two boulders in a shallow dip.

"And that makes eight," said Tanya proudly, "that's our four each, and I reckon it's up to the others now."

The two fourteen year olds had heard that the odds against their side winning were four to one. "Told you it was easy, didn't I, wouldn't want to do it every day though."

"There'd be nobody left, if we did it every day Tan."

"Yeh well, that's why we don't innit?" She paused, listening, "Someone coming."

A red faced woman slid into their haven in a shower of pebbles.

"Bloody hells. Two kids, where've you come from?"

"We're from South... ouch," as Tanya kicked her before she could add, 'Farm'.

"South, from La Via? Thought you'd never get here, it's turning nasty out there."

"Yeh," said Tanya, "we're the advance scouts, the rest are coming now, look, over there."

The unfortunate woman turned and peered over the edge, and Tanya's right arm swung round, plunging her stiletto into the exposed ear and piercing the brain. The body convulsed for a while and then was still.

"Oops."

"Oops what Sali Vorden?" asked Tanya, looking down at the broken knife in her blood stained hand.

"Nine. You think we'll be in trouble for it?"

Chaos

The fortunes of war should have swung back in Centrals favour with a discordant blast of horns, when a monstrous figure grew among the priestesses, but one look at the grotesque shape was enough for most of the combatants, both friend and foe to put aside their differences. Marco had his back to it and never noticed the sweeping tentacle coming in his direction, but Ella, one of his amazons, leapt on him, yelling, "down." The huge appendage hurtled past above them, and she dragged him to his feet again then turned and ran. Even the dogs were retreating slowly, this was taking the joke a bit too far, and the amazons joined them.

Underneath the horns and fur, Marco's helmet was a mining standard series 3, and the voice activated vid screen obediently slid down into place.

Up on the ridge the initial shock of the monsters sudden appearance was wearing off.

"Where'd that come from?" asked Mona, speaking to no one in particular. Connie Nesbitt screwed her eyes tighter. "Look careful, Mona, but don't look at it, _see_ it."

Mona, Tammy and Joannie looked at it, and _saw_ it for what it was.

"Cheating buggers," whispered Tammy.

"Can you do anything Jo? You're the best hope we've got now," and Connie looked at her hopefully.

At another blast of the awful horns, the monster had grown a gorgons head and the snakes were inviting everyone to dare to come within reach of their deadly bite.

The panic stricken mob that had been two armies pounded past Tanya and Sali's shelter. "Sounds like they're going home then," said Sali hopefully. "Making a lot of noise about it though, aint they?" she added.

Tanya frowned. "'s not right," she said quietly, and peeped over the edge. She ducked down, then slowly looked over again. "Still not right," and shut her eyes, then turned back to Sali in amazement.

"Give me your shirt Sali Vorden, and stay put till I come back for you."

Whatever the others could see over there behind the enemies centre, Denny could only see mister snakehead with the writhing tentacles, but the words of her prayer book came unbidden into her mind and she knew what the Dark Angel had to do.

_"The earth cried out at the sacrifice of blood,"_ she whispered.

300 metres away, Caren stared at Denny, willing her to be strong, and as if drawn by some unnatural force, Denny looked up and found herself transfixed by her adopted sister's accusing eyes.

She could stand it no longer, and an inhuman cry started to creep out from between her gritted teeth. _"And the Dark Angel raised the vampire sword high,"_ she quoted. Then louder, walking forward. _"The sword took the soul of the beast."_ She started to jog down the slope, and her voice rose to a scream. _"And the Dark one was no more"._ She had to get there before Joannie.

So, as the battlefield emptied of the former antagonists, Marco alone stood his ground while three others sped towards him and the monster, and the dogs hesitated in their unwilling withdrawal.

Marco looked on in bewilderment. At the edge of his vision the livid tentacles still swept to and fro across the field, but they weren't attached to anything, and in his vid plate the camera showed him reality.

He'd seen one of these before. Memories of the battle for Jalon bridge came back to him, and his dormant nightmares flooded back and turned his puzzlement to fury. In front of him, on a wagon was an alien they had nicknamed _'mind bender'_. It had appeared at Jalon and projected images of hordes of alien tanks into their minds, and dozens of his comrades had died in the confusion. How this one was still alive was a mystery, but he could see that it had lost various bits and pieces of anatomy or armour, and a goat seemed to be growing out of it's face plate.

With an anguished roar he held his swords out in open defiance and walked resolutely through the writhing tentacles towards the wagon and the red faced priestesses who were still blowing those bloody trumpets. The dogs stopped going backwards. This was more like it, Mad Marco at his best, and about to become lunch.

As he thrust his twin swords through the goat's carcase at the aliens head, his three rescuers arrived within seconds of each other. Tanya was nearest and fastest.

Her white blindfolded shape swept past the dogs with the nimbleness of the 29 goats that had willingly given their lives to her in the last year, and she leapt at the grand mistress of the temple who was running towards Marco with an altar knife in her hand.

Tanya got her first battle wound as the blade slid down her leg, but through the pain, the little goatherd sliced open the others belly with her best knife.

"Goats get it clean. You get it dirty, cow face," she said through gritted teeth, then fainted. (She was a devout Lunist, and had a thing about cruelty to goats).

Violet was panic stricken. "You stupid charlatans," she screamed, "give you the best of everything and let you keep whatever you can steal, and this is all you can do?"

Then Dockside's snarling guru was on her, and Violet lost her head. Truly, lost her head. Joannie then turned towards the alien, which was still sending out images of the writhing monster, and where Marco still struggled to get his swords free from the dead goat, having failed to penetrate through to the alien inside.

As Joannie raised her sword, Denny arrived and yelled at her, "NO. Don't make it bleed." Joannie turned, and as she lowered her blade, Denny grabbed at it.

"Bloody hells girl, what you done that for?"

As the blood welled up in Denny's clenched fist, she raised her hand, moved it over the hilt of her 'magic sword' and closed her eyes. Her blood dripped into the hilt's receiver, and a red molecule blade like Caren's steadily grew in length as the bio sword activated itself. Caren's scalpel was solar powered and blue, but Denny's was the product of life on a sunless world, and would later became known as the vampire sword.

She stepped forward and casually brought the blade down through the ancient alien, which fell cleanly and bloodlessly in two, and as the projected image of the monster snapped out of existence, the sword drew the alien mind into hers and she forced it behind the same door where Jan had been. She'd had Jan in her mind for five dreadful days, but the alien was going to be there for a lifetime.

The Dark Angel now knew her own future. She sat on the bloody grass and wept.

A legend is born

At the instant that the imaginary monster vanished, all the dogs had eyes for was Marco, who had finally wrenched his twin blades free of the unfortunate goat. He was standing over the body of the alien bio mech, with blood dripping from both of his swords.

One sniff of the noonday air was enough to tell them the truth about whose blood it was, but the dogs were philosophical about it all and didn't want to ruin a good story.

While the amazons rescued the fallen goatherd and Denny, and put everyone out of their misery, by making the priestesses and their trumpets part company, the wardogs bounded up and danced around the alien and Marco, waving their swords and singing his praises. It was in Dog Speak, not Spanglish, and their discordant howling could be heard the length of the valley. The scattered remnants of the fleeing armies ran that little bit faster.

Around lonely camp fires on long nights, the tale of Marco, son of Firestorm and his blind virgin queen Tanya the Goat, would grow a little with every retelling, and then, those who were actually there would sometimes get confused, scratch their heads and say, "did it really happen that way?"

Chapter 11

### of Wisdom and Folly

### Brave new world

Tanya was lying on a pallet, shaded from the sun by a canopy of jasmine, outside her mums taverna, The Vine, with her left thigh swathed in bandages.

"Don't you listen, Tanya Vine? I told you. You didn't come back for me like you promised, and I was trying to find you, when them stupid dogs just grabbed me and threw me up on their shoulders an' ran all over the place, yelling and howling. Terrified I was, think I might have peed my britches as well. But anyway, Ma Nesbitt got that Flair to stop them, and when they put me down, my mum came over and called me a hussy and boxed my ears. Then she went all soppy, picks me up and hugs me and starts crying an' that. Right embarrassing, in front of all them foreign folk. Me all grown up an' all. Then old Nessie comes over as well, an' I think she's gone gaga on us at last, cos she asks me if them dogs had tried to get in my knicks, and I said to her that's silly, everybody can see that they wouldn't be nowhere big enough to fit 'em. Tanya?"

Sali went quiet at last. Her best friend, with 29 stitches in her left leg, was asleep again.

"And no more dreaming of goats, Tanya Vine." Sali kissed her forehead and crept silently away.

The twelve wardogs had risked a good scorching (it's a dog thing, best not to ask) when they had rigged the lottery that was run to determine which members of the superdog tribe would have the great honour of fighting alongside the madman, Marco and his seven amazons. The risks they had taken paid off big style, and they had gained enough stories to last them a lifetime from that crazy morning, especially when Mad Marco had stood up to the crimson monster on his own, with only his two trusty swords.

But there had been a bonus as well.

On their way back to camp, after the opposing armies had fled in terror from the monster, they had come across Sali Vorden wandering the battlefield, naked from the waist up, except for the bandolier of Tanya's bloody knives over her shoulder. (Tan had borrowed her shirt to make a blindfold) The dogs were still on the edge of hysteria after seeing Marco slay the monster, and had let their imaginations run wild when they found 'Vorden of the bloody knives'. The fact that she'd only been following Tanya's gory trail of death, and passing the knives when asked, was irrelevant, for the legend of 'Sali who passed the cutlery' wouldn't have had the same wow factor.

(Or was that, 'bow wow' factor?)

Of Jade's group of twenty three archers, only she and Jimmy were still on the meadow after the monster had appeared. Even Anton had made a sudden exit. Jimmy had grabbed Jade's arm as she turned to run as well, and quickly thrust his helmet into her hands and forced her to put it on. He had been following the ebb and flow of the battle on his helmet's 3D vid screen and like Marco, saw the monster for what it was, an hallucination generated by the alien dragged to the battlefield on an ox cart.

Jade realised some of the truth as well, and she calmed down from sheer terror level to only mild hysteria. Jimmy then quickly recalled the other seven miners who in turn, managed to stop some of the terrified warriors, of both armies, in their inglorious flight from the field.

Hostilities had ceased instantly, and with the deaths of the alien, the high priestess and Violet, an uneasy calm descended over the valley floor, with awkward meetings between embarrassed relatives who had been on opposing sides. The wounded were patched up and sent home with escorts of unhappy ex-warriors to care for them, but a substantial group of leaders and gurus remained at Guardians Nest and sat under the pine trees in the old castle's courtyard to discuss their options for the future.

Three days ago Tina Flake had been happy to be a captain of spears in Central's militia, but now, after the chaos of Asher's Farm, there was no one of higher rank left alive, so she _was_ Central.

"I still can't actually believe that we prayed to that... thing. How could we have been so stupid? It was just a strange creature in metal armour."

An embarrassed silence sat uneasily on the group's heads, then Sylvia cleared her throat and spoke for the Eastern villages.

"We've all been stupid. I've been North and seen Hood." She went on, and briefly explained that the Hood they fervently prayed to each month was also a thing of metal, but in this case a machine that spoke with a woman's voice.

"Well at least it talks to you," said Tina glumly, "and gives you presents."

She was referring to the two magic swords used by Caren and Denny.

"All that damned goat eater did was half frighten us to death with them weird pictures it showed us."

Sylvia put forward the theory discussed by Connie and Mona earlier.

"Our best guess as to what has happened, is that after all this time, religion and history have got muddled in our heads, and our devotion to the Lady of the Night has got mixed up by the Hood crashing into the moon, while fighting those alien things, and going round with Her."

"Chiggers!" Swore Polly Jugg, Ibis's first sword, "all that blood and death out there, and for what? Two false gods who turn out to be old enemies. We've been had."

"So the only true god is The Lady after all," stated Tina.

Then Connie Nesbitt butted in, "not necessarily true," she said slowly.

The others looked at her expectantly.

"We'll pray to The Lady as usual and speak nicely to the Hood, but we'd do well to keep one eye on little Tanya. As far as we can make out, a quarter of the Central dead are down to her alone. And the way she ran blindfolded across that field, dodging all the stuff the armies had dropped seems a bit, well... goaty to me."

There were raised eyebrows, and Connie explained her theory. "Seems like Tanya's been chosen to be a certain god's representative on Earth. Not sure who that might be yet, but for now, we'll call her the queen god of goats. I heard Tanya say that once. Who knows what other strange things there are in this world of ours?"

They talked of other things as well, like trade for example, and precious supplies of iron, smoked fish and cider would be passing through the valley below them in the near future. Connie and Sylvie absolutely refused to talk about the dogs. What went on between dog city and Homestead would be kept secret, except from the Crampton girls, who had already moved into Homestead's vacant cottages, and would eventually become Homesteaders themselves.

Then the meeting got round to the delicate subject of men.

### Endgame

"Well I'm not going, and that's final."

"Simon, listen to reason," Margaret pleaded, "you can't all stay here. The gene pool's got to be managed. You can't just father children willy nilly, with whoever happens to be nearest at the time."

"I'm not. From now on anyway. I'm staying here with Frankie, she understands me."

She stood silently for a moment, trying to find the right words.

"What's happened to the Simon we knew a year ago?"

He turned to face her at last, "he did a job, a good job. He kept you alive when others might have failed, and now? He's got a new career, so leave him in peace will you?"

He turned back to the stove and stirred the goat stew, then tasted it.

"Needs a bay leaf, I think, and some rosemary?"

Margaret gave up and went back to the others sitting at the benches outside The Vine.

"Well?" asked Jade.

"It's doing my head in," fumed Margaret, "he's gone all Freudian on us."

There were blank looks from the two villagers, while Gudrun nodded her head.

"What's that then?" asked Connie.

"It means dear," said Gudrun, "that he's had enough warfare to last him a lifetime, and he's being awkward. Stamping his foot, that sort of thing."

"Still don't get it."

"Look over there," said Gudrun, pointing to Marco who was still dressed in his barbarian outfit, and surrounded by laughing amazons. "A year ago, he was happy to work in the galley on the Hood, but then the aliens came, and when we went to war he was terrified, and had nightmares all the time. Simon was our rock, knew when to fight and when to run. There were ninety of us from the Hood. We eight are all that are left, and even we few might not have survived without him."

"The true warrior," Jade added.

"Yes. He was one of twelve marines, warriors, that we had on the Hood, the rest of us were engineers and the like. Now, he and Marco have subconsciously swapped roles, and he's determined to stay with Frankie and work in the Vine's kitchen."

They drank a little more wine, and called for omelettes all round. Kirsty came out to them. "Sorry, but chef says that omelettes aren't on the menu after midday, but would you like some goat surprise?"

They reluctantly agreed then Connie said, "you keep talking to him dear, and eventually he'll see sense."

The goat stew came, and after the first hesitant mouthfuls, they set to and finished it all, the only sounds being the scraping of spoons as they cleaned their bowls.

Ma Nesbitt sat back licking her lips and burped gently. "Ooh, pardon me."

She sat a moment surveying the empty dishes.

"With Tony the Bear refusing to leave Billie, it's perhaps a good job the forge is to the South of the green, and The Vine on the North. They'll just have to stay their own side of the village I reckon."

They drank some more wine.
Chapter 12

### Growing Pains

Homestead's guru Constance Nesbitt had been the driving force behind the rebel's outstanding victory at Asher's Farm, But lately, she had been filled with feelings of self doubt, and thought that she was reaching the end of her days as Homestead's seer. When the village girls reached fifteen or so, they usually went to live with the wardogs in Burnt Wood for a while. Most times, but not always, the girls caught a virus or something from the dog people and came away, changed. They could usually see better, that sort of thing, and sometimes, the girls got more than they expected, but that's another story.

Tanya was fifteen, and had just told Ma Nesbitt that she had been running with the dogs since she was twelve, but that was only one of the reasons that Tanya was so different at such a tender age. Connie was shocked to say the least. She hadn't _seen_ that at all, so thought that she was losing her abilities.

Kirsten came out of The Vine, bringing a faint aroma of garlic and herbs from the kitchen with her. "Morning Ma Nesbitt, and what would be your pleasure today?"

Homestead's guru sniffed. She and garlic didn't get on too well. "Is that Pansy girl still here?"

Kirsty nodded, "Yes Ma," and thought to herself, _"don't know why though, she's still useless."_

"Then a little cider for myself, and a chat with miss Prayerbook if you please. I've got a little errand for her to run."

Before the battle at Asher's field, Pansy Prayerbook had been a novice in the nameless one's temple at Central, but afterwards, when the recriminations began, she had run away from the priestesses, and Connie Nesbitt had put her in Frankie Vine's care. She managed to bring the guru's mug of cider without spilling too much, and set it down on the table.

"You wanted me, Mistress Nesbitt?"

Connie frowned, "I'm not your mistress. Can you not remember, that to everyone here, I'm known as Ma. Now, I want you to go down to South Farm and deliver a message for me. Tell young Sali Vorden to get up here to see me now. Now, you understand?"

"Yes Ma Nesbitt, Sali Vorden, now," she repeated with big sigh. It was a long way for short legs to the farm house, and she hadn't had her morning snack yet. She changed into her walking shoes, grabbed her shawl, and left the taverna heading for the East gate.

"Pansy." The call came again but louder, "Pansy, where are you going?"

She stopped and looked round and waved to the caller. "Hi Tan, I'm going to South Farm. Got to fetch Sali. Ma Nesbitt wants her NOW."

"Thought she might send for her after our little chat this morning." said Tanya Vine smugly. "Connie, I says, that Sali is the very girl to get you out of this spot of bother."

Pansy looked at her dubiously, but Tanya carried on regardless, "oh yes, listens to me a lot now she does, since Ashers Farm."

"Didn't hear that, Tan. Heard that she watches you though."

"Yeah, well, same thing isn't it."

Pansy shrugged her shoulders, "what bother's she got then Tan?"

"Hunting with dogs stuff," she said vaguely, "but you're too young to really understand."

Pansy was fourteen and only a year younger than Tanya and Sali, but she kept quiet.

They reached the gate in the boundary fence and Tanya kept on walking with her new friend. "Going with you," she said suddenly, "better than staying here being watched all the time."

"Good job we're not going over there," Pansy remarked as they walked along the bank of the swollen river. After three days of rain in the West, the ford leading to Burnt Wood was impassable.

"Don't think I'll be going to the woods for a while anyway Pan."

"Why's that Tan?"

"Ma Nesbitt's grounded me," she laughed. "Come on, let's go before she finds out that I'm missing." And they started running.

### House of Sazgood

After the battle of Asher's field, Caren and Denny had locked themselves away in their static time machine, the Never Look Back, and Denny had laid on the medico for hours on end while the auto doctor examined her brain in minute detail. The alien ego that Denny carried with her was not the horror that she had expected, and she and Caren had eventually gone to live with Joan Tulip in Homestead, where big frocks were in fashion as the women and girls drew nearer to their days of deliverance, and then at last, the sound of crying babes was heard across the green.

After the first few births, Connie gave up asking Queenie if it was a girl or a boy, for every child born in Homestead was a boy except the very first two, Gilda's twins, who she named Truly and Ricci, after two of the miners, one of whom was the girls father.

Then Joannie also gave birth to a daughter.

Denny had been having long discussions with the previously unhappy Joan, explaining her complicated family tree, which had Joannie as the founder and Denny, being from the future, arriving in the 43rd generation. They'd also sat long hours with the female superdogs, trying to dredge up any information about their origins, but they couldn't get any nearer to the truth, than that the first members of the dog clan had escaped from a bad place in the North, many generations ago, led to safety by the boss dog, Loner, and accompanied part of the way by the lanky chicken.

The dogs couldn't remember that there had originally been fourteen of the escapees, specially bred and genetically altered in a laboratory at Rubi near Barcelona, to investigate the falling incidence of male births in the human population. It had been mankind's last attempt to try and understand and reverse the effects of the alien's final onslaught with biological weapons.

As the days of 'man' came to a close, one of the assistants was assigned to dispose of the last batch of lab animals, but she opened all the cages and lab doors instead, and told them to make themselves scarce pronto. They all got out of the complex safely, but only seven of the ten superdogs survived the first year living in the wild, and they slowly migrated South.

Denny lowered her voice, even though no dogs were nearby to overhear her. "It looks like the dogs were made to help to make boy children. They don't like to talk about it much. Bit of a sore point for them. Being 'made' by humans."

"Their pride's taken a bit of bashing with all these boys being born," added Joan, "it was a real surprise when my little cherub arrived."

"What's her name?" asked Caren, already knowing what the answer should be.

"Thought I'd call her after her father, and also after you, Denny, seeing as how you're kin, so she'll be Toledo Sazgood."

Denny and Caren briefly made eye contact. "Lovely name," purred Denny, "she'll be sharp and never lose the edge, just like Sylvie's sword."

Joannie frowned slightly, "you already knew, didn't you?"

The two girls nodded, "It's in our prayer book, Jo," said Caren, "and the house of Sazgood is going to be a good one. Even Denny's going to be alright, now that she's got that Dark Angel thing sorted out. Aren't you dearest."

Denny agreed, "yes, we've come to understand one another a little better, I'm not suicidal anymore, and she's not murderous. We may be able to get on together."

During their stay in the Never, Denny had given the alien a little more freedom inside her mind, and she realised that all her fears of the advent of the Dark Angel were gone.

The mental conversations between Denzil and alien gave a new meaning to the phrase _'a quiet word'_.

"So do you have a name?" asked Denny.

" _Oh yes, but it's unpronounceable in Spanglish."_

"What would be nearest, then?

" _Something like... She who puts her foot up her enemies rear, I suppose, but you can call me Robin."_

"Robin. Are you really called Arse Kicker, or do I detect something else?"

" _No secrets between us are there? My Warlord called me Muck Mover."_

Denny considered this in silence for a short while. "You're a janitor?"

" _Yes, I cleaned the royal midden on our strike ship, the Interloper."_

"How long did you do that, and what about all that psycho war machine business Simon told us about?"

" _That bit's easy. When it started going wrong for us down here, the Great Snakehead Herself ordered all minions to get geared up for battle, and I got the projector suit. As for how long did I clean the mids, well I started at the bottom on vermin clearance in the bilges, but quickly got promoted after, oh call it 160 years. That was probably about... 2,300 of your years ago, so I was in the mids for about 200 years Maybe?"_

It took Denny several seconds for the information to register properly.

"This is incredible, how old are you?"

" _Well, my kind run wild for the first hundred years or so, till we mature, and then those of us who survive and become sentient are adopted into a lodge and trained for about another eighty, so I think that I'm about 3,500. In your terms of course. Lucky to still be here though. Should have died in that battle when I fell off the bridge, and a diet of nothing but goat's blood in the temple nearly wrecked the bio suit. Then I thought I was going to the High Rock when you killed me. Shock of my life when I woke up again."_

"You must be the oldest creature in the universe."

" _Oh no! There's the Collector. That's even older than the universe itself."_

"The Collector?"

" _Yes, you killed me with it's physical part. It collects information in the great dark, and grows a little with each death. I should be with it now. Bet it's not too happy at losing me."_

Denny gave an involuntary shudder, and she felt the hairs in the nape of her neck rise, as she thought of the bio sword as a sentient being and a predator.

"But I thought it was a surgical instrument. Hood said she got it from a hospital ship."

" _Oh no, it would have been found in the prison ship, the Lady of Pain. Not a nice place to be sent to."_

"What do I do about the... Collector?"

" _Bury it and forget about it. I don't think it can be destroyed."_

### South Farm

Pansy's tongue did a quick circuit of her lips again in a fruitless search for more crumbs. "No mistress Vorden, she didn't say why, just said to get Sali up to the village NOW. Right grumpy she was."

"Well perhaps it's a good job you've both come today, cos Sali's down by the far pond with Sasha Whalebone. They've got goat trouble at Dockside, and I've said they can borrow one of ours. Lady help them but they're trying to catch Topper or Stomper."

Tanya's eyes lit up, an adventure at last. "We'll go and help then, shall we?"

She stood as she spoke and the disappointment showed in Pansy's eyes as she gazed longingly at the plate of honey cakes.

"Yes please, I don't think they'll be doing much good without you." Wandra smiled knowingly, "take another if you like young Pansy."

"Thanks mistress," gasped the grateful girl, and she and Tanya grabbed another of Wandra's sticky delights each before dashing off to join in the fun at far pond.

In the West meadow, on the far side of the Gap road, Sali and Sasha weren't enjoying themselves. Although Sali had lived on the farm for all of her fifteen years, getting the goats back to the paddock at the end of each day was the limit of her capabilities.

She didn't hate the stupid creatures, and they probably bore her no malice either, but they seemed to take a perverse pleasure in being contrary whenever she was present.

With Tanya it was different. As well as being general help in her mum's taverna, Tanya worked part of the time helping Sali with the goats, and as difficult as they were with Sali, they did what Tanya wanted before being asked. It was a strange situation, and one which even Ma Nesbitt could not understand.

Topper's jaws continued working with a steady rhythm as he chewed his dinner (grass again) and balefully regarded the stranger with the rope coming towards him.

Was she mad, he wondered. Well she'd probably be more than mad soon when he dumped her on her backside again, she'd be bloody furious.

"Sali. Sali Vorden," came the cry from the direction of the farmhouse, and all eyes turned to the two figures running towards them.

Topper casually ducked under the loop thrown by the frustrated Sasha, and trotted towards his beloved Tanya, who went down onto her knees, and grabbing him by his ears, kissed him firmly on his rough nose.

"Hello Handsome. You're still as beautiful as ever."

Sasha grimaced. Old Marlin, who looked after Dockside's livestock knew a lot of tricks to keep the goats in line, but they usually involved a stick with lots of thorns, and she had never mentioned that kissing goats was good farmyard practice.

"It's not fair," complained Sali as they walked back to the house, "we've been trying for ages to make him see sense, and now you just walk up and he goes all soppy on you."

"Well you can't have told him what you wanted properly then, cos he's very sensible, for a boy, that is, and he's always happy to help, especially if it involves lady goats."

Sitting on the farmhouse veranda, the plate between them was empty, and Pansy ran her finger round the edge to salvage the last beads of honey.

Dockside only had a small farm, and their only billy and two of his lady friends had vanished overnight, leaving them with just seven nannies.

"They just disappeared," said Sasha, waving her hands at the lazy wasp circling her head. "Gate was shut tight the night before, so we don't know how they got out."

"Did you look up on the mount? They might have gone to join the wild ones," Tanya suggested.

"Yeh, but not for long though. Nobody likes to go near the old tower much."

Sali's mother came out of the house carrying two bundles.

"Here you are then girls. Sal and Tilly's old cloaks and enough food to last you most of the way. But knowing you, it'll all be gone tonight."

"Thankyou mistress Vorden," the girls said in unison and hoisting the packs over their shoulders, they set off towards the gate in the high wall surrounding the farmyard.

Tanya held her hand out towards the black and white goat. "Come on Topper, lets go and meet your new girlfriends," and like an obedient puppy, Wandra's prize billy goat followed at Tanya's heels, still chewing his dinner.

"Don't forget, Tanya," Wandra called as they neared the gate, "we expect you back here in three days."

They said their farewells at the fork in the path, where Sali headed North to her meeting with Homestead's guru, and Tanya, Pansy and Sasha went East towards Dockside, taking Topper to his new harem.

### Stitch in time

Denny sat cross legged, with her back to the South wall of the cottage that she, Caren and Joan called home, sewing a tear in the sleeve of her spare shirt, and soaking up the idle warmth of the morning sun. As her nimble fingers worked the needle, her thoughts were of Caren, somewhere out there, towards the high sierras to the West.

Caren was one of the group which had volunteered to rebuild one of the abandoned vineyards as a way station at Algar springs, halfway between Homestead and the Nest.

Since Denny had been adopted by the Hummingbirds when she was about seven, she and Caren had never been apart for more than a few hours, and now after thirteen years by each others side, they didn't know when they would see each other again. They were more than just friends, more even than sisters. They were like two parts of the same unit, and as the bright needle made her second best green shirt whole again, a small teardrop collected in the corner of each eye, and she didn't hear the approaching footsteps.

"Caren? I thought you'd gone with the others."

Denny looked up in confusion at the sound of Ma Nesbitt's voice.

"Oh, it's you, Denny." Connie looked perplexed for the third time that day, and thought, _"am I going simple?"_ Then said, "thought you was Caren for a minute there. Has anybody come by this way lately girl?"

Denny replied quietly, "No, no one Ma."

"Where has that girl got to? Haven't seen Tanya have you? She took Betty back to Val Tomson's for me, but they've both gone missing again, already."

Denny paused in her sewing, "No Ma, nobody round this way since breakfast."

As Connie continued her search for the elusive girls, Denny frowned and thought, "what are you doing Robin?"

" _Wasn't me, honest."_

Connie's search was soon over, as Sali and Betty came up to her cottage hand in hand.

"Good morning to you Ma Nesbitt." Sali forced herself to sound cheerful, although she had feared the worst since getting the summons from Pansy and Tanya.

Connie looked at the pair through weary eyes. "Took your time getting here girl. Been idling your time away again?"

"No Ma, far from it." Sali was indignant. "Came as soon as I got your message from Pan and Tan, then had to persuade Betty here to come home. Right handful she is."

"Tanya Vine, did you say? Little minx is supposed to be here, looking after Betty. She'll have to be taken down a peg or two when she gets back."

Sal had dropped her friend in it again, and tried to limit the damage. "We couldn't have managed without her, Ma. Goats were playing real mean with me and Sasha."

She went on to outline what had happened, and assured her that Tanya would be back from Dockside in three days."

Connie blustered some more, then got down to the business of the day. "You're grown up now Sali Vorden, and it's time for you to expand your mind. If such a thing is possible of course." There was a hint of doubt in her voice. All her observations of Sali had led her to believe that she wouldn't amount to much in life.

Sali winced. She was going to the dogs.

"You're going to the dogs," Ma informed her. "Sylvia's coming over this afternoon, and she'll take you to meet Flair and her boy, Sandal."

"But..."

"Don't interrupt girl. Sandals seven now, but that's about the same body age as you, so I'm sure you'll get on famously. Won't you?"

Sali looked down at her toes. "Yes Ma," she whispered. She wasn't Tanya Vine and couldn't argue with Homestead's guru.

"Now take Betty back to Val's place, and get yourself to the Vine, where Sylvia's going to collect you. And no skulking off, like that Tanya. There'll be thrashings all round soon if you do. I can see it coming."

Poor Betty was a constant reminder of the battle at Asher's farm. Betty Tighe and her mother, Helena had fought side by side that dark day, and Helena was in the mass grave at the edge of the old farm. Betty had been brought back to Homestead on an ox cart, her head wrapped in dirty bandages, but she had never fully recovered. True, she could feed herself now, but only with her fingers, and there was an alarmingly vacant look permanently painted on her face.

Connie watched the odd pair walk slowly away towards the North side cottages. "Well at least she's got clothes on today," she mused sadly. Seven Homesteaders had died at Asher's farm, and several others bore scars as mementoes of that awful day, and it had all been at Connie's insistence. She went inside the rundown shack that she called home, sat in a dark corner and cried softly to herself.

### Daybreak

The cold night finally surrendered to the warming rays of the sun and the bright flames of the camp fire, where Tanya and Pansy watched enviously as Sasha finished the last of her nuts and biscuits. Wandra had been right, and the two girls had already eaten all their rations for the two day journey, and they had only had a mouthful of water each for breakfast.

"Going to be a long day, girls," gloated Sasha, "reckon you should have saved some of that bread or an apple or two, or perhaps you thought you could eat grass, like him," and she indicated to where Topper was laid, his jaws rotating endlessly as he slowly turned grass into muscle and goat power.

"What we gonna do Tan? I'll just die if we don't eat soon," said Pansy sorrowfully.

"We'll be alright Pan, there's bound to be some fruit in the old orchards down by the marsh. Last years oranges or apples maybe."

"Tell you what, girls," interrupted Sasha, "when we get to the wetlands, I'll show you how to catch yellow frogs. Not much meat on them, but about three big ones are usually enough to make a grand feast."

"Yeuch. That's disgusting," said Tanya with a horrified expression, and Pansy clamped a hand to her mouth and looked sideways at her friend.

Sasha smiled and licked her lips, "Mmmm, delicious. And if we're really lucky, we might find a snake as well," then she started packing up ready to move again.

### The curse of the black goat

"You missed a bit Tanya Vine," said Pansy accusingly through a mouthful of fishcake, and happy at last, "get back here in three days, she said."

"Yeh well, I wasn't going to tell her that was I? Don't want to go dashing back just to muck out the chickens and clean the fireplace, do we?"

"But your mum'll be frantic, worrying about you. Won't she?"

"Won't miss us. Either of us. Too busy making big eyes at that Simon. Kirsty as well. They've both gone silly over him. Stupid cows."

"Tan, you shouldn't say that about your kin. It's not nice."

"It's true though. No place for me there, now that he's moved in. I'm only getting in the way all the time." She sniffed, and wiped the back of her hand over her eyes.

"That's not true Tanya Vine. I'm sure they love you." Pansy was getting anxious. Tanya was tough. She'd killed her first enemy trooper when only thirteen, and Pansy had never seen her cry before. She reached out and grasped her friend's hand.

"Not any more, they don't, not now there's a baby in the house. It's 'Tanya do this, Tanya do that, and what you doing still here, you're always in the way, can't you see I'm busy.' Yeh, busy making babies all the time. Well I'm not going home to that."

"We'll have to go back sometime Tan. Can't stay here."

"Yes. Suppose you're right. Not going home though. Gonna move in with Sali Vorden. Her mum'll have me, I think, cos I'm good on the farm."

"When we going back, Tan?"

"Oh, a few days," said Tanya vaguely, and feeling better now that she had let her feelings show at last. "We deserve a holiday by the sea, and if anyone asks us why we didn't go back pronto, then we say it was like training camp again, only learning how to fight with boats an that."

"But I don't know how to fight. I can blow a crumhorn, got a red ribbon for blowing a crumhorn, but can't use a sword or bow or nothing."

Tanya winced slightly at the memory of Pansy and the other priestesses at the battle of Asher's Farm, blowing those awful trumpets and conjuring up the red monster.

"Well it's quite simple and I'll show you after supper, then you'll be alright."

They looked up as a tall figure loomed over them.

"Heard you've got my bracelet girl, so I've come to give you a reward for finding it."

The tavern went quiet at the village bully's quiet words, and the two girls paused in their most important task of the day. Eating at last. Charlene Spratt was an impressive sight, heavily muscled as well as tall, seemingly dressed all in sharkskin and with a sharks tooth necklace to match, and spiral tattoos on both cheeks.

Earlier, Sasha had managed to persuade the two hungry girls to try and catch frogs at the marshes edge, and when Tanya had fallen into the shallow water, much to the delight of her travelling companions, she had emerged clutching the serpentine bracelet in a handful of mud. They had found a snake, but not the live one that Sasha had meant.

"Don't do this Sharkey," said Sami Twotrees quietly.

The big woman whirled round, and Sami shrank back a little. "Keep out of it Simple Sam, or you'll regret it," she snarled, then turned her attention back to Tanya.

Tanya spoke softly. "What have you got to trade for my silver bracelet then."

"Not trade girl," answered Charlene leaning on the table, "but a reward. You can have this special whistle my old gran gave to me. You blow into it, and it plays any tune you want it to. Magic see," and she showed them the poor thing she'd got from Jean Collier, when she'd passed by the previous month.

"I got soaked, and muddy, getting your bracelet back. Thought it would have been worth more than that to you, what with it being silver. Only just managed to get dry."

Time seemed to stand still and all eyes were on the odd trio, Pansy still eating, Tanya sitting calmly and Charlene standing and wondering why she wasn't already holding the bracelet that she'd heard about. "Silver bangle's precious to me, so just hand it over," she said ominously, and held out her hand.

Tanya made a sad face and lifted her sleeve to show the gleaming snake coiled around her upper arm. "Oh what a pity, I got it wrong. The bracelet I found was only brass," she said and then smiled brightly, "so I guess it's not yours after all."

Made to look a fool by a mere kid, Charlene's face became a mask of hatred, and she started to raise her fist as Tanya rose from the bench, a small dagger in each hand.

Sami's chair went flying backwards as she leapt to her feet, "Sharkey, don't..." But she, and all the room were silenced as Pansy fell back in her chair making the most horrible gurgling noises, and her eyes rolling wildly. Then the voice that came from her lips was not of earthly origin.

"Aaah. Touch not the goat queen. Blood, blood, the water is red with blood. Beware the black goat with the twisted horn, it brings your doom."

Charlene staggered back as though struck a mortal blow, "witch, bloody witch," she gasped, then turned and ran from the inn, as the other customers looked on in horror.

Sami came over to sit next to Tanya and frowned as she watched Pansy nonchalantly help herself to another fishcake. "What was that all about?" she asked Pansy.

"What was what?" answered Pansy oblivious to everything but her need for food.

"All that blood, blood business."

"Oh," the hungry girl exclaimed, "been seeing the future again have I? Just something that happens when you're temple trash," and she looked angrily across the room at the others. She had overheard them talking about her earlier, and was determined to pay them back somehow.

"Going to be trouble in the morning girls. Sharkey's fishing boat is called the Black Goat, and it's got a bent mast. I don't think she'll be able to get a crew tomorrow, so you'd better keep out of her way. I'll go and let Dorian know what's happened."

Five minutes later the inn had returned to something like normal, although they were still getting occasional odd looks from the other customers.

Pansy declared that she couldn't eat any more.

"Good job too," stated Tanya, "much more and you would have burst." She lowered her voice, and whispered, "does that fortune telling stuff happen often, Pan?"

Pansy smiled at her, "only when I want it to. Good, isn't it? One of the things we had to learn in the temple school. You'd be surprised at the gifts the people brought us, just to hear one of us spout rubbish like that. Yokels. Got rid of her quick, didn't it?"

"So, none of that was true then. You just made it up?"

"Yeh, bit spooky though, wasn't it? Her boat being called the Black Goat."

Tanya was giving Pansy a look that said, is that the whole truth then.

"Oh, alright. I saw her on the boat earlier. She's so big I couldn't forget her."

Two hours later it was nearly dark, and Tanya was getting frustrated with her pupil.

"No, no, no. How many times have I got to tell you? Don't wave it about, stick it in, hard."

"Die bush," yelled Pansy, and the juniper bush behind the boat shed quivered in fright as Pansy prodded it with her brush again. Tanya wasn't going to let her get anywhere near her precious collection of knives yet.

"Well that's a bit better, but you've got to be fast as well. Gotta leap in, stab, then jump out again, like this." And Tanya was a blur of motion as she assassinated the poor bush. "Now you try," she said to the weary Pansy.

"Yaaah, ouch!!! It got me." Pansy held up her hand to show Tanya the drop of blood on the back of her finger.

She had tried her best, (and failed) so Tanya called off the lesson with a promise that they would start again in the morning, and they went back to Sami's place to find a warm place to sleep.

Dorian and Mona were with Sami, and obviously waiting for the girls return.

Mona's broad smile was conspicuous by it's absence. "Our two heroes, back at last," she said, "come and sit here with us, and we'll talk about looking into the future, shall we?"

"I'd rather not, mistress Verge," said Pansy worriedly.

"It's not a request girl, so just tell me what made you curse one of our boats."

"She didn't curse the boat, she was just trying to scare that bully away. Worked too," retorted Tanya angrily.

"Worked too well for my liking," Mona replied, "now we've got a useless boat, because nobody'll go near it since you said that you saw blood, blood," and she rolled her eyes and waved her hands about to emphasise the words.

"Not my fault if you're all superstitious yokels here, it's your fault for not sorting out bullies like that sharkskin woman."

The last vestiges of Mona's good humour disappeared. "Not your place to answer back girl," she snapped, "and I'll tell you what we've decided. In the morning, you're going to tell the crews that you're a fake, because that's what you are, and you," she indicated towards Tanya, "are going to throw that bracelet into the sea from the deck of the Black Goat, as an offering to the sea gods."

"That's not fair, no such thing as sea gods," Tanya started to say, but was interrupted by the angry guru, "more than fair girl. It's true that we owe you for bringing your goat from Homestead, so you'll not get the punishment you deserve, and you should be grateful for that. Now, get yourselves to bed, and we'll finish this in the morning."

As they left the room, Tanya paused in the doorway. She spoke softly, but an unseen menace seemed to fill the room with her words. "At the end, there were only four of us left standing on Asher's field. Do you remember how many died there?" She paused a moment, then went on, "how many did scar face manage to kill, or did she run away like the rest of you, till it was all over?" She turned and followed Pansy up the stairs.

"Oh no. Didn't need reminding of that, did we?" exclaimed Sami, who had been one of the first to flee the battleground at the sight of the priestess's monster. "I think that she just threatened us," said Dorian, who hadn't been far behind Sami in the mad stampede for safety. "And I'm not sure that we're able to take that bracelet from her, even though she is only fifteen."

"Do we have to do this?" asked Sami worriedly.

"That Pansy's right Sam," said Mona with a shake of her head. "Sailors have always been a superstitious lot, and this is the only way the Black Goat will sail again."

"But did you hear what she did in the battle?" insisted Dorian, "She was heroic."

"Hero or not," muttered Mona, "she'll be doing it, whether she likes it or not."

Shortly after midnight, Tanya shook Pansy awake, and put one hand over her friends mouth to keep her quiet.

"It's time," she whispered, and they rolled carefully out of bed, still dressed in their travelling clothes.

The dying rush lights outside Rainbow's End tavern were the village's only illumination in the moonless night, but the darkness hadn't been any obstacle to Tanya for more than a year now, and she guided Pansy safely along the street and out of the village towards the West, and Homestead.

Despite Tanya's ability to see in the dark, they made slow progress, and as the Eastern sky began to pale with the promise of a new dawn, they were less than eight kilometres from the coast.

"Gonna have to stop Tan, I'm so tired."

Tanya was a seasoned campaigner, having survived the battles of Homestead green and Asher's Farm, and after the twenty nine stitches had been taken out of her left thigh, she had walked and walked, and then walked some more to build up the muscles again. She was in better condition than Pansy, who had led a more 'stay at home' kind of life with the priestesses in Central, until moving to Homestead after the last battle.

"Just a bit further Pansy, then we'll get off the road and rest. Don't reckon that they've missed us yet," she said confidently, but more in the hope of reassuring poor worried Pansy. A distant rumble of thunder made them both look to the North West, where the dark sky held the promise of yet another wet spring day.

They started walking again, and as the first scattering of raindrops began to fall, Tanya found the place she had been looking for.

"This is it girl," she exclaimed smiling, "just up here and we can have a nice long rest out of the rain," and she pointed to where a narrow track ran up the hill towards the ruins of the old watch tower, originally built by Dorian Deerward's family and abandoned after the earthquake and plague nearly two hundred years ago, right after the valley wars.

"Oh no Tan, we can't go up there. Sasha told me it's haunted by old man Deerward. He catches strangers in his fishing net and sends them mad. Makes horrible faces at them he does, and moans an' all that."

"Well, we'll be moaning a lot worse if them Dockside peasants get their hands on us, and I'm not giving up my bracelet for nobody. It's mine. Sasha and Sami said so."

At Tanya's insistence, Pansy pressed on up the narrow path, which wasn't as bad as she had feared, and they emerged onto the small plateau, a mere two hundred metres above the road below.

### The haunted tower

An hour later, they were still sat in the doorway of the tower's ruins, watching the incessant rain sweep across the hilltop.

"I'm hungry Tan."

"You're always hungry Pansy Prayerbook, must be something wrong with you."

"Can't help it. I'm at that growing up fast age. Your mum said you was the same."

"Yeh well, perhaps I was, but I learnt how to control it."

Pansy looked uncomfortable. "I've got to go Tan. Can't control it any longer, got to take a pee."

"Well, go on then, no one's looking."

Pansy looked round disconsolately, "can't do it here. Need a proper loo, or a bush, and it's raining."

Tanya gave a theatrical sigh. "Come on then. I'll go inside with you."

They stood up and retreated into the darkness of the towers forbidding interior.

"I'll wait for you here then," said Tanya waving at an inner doorway, "I've been here before, and you'll be quite safe."

There was the rustle of clothing, then a soft 'pitter patter' as Pansy found relief from her pressing problem. A flash of lightning penetrated the tower's gloom, and Pansy gasped as she briefly saw the room she was in.

"Tanya," she yelled. "Look."

Tanya looked. The room appeared to her in shades of grey, but showed her nothing special. "I'm looking, but it's only an empty room with a puddle of pee in one corner," she said, with a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

"No," Pansy insisted, "it's not just any room, and this can't be just any old watchtower. What do you see on the back wall?"

"Well, there's pictures carved into the stones, but can't really tell what they are without a light, and there's a broken washbasin thing with water coming out of the spout and running across the floor. And that's about it. What do you think's here then? Old man Deerward?" and she laughed at Pansy's discomfort.

Pansy didn't laugh. She was getting excited. "That wall's the same as in the temple bath house, and it should have a special door in it, and you've got the key."

"What are you on about Pansy Prayerbook? There ain't no door here, and I don't have any key either."

"You do Tanya. It's that snake bracelet you found. You put it's tail into the water spout, and the door opens, like magic, except it's not. You turn the snake to the right place, and the holes in it's tail make the water go somewhere else. It's all weights and things."

"Fat lot of good it'll be now then, it's not been opened for two hundred years."

"No. It'll work. We learnt all about it at the temple school, and Rocket Rosie told us that Chubby Yates had made these doors to last till the end of time. Just try it and see."

Tanya had been intrigued by the strange design of her bracelet, which she suspected was really made of gold, and now did as instructed, placing the snake into Pansy's hand and guiding her to the spout.

"I can't get it in," whispered Pansy urgently.

"No Pan, turn it round, you're holding the wrong end."

Pansy inserted the right end of the snake and turned it gently, listening.

"There, you hear it Tan?"

Tanya confessed that she could hear nothing different, but Pansy was adamant that it was working and the door would soon be open.

"Well this is fun," said Tanya several minutes later, as they stood in front of the still closed door. "Makes me wish I'd been born a templar as well."

"Nobody's born to the temple," said Pansy, "you get... given, I suppose you'd call it, when you're about seven or eight."

Tanya thought about this new information for a long moment before replying. "So your mum just gave you away then? Cheerio Pan, have a nice new life with these strange women doing strange things, and all that?"

Pansy shook her head. "Excuse me, Tanya Vine, but you can't say that others are strange when Homesteaders have some very weird ways. And I wasn't actually given away by my mother."

"She sold you then?"

"Haven't got a mum. Haven't got anybody." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Rose said they found me on the beach near La Via after a bad storm. Said I was about five or so."

Tanya put her arm round Pansy's shoulders in silence, for once, lost for words.

The moment didn't last long. "What's that?" said Tanya as she jumped to her feet.

There was a deep groan from below and they felt the floor vibrate beneath them.

"Shit. It's Old man Deerward, Tan. He's coming for us," whispered Pansy, her voice trembling with fear. "We'd better go. Please Tan," she added.

"Not yet Pansy Prayerbook," said Tanya confidently, "I think your magic door's opening."

In the gloom, she had seen the fall of dust from the wall, and then part of it shuddered and an opening appeared, just as Pansy had predicted. The light improved as the door opened and there was an ominous rustle of wings from within the revealed chamber.

"Lady, it stinks," Pansy complained as the sharp aroma of pigeon droppings crept out to greet them. "It's full of bird poo, I'll let you go in while I mind the door shall I?"

"You're a big softy, Pan. Afraid of pigeons are you?" She waited but got no response. "Alright, I'll do it," and treading carefully, keeping away from the piles of droppings against the walls, she entered the hidden room beyond the massive door.

Tanya saw that except for the pigeon mess, the room was almost empty, but she came out backwards dragging behind her the only thing she found there. The filthy box was narrow but about a metre long, and judging by the weight, didn't have much in it.

"Your turn, priestess Pansy. I've done my bit, so you can open it," and squatted down while Pansy grimaced and fiddled with the box's stiff clasps.

"Oooh, this is disgusting, my fingers keep slipping." She was about to give up when the last catch finally surrendered, and together they lifted the lid with a creak of rusty hinges. "Wow," breathed Pansy and started to reach forward into the box.

Tanya stopped her. "Not yet Pan," she warned her friend, "we're covered in bird stuff. Better wash it off first. Don't want to make it dirty do we?"

Pansy removed Tanya's snake bracelet from the spout, and the water started to flow into the basin and onto the floor again. They quickly washed the worst of the mess from their hands and Tanya slid the bracelet back onto her left arm.

"Wow," repeated Pansy as she lifted the small bright horn from its cradle. "It's beautiful Tan," and she caressed the curves of the instrument tenderly. "I'm going outside for a better look," and she stood up ready to leave. "Coming Tan?"

"In a minute, there's something not quite right. This box is too big and heavy just for one little trumpet." She poked and prodded around the interior of the box, and at last there was a satisfying click as the false bottom came loose.

"Wow," said Tanya, in an echo of Pansy's earlier astonishment, and she lifted out the silver chain mail vest. "It's beautiful Pan."

The box then gave up the last of it's secret store as Pansy reached into it and stood up again holding a sword. It was the twin to Sylvia's Toledo Espada Special, and had been 'lost' after the valley wars.

"We're rich Pan. Beryl or Sylvia would give us anything we wanted for this sword."

They left the gloom of the tower and went out into the brightening day where Pansy could resist no longer and raised the horn to her lips.

"Not too loud," Tanya warned, and Pansy nodded briefly before breathing gently into the horn, and across the hilltop, a dozen wet faces turned in the direction of the tower.

"Well, I'm no expert on music, but I didn't actually hear anything," said Tanya helpfully.

"Ain't blown it yet. Got to warm it up first," Pansy answered in musician mode.

She took a deep breath and blew again, but this time the horn produced a low muffled note, and Pansy lowered the instrument and turned it over in her hands.

She frowned at it, "That's strange, it shouldn't be able to get as low as that," and started to lift the horn again, but thought better of it and instead helped Tanya as she struggled into the silver mail.

"Yes!" Tanya declared, "now I'm a proper warrior. Let them try to get my bracelet now. We're invincible Pansy Prayerbook, we're Pan an' Tan, the deadly enemies of tattooed faces everywhere," and laughing, she raised the sword high above her head.

Pansy caught Tan's enthusiasm, and blew one clear note on the horn as they headed West once more along the hilltop.

Even though she was spurred on by the sound of the horn, Sharkey Spratt was just too late to see the two girls disappear over the crest of the hill, and she advanced slowly towards the tower. She had spotted the pair by the tower at daybreak, through the telescope she had won from Kerry's mum playing jacks up with a marked deck.

The dozen wild goats arrived as well, in answer to the summons from Pansy's horn, and Sharkey looked aghast at the biggest, blackest goat she had ever seen, leading his herd steadily towards her. It's horns were no twistier than any other goats, but in her terror at seeing another facet of Pansy's prophecy, Sharkey turned and ran for the safety of the tower. The goats broke into a trot to keep up with her, and milled about the dark doorway.

Sharkey screamed as her nemesis entered the room where the secret door still stood open. "Get away from me," she wailed, and waved her arms at the confused animal. "Leave me alone, you evil beast."

"Baaa," said the goat, and Sharkey tripped over the open box discarded by the girls, and falling in the open doorway, screamed again as the counterweight finally lost enough water and gave up the struggle for equilibrium, letting the heavy door slowly close and squeeze the life from her.

Her crushed body lay trapped by the stone slab, and the water from the cracked basin turned red with her blood as it ran across the floor and out of the tower.

"Baaa," repeated the goat, and returned to his wives and their eternal quest for lunch.
Chapter 13

### The Outcasts

### Going home

They walked steadily Westward across the hilltops, and even though there was no more rain, Pansy's joy at finding the strange horn was rapidly evaporating, just like the water on the ground. After about two hours, they had reached the end of the ridge, where the line of hills turned South, and Pansy caught up with Tanya, who was already sitting with her back against a large rock.

Her face showed how miserable she felt. "Tanya," she said quietly.

"Yes, I know," was the reply. "Tanya, I'm hungry," she mimicked.

"It's not funny Tanya Vine. Food's important, and we've missed breakfast again. Got to have a balanced diet to stay healthy."

Tanya thought a moment about this unheard of idea. "What's that mean then?"

"Well, you take the days rations and weigh them out into portions, and eat it a bit at a time. Not like them dog folk. Show them food, and it's gone. All in one go. Disgusting."

Tanya shrugged her shoulders and opened her pack. "Fear not mistress Pansy," she quoted in a parody of Marco's barbarian speech. "This fish cake is here to save the day." And she showed Pansy the parcel of food she had stolen from Sami's kitchen.

Pansy's eyes lit up at the sight of her next, and unexpected meal, although in truth it was poor fare. Half a loaf of bread, two yellow tomatoes, four stale fish cakes and a small bag of broken biscuits.

"You've saved my life Tanya," she mumbled between mouthfuls, and then there was silence until their late breakfast, or early lunch was finished. Completely. All in one go.

They rested in the shade of the rocks, contemplating the rest of journey ahead of them.

"How long till we get to the farm?" Asked Pansy looking across the vast expanse of Burnt Wood's multi coloured canopy.

"Probably nine hours," Tanya replied, "if we follow the track and all goes well."

Then movement on the road below them caught her attention, and she reached out and tapped Pansy on the arm. Four people and an ox were heading Northward, from Gap.

"Travellers," she whispered, "don't move and they won't see us."

Pansy hadn't seen them for more than a year, but even at this distance, instantly recognised her fellow students and their instructor.

"Flaming seesaws! It's Rocket Rosie," she gasped. "Don't look at her. She'll know we're here." And so saying, closed her eyes and started whispering to herself, "I am a rock, I am a rock."

Rosalind Turnbuckle felt that all was not as it should be, so slowed down, and then halted her small party. She dismissed her three apprentice's queries, and told them to observe their surroundings in silence, as her experienced eyes swept quickly across the hillside on their right, and the scrubland to their left. Then as she turned her gaze slowly back to study the goat among the rocks above them, her concentration was broken.

"Soldiers," squeaked Emma Goldsmith, and pointed along the line of the broken road, where four women carrying spears had come into view.

"We're gonna die," cried Suzy, and clung to Mary Ann, who promptly burst into tears.

The last time they had seen Eastern warriors was at the battle of Ashers Farm, and they had been terrified by the close encounter with Marco's amazons and wardogs.

"Alright, girls. Calm down. They're not the enemy now, and they're expecting us."

Her words had no effect on the sobbing girl, so she raised her voice. "Shut up now, Mary Ann Teacake, or you'll get a good slapping."

In the past, Rosie's threats of disciplinary action had been carried out in full measure, so the crying stopped, almost. Then she moved ahead of the panicking girls to meet the war band alone.

She hailed them. "Good morning to you, ladies."

The troop from Dockside stopped, with Dorian slightly in front. "And to you, traveller," she replied. She saw an unimposing pale woman of indeterminate age, (but not young) dressed in worn green leggings and shirt, with an old black cloak fastened at the shoulder with a large but plain pin. Only her boots were of good quality.

Jenny, Kerry and Mara looked as well, but Jenny had a different view of the world now. She had lived in Homestead for several months after the Mad Martha affair, and Posy had introduced her to Flash, her dog partner. With her enhanced senses, she could feel the temple around the woman in front of her. She put her hand on Dorian's shoulder.

"And what would bring a priestess to this end of the world?" she asked. "Never had good news from the temple yet."

Dorian was slightly annoyed at Jenny taking the initiative, but her expression showed no change as she heard the uninvited words. She knew that Jenny was different, and maybe dangerous, but didn't know why. Only the Homesteaders, and a select few, knew that being in close contact with the wardogs gave the girls heightened senses.

Rosie smiled as she answered, "very perceptive of you, my dear. My name is Rosalind, and it's true that I was a priestess, but since you Easterners showed us the error of our ways, we have become merely librarians."

Dorian nodded, "so you're the scribblers that guru Mona told us about."

Surprisingly, most of the population could read to some extent, but few could write legibly, and even though Rosie was insulted by the description, her face didn't reflect her thoughts.

"Yes. These miserable urchins," she waved at the three girls standing with the ox, "can make their letters in an adequate fashion, and we are charged with copying some of the new books in Homestead. Our paper and such are in the panniers. You can look if you like."

"No time." stated Dorian. "We have to find some girls before they do something foolish. Tell me, have you seen anyone on the road?"

"No one at all. I thought we were being watched, but it was only a goat."

"Don't mention goats," Dorian said quickly, with a shake of her head and pulled a wry face, then went on to recount the events of the last two days, including how Sasha and Sami had followed Sharkey to the tower this very morning, and found her dead, in circumstances which fulfilled Pansy's prophecy.

Rosie nodded her head wisely. "Ah, Pansy Prayerbook," she said, and a feeling of pride filled her at the thought of her little ex-pupil still using the skills she had taught her. "She was a good student. Had a fair bit of natural talent, and could have been one of the best if she'd finished her training."

Jenny frowned. "You're thinking 'but' aren't you?"

Rosie and Jenny studied each other for a moment, and Rosie decided to tell her as little as possible. "Don't know what'll become of her now, but it's her choice."

Dorian brought the conversation to a close. "Can't stand here. If they're not behind you, then we'll go to Homestead. They must have gone that way."

### Fugitives

Tanya sat still and watched until they were out of sight, then looked at Pansy and wondered about her friend. She was turning out to be full of surprises. Tanya hadn't heard any of the conversation from the road below, but Rosie had looked straight up at them, and had ignored their presence completely.

Pansy's lips were still moving in the endless mantra, "I am a rock, I am a rock."

"Alright miss rock, they're gone. You can be a girl again if you like."

Pansy's eyes flew open at last, and they were brimming with tears as she gazed at Tanya. "They're coming for me," she blurted out. "I knew they would. No one ever leaves the temple. I don't want to go back Tan, I want to stay with you. Don't let them get me, I'm scared of what they'll do to me for running away."

Pansy in tears again. "Nothing new there then" thought Tanya, but put her arm round her friend, and pulled her close to comfort her.

After a moment, Pansy wiped her eyes, lifted her head and said, "Tanya?"

"What sweetheart?"

"Let me go. Your sword handle's sticking in my right booby."

Tanya shifted the cause of Pansy's discomfort. "Sorry love. Better now?"

"Nearly. Is there anywhere we can go Tan? It seems like the whole world's against us."

Tanya's mind was racing through the various options open to them.

"Well, Dockside's right out of it, with Shark woman and Mona waiting for us, and they'll probably send a boat down to Gap and La Via as well, so we can't go there. I'll get a thrashing if we go back to Homestead, and that rocket woman will be waiting to take you away again."

"I'll kill myself first," said Pansy vehemently.

"Shush love, no need for that sort of talk. We'll be alright," but deep within herself, Tanya could see no easy way out of their predicament. She took a deep breath and sighed. "Come on," she said, and helped Pansy to her feet. "We'll head South and try to keep out of the way for a while."

Pansy only had a sketchy idea of the local geography. "But what will we do for food Tan?"

They looked at each other and smiles spread across both their faces again.

"Food's important," they said in unison, and laughing, they went hand in hand, heading South now, hoping to pass unnoticed between Gap and South farm, then between La Via and Ibis.

They had two hungry days and a night as they slowly made their way South for one day, and then West. Their hunger was only relieved during the first day by picking oranges and almonds from the abandoned farms in the hillside terraces above Gap, but when they struck out Westward, it got easier. On the second day, they had to cross the flatlands between Gap and South Farm, where they took one egg from each of several birds nests, and found some green tomatoes.

In the remains of a derelict building, at the foot of the Central Sierras, they managed to fry the eggs on a piece of roofing slate over a small fire, and before they settled down for another cold night, Tanya set out two snares.

In the morning there was a rabbit in one, and the remains of a rabbit in the other. The thought of a predator being near to them was alarming for Pansy, the eternal worrier, but Tanya assured her that there was nothing to be afraid of. From a different viewpoint, it would have been possible to see that she had her fingers crossed behind her back while she was saying this, but it made Pansy feel a little better. After all, Tanya was her hero, and wouldn't lie to her. Would she?

After filling their water bottles at the stream, Tanya took the opportunity to give Pansy another lesson in fighting skills.

"Come on Pan, you've got the strength of a thousand spiders. Swing it like I showed you this time, and you'll be amazed at what you can do." She had to shout the insult, because she was standing a safe distance away from the action.

Pansy considered the statement, and decided that it was a compliment. After all, the spiders in the temple vaults were tough little things, weren't they. Some of them not so little either.

With renewed vigour, she swung the sword in a huge arc over her right shoulder, and the bamboo finally collapsed, falling to the ground with it's end cut at an angle to leave a sharp point.

"Easy when you know how," said Pansy with pride. "I'm getting the hang of it now."

"Well, we've got enough for the time being. Can't carry any more," answered Tanya, not wanting to prolong the dangerous activity. "We'll cut these down to size, and start walking again. Got to get over this hill and into the plains again before dark."

Pansy reluctantly returned the sword with the everlasting edge. "Can I do it again tomorrow, Tan?" she asked hopefully.

"If we get time love. But only if it's safe."

With the discovery that there was a rabbit thief out there somewhere, Tanya had decided that they needed more than just her sword and knives as weapons.

They sat and trimmed their homemade spears, and then, reluctantly on Pansy's part, started to climb the last major obstacle before the flat plain near Ibis, and the comparative safety of the great forest.

The next morning, on the Ibis side of the hills, both of the traps had been sprung, but again, one of them was empty. Or should we say, almost empty.

"Look," she said to Pansy, "Another rabbit missing, but we've been left two cabbages in it's place. Weird."

There was no one to be seen as they neared Ibis pass, where the White River ran between the two ranges of hills before reaching the sea near La Via. It was as if they were the only two people in the world. Until they reached the banks of the river, that is.

Pansy stopped and looked over her shoulder to Tanya. "There's someone swimming in the river," she whispered and let Tanya go past her for a better view.

After a brief look both ways along the banks, they decided that it was safe to get closer. "Drowning more like," snorted Tanya, as she watched the swimmer's feeble splashing. Then her attitude changed dramatically as the swimmer rolled over showing his face, and she stared in disbelief. "It's Marcus."

"Who?" asked Pansy, having only seen him occasionally, and from a distance.

"Marcus, Marco the barbarian. We've got to save him," and she hurriedly pulled off the mail shirt and discarded her weapons. Pansy stood amazed as the pile of knives grew. "Stay here," Tanya ordered, and waded out into the shallow water. The river was wider and slower here than at the bridge near Ibis where Marco had fallen in, so Tanya was able to seize his wrist easily as he drifted past. That, and getting him to the river bank was the easy part. With him being only semi conscious, the two girls had a struggle to get him onto dry land, but eventually they all collapsed in a heap on the stony beach.

Pansy grimaced. "He's a mess," she commented after looking at his bloody back and legs. "How do you think it happened."

"Looks like he lost his skin on the rocks." Tanya replied, then touched his leg and frowned. "He's got a hole in his leg."

Marco mumbled incoherently in delirium.

"What's he saying?" demanded Tanya.

"Don't know. Sounded like _'tie a bill be'_ , I think."

Tanya put her hand on Marco's cheek. "Say it again," she demanded.

"Margaret? Is that you?" he said clearly.

"Well that was plain enough," said Pan, stating the obvious.

"Tried to kill me," and he went into a fit of coughing.

The two rescuers looked wide eyed at each other across his heaving chest.

Pansy screwed her eyes shut for a second. "Oh Tan. I heard her say it a couple of weeks ago, in The Vine. _'If he talks to me like that again, I'll bloody kill_ him', she said. I thought she was joking. They make stupid jokes like that. Didn't know she meant it."

Tanya's reply was cut off by faint calls from upstream.

"Marco." "Marcus." There were two voices in the distance shouting his name.

They both looked up together. "No. Please, not now." Whined Pansy in a very worried voice. "That sounds like Sylvia and Margaret."

"Damn. I can't beat Sylvia. She's way too good for me," exclaimed Tanya.

She jumped up and grabbed all their gear, then laid it down by Marco's still body.

"Lay down behind him," she ordered, and then she laid on the ground as well, so that Marco was between them. Pulling her cloak over them all, she continued, "we can't move him in time, so do your rock thing."

"It doesn't always work though."

"Just do it Pansy Prayerbook," she ordered, "or Margaret's going to kill us all."

Pansy focussed her mind and started whispering her "I am a rock" again, but unfortunately Marco took up the chant as well, and not very quietly.

Tanya was distraught. "Shut up Marco," she whispered.

"I am a _rock_ ," he said, "I _am_ a rock."

"Shut up idiot."

" _I_ , am a mmmm?"

Tanya stopped his senseless rambling by forcing his mouth closed with hers. The voices were coming nearer, but Tanya ignored them. She had other things to worry about now.

Marco's tongue was making tiny expeditions between her lips, and his left hand had crept round her back and settled on her bottom. As his fingers gently kneaded her soft flesh, her eyes were wide open with surprise and she was extremely aware of her racing heart, and the butterflies in her stomach. She was no stranger to kissing, as she and Gilda had been lovers up until the arrival of the miners in the time machine, but she only knew of the rudiments of making love with a man by hearsay. To say the least, she was very confused by her feelings.

Someone passed by them only a dozen paces away, but they were not challenged.

When Pansy finally declared that they were safe again, there was no reply, and when she lifted the cloak, she found that Tanya had her eyes shut tight and was kissing Marco vigorously. Without hesitation, she slapped the side of Tanya's head with her open hand.

"Oww!" exclaimed her startled friend. "What's that for?"

"Tanya Vine, that's not fair. Here we are about to die, and you lay there enjoying yourself."

She sat up rubbing her head and Marco sank back into unconsciousness. "It was the only way I could keep him quiet," she explained.

Pansy wore a glum expression. "Still not fair. You never kiss me like that. You were enjoying it too much for my liking. And you've only just met him. Like you were working in Pauline's Pleasure Parlour."

"Where?"

"Nasty place on Cow Lane behind the temple. If you can meet the price, you can get anything there."

Tanya shook her head, not understanding. "Oh Pan, I'm sorry, I shan't do it again. And I didn't know you wanted kissing that way."

"Neither did I, till just now. And you were trying to make babies. I felt him wriggling! Bet if I had a maggot hanging between my legs, you'd kiss me proper then." Her lips pouted and she hung her head in misery.

Tanya blushed and her cheeks went bright red at the memory of Marco's semi conscious gyrations beneath the cloak. She ran her hands through her hair and stood up.

"Come on Pan love. We'll talk about it later, when we're safe. Got to move him first."

Reluctantly, Pansy got to her feet, and together they tried to move Marco's inert body up the beach towards the cover of the trees.

They had only moved him a couple of metres, and their tired limbs were beginning to tell them that this was an impossible task.

Pansy sat down. "I can't do it," she panted. "He's too heavy."

Tanya had also been thinking the same thing, so sat down as well, and rested her head in her hands.

"I can help."

At the unexpected voice, both girls jumped up in alarm. Tanya making a dive for her sword, while Pansy screamed and ran straight into the water in her panic, convinced that they were going to be murdered.

When Tanya swung round to face the unknown threat, she lowered the sword point uncertainly. Crouching down beyond Marco was the dirtiest, thinnest woman they had ever seen. She had a wild tangle of unkempt hair, was barefoot, dressed in rags, and it was impossible to tell her age.

"Please don't hurt me," she wailed, and cringed even lower. "I've brought you another present." She had one hand held up as if to protect her head, and thrusting the other one forward, she let fall two onions and a carrot, complete with green tops.

Understanding came to Tanya. "You're the rabbit thief," she declared.

"Only borrowed them," whined the pitiful creature. "I found you the greens. Can find things. Can't catch rabbits." She got a little bolder. "Trade. It's trade." And louder. "Find you things, nice things for rabbits." A manic grin spread across her face. "Help you, help me. Help your man."

Tanya looked round at Pansy, who was still knee deep in the water. "Well?" she asked. "What do you think?"

The question took the soaked girl by surprise. She'd never been asked her opinion before, only ever told what to do. "Er, got no choice really. We'll have to let her help. For a while, anyway."

"Just what I thought," replied Tanya, nodding her head.

### Journey's end

Lifting Marco was surprisingly easy now. The thin woman was tougher than she looked, and with her help they moved thirty metres or so from the river bank into the cover of the trees. Leaving Pansy to clean up Marco's wounds as best she could, Tanya and their new ally went back to the river to remove all sign of their passing. While they walked and worked, Tanya asked who she was.

"I'm princess Florabel of Alacant, and I was stolen from my mother's castle by a witch when I was a baby. I've just escaped from her tower, but she's not far behind me."

Tanya was naturally sceptical about this and asked her again.

"It's true! My mother's step sister hated me for being so beautiful, so put a curse on me, and put me to sleep for fifty years. Now I have to roam the wilds till I find my true home again."

"You're talking nonsense, like a cracked pot, aren't you."

"No, I swear it's true, every word, and I'm not crackers at all."

Tanya's eyes lit up and she pointed an accusing finger. "I knew I'd seen you before. You're not crackers. You're Craken. Flossie Craken. You were in Mad Martha's lot."

"Not so loud," pleaded Flossie, looking round furtively. "Someone might hear you. They'll set the dogs on me, like they did with the others."

It took two more days to get Flossie clean and free from lice again, and during that time they put together her story bit by painful bit. She had run from the battle on Homestead green at the first opportunity, and had kept on running South and East, skirting round Burnt Wood. Life had been hard for her, but at least she had survived, unlike her unfortunate companions, who had stayed till the bitter end and had been slaughtered by the wardogs. She had kept away from all human contact for the last year and a half, and the wild goats on Dockside mount had eventually accepted her as one of their own. Even to the extent of letting her milk them, sometimes. And then again, sometimes not, when she then received a good butting and stamping for her impertinence. It was she that had accidentally let the goats out of Dockside's pen one night when the wild ones had refused to cooperate with her. She had lived by scavenging what she could from the rubbish dump outside Dockside, never being seen by human eyes, and her presence had reinforced the tales of old man Deerward's ghost. She told them that she had been compelled to follow them when Pansy had blown the horn.

Then Marco was on his feet again and able to walk with them, so they started their journey South through Ibis pass and onward towards the forest.

The weather had been kind to them, and it was a mild Spring day as they emerged from the pass into the Southern Valley. They stopped for a rest in the shade of a clump of date palms, and as they rested, the girls tried to get Marco to remember.

"So what did Margaret actually say?" asked Pansy

Marco frowned. He'd done a lot of frowning as he tried to make sense of his jumbled memories. "Go first, she said, because they'll be ready for you."

"And did you go first?"

"Yes, they were still at the fire, eating breakfast and I left them."

"Tell us about the bridge again."

He frowned again and rubbed his forehead. "I put my helmet on in the trees." He looked around with a puzzled look on his face. "It's been stolen." There was a long silence.

"And the bridge?" prompted Tanya.

He nodded. "I was on the bridge, and then my leg hurt. I looked down and there was an arrow." He touched the bandage, then smiled at Tanya. "Then you were kissing me."

"Yes, well. We don't need to go into that now," said Tanya, reddening again.

He looked at Pansy. "Then you were kissing me. I like kissing."

It was Pan's turn to go red.

"Pansy Prayerbook," exclaimed Tanya loudly, "what have you been doing?"

"Well I'd got to thinking, hadn't I?" she said hurriedly. "If he's our man now, it's our duty to know how to do it properly isn't it?" She decided to go on the offensive. "I only did what you did. Only kissed him, after all."

Tanya jumped to her feet and put her hands on her hips. "What about all that, 'you don't kiss me like that' business back at the river then?"

Marco and Flossie looked from one to the other as the exchange got under way.

Pansy stood up as well and facing Tanya, poked a stiff finger into her chest.

"And you still haven't kissed me like that, Tanya Vine." Pan was getting louder now.

"Haven't had time, and I can't do it with people watching." Tanya replied.

"Why not," demanded the angry Pan. "It's not like making babies. And I love you."

Tanya was silenced by the statement and she reached out for Pansy, who had the beginnings of tears in her eyes again. As they clung to each other, Tanya whispered in her friends ear, "Oh Pansy sweetheart, and I love you too."

They were about to kiss when Flossie broke the spell.

"I know how to make babies. Can show you if you like," and she reached out to Marco.

The mismatched quartet approached the jumble of rocks in silence. Which was understandable, considering what had occurred the day before.

After Flossie's offer to show the two virgins how to make babies with Marco, they had pounced on her with the fury of wildcats, and Marco had finally picked them both up and held one in each hand with their feet off the ground. It wasn't until after a good two minutes had passed, with them both kicking and cursing, that they had finally calmed down. With their promises to 'be good', he had gently let them down again.

"Touch him again Flossie Craken," Tanya said angrily, "and I'll sort you out proper."

Flossie was regaining her composure, and confidence. "Well that's not fair. You both get to do some tongue tasting, and I'm not allowed anywhere near him?"

"Be thankful we've allowed you to stay with us," retorted Pansy.

"Allowed me to stay? Pardon me, but who finds all the cabbages for you then?"

"I'm sick of cabbages," Pansy shouted. "They taste awful, and they make us smell awful too. Why can't you find something nicer, like a biscuit tree?"

"You're just nasty, miss Pansy Smells Awful, and if your manners don't improve, then I won't show you my secret treasure."

"You don't have a secret treasure."

"Do."

"Don't."

"Do."

Tanya looked at them in dismay. "Shut up," she yelled. "Enough bickering. He's only a man. We shouldn't fight over men. They're not worth it."

"Excuse me for asking a silly question," interrupted Marco, "but don't I get a say in this?"

The three red faced girls looked at him in surprise. "No!" they exclaimed together.

"Why should you?" asked Pansy.

"Your opinions don't count," added Flossie.

"You'll do as you're told," said Tanya curtly.

And here they were, near a place that Flossie called Sanwan, and her secret treasure, which she was going to share with them in an attempt to become an equal partner in their group.

"This way," Flossie said tersely, and headed to the right of the rock heap, which had fallen down the mountain at some time long past.

Built against the rocks, there was a rickety wooden shelter consisting of untrimmed tree trunks holding up a roof of woven bamboo and willow wands. The sides were mostly open to the elements. They stood under the flimsy roof.

"You'll have to move this one," she instructed Marco, "Jenny Fish was the only one who could do it on her own." She paused, "she was huge." Speaking softly now, "like you. Strong. Lots of muscles."

"Flossie, shut up." commanded Tanya quietly.

Marco stood at the boulder and heaved in the indicated direction. It rolled aside with surprising ease and exposed a small dark entrance.

"Come on inside, and then say you're sorry for not believing me." Flossie led the way through the opening and then stopped. "We have to light these," and she picked up a rush light from a pile near the entrance.

They each held a flaming torch, lit from Tanya's flint and steel, and they advanced into the cavern which quickly expanded into a huge chamber. To the girls, it was just a chamber, created by the 'old ones', but Marco recognised it as the tunnel carrying the coastal road between Alicante and Benidorm, and he had driven in convoy through it many times during the alien war, in the days before his rescue by the time machine. He had been seventeen then. Now, two thousand years later, he was still only nineteen.

"Sanwan. San Juan tunnel," he whispered. There was something about the cathedral like vault that inspired awe and wonder, and whispering came naturally. Twenty metres inside the tunnel, the decaying hulks of five transport cruisers stood in an orderly row, the carbon and plastic bodies showing some signs of their two thousand years underground, but only the metal parts actually disintegrating. Behind these five, the front of another vehicle protruded from the pile of rubble where the tunnel roof had collapsed.

"Is this your fabulous treasure, then?" asked Pansy in her best sarcastic manner.

Flossie didn't get time to make a suitable retort in return, as Marco started crying.

He was shaken by this encounter with the reminders of a past he'd tried to forget, and the girls looked at him, not understanding the horrors he had faced only two years previously. Those two years had seen him change, from a tired, frightened kitchen hand, into the muscular, nearly naked barbarian they saw before them.

He crouched down, and dropping his torch, covered his head with his arms. The girls stood and looked on, awkward and uncertain what to do, as the sound of his sobbing filled the tunnel. It was Flossie who made the first move. Handing her torch to Tanya, she grabbed the miserable man, and somehow managed to pull him to his feet and then pushed and pulled him back to the tunnel entrance.

His ears were full of the whine of alien lasers, and the smell of burnt human flesh filled his nostrils again. He lay on the grass and screamed at the sky. "Gudrun! Help me."

Flossie lay down beside him and held him close. "Shush darling, you're safe now."

Pansy was in the tunnel's entrance, and she stared open mouthed as the scene developed before her. "Tanya," she whispered over her shoulder, "she's stroking his hair." She narrowed her eyes. "I can't hear what she's saying."

Even if she had heard, it would have meant nothing. Flossie was using baby talk to calm him down.

"Tanya!" hissed Pansy, "the rotten cow's kissing him!"

Her new lover was more pragmatic about the situation. "Come on sweetheart, back inside. We'll leave them alone for a while."

"But she's kissing him!"

Tanya had heard Margaret and Gudrun talking about the 'old days', and she knew how they had kept Marco going through those bad times, so she pulled Pansy back into the tunnel. "We're not going to watch. We'll look at Flossie's treasure."

Back inside, and not knowing what to expect, the contents of the five cruisers came as a complete surprise to them. This was the secret store and hideaway of Martha Torrent and Filian Strake, the evil pair who had terrorised the valleys, and instead of meaningless, crumbling ancient artefacts, the vehicles held the proceeds of ten years of looting and extortion. With Martha's patrol now all dead, except for Beryl, Glen and Basher, who had no knowledge of the secret hoard, as they had never been trusted, they were the only four people in the world who knew of its location, and it was theirs for the taking.

Pansy was dashing from one cargo bay to the next, in her eagerness to see all the goodies at once, opening boxes and bags at random. Tanya was slower in her approach, but no less excited about what she was seeing. There were silver plates, dishes, and spoons. Silver and gold cups, and even a box of crystal goblets that must have come from beyond Valencia, and had pictures of strange animals and trees engraved on them. Then there was the jewellery. Boxes of assorted trinkets gleaming in the flickering torch light and chains of gold and silver in velvet lined cases. Tanya was always looking for weapons and armour, as good examples were highly desirable, and could be traded anywhere. There wasn't much, either in quantity or in variety, but she was not disappointed by her finds. The few swords, shields and axes she found, were of the highest quality, and at first glance, appeared to be from the same workshop as Sylvia's sword. She caressed the weapons and traced the outlines of the exotic beasts depicted on the shield bosses.

Pansy's excited calls broke the magic of the moment and she went to see what the fuss was all about. She found Pansy dancing around the tunnel at the rear of the last vehicle, and draped from head to foot in bright blue shimmering cloth.

"It's beautiful, Tan, just beautiful," she gasped in delight. "Feel it. Go on, feel it," and she stopped her mad cavorting.

Tanya reached out and touched the dazzling material. Unlike the coarsely woven clothing that most people wore, it slipped easily through her fingers. "What is it?" she asked in wonder, "I've never seen anything like it." Then the practical side of her nature came to the fore. "Wonder what it's worth. Is there any more?"

"There's more, much more," laughed Pansy, "and other colours too."

"It came from the South, over the mountain."

The two ecstatic girls hadn't noticed Flossie rejoin them.

"Is he all right," Tanya asked, chewing her bottom lip thoughtfully.

Flossie nodded. "Don't know why he went stupid on us, but he's quiet now."

"What have you done to him," snarled Pansy. "I saw you kissing him," and she clenched her fists menacingly.

"No." Tanya said firmly, stepping in front of Pansy. "We don't fight any more. We need each other now." She turned to Flossie, who hadn't cringed away as she would have done two days ago. "How old are you Floss?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "Twenty four, five maybe. Why?"

Tanya nodded. "Here's why. I know about Margaret and Gudrun. They used to lay with him all the time, to stop him thinking about the monsters, and I know you must have been making babies out there. Marco's ours, we saved him from drowning, but I don't want to have children with him. Not yet anyway, and you're too young Pansy dearest. So we're going to love each other, like good friends should do, and if Marco has to be calmed down, then that's part of Flossie's job, till we're old enough. Right?"

Tanya was naturally talkative, but mainly in the gossip department, and it had been a long speech, in her terms. There was silence while Pansy and Flossie stood and looked at each other.

"Don't hate me, Pansy," said Flossie quietly. "Everybody's hated me since Martha picked me to be her skivvy. I haven't been happy for years. I want to be happy."

Reluctantly, Pansy held out her hand and the three companions briefly hugged.

That evening they dined in style. Marco's fears were driven underground sufficiently to allow him to help with the removal of some of the loot into the open air, and he and Pansy built a camp among the rocks near the tunnel, while Flossie and Tanya went hunting with two of the bows they had acquired.

Tanya took the opportunity of being alone with Flossie to reinforce her position as leader of the group. She spoke softly to her. "There's three of us now and I'm glad you're with us, but Marco belongs to all of us. If you try to steal him from me and Pan, I'll kill you. Very slowly. Understand?"

Despite their age difference, Flossie had no difficulty in believing the threat, and promised that she would always be honest and true to her new family.

Tanya had some skill with a hunting bow, but in Flossie's hands, it proved to be a deadly instrument. They returned to camp with a small deer hanging from a pole they had cut, and as darkness fell they sat around the fire, drinking wine of dubious quality from silver cups, and admiring each others new clothes, while they waited for Pansy to declare the venison ready.

As well as the rolls of synthetic cloth in the last wagon, there was an abundance of more practical gear, and their own shabby clothes had been discarded. There were no 'mens' clothing as such, but Marco had been fitted out in voluminous trousers and a loose shirt, both of white linen with blue edging. He had kept his sandals, as they had found none to fit him, but the three girls had a bigger selection to choose from, and were decked out like peacocks in the brightest colours they could find and exotic shoes with bright buckles.

Tanya wiped grease from her chin and licked her lips. "What were they going to do with all this stuff then," she asked Flossie, and reached for the wine bottle again.

"Martha said it was her insurance. For when she was too old to frighten people I guess."

"There's better things here than we ever saw in the temple," added Pansy. "Never seen clothes like these before."

"Its called poly something," Marco informed them. "We wore clothes made of it on the Hood."

The girls looked at him warily, half expecting him to start crying again, but he skewered another piece of meat on his dagger and popping it in his mouth, kept on chewing.

"Or was it tetra something," he mused. "Can't really remember now. I'll ask Margaret when I see her." He frowned. "If I remember."

Tanya put her hand on Marco's mighty shoulder. "We don't want to see her yet, Marco love," she said quietly. "We'll wait a few weeks. Perhaps she'll realise she was wrong to try and have you killed, and if she doesn't..."

Her voice trailed off to leave an awkward silence between them.

"Time for a story," exclaimed Pansy suddenly. "Who will go first."

Apparently, no one knew any stories worth telling.

"A song then," she said brightly. "Anything?" She added after another lengthy silence.

"I'll tell you a sad story," said Marco at last, and he commenced to tell them of his childhood in North America. He could have told them anything, anything at all. They wouldn't have known the difference between fact and fiction, especially as the facts of his childhood and early teens could have come from a novel.

But he stuck to the absolute truth, from the break up of his parents marriage, through the happy times on the asteroid mining ship, Hood, then the horrors of the alien invasion, to the debacle of Ashers Farm, after which he had been heralded as a hero, when in fact, the truth was far different to the stories being spread by the wardogs who had been with him.

"So you see," he concluded. "I'm a fraud, made in my father's image and living out his dreams. I can't even draw a sword without cutting myself. And as for that battle, I never actually hurt anyone. Even the girls and dogs with me had to run themselves silly to get close enough to the enemy, and then they mostly fell down crying and begging for mercy."

"So, what you're saying," said Tanya slowly, "is that if we got ourselves into a fight, you wouldn't know how to use a sword or axe?

He nodded. "That about sums it up, I'm afraid. Pretty useless."

"Chiggers!"

They all stared at her.

"What's wrong Tan?" asked Pansy.

"Unless you and mister muscle here can learn fighting pretty quick, then we'll have to think of something else. I thought we had a chance to rule the world, but now we might have to make do with only half of it."

Sceptical at first, but then wide eyed with wonder, they listened to their leader's scheme, and congratulated her on it's audacity.

Then they opened another anonymous bottle, which proved to be Crampton's finest brandy. As the fire died down, Pansy cuddled up to Tanya and drew her lover's face down to hers, and they engaged in a long kiss goodnight. She had accepted Flossie at last, and they ignored the sounds coming from the other side of the fire.
Chapter 14

### Law and Order

### Bad decisions

There are two sides to every story, and this one was no exception. Tanya's life had taken a temporary nose dive, but seemed to be on the up again.

But in Ibis, things were somewhat different. Skip back in time a week or so. It was market day, and spirits were high, due to the imminent arrival of their very own man.

"Margo. Margo, where are you?" Dotty Sharp's voice carried across the low murmur of traders and customers in Ibis market square, causing Margo Lemon to look up from the table. Jean Collier sighed in frustration. She was sure that Margo had been about to buy the ring with the big blue stones. Her mum, Fran would be livid if they didn't sell some of their junk soon. Business was bad. Ibis folks were notoriously shy when it came to parting with their cash or trinkets, and always drove a hard bargain.

"What do you want, Dotty? Can't it wait?"

"I got it Margo, I went and got it," she exclaimed excitedly, and showed Margo what she was carrying. "What do you think of that then?" she said proudly.

Attracted by the unusual fuss, a small crowd was gathering, and Dotty held up the outlandish helmet for all to see and admire. It was covered in fur and had horns.

"Where'd you get that from?" asked Margo, who had a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach as she vaguely recognised it. "Dotty. What have you done?"

Dotty's chest swelled with pride. "Remember that tree beast we saw at Asher's field? Well it won't bother us no more. I killed it."

"What?" Margo only managed to squeak the word out.

"Killed it stone dead. With one arrow. I was down at the practise ground by the river, shooting at the long butts, and I saw it come out of the trees. Nearly pooed my pants, but I waited till I was sure of my shot, then, whizz." She demonstrated the arrow's flight with her free hand. "Got it, and it fell off the bridge. I'm a hero, I am."

"You're a bloody idiot, that's what you are!" Margo's eyes were bulging as she tried to imagine the consequences of Dotty's actions. "Don't you remember what day this is?"

Dotty's smile faded away, and in their wisdom, so did some of the crowd.

Margo continued. "This week, any day now, there's a man coming over from Homestead. You remember Homestead? Right next to Burnt Wood? That beast thing was probably sent here to look after him. Now if any of them loonies from Homestead find out that you've killed one of their pet monsters, don't you think they might be a little upset?"

Dotty's face showed her anxiety as Margo's words sunk in, then some more of the crowd decided to go home as two strangers pushed through the throng, coming from the direction of the river gate. They stopped in front of Dotty and Margo. Dotty remembered the helmet in her hands, and hid it behind her back, but too late.

"Show me." demanded Sylvia Long, Homestead's Prima.

Dotty grinned foolishly and held out the helmet. "Sorry," she muttered.

"Where is he?"

"Err..."

Sylvia raised her voice several decibels. "Tell me. Now!"

"It fell in the river," called an anonymous voice from the back.

"And how, may I ask did he get there?"

"Err..."

"She shot it. Ouch." The anonymous informant was silenced by someone far wiser.

"Is that right?" asked Sylvia mildly, but her voice hid her true feelings.

"'Fraid so," Dotty whispered.

Sylvia turned and briefly made eye contact with Margaret, then swung round again, and drove her fist into Dotty's face with all the force she could muster.

Dotty staggered backwards before falling, stunned by the blow. Blood was pouring from her broken nose, and within seconds, her left eye started to swell up and close. Sylvia followed her and started kicking her in the ribs. "Stupid, stupid, stupid."

Margo stepped forward to stop the beating. "Hold hard there. It was only a tree beast."

Sylvia whirled round on her, and at the sight of her fury, Margo quickly shuffled back. "Tree beast? Tree beast? You stupid peasants!"

The tree beast was one of the creatures that existed only in the imagination. The Homesteaders had spread rumours of various monsters to keep strangers out of Burnt Wood, where the wardogs lived.

"I'll tell you what you've done today, shall I?" Sylvia said menacingly. "You haven't killed a tree beast, nobody can kill a tree beast. That was a man, your man. He was this town's man, and you tell me he's in the river?" She turned again to Dotty. "Well, if he's dead, I'm going to come back for you and slice open your belly and strangle you with your own intestines."

The remaining crowd held it's collective breath, and the only sound in the square was Dotty's sobbing. Sylvia continued quietly. "And if that doesn't satisfy me, then I'm going to find everyone vaguely related to you, and slaughter them as well."

She whirled round. "Come on Marge, we may be lucky and find him still alive."

Margaret ground the heel of her boot into Dotty's outstretched hand, then stood briefly in front of Margo. "He's mine. You were only borrowing him. If he's dead, you'd better hope that Sylvia gets here before I do. I'll not stop at just fathead's family. I'll burn this cesspit that you call home to the ground. Everybody still here will die." Then she ran to catch up with Sylvia, who was already jogging back to the bridge.

Fran Collier nudged her daughter's arm. "Time to pack up I think. Not much prospect for a sale here now."

"Not much prospect for anything here now," Jean replied quietly, shaking her head sadly. She hadn't seen violence like that since the Full Moon riot in Gap three years ago.

"Isn't it a little early for you two to be dashing off already?" Asked Polly Jugg, Ibis's leading sword hand, who had just arrived in the square.

"Got an important meeting in Central," replied Fran, hurriedly forcing miscellaneous items into a hessian sack. "Jean, go get them bullocks hitched up. We're late."

After finally making sense of the garbled accounts of the onlookers, Polly was worried sick. If the man was dead, then whatever happened, she reckoned that she was going to die as well as Dotty. She was Dotty's cousin, and also, as first sword, she would be expected to stand up for her, and she knew that only Beryl Strong could beat Sylvia with a sword. No chance of help there. Beryl was from Homestead.

She returned to Fran and Jean's wagon. "Deliver a message for me, Fran. Please?"

The peddler frowned and shuffled her feet. "Don't really want to get involved," she said worriedly. "Pedlars are supposed to be neutral. Got to travel in strange places. Got to stay neutral to stay safe."

"I'll give you a silver coin."

"With a queen's head on it?"

Polly nodded. "Yes, but I've only got a ten."

"What's your message?" Fran asked without hesitation.

"It's for Tina Flake. You know, Central's new Prima," she added when Fran shrugged her shoulders. "Tell her we need help here. Swords and law givers."

Fran took her coin and promised to deliver the message personally, and Polly set about trying to sort out in her head what they were going to do.

"What are we going to do now, Sylv." Margaret asked, breathing heavily. "Do we go back and start killing?"

They had walked and jogged for three hours along the river bank, and had emerged from the pass and were at the edge of the Southern plain. The only sign of Marco's passing were his twin swords, which they had seen in the water below the bridge.

"No. much as I'd like to, we can't." She squatted down. "Sit down, we'll have a few minutes, then press on to the coast."

Margaret sat on a rock. "What's stopping us going back there?"

"For one thing they'll be ready for us. It's one of the few places that's got proper walls. We'd never get inside. Then, unfortunately there's the law. It's a job for the gurus to sort out now. Connie Nesbitt will speak our case, they'll get someone to give their side of it, and then we'll start killing them. Simple as that."

"So what now then," Margaret repeated.

"Follow the river to La Via. Take a boat to Gap, run like crazy for home, then raise an army, and with a bit of luck, we'll be back here in a couple of weeks to make them wish they'd never been born."

Back to the present, and Pansy was getting worried about births as well.

"You'll have to talk to her, Tan. Tell her to stop it. Make her see sense."

"What about Pansy darling," asked Tanya, completely baffled by her lovers words.

"Well, I've been counting. Can't help but notice that they end up making babies most nights." Pansy was whispering in a conspiratorial manner.

"Yes, but what are you getting at?"

"They've done it at least seven times already. How are we going to cope when she has them all? We can't feed seven babies! What you laughing at Tanya Vine? It's no laughing matter. I can't make milk, and I don't think you can either!"

Tanya eventually managed to calm down enough to give Pansy her version of the facts of life, which were not exactly accurate, but nearer the truth than Pansy's.

"How was I supposed to know that?" The embarrassed girl asked, when she finally realised that Flossie wasn't about to present them with hordes of squealing babies. "Never got told nothing like that in school. Only know about spiders. Bet you think I'm a right drip now."

Tanya put an arm round her disconsolate friend. "If you knew everything love, then you wouldn't be you. You'd be someone else, and I wouldn't love you."

"Truly Tan? You're not just saying that are you?"

"Course not sweetheart. I love you, not some 'know it all' from the future, like them angels, or the mighty Gudrun from the past. You're the here and now. We belong together."

"Oh Tan, You're so good to me." She paused, happy and safe in Tanya's arms. "Bet you're a bit vexed though, cos me and Marco are still lacking when it comes to swords."

"No, we're doing alright," Tanya replied, but thought, _"you're not wrong there kid."_

They sat watching the flames lick round the bottom of the pot of rabbit stew.

"We're going to get dressed up tonight," Tanya declared. "Make sure we all look the part when we get there. Go through the story again."

Pansy looked up at her. "Think they'll really let us have it Tan?"

"No reason why they shouldn't." She smiled. "They're too greedy to let a good deal like this slip through their fingers. Not long now, and we'll be a legal part of Ibis's domain, under the protection of Polly Jugg. Then no one can touch us. No meddling gurus, priestesses, or shark women. We'll be safe."

### The Lanky Chicken

"Take one step closer, and I'll give you such pain that you wouldn't believe. And in really interesting places too!"

Sali and Sandal whirled round at the sound of the harsh voice, and looked up. And up some more, at the biggest pair of eyes they had ever seen. They both gaped in disbelief at the huge black and white bird, which turned it's head sideways to look at them.

"You! Say the words. What's rule number one?"

"Never panic?" said Sali, on the verge of panicking.

"No, not you, him, and that's only number seven anyway."

"The speakers are one," blurted out Sandal at last, "respect your kin."

"And do we eat our kin?"

"N n n no!"

"So you," said the ostrich, pointing at Sandal, with a grubby finger, "can stop drooling right now. It's bad manners to think about what you've got in mind. And keep away from my children!"

Sali and Sandal stared at the small arms which had been tucked under it's wings. If there had been prizes for gaping at the annual village fair, they would have won easily.

"We meant no harm," pleaded Sali, "only wanted a closer look at your beautiful babies."

The ostrich cocked her head the other way, "Oh, know a lot about youngsters do you?"

"Oh yes. We've got lots of babies in Homestead now, and kids, calves and chicks too."

"Chickens eh? Do they talk?"

Sali frowned, "why, no. Should they?"

"I guess not, there were no other birdfolk with us at the Ruby House, not that any of the scatterbrain dogs would remember though. Say, you're travelling awful light, how far is it to your camp, or village or whatever?"

Sandal was regaining his composure, "about two hours to dog city, that way," and pointed roughly South.

"And who's in charge now?"

"Daggit," answered Sandal.

"No, not who thinks he's boss. Who's in charge?"

Sali saved her partner from his confusion, "that would be Flair, or Caren."

"Caren? What sort of a name's that for a dog?"

"Oh, she used to be called Scutcher, but now she's Caren Bonecrusher."

"A Bonecrusher? Well, let's go see your Caren then, we've a lot of catching up to do."

Sali and Sandal's first hunting trip came to a premature end, and they set off towards the clan's tented campsite (dog city?) with the ostrich following behind, and her three youngsters cavorting around and between her massive legs.

A little over two hours later, Flair crinkled her nose.

"That's our Sandal coming back."

Her son Flame, (Sandal's older brother) looked up from the drawing of Asher's field they had been working on together and sniffed as well.

"He'll have to stop rolling in stuff. I told him it's not civilised. Don't catch me and Billie rolling in stuff."

Flair dropped the charcoal and slowly stood up, and her hackles rose with her as the scent on the air triggered her defence reflexes.

"Get ready to grab the brats and run," she said through clenched teeth.

Flame looked up at her and gave a bemused smile.

"Run? We're wardogs, we don't run."

She spun round and her right hand made solid contact with his left ear, "I'm older and wiser than you'll ever be. When I say run, you say, how fast mum? Now go and fetch Jade, we need archers."

"Mum, there's walls in Homestead," he whined.

Her hand was a fist this time and he rolled away from the table with the force of the blow. "Go!" she screamed at him, and as he left the huddle of tents that made up dog city, urging his younger cousins on, she turned to face the North trail and whatever was coming her way.

Race memories of the superdogs origins, bolstered by dark tales told on even darker nights, made Flair alternatively bare her teeth and snarl in defiance, then cringe and whimper with fear at the sight of her son and Sali being held firmly by the infamous Killer Chicken.

The ostrich sadly regarded Flair going through her emotional turmoil.

"Oh for goodness sake, pull yourself together, you're no better than that stupid bitch Mimsy, your first grandmother. Well, say something!"

"Let my son go!" snarled Flair, then whimpered again, "please?"

Sandal was pushed gently forwards, "go on boy, talk to your mother," then lowering her head to Sali, she said quietly, "just see where the beakies have got to honey, and bring them here, will you please?"

Flair had snatched Sandal and thrown him bodily towards the Homestead trail, then grabbed her sword and axe from the armour post outside her tent. She turned to the ostrich, her face a mask of hatred and grim determination, and advancing two paces, threw the axe with all her strength.

"Die, murderer."

The ostrich leaned slightly to the right, and raised it's left leg to snatch the axe out of the air as it tumbled past her, then transferring it from foot to hand, she casually tossed it into the dirt at Flair's feet. "Would the great warrior care to try again, or would she rather talk?"

Even with the odds stacked against her, Flair was a willing opponent, and refused to back down, knowing that help had been sent for.

Eventually, with an eerie sense of déjà vu, Jade entered the clearing at Hoods Hole cave holding a half drawn bow, with Flame and Sandal right behind her, and as if nature wanted to redress the imbalance of the strange tableau, Sali and the three young ostriches, each as tall as her, came hand in hand from the North trail.

"Found them Cilla, oh!" Years of friendship with Tanya had given Sali some of her best friends attitude and the battle at Ashers Farm had been a steep learning curve for her. But also, now that she had been in the dog's company, the persona once known as 'Sali who passed the cutlery', was finally being replaced, possibly even by the dogs invention, 'Vorden of the bloody knives'? She moved to stand in front of the ostrich.

"YOU," she shouted at Jade, "PUT DOWN THAT BOW!

There was an unnatural quality in her voice, and Jade was momentarily stunned by the force of Sali's command, so lowered the bow uncertainly.

"What's rule number one?"

"Don't panic?" replied the confused Jade, wondering why Sali sounded like Ma Nesbitt having a bad day.

"Not you. You," Sali repeated, pointing an unwavering finger at Flair. "And that's only eight anyway."

A small voice behind and above her said, "seven actually, but you're doing OK."

"Er, the speakers are as one with you," said Flair.

"And?"

"Er, respect your kin," she finished quietly.

"Easy, isn't it," said Sali with a triumphant smile spreading across her face. "You're the dog Flair, and that's your family. You're the human Jade, and I'm your family. This is the bird Cilla, with her family. We all speak, so we all respect each other. Don't we?"

"But she's a dog killer," said Flair in a small worried voice.

"Have you met her before?" demanded Sali.

"No, but I know the stories."

"Forget the stories, her name's Cilla, not killer, so stop all this stupid sword waving and talk to her. Or suffer a virgin's curse." And as she said the words, her left hand reached upwards, the fingers spreading outwards and her right hand stretched forward of it's own volition towards Flair. The shocked dog woman threw down her sword and axe and cowered before the menacing figure. Suddenly, the tense moment passed and Sali seemed to shrink a little before their eyes. She turned and walked into the trees.

After a moment's hesitation, Jade put her bow down and followed, keeping a healthy distance from the awesome bird. She found Sali some twenty metres into the trees, sat hugging her knees, alternately frowning, then staring wide eyed into space. Jade sat beside her and put her arm round the mystified girls shoulders.

"Well, that was a surprise," said Jade.

"Oh Jade," she said and leant against the older girls side, "Something just went click inside my head. What happened to me back there? Oh Lady, my head hurts."

"Hush child, everything's alright. We'll rest awhile before we go back home, then when Connie, Ma Nesbitt, comes back, she'll tell you about it better than I can. But it looks like you're getting a special talent that's only given to a lucky few."

'Or unlucky' she added silently to herself.

After ten minutes of TLC, Sali felt well enough to rejoin the others and they found Cilla sitting at the rough table, admiring Flame's latest drawings. Flair's sword and axe were hanging from the post again, and Sandal was trying to keep the three youngsters out of the kitchen tent.

"Me and Sali have got to go back home," said Jade to no one in particular. "Something important's come up."

Cilla fixed one enormous eye on Jade, "got any decent food there, like apple pie?"

"I guess that Frankie can get anything you want," replied the archer.

"In that case, I'm coming as well, been too long since I tasted apple pie."

She looked at Flair and said quietly, "You'd better come too."

Flair was about to make excuses about Homestead having walls, but Cilla held up one hand to stop her protest, "You'll have to come with us to talk to the humans honey, me and the young ones are heading South. Your cousins are on the move."

### The word of the law

"What's the best we can hope for?" Polly asked the question more in the hope of hearing good news, than actually expecting it. Deep down, she knew that there wasn't a 'best' in this case, and her racing heart was making her feel decidedly unwell.

The two lawgivers from the Court of Final Appeal in Central conferred again, then Millie Storm steepled her fingers and looked at the ceiling of the council chamber.

"If we can press the point with vigour that they were lacking in the proper care of their property, to wit the man..." she looked at the papers in front of her, "...known as Marco. In as much as that they knowingly let him wander out of their sight, then they may have to be content with a blood price."

Maddy Toogood narrowed her eyes as she heard the dreaded subject of cost come up. As Ibis's Prima, she was expected to make sure that the town made a yearly profit, and that the coffers were always full. She wasn't too happy that two of the bloodsucking lawyers had turned up. One would have been expensive enough, but two?

She leant forward. "What would be the likely price to pay?" she asked the two experts.

"What price indeed?" answered the other, Daisy Vetch. "How does one put a price on something so rare that there are now only five of them left in the whole world?"

"Yes, but how much?" insisted Maddy.

"Probably as much as you have." answered Daisy.

Maddy paled at the thought of all that wealth leaking away, and there was a prolonged silence, while all in the chamber contemplated those awful words.

"Of course, they may insist on a more physical judgement, and that would lessen the monetary aspect of it."

Maddy's face brightened, but Polly winced and seemed to shrink a little before their eyes. She looked at Dotty, who's broken hand was strapped to a board, and her face still resembling a disaster area. She hadn't spoken or shown any emotion since the meeting had begun. Dotty had accepted that she was living on borrowed time, and had retreated mentally to a safer place.

"What forms of physical judgement are there?" asked Polly. "Are there any alternatives?"

Millie and Daisy whispered together again and turned several pages of the manuscript over. Finally, Daisy looked up and cleared her throat. "Usually, this will take the form of a duel, between defendant and accuser." She looked at Dotty. "In this case, given the defendants condition, they will probably allow a champion to take part as well."

"What about weapons?" whispered Polly.

Another muted conversation and more page turning.

Millie answered, "there are no clear guidelines. In the case of Nancy Tribble against Amanda Proudlove, they started with garden spades, but Tribble was eventually beaten to death with a sack of potatoes. It would seem that anything could be allowed."

Polly leant forward and rested her head on her arms on the table. She screwed her eyes shut but didn't cry. Like Dotty, she knew that she was going to die.

The meeting broke up, and the lawgivers, happy that they were earning their exorbitant fees easily, returned to the airy apartment on the top floor of the council building.

"Any chance that we can buy them off Maddy?"

Maddy shook her head. "Sorry Poll. Homesteaders are yokels. Don't love money like we do. It's all about honour and sisterly love over there. You and Dotty'll have to do it the hard way."

Dotty just sat there, in a world of her own, and Polly shuddered at the thought of Sylvia with a sword bearing down on them both. Then the outer door burst open, and the sound of an excited crowd drifted into the room.

"Maddy, quick. You've never seen anything like it."

Maddy scowled at the interruption, "what are you going on about girl."

"Visitors, Maddy," exclaimed Shelly Sparrow, the door guard. "Foreign visitors."

She could say no more, as she was roughly pushed to one side by a warrior dressed all in red, followed immediately by another all in blue. Their shimmering robes swept the ground and were fastened at the waist by sword belts bearing gleaming scimitars. They both wore half face helmets of bronze, with a crest of bright feathers, and they carried small shields with polished copper bosses engraved with dragonlike creatures. As they moved left and right into the room, a third, dressed similarly but all in green followed them and stood before the long table.

"All rise," she bellowed, "for the princess Florabel of Alacant and San Wan."

The mystified audience were already standing and gazed open mouthed as the princess entered, followed by Tina Flake and four of her guards. The princess was a big girl, a very big girl and dressed rather plainly in robes of white linen with blue edging. Only the jewels she wore marked her as something special.

"Chair," the herald said loudly. "Chair for her highness," she repeated irritably.

Polly nearly fell over her own feet as she scrambled to move her chair for the princess.

The princess of Alacant and San Wan sat.

"Knees," whispered Tanya, bending low and adjusting Marco's gown. "Put your bloody knees together."

"So far so good", thought Tanya. They hadn't seen anyone familiar yet, and the helmets covered part of their faces anyway.

Maddy wrung her hands together and made a small bow in the princess's direction. "May I say what an honour this is, to be blessed by the presence of your royal highness." She had heard of Alacant, of course, but all reports had said that it was deserted and derelict.

The princess smiled and idly waved a gloved hand. The smile went unnoticed as Marco's face was covered with a veil.

"The princess has taken a vow of silence for the extent of this pilgrimage," announced Tanya. "I will speak with the voice of the throne of Alacant."

All this was heady stuff for Maddy. Shelly was right. Nothing like this had ever been seen in the region before. And probably never would again.

"May one enquire what the princess's needs are at this time?" She had done a quick assessment of the situation, and figured that the princess was wearing jewellery worth more than the whole of Ibis's treasury.

"The princess is on an extended pilgrimage, and requires a private residence without the city walls, for a period not yet determined."

Calling Ibis a 'city' pleased Maddy enormously, especially as Central's Prima, Tina Flake was standing there. Like everyone else, Tina was struggling to come to terms with the presence of such wealth. Not only that. These people were so bright. It just wasn't possible to make colours like these any more.

"Err, there are several homes available in the, er city," Maddy said slowly, "but I can't think of anywhere suitable outside the walls."

"There is a walled farm to the East," Tanya stated firmly. "We shall move in there."

Maddy's jaw dropped. "But that's my family's estate," she whined. "I can't really leave the orchards and livestock unattended."

"This is not a permanent move for her highness, and it could be the start of a valuable alliance between Ibis and the South." Tanya watched Maddy's face and decided to go the whole distance now. "There would of course be some compensation for you and the city." She waved forward the blue warrior, who came to the table with a small box.

Maddy's eyes widened as the box was opened, and a glittering collection of rings, brooches and bangles was tipped out onto the table.

"Of course," said Maddy, all smiles now, "I'll make arrangements for you immediately.

She started to scoop the shining pile back into the box, but the red warrior suddenly started forward.

"No!" she exclaimed, and the other warriors looked at her in surprise. "The princess cannot surrender her box. It was a gift from her mother, the queen of Sutherland."

There was a brief pause while Tanya came to terms with Pansy's sudden change in the plan. "Indeed," she announced. "The box is a sacred relic from the err, valley wars and must be returned to Sutherland every two years. To, err, ensure the chocolate harvest."

She was ad-libbing furiously, and hoped that there were no more surprises in store.

Maddy's brain had been whirling for several minutes now. She smiled and nodded wisely. "To conclude this part of the alliance," she said, "you shall take possession of Toogood Farm, for an indeterminate period, and we shall supply you with servants to look after your needs."

Tanya was mortified. "That won't be necessary," she said hurriedly.

"Ah but it is," insisted Maddy, "we will send the Sharp family to you. They are looking for alternative employment at the moment, and I'm sure that they will fill your every need. No matter how small."

Ibis's Prima would not be swayed on her decision. She had managed to move the problem of Dotty's impending doom onto the princess of Alacant. If Homestead wanted Dotty, then under what passed for employment laws, they would have to take issue with the princess. Then that interfering Nesbitt woman would get a nasty shock when the swords of Alacant and San Wan came over the hill.

### Toogood Farm

Toogood farm was like a miniature castle, and Flossie slammed the huge gate shut as the last of Maddy's relatives went out of the farmyard. She dropped the locking bar and went to join the others, removing her helmet as she went. "These are rubbish. They look good, but they're damned uncomfortable to wear. My ears will never be the same again."

Tanya had other things on her mind. "You nearly dropped us in the deep stuff there Pansy. What did you do that for?"

"Never saw the box empty before. Did you see the bottom of it? It's shaped, and I think it's my trumpet's shape at that."

"So you nearly messed it all up for a box to put your precious horn in?"

Pansy was taken back by her friends anger, but snapped back at her. "Yes it's precious, you know it is, and you should know that precious things need precious care. Sword, scabbard. That sort of thing."

Tanya could relate to sword and scabbard, so relented. "Sorry Pan. You're probably right. No harm done, we're safe now."

There was a banging at the gate, and Tanya looked at it in frustration.

"We've got to keep Marco out of sight for a while. Tell them we're not ready yet Floss, tell them to wait. Come on Pan, we'll get Marco settled in somewhere safe."

They went their separate ways, Pansy, Marco and Tanya heading for the two storey house, Flossie climbing the short staircase to the walls ramparts.

There were five people standing outside.

"You can't come in yet," she shouted down to them. "Come back later."

The group looked up and then at each other. They retreated several paces to ease their aching necks and then one spoke up. "We've come a long way today mistress, only want a drink of fresh water and somewhere cool to sit a while."

"Don't be silly, woman," retorted Flossie, "you've only come from Ibis, just over the hill." and she waved her hand in the general direction.

There was some muttered conversation and shrugging of shoulders, then the spokeswoman said, "but we're going to Ibis. Come from Homestead on legal matters."

Flossie's brain went into overtime as she weighed up her options. She looked at the house, but there was no sign of Tanya, so she decided to take the offensive. "Nobody from Homestead allowed inside these walls. Or anywhere near these walls if it comes to that. You're all murderous scum, now be off with you before I set the dogs loose."

She wasn't sure whether the ancient, mangy mongrels she had seen about the place were capable of frightening anyone away, but it sounded good.

"Why do we deserve this?" asked another. "The war's been over for a year now. We've been good neighbours with you since then."

"I know what you're up to, and it'll do you no good," shouted Flossie, getting into full stride now. "Any more of your lip and I'll come down there myself, now begone."

She left the rampart and ran back to the house, where she met Tanya in the doorway.

"What's all the shouting for Floss?"

"Rabble from Homestead. Told them to sod off."

"Come on, lets have a look at them before they get too far away."

Back on the wall over the gate, they saw that the party from Homestead were only a hundred paces away and walking slowly. Tanya recognised them all. Julie and Terri Brand, Max Ward, Ivy Tulip and Margaret Valence. It was too much for Tanya to bear.

"Murdering Margaret," she whispered, and took Flossie's bow from her. "Murderer," she yelled, and as the Homesteaders turned to look back at her, she loosed the arrow. She had aimed at Margaret's legs in return for Marco's wound, but the arrow stuck harmlessly in the ground between her feet. "Damn," exclaimed Tanya, "missed."

Ivy quickly had an arrow notched and let it fly. Tanya half closed her eyes and felt her chest muscles contract, as she watched the arrow come directly at her and expected to feel it strike home, but then it veered slightly and passed between her and Flossie.

She stood there and watched as the five Homesteaders debated briefly what to do, before continuing on their way towards Ibis.

"Bit rash, weren't you?" Said Flossie. "I wouldn't have done that."

"Couldn't help it," replied Tanya, troubled by her brush with death. "Had to do it."

"Well don't do it again Tanya Vine," warned Flossie, "we need you too much."

Tanya looked suddenly at Flossie. The woman standing beside her bore little resemblance to the pathetic creature that they had found only four weeks ago. The half starved, half naked and grovelling outcast had gone. Here stood a warrior, confident that she was going to make an important contribution to her new family, and happy in the company of good friends who she knew wouldn't let her down.

Tanya was feeling pleased that she was needed by someone, so she smiled as she said, "come on Floss, let's get out of these ridiculous clothes."

Back in the house, they had rid themselves of the flowing robes and polished armour, and were now clad in their more normal trousers and shirts. They sat on the bed in what was going to be the 'princess's' bedroom, and out of bounds to the servants.

"How are we going to manage with strangers wandering about the place," complained Marco. "For me it'll be like being in prison."

"Didn't expect it, that's for sure," answered Tanya, "but as soon as it's safe, the princess will leave, and Marco will come back. Probably."

"How long do you think Tan?" asked Pansy

"Long as it takes love. Six weeks, twelve weeks. Who knows."

"Twelve weeks locked in a bedroom," wailed Marco. "That's a lifetime."

"Don't worry," said Flossie reassuringly, "I'll visit you. From time to time."

"Thought you would," retorted Pansy. "Anyway, I don't mind. I kissed him again when you were on the wall." She raised her eyebrows at the sight of Flossie and Tanya's faces. "And why should I not. He's mine as well as yours. Aren't you Marco dearest?"

Marco smiled. "We're just one big happy family."

Shouting from outside the gate interrupted the argument before it could get started.

"Come on girls," sighed Tanya, "let's go see if this is the hired help."

After first making sure that the Homesteaders hadn't returned, the gate was opened to let in the servants assigned to them by Maddy. It was a surprise to say the least.

Just to be on the safe side, Maddy had sent over Dotty and all her relations. Dotty's mother, Edna, her older sisters, Evelyn and Annie, and their four daughters, Caroline, Marianne, Lilibet and Molli made up the Sharps. Polly was accompanied by her sister Sarah, and their mother, Doris. Sarah's only daughter, Sasha, was eleven, which had made her the youngest girl in the world, before the new births in Homestead.

The Sharps and the Juggs were out of Maddy's way, and were, as far as she was concerned, Alacant's problem. And she was making a profit on leasing out the farmstead.

"Flaming seesaws," whispered Flossie to Pansy as the assorted women and girls trailed past them into the yard. "didn't know that royalty needed this much looking after."

Pansy frowned. "There's something odd going on here." She drew Flossie's attention to Dotty, with her splinted hand and ravaged face. "What use will she be?"

After two hours of chaos, things settled down as everyone found their place in the pecking order, and calm descended once more to Toogood farm. The entire top floor had been declared off limits to the servants, and Marco took his tea, and then his supper in the bedroom, delivered to him by Pansy. Despite the house being larger than their needs, Tanya insisted that all twelve of the servants bedded down in the cottage across the yard, and Marco was given the freedom of the house until the morning.

For four days, all seemed to be going well. Then there was an unwelcome visitor.

Tina Flake arrived with two of her troop, and bad news from Ibis.

"The princess Florabel is required to attend high council at Ibis, in relation to a serious crime, allegedly committed by one of her servants."

"What rubbish is this?" demanded Tanya. "The princess answers to no one in this country. Especially if it's anything to do with those scum from Homestead."

"Those scum are camped outside the walls of Ibis, with an army of more than seventy warriors and wardogs." Tina answered. "And there's going to be trouble if the lawyers can't sort it out between themselves. We need your attendance."

Tanya went silent and thought furiously. She would have to go with Tina, but knew that she couldn't fool the dog soldiers, so she would have to pray for a miracle. Whatever happened, she thought, she was determined not to go back to a life of drudgery in Homestead.

She informed the others of her intentions as she dressed for the part of princess's herald again. On top of her undershirt, she wore the silver mail, covered by the green robes.

She didn't bother with a bow, but took five of her knives and the sword she had found in Deerward tower. She topped off the ensemble with leather boots and wrist guards, the half helmet and the copper shield. Just for good measure, she pushed the snake bracelet high up onto her left arm. Outside, she found that Tina and her guards had already gone, taking Dotty with them, so she set off for Ibis on her own.

### The law is a goat

The council chamber was noisy until Millie Storm banged her gavel on the table top.

Maddy winced, it had taken years to perfect it's finish, and it had cost her dear.

"Are all interested parties in attendance?" Millie looked pointedly round the room. There was an empty chair.

"Begging your pardon madam," said Shelly, who was trying to act as usher, "but the princess Florabel hasn't turned up yet." She attempted to curtsy again, and decided it wasn't worth the bother. Stupid tradition anyway.

"Can we begin the proceedings without her?" Millie asked her fellows at the table.

Daisy Vetch nodded and looked to her left. Connie Nesbitt sniffed.

"Begin," she said simply. She was worried. She felt that something wasn't right here.

Millie began. "Who is the complainant?"

Margaret stood up. She and Sylvia had decided that she alone should bring the charge.

Millie looked down her nose at her. "Yokel", she thought. "Defendant?" she said.

Dotty stood up unsteadily. She had been unnerved by meeting Sylvia and Margaret again.

"Tell me, child. Did you or did you not, shoot an arrow at the man, known as Marco."

"Well your honour, didn't know he was called Marco, did I."

"But did you shoot him?"

"Well your honour, didn't rightly know he was a man either."

"Explain."

"Thought it was a tree beast, come to get us again."

"Again?"

"Thought it was a tree beast,..."

"No!" Millie stopped her angrily. "It came to get you again?"

"Oh, yes. It were at Ashers Farm. It were evil. Had horns on it's head."

Connie Nesbitt interrupted. "Who told you it was a tree beast?"

"Well, nobody. And everybody really."

"Have you seen a picture of it with a label underneath that says _'this is a tree beast'_?"

"Well, no"

"And if your mother was to put that on," she pointed at the horned helmet on the table in front of her, "would she be a tree beast, and would you shoot her?"

Dotty put on her famous 'I don't know what you're going on about' grin and shrugged her shoulders.

"But you did shoot him, didn't you." suggested Connie gently.

Dotty nodded. "Yes," she managed to say in a small voice.

Daisy coughed dramatically. "Sit down girl," she ordered, then shuffled her papers and looked at Margaret. "Now, Margret of Valens, when did you last see the man known as Marco?"

"We had breakfast that morning, and he was looking forward to seeing Ibis, and wanted to be on the way. I remember he said that he was keen to go, and I told him not to leave yet, because we're weren't ready for him. We finished breakfast, me and Sylvia, and saw that he was missing."

"So he disobeyed your command to stay?" Daisy looked sideways at Connie and Millie.

Margaret frowned. "Well, yes. I suppose he did."

"Any questions?" Daisy asked her peers.

They shook their heads. There had never been such a clear cut case before.

"I speak on behalf of the Court of Final Appeal, and the findings are thus." She looked once more at the others, but as they had they had already reached agreement in their private rooms, there was no attempt to interrupt. "The woman Dotty Sharp did unlawfully kill the man known as Marco, but that there was negligence upon the part of his keeper, one Margret of Valens. As is custom, We have already negotiated a blood price, which in this instance, given the nature of the deceased..." She skimmed through the pile of paper again, "...is the sum of ten kilos of copper." A loud murmuring broke out in the watching crowd. "Or," Daisy raised her voice, "fifteen kilos of good steel." There was uproar in the room as the numbers registered with the listeners. Such a penalty was unheard of. Nobody had ever been worth that much.

"The defendant will also engage in a feat of arms with the complainant."

A collective sigh came from the watching crowd.

"The blood price will be lowered with each entrant in this engagement. Dotty Sharp, you, and as many of your companions who are willing, will meet in arms against Margret of Valens, with an equal number of her fellows."

She addressed Maddy Toogood. "Can the city meet the blood price?" she asked.

Maddy smiled and spread her hands apologetically. "With regret, I beg to inform your honours that Dotty Sharp and her family are now working and residing under the protection of the princess of Alacant and San Wan. Therefore..." she had to raise her voice to make herself heard above the sudden exclamations from the watching throng. "Therefore, it is to Alacant that Homestead must make it's claims."

She sat down in triumph. Connie Nesbitt was about to launch into a scathing attack, when the crowd outside could be heard cheering. The noise swelled and suddenly grew louder as the doors flew open.

Tanya had found it necessary to take a lengthy detour to avoid the wardogs, who knew her better than anyone suspected, and she was fashionably late. She strutted into the room and marched straight up to Margaret, who suddenly found herself sitting on the floor, dazed and rubbing her ear, wondering what had hit her.

Tanya pointed an accusing finger at Margaret. "Margaret Valence," shouted Tanya, "I accuse you of the attempted murder of Marco, son of Firestorm, and whether this court will listen or no, I will meet you on the battlefield and wring the life from your miserable body."

"What's the meaning of this?" screamed Millie.

"Who are you to interrupt these proceedings?" screeched Daisy.

"Tanya Vine, We've been looking all over for you and Pansy," said Connie gently. "Where have you been girl."

Tanya sneered at her. "Don't you 'girl' me, Connie Nesbitt. I know you too well. It's back to being everybody's skivvy in The Vine and good thrashings you've got in mind, I've no doubt. Try it now if you like." She turned as Sylvia rose from her chair at last. "And you can sit down Sylvie swift sword. I'm not frightened of you any more either."

Something in the back of Sylvia's mind warned her that the time for action was not here yet, so she decided to be only a spectator, and sat again.

"Wait." Shouted Millie. "Attempted murder?" she queried.

"Correct your majesty," answered Tanya. "We fished him out of the river and nursed him back to health again." She couldn't understand the sudden hush that fell. "Patched him up and tended his needs." She blushed at the thought of Flossie tending him. "He told us that Margaret sent him into a trap. He had a hole in his leg where he was stuck by an arrow." She frowned, looking round the faces watching her with mouths agape. She slowed down. "And Pansy heard Margaret threaten to murder him four weeks before that in The Vine."

"No Tan," said Margaret quietly, through bruised lips. "I'd never do that. He's precious to me. I love him. You know I do."

Tanya looked into Margaret's eyes and suddenly realised that she'd been wrong.

She lifted the helmet from her head, and dropped it on the floor. "Oh chiggers! Messed it up, haven't I."

Dotty's plaintive voice cut through the ensuing silence like a knife. "If he's still alive, then I don't have to die. Do I?"

Millie held her hand up. "Judgement has been passed."

Daisy continued. "The law must be upheld."

Connie Nesbitt stood up. "To hell with the judgement, we don't need law here. We want justice. Case dismissed." She turned to the two disgruntled lawgivers. "Sort it out," she ordered, "there'll be no more blood shed over this affair. I know you can make the paperwork right, so do it."

There are expenses to consider," interjected Millie.

"She'll pay," said the wise guru pointing at Ibis's Prima. "Got a fortune stashed away, that one has."

Maddy jumped to her feet. "But Dotty belongs to Alacant now," she blustered.

Ma Nesbitt gave her one of her 'looks', "Alacant?" she mused, rubbing her chin. "No such place," she stated. "You must be losing your touch, Maddy Toogood, falling for that."

She moved round the table and put her arm round Tanya. "Come on lass. Lets go somewhere quiet. We need to have a chat."

### The history lesson

The meaning of the ostrich's words weren't clear to the humans, but Flair and her sons, Flame and Sandal started snatching things up ready to leave the camp. Jade slowed them down enough to understand what was happening, then opened the Never Look Back, using the code given to her by Denny. There were ten frantic minutes while everything they couldn't carry was packed into the time machine's hold by Sali and the dogs, while Jade sat in the pilot's chair.

"I know that Caren told you to shut everything down, but the dogs are leaving, you'll be defenceless."

"HOW LONG DO YOU EXPECT TO BE AWAY?"

"Don't rightly know yet, how long can you keep your shields up?"

"252 HOURS MAXIMUM. LESS IF I HAVE TO GO INTO AGGRESSION MODE, THEN THE NEW CELL HAS TO BE FITTED."

"Can you do it yourself, or do you need Caren?"

"CAREN OR DENNY, OR POSSIBLY RICARDO MAY UNDERSTAND."

"OK, do it as soon as the door's closed, and we'll be back as soon as possible."

"YES JADE. THERE IS A MESSAGE FOR MARGARET. HOOD HAS NOW LEFT VALENCIA ON A GRAND ADVENTURE AND DOES NOT KNOW WHEN SHE WILL RETURN."

"Did she say what sort of adventure?"

"NO, BUT SHE SAID THAT SHE WILL HAVE THE TIME OF HER LIFE."

She started to rise from the chair. "JADE?"

She turned back, "Yes Never?"

"WHAT DO YOU GET IF YOU CROSS A SHEEP WITH A KANGAROO?"

"What's a kangaroo?"

"I DON'T KNOW JADE, BUT HOOD SAYS THAT IT'S VERY AMUSING."

As she left the cave, Never powered up it's microwave defence network, then proceeded to try and work out what sheep and mythical kangaroos had to do with exotic clothing.

The mixed group got back to Homestead in record time, collecting the fourteen young dogs that were huddled together disconsolately opposite the East gate, on the wood's side of the shallow ford. While Sali and Jade ran towards the Vine, and Cilla with her three 'beakies' strutted imperiously across the green, the wardogs slunk inside and tried not to look at the walls.

"Sali, you get the sun raised, I'm going to see Frankie," and Jade kept going to the taverna while Sali entered the chapel. She emerged onto the roof and proceeded to hoist the bright red 'come now' flag, which had a yellow sun in the centre.

They had decided on this design for an emergency call signal because the wardogs weren't too sure what the word red actually meant.

Jade burst into the Vine, "Frankie, we're in trouble, there's a pack of weird wolfs coming down from the North, and the dogs are going to run."

All that afternoon, there was a steady trickle of dog folk and humans coming into the village in response to the signal flag, and it was about mid afternoon that the hard core of decision makers sat at the tables outside The Vine. The wardogs weren't happy, and not just because of the walls.

Their past was catching up with them at a tremendous rate of knots.

"Stop baring your teeth like that," said Flair forcefully to Daggit, who was struggling to keep his emotions in check. "And listen."

She turned to Cilla, "carry on dear."

Although the ostrich was sitting on the grass, she still looked down at the council leaders on their benches.

"As I was saying," and her huge right eye fixed on Daggit, "we were all raised by humans in the Ruby House, and they did bad things to us. Thought they owned us, because they'd made us like we are, but the little one, human girl that is, let us all out and told us to be gone before the man with the big needle came again."

Daggit's lips curled back again at some hint of race memory.

"There were fourteen of us got to the wild country, and for a while we stayed together. Till we reached the desert, and the food ran out, that is. That's when there was a little spot of bother and we split up. The wolfs headed North, I went West and the dogs came South."

"No no no, wait a minute," interrupted Denny, " _You_ went West? How old are you?"

"Probably about the same as you, dearie, but the man with the big needle made us all different you see, and I'm the only one like me. This is my 34th new body."

Her audience were spellbound by the revelation.

"When I start to wear out, I... move to another, younger me. It's very complicated and I was a lion once, by accident of course, but I shan't be doing that again in a hurry, the food's awful. All that fur to keep clean."

"If you're the only one, then your children...?" Denny's voice trailed off in confusion.

"Oh they're mine. I lay eggs, and sometimes they hatch, and grow into fine girls, but they don't talk until I move in. Never seen a male ostrich though, it just happens."

Inside Denny's mind, Robin was getting excited, _"ask her. Go on, just ask her, I could get used to being a bird."_

"No not here," said Denny insistently, and as all eyes turned to her, she realised that she'd actually spoken the words. "Sorry," she said quickly, "just thinking aloud."

In the sudden embarrassed silence, Frankie spoke up.

"What was the bother that made you split up?"

The huge eyes looked briefly at Flair, then Cilla turned back to Frankie.

"It's a delicate matter, and Flair might tell you about it one day."

It was Flairs turn to bare her teeth and she seemed to shrink before them as the embarrassment of her dead ancestors dreadful misdeeds came back to haunt her.

"What about the wolfs," asked Jade.

"There's about twenty of them and they're not nice people to know." Cilla replied.

Jade frowned as she said, "surely we can handle twenty wolfs, can't we?"

"Ah well," answered Cilla, there are twenty that can talk, but they've gathered a lot more of their wild brothers, and they're eating their way Southwards."

"So we'll have to move the cattle and goats," suggested Lily.

"Not just them," Daggit managed to say, "they kill for fun, and eat people as well."
Chapter 15

### A New Beginning

### Reunion

Doris Jugg paused, and put down her basket of apples. She squinted at the sight of movement on the horizon, narrowing her eyes in an attempt to bring the distant figures into focus. As they grew nearer, her eyes grew as big as saucers, and her face was a mask of terror as she recognised the moving mass as dogs. Dogs walking on two legs, marching three abreast down the track, wearing leather armour and carrying spears and round shields. She had heard the horror stories from the survivors of the battle at Ashers field, and had dismissed them as fantasy, but her opinion of the stories changed instantly as the dogs started howling. It was a drinking song, actually quite funny and very rude, but they sang it in dog speak, not Spanglish so that they didn't upset Ma Nesbitt too much. The fact that the wily guru knew the words in both Dog and Spanglish was lost on them, so they sang on, not knowing that she was quietly singing the chorus with them.

The effect on Doris was electrifying. At 63 years of age, she was Ibis's oldest citizen, and she intended to keep it that way, so broke into a shambling trot towards the gate. The nearer to the gate she got, the faster she managed to run, so that when she swept into the farm yard scattering hens in all directions, her extended family looked on in amazement.

"Close the gates," she screeched, "we're gonna be murdered!"

Women and girls seemed to be running in every direction at once, but after three chaotic minutes, the gate was shut and barred, and the Sharps and Juggs were on the wall watching the approaching army. With only Polly being part of Ibis's regular militia, they were armed with whatever they could find.

Through necessity, wood axes and cleavers were the main weapons of choice, but Sarah was carrying Polly's old sword. Pansy and Flossie were last to arrive, but like Polly, came to the wall ready for anything, with their full armour and shiny shields.

"Steady girls," yelled a small voice, "keep calm. We can kill one each before we die."

Pansy leant back from the wall and craned her neck to see who was doing the shouting.

"Who's that?" she asked her neighbour.

Caroline looked down the line. "It's our cousin, Sasha. Bit of a drama queen."

Pansy looked again at Sasha. She was waving a potato knife and had a saucepan on her head. "How old is she?" she asked Caroline.

"Eleven, I think," was the reply.

Pansy raised her head to survey the oncoming troops. There were warriors coming down the road as well now, but they were just strolling along, unlike the dogs who were now marching past the orchard fence and still singing.

"Sasha," shouted Pansy.

Sasha turned. "Come here girl, I've got a very important job for you."

"Ready captain," announced Sasha and saluted, clanging the knife against her saucepan.

Pansy winced. She had to get rid of this menace. "Go to the house and tell Marco to get down here."

"Who?"

Pansy thought a moment. "The princess. Princess Florabel."

"Not allowed in the house," answered the girl, not wanting to leave the wall.

"Do it now, girl. Or I'll get myself a stick and beat you," Pansy shouted at her, and instantly regretted it as Sasha's face fell and she shuffled towards the stairway.

Pansy caught her by the shoulder. "This is important Sasha," she said seriously. "Perform well today, and I'll teach you how to be a real soldier."

Sasha's eyes goggled and her face lit up with a broad smile. "Wow. Really captain?"

"Really," answered Pansy softly, not actually knowing how to be proper soldier herself. "Now go and get Marco, or the princess, whoever's there."

The wardogs halted and howled out the last long note of the song. The farms defenders howled and screamed right back at them and Toldo, the dog's leader for the expedition, thought this was high praise indeed, so turned to his squad.

"All right lads," there was a polite cough. "And ladies," he added and raised his right hand. "They want an encore, so the last four bars of 'Whose Turn Is It Anyway'. Ready... and."

He brought his hand down, and the chorus began again. In Spanglish.

"Rather you than me, I wouldn't know what to do, I'll save the sausage for laterrrrrr,... and wait till I get home! GRRROWF"

It was better in Dog. At least then it mostly rhymed. There was a stunned silence from the wall.

"Ouch," yelped Toldo as a stone bounced off his helmet. "That's not funny," he shouted up at Lilibet and Molly, who were preparing to throw more stones at him. "At least they only throw tomatoes in Homestead."

Polly stopped her trembling. "What the hells was that all about? Why don't they attack?"

She got no answer as all the women flinched when the dogs broke into a mighty cheering at the sight of Marco.

"Marco, Marco, Marco," they shouted, as the hero they thought was lost to them waved from the wall. Then several scuffles broke out as they realised that the lottery they had run, to determine who would serve next at Marco's side, was still valid. The farm's defenders watched open mouthed at the strange scene below them.

"I was definitely in the next squad,"

"Were you heck as like, you lost your ticket playing dice with Sticker."

"Well I'm running with the mad sod anyway, like it or not."

"Who says so?"

"ME!"

"Yeah? You and who's army?"

They didn't actually draw knives, but when the tumult settled down, there were several dogs sporting black eyes and bleeding noses. Shaking his head at the mad sight, Marco descended the stairs again and opened the gate.

"Marco! No" yelled Pansy.

"Marco! Yes" shouted Flash.

Pansy ran down the stairs, but Sasha was faster.

Marco and Flash were hugging just outside the gates, but to Sasha, it looked like murder. She screamed her defiance and leapt to Marco's defence. "Leave the princess alone." She swung the potato knife with all her might, and kicked the surprised dog in the shins.

Like Sali Vorden and Tanya Vine, she became an instant hero, and another legend in the dogs history was born. Many generations later, the blade of the knife that broke off in Flash's leather kilt became a sacred relic.

With so many reunions to celebrate, the party around the farm gate went on until after midnight. It had to be at the gate because the dogs, as usual, had set up camp against the outside of the wall. Outside was OK, but to be on the inside of walls was a definite no no. Even on such a joyous occasion as this, the dogs irrational fear of walls and doors couldn't be overcome. This didn't stop them enjoying themselves, and none of them was happier than Flash, who insisted on showing off the bruises inflicted on him by 'Sasha of the deadly shoes'.

There was a quieter, private party in the farmhouse, where Ma Nesbitt and Sylvia were deep in discussion with Tanya, Pansy and Flossie.

Explanations were given on both sides and they managed to unravel all the unfortunate misunderstandings that had taken place.

"All that's past is forgotten and forgiven," said Connie in her wisdom, "and you and Pansy will come back to Homestead with us when we've settled Marco into his new home, with Maddy at the council buildings." She didn't understand their lack of enthusiasm. "There'll be no more talk of thrashings and the like. Not now you're so grown up."

"Aye, Connie," replied Tanya, and the guru's eyebrows shot up at Tanya's familiar use of her first name. "We've come of age in the last few weeks, and we know what we want our futures to be."

"What do you mean girl?"

"We're staying here with Marco."

"Well, I'm sure you think that that's what you want, but you can see that your place is in The Vine, surely?"

Pansy interrupted. "You don't see the point, do you? This whole affair has been one mistake after another, but if we hadn't done as we did." She paused for dramatic effect. "Then Marco would have drowned." There was no immediate reply, so she continued. "Marco's one of us now. Me, Tan and Floss are his family. We belong together."

"But he was promised to Ibis," Connie blustered.

Tanya was ready with her answer. "Well of course, the Ibis girls can come here to work on the farm, and as they help out," she waved her hands vaguely, "they will probably get to know Marco a little better?" She sat back and her smile was angelic.

Pansy butted in. "We can't leave him, because we think that our feet were guided by the gods."

"They used the forces of nature to send us to Marco." Added Flossie. "And we can't refuse our destiny."

Pansy stood up and raised her arms heavenward. "Lady of the night, we thank you for delivering Marco safely into our hands, and we vow to serve him as best we may. We will shed our blood for him, and will protect him even unto the last breath in our bodies." She drew a small knife from the folds of her robe and pricked it's point into her left palm. She passed the knife to Flossie, who stood and did the same. Then Tanya completed the simple ritual that Pan had described to them earlier. They put their bleeding hands together and their combined blood dripped onto a square of white linen that Tanya was holding. Sylvia was mystified but impressed by the ceremony. She liked Tanya and Pansy, and had been anxious for their safety. Connie hadn't heard of any ritual like that before, so bit off the scathing words she had been about to say about uppity girls. Nobody had seen the blood rite, or even heard of it before, because Pansy had made it up, just like the prophecy of 'the black goat'.

Flossie smiled at the dumbstruck Homesteaders. "He stays. We stay. Here in this house, with the Sharps and Juggs as well."

"How are you going to persuade Maddy to give up her farm?" asked Sylvia.

"We're not," replied Tanya. "You are."

### Birth of a city

Maddy finally agreed to sell the farm to Tanya. The point at which she was persuaded, was when Connie suggested that she carefully examine the baubles that she had accepted from 'the princess of Alacant', in front of witnesses, for the rental of Toogood Farm for an indefinite period. Flossie had selected the jewellery carefully. Instead of gold, everything was made of base metal, and the gems were only coloured glass. Maddy was furious that she had been tricked by three girls and a man dressed up in women's clothing, but Connie just sat and smiled until her fury had passed. Then she handed over the chain and medallion that Marco had been wearing when Maddy first saw him.

"What's this then? More brass?" sneered Maddy.

"No, it's all gold, but look at it carefully dear," said Connie softly, "look at the medal."

Maddy turned over the medallion and shrugged her shoulders. "It's a bird."

"Not just any old bird." The guru paused for dramatic effect. "It's an Ibis. Seen a picture of it in one of our new books the angels brought us."

Maddy narrowed her eyes as she tried to see what the evil old bat was getting at. "What are you trying to say then Constance Nesbitt?"

Connie leant forward across the table, and lowered her voice. The others leant forward too in order to hear her better. "What I'm saying is," she looked over her shoulder as if to make sure that no one was listening, "perhaps Central is too far West to be the seat of government now. Perhaps a royal chain of office would help you to persuade others to vote for a more central city, instead of Central." she sat upright again and waited for Maddy's reaction. She could almost hear Maddy's brain ticking over.

"Well, we are nearer the coast," mused Ibis's prima.

"And nearer the Nest," added Sylvia. "That's where the new library is going to be. It's a lot dryer up there."

Connie could see that Maddy was almost persuaded. "And there would be new clothes, remember those fantastic robes they were wearing? To go with the new chain of course, with the holy bird of Egypt on it."

Maddy gave up. "Holy bird eh?" Not letting on that she didn't know what or where Egypt was. "It's yours," she said abruptly, "if you'll promise to help to make Ibis the first city."

"Done," said Connie, "Toogood Farm belongs to Tanya Vine.

"And I keep these worthless trinkets," insisted Maddy. "After all, they were for rent, and they've been there a week now."

The old guru smiled. "Congratulations, Maddy Toogood. You drive a hard bargain, and I admire you for it."

That night at the farm, Connie called for everyone to gather in the courtyard, and shortly before sunset, Sylvia stood and spoke to the waiting crowd.

"You've been through some bad times lately. And not all of your troubles have been deserved." She looked for Dotty, who she had nearly killed in the market place. "You've all been very brave, and I'm sure that we are all going to learn from the mistakes that we've made." She surveyed their expectant faces. "You are not Ibis. You are not Homestead. Your future is in your own hands. This farm is now a stead in it's own right." She raised her hand to stop the sudden cheering that broke out. "I name Tanya Vine as your first Prima." More cheering came after this, and each following name. "I name Pansy Prayerbook as your first priestess. I name Polly Jugg as your first champion. I name Flossie Craken as your captain of archers."

Then the celebrations started. Long into the night, the sound of drums and flutes could be heard as the Sharp girls danced and Margaret and Marco taught them some new 'old' songs from a previous age. Even the dogs joined in. From the safety of the gateway of course. _'My Way'_ went down particularly well and had to be sung again and again, until Margaret complained that she would be physically sick if she heard it one more time.

Earlier that afternoon, Sylvia and Connie had admired all the things that the girls had acquired during their journey. Tanya's sword was nearly identical to Sylvia's, but apart from them never losing their extremely sharp edges and being very decorative, they were nothing out of the ordinary. Some of the other items turned out to be far more interesting though.

"I never miss what I aim at," said Ivy Tulip vehemently. "Thought the arrow must have been bent."

"No," replied Tanya, "It was flying true, but slid away at the last second." She briefly relived the moment when she thought she was going to die.

Sylvia held up the silver mail shirt that Tanya had worn nearly all the time since finding it. "There's a story my mum told me, about a magic set of armour used in the valley wars by her great, great, lots of greats, grandmother, but I thought it was just a fairy story."

"Could be true though. I felt my chest go all tight when I saw Ivy loose the arrow at me. Thought it was just me getting scared. But maybe?" She shrugged her shoulders and didn't finish the sentence.

"Wonder where the rest of it is?" mused Sylvia.

Then there was Pansy's little horn. After Margaret had roughly translated the inscription inside the box lid, Pansy had put the horn back into it's box and swore never to play it again. Margaret said it was written in old English, and her best guess at the words was, 'If you be not pure in heart, then raise not the wind, lest the wind razes you'.

There was a simple melody inscribed on the inside of the lid as well, which meant nothing to most of them. But Pansy could read music, and had memorised the rise and fall of the tune. All agreed it was a mystery, and such an instrument had never been heard of by any of them. The greatest treasure they possessed, however, was the little handcart that they had used to transport the first load of goodies from the tunnel to the farm. No matter how much they had put on the cart, it never got any harder to move. At one point on their journey, Tanya, Flossie and Marco had managed to climb on board together, and Pansy had pulled them effortlessly. But the biggest surprise had come when they had to cross a small stream. They had waded knee deep through the water, but the cart had rolled across the water's surface as if it was still on the road. Needless to say, they had locked the cart away from prying eyes and meddling fingers. Not even Margaret could explain how it worked. Everyone agreed that Tanya and her followers were rich, both in material goods and companionship.

Connie was happy. She had one eye firmly fixed on the future. Her beloved Homestead was already the main player in the East, and with Tanya in charge here, on Ibis's doorstep, she was sure that Homestead girls would eventually rule the world. Sure, Tanya was an uppity little madam at the moment, but she would change, and with Homestead's help, she was going to make Toogood Farm an important little community, and she was sure it would still be thriving when Ibis eventually stood abandoned. Toogood Farm and Homestead were going to be valuable to each other soon. Tanya Vine and Kirsten Vine. Sisters. Tanya at Toogood and Kirsty at Homestead. Perhaps they would even rule sister cities one day.

### Bright new day

It was an hour before dawn, but the birds of Burnt Wood took one look at the grey shapes slinking through the trees below them, and called off choir practice for the day. Alain the alpha male felt an urgent need to bite something, as he surveyed the abandoned tents of dog city.

"I know they should have been here as well, but they're not, so we'll just have to track them down. Won't we Colin?"

Colin tried not to make eye contact as he gave a non committal shrug of his grey shoulders at the same time as nodding his head. Alain looked at him and wondered why his mother had insisted that he bring him along.

"Now, should we form a committee to discuss the best way forward cousin Colin? But be aware that if the answer's yes again, then I might have to bite you again as well. Won't I?"

Colin winced at the sight of his leader's toothsome smile, "I'll, Er, go and sort out the scouts, shall I?" he suggested, trying to sound helpful.

"Don't bother, Lucy's already seeing to it, and if she wasn't, it wouldn't be your job, worm brain. But I have got a special job for you though."

Colin's face did the impossible, as he managed to look even more worried than before. "You're staying here in case any of those dozy dogs come back this way, and if they do, it's your simple task to maim them a little and keep them here. No killing, mind, or you'll feel my teeth again."

The wolves of both varieties, both two and four legged, headed off down the Homestead trail, leaving Colin on his own in the deserted village. His frightened eyes darted left and right, probing the darkness for the one known terror of the night, namely the killer chicken. It's scent was all over the place, and no doubt it had driven off the cowardly dogs yesterday.

Colin had been with the small pack that had attacked the fishing village a year ago, (Mona the guru had later found Albert abandoned and empty) and the five scrawny old women there had all said the same thing before they were killed and eaten. There were no more men in the world! And now the killer chicken was the only thing that the wolves were wary of, and the last obstacle to Alain's dreams of world domination.

"Now," Colin thought, "if only I could stop that awful whistling coming from the cave.

The village was roused, not with gentle and insistent bird song, but by the wolves howling from South Farm, as Ronald and Sheila's pack reported back to Alain that the farm was deserted. Then Basil howled the news that the North pasture was also empty, but there was a fresh trail of many animals and people leading West. Alain surveyed the village across the slow river, noting the sudden noises and hasty movements of people in the grey morning light.

He turned to Lucy and Brian "Lucy, go with Basil and get after them. Brian, tell Ron and She to go as well, I want them all back here, or dead."

Brian had done this before, and suffered for it, so moved a discreet distance away before loudly barking out the chief's orders.

All that Jade could think was, "too late, I've left it too late," but she eventually brought order from the chaos of panicking women and girls.

"Jan," she yelled as loud as she could and waving frantically, "gather on the Vine."

Jan waved back and relayed the message to those nearest to her. The milling crowd became two distinct groups which disappeared into the Vine with Jan, and into the bakery under Jade's command. Those with bows stood on the roofs, watching for movement within the boundary fence, while those with sword and spear could only sit and wait behind the barricaded doors and windows.

Jade frowned and ran round the flat roof, desperately scanning the visible parts of the village. "Jan!" She shouted. "Where are the dogs?"

After a quick look over the roof tops, Jan shrugged her shoulders. Jade chewed at her lip in quiet desperation. The dogs had run off in the night. Whatever had to be done would be done by the women of Homestead on their own.

"What are we up against?" asked Sara in the Vine.

"Don't rightly know yet," answered Rachel, "but that bird said that about a hundred wolfs were coming our way."

Sara shuddered. She'd been trailed by two wolves the winter before, and after climbing a tree to escape them, had managed to wound one with an arrow, and she remembered vividly the way it had been despatched and partly eaten by it's starving companion.

"Lady, help us. We're gonna be eaten."

"Steady lass, there's still thirty of us here. Be strong, stand firm and do your bit and we'll be alright."

"Where's that Beryl when we need her," said Sara bitterly, "loafing about in Central, playing the great lady in front of all the temple trash, that's where."

A cry went up from the bakery roof as the archers there spotted grey shapes flitting between the cottages over the green, and although they started to raise their bows, the wolves were gone as quickly as they came.

At day break, Denny was still two kilometres North of the village, where she had at last tracked Betty down again, and was in deep and silent conversation with Robin.

"Show me one more time Robin."

_"It's here,"_ her mental lodger replied, and Denny felt a vague tickle deep within her brain behind her right ear.

"Got it."

" _Now squeeze,"_ said Robin, _"Whoa, that's scary. Better than I could do in the suit"_

Betty just watched and carried on chewing her finger nails. Denny was still trying to come to terms with the awesome shape that her shadow had flowed into.

"But if that was real, and it felt real enough, then where does all the extra flesh come from?" she asked.

" _Don't really know, but the psycho manual says that it can be paid back a little at a time,"_ replied Robin.

"Not really sure that I know what that means,"

" _Well, if you want to be big, then you've got to be small some time. I think? But if you want to be small, then it's like saving up for big time. Maybe?"_

Denny thought about it briefly, "that's about as plain as anything else round here at the moment. Now, what can we do to help out?"

" _We could do some digging I suppose."_

For about three hours, nothing much happened, except the villagers nerves grew a little more ragged as they caught occasional glimpses of the wolves circling them at a safe distance. Occasionally, the sound of breaking glass could be heard, as the wolves systematically destroyed everything that they could not use. Good glass was a rare commodity now, and if Homestead survived this day, the window panes would have to be replaced by cow hides or dull panes made of ox-horn, until someone from Tintown could show them how to re-use the broken glass again.

The old adage about wartime being hours of boredom, followed by minutes of panic and terror, still held good, as the waiting suddenly came to an end.

"Here they come," yelled Lily as several wolves made a dash towards the West wall of the bakery, the side furthest away from The Vine. With little time to take proper aim, the five bakery archers loosed their arrows quickly, but only managed to wound two of their attackers. Leading the wolf pack was Ivan, and reaching the wall safely, he stood as a man again and wrenched the shutters effortlessly from the window.

Two wolves leapt through into the room beyond and were met by screaming women with spears and sharp swords. Eventually both of the whirling grey beasts died and the open window was defended again with the long spears, but as bandages were hastily tied round arms of two of the wolve's victims, Susan Brand died with her femoral artery spraying her life blood over the wall and floor. The attack had been short but violent, and as they retreated, two more grey beasts fell victim to the rooftop archers.

"Mmmm. Time for a different approach, I think." Mused Alain, "They're better than those miserable dogs, but let's see what they're really made of."

He waved towards Trudy and Karl, "Bring her now," and they came forward between the cottages across the green, directly opposite the Vine.

There were many farewells as the Homesteaders and wardogs set out a few at a time on the road home. Margaret's farewell to Marco was in private, and took a little longer than Pansy cared for, but Tanya pointed out to her that they had many happy years ahead of them, and they shouldn't hold a grudge against someone as ancient as Margaret, who was about thirty six and obviously way past her best.

And then they were all gone. Just the four adventurers, plus the Sharps and the Juggs were left, and soon the everyday routine of farm life took over their lives. Evening came, and Marco instructed them all, even Edna and Doris in the art of march and countermarch. Tanya insisted that everyone there should be proficient with sword, spear or bow, and for a while, it was just like the good old days on South Farm. Marco was still less than average with a sword, but when a spearhead came off in the middle of a fairly physical practise session, he used the spear shaft as a quarterstaff, and successfully fought off Polly and Sarah for several minutes, until Sasha took a hand and started throwing stones at him. "You leave my mum alone, you big bully," she yelled at him. "You should know better than to hit a lady with a baby."

Stunned silence fell on the farmyard, quickly followed by the cheers and congratulations of Sarah's excited kinfolk, then the inevitable question. How? Two months previously, Beryl, Basher and Glen had been escorting Ricky and Walter to their temporary homes in Altmore and Lakeside, and they had stopped overnight in Ibis. Walter's sleep was interrupted by the adventurous and amorous Sarah, who crept quietly away before dawn, feeling more than satisfied with her night's work.

Later that night, inside the house, Flossie broke down and cried her eyes out. She clung to Pansy as if her life depended on it.

"It's not fair," she blubbed, "why isn't it me Pan? I should be first."

Pansy tried to reassure her that she was normal. "Doesn't always happen straight away, love."

"But I need his baby. Then I'll know Marco's really mine. I've always been a nobody. I want to be important."

"But you are important. You don't need a baby to be important, and you certainly don't need his baby for him to be yours. Marco loves you. We all love you and need you." Pansy listened hard, but there were no approaching footsteps. Where was Tanya when you really needed her?

"But why haven't I got his baby then? We've been trying hard."

Pansy winced at the thought of them 'trying hard'. "It's probably from that time you spent on the mountain." Pansy's imagination went into overtime in an effort to reassure Flossie, who was still crying fitfully. "Your body hasn't recovered from not eating properly for all that time, and you won't have a baby till... Ouch!" She stopped suddenly and held one hand to her shoulder, then looked wildly round the bedroom. "It'll be about this time next year," she said hurriedly, "Twins. A boy and a girl." Then she fainted.

"Wake up Pansy." The voice was alternately loud, then soft, like waves breaking on a distant shore. "Come on priestess Pansy, we need you to wake up now."

She opened her eyes slowly, then quickly shut them again. "Too bright," she whispered.

"Close the curtains please," said the all too familiar voice. "Is that better?"

Pansy opened one eye, then the other. "Hello Rocket, sorry. Mistress Turnbuckle."

"Hah. Rocket indeed. You're the 'rock it' this time," said Rosalind, smiling. "You've rocked the boat a little bit too much Pansy, and we need you to put the world to rights again."
Chapter 16

### Psychological Warfare

### Tooth and Claw

Anton and Simon, plus twenty eight of the Homesteaders and all the babies, were still ten kilometres short of safety behind the walls of Algar Springs when the wolf pack caught up with them. The herd of cattle milled round in confusion, but not panic, as the wild wolves circled them, looking for an easy lunch. But Homestead cattle were lean mean beasts, and there were no easy pickings there, so the wolves sheered away from the menacing horns. The goats however, were scattering in all directions and the Homesteaders formed a defensive circle round the ox cart.

Anton narrowed his eyes against the noonday sun as he tried to estimate how many grey shapes were coming their way. "About twenty five?"

Joannie nodded. "Twenty three. More than enough, I think."

"We're in trouble Joan. See a way out?"

Joan shook her head slightly. "Sorry man, _seen_ precious little since my Toledo was born, I'm afraid. It's as if something's blocking my senses."

Anton looked quickly round the little group. "How many bows do we have?" he called loudly.

Only three hands went up. He grimaced, just four bows between them, including his. "OK. Archers together, spears to the front. Get formed up."

They obeyed his orders without question, but knew that few of them would walk away from this hillside unscathed.

From the rooftops of Homestead, things did not look too good either.

"Look Jade," said Ivy in disbelief, "They've got somebody."

Jade looked like she was saluting as she shaded her eyes from the bright sunshine.

"Damn, damn and double damn! it's Queenie. I thought she was in The Vine."

In the centre of a group of wolves standing upright, Trudy and Karl were each side of Queenie, holding her firmly by the arms.

"Hello, humans, want to give up yet?" Alain's voice boomed across the green. "I'm sure that we could come to some arrangement. Or I could do this of course."

He casually swung his left arm and raked his clawlike nails across Queenie's scalp. The watchers on the roof winced as she squealed in pain and fright, and blood coursed down her face, then Alain shouted again. "Come on you stupid hags, you know we're going to win," and his massive hand hovered over Queenie's shoulder.

"Oh no," said Ivy in despair, "there's Betty," and pointed to the right where another wolf was pushing Betty forward towards the group surrounding Alain.

"Lady above, what do we do Jade?"

Jade stared at Betty and her captor and furrowed her brow in concentration. She gave up the internal struggle between common sense and super sense and turned to Ivy.

There was a steely edge to her voice. "Go downstairs, get ready to charge them."

Ivy looked at her in surprise, then turned, and as she ran down the stairs to warn the others to be ready to go, Jade spun round to face the taverna, cupped her hands and shouted across, "when they run, make every shot count," then put an arrow to her bowstring. "get ready girls," she said to her fellow archers, "it's our turn."

Betty had been directed into the group of waiting wolves by the lone wolf that didn't quite walk right, or smell right either, and she suddenly crouched down into a fighters stance, and brought her hand from behind her back holding a small object which gave off a twinkling red glow. As Betty's hand came round quickly in the short arc, Conrad was the first to die as the vampire sword claimed it's first victim for a year. The wolves tried to get away from the red death, but as Denny started to lose control of the 'tickly' spot in her brain, the lone wolf at their rear lost it's shape, and was seen to be wielding two short swords which soon matched the colour of Betty's blade. Denny had assumed her proper shape again, but was still the same size and build as the altered wolves.

Earlier, Denny had overcome her conscience and pushed Robin into Betty's apparently vacant mind. Now they were the bringers of death, and in their fearsome whirling presence, the wolves sought safer ground.

They broke and ran, and as they hurtled away from the demons of death in their midst, the doors of the taverna and the bakery burst open, and the villagers streamed out to meet them. The wild wolves looked on in confusion and if they thought about fighting, they didn't consider it for long, and soon headed for the comfort of the woods beyond the river.

Over near Algar Springs, Sali Vorden was holding Toledo, Joannie Tulip's baby. "Flipping cheek, I say. Hero of Ashers Farm I was, and they make me look after the kids. What do you say, Tolly?" The baby went "goo goo goo", looked up into Sali's eyes, giggled and kicked out excitedly. Sali frowned and looked down at her tiny charge. "Really?" She looked up in surprise to where Simon stood. "Really," she repeated thoughtfully, and then went over to Joan who listened intently to her, alternately shaking, then nodding her head in agreement.

"Are you sure about this, Sali?" Simon asked. He was not entirely convinced that Sali was actually sane any more. Sali stared at him, "DO IT," she commanded and Joan echoed her, "do it." As Sali started to move away, she said to Simon, "put it on and follow me," and still carrying Toledo she pushed her way through the women waiting for the bloody onslaught. At the front, she waited till the last possible moment before speaking, and as her voice took on a new sinister tone, a vague swirling shape seemed to fill the air around her.

"WOOOOLFY! WOOOOLFY! WHERE AAAARE YOU?"

The effect on the four leading wolves was electrifying, and the ordered advance of the wolf pack up the slight rise broke down in confusion, and the wild ones milled around as their masters uncertainty spread to them, but Ronald quickly regained his composure from the shock of the voice only recalled as part of a horror story.

"You can't frighten us girly, you're my dinner," he shouted, then to his fellow grey companions, "move it you dog's turds, get up there."

They only just got started forward again when Sali pointed at them, "look Tolly, bad doggies."

Toledo giggled again and waved. Sali beckoned Simon forward.

"Look wolfy, here's my MAN," and he too emerged from the ranks of women, dressed in his chefs white coat.

The four weird wolves were becoming decidedly worried about the odd scene in front of them, and Sheila growled to Basil, "There are no men. Are there?"

Then Sali said loudly, "man, show them your needle," and Simon brought his hand from behind his back brandishing a kebab skewer, then walked slowly forward speaking in the deepest voice he could manage. "Hello wolfy, time for the needle."

Even Ronald, who was second only to Alain the alpha male, gave a yelp and did a backward somersault in his efforts to avoid facing the wolves nemesis.

The wild wolves saw their two legged leaders in a new light and decided to find today's meal somewhere else.

"Ladies, kill them," Joan screamed, and the four archers loosed arrow after arrow after the fleeing pack. Fifteen wild ones made it across the valley to the safety of the trees, and three of those were wounded, but only Lucy was with them, Ronald, Basil and Sheila lay dead in the grass with four of the others.
Chapter 17

### Rude awakening

Pansy rubbed her eyes with the backs of her hands, then cocked her head to one side, listening to the sound of distant shouting. "What's that noise? What are they doing out there?"

"They're attacking Ibis again," replied Rosie.

"The Homesteaders?"

"No child. If only it was that easy. I want you to think very carefully for me."

Pansy frowned. "Yes," she said slowly.

"Have you been telling bedtime stories to the young ones here?"

"Well, yes. We take it in turns. But why? And why are you here?"

"Easy question first. I'm here because I've been looking for you, ever since Emma told me about the temple cellars."

"Oh." She paused a second, remembering when she and Emma had been dared by the others to go all the way through the temple cellars, and she had been bitten on the shoulder by a green spider, larger than any she had ever seen before. "Am I in trouble then?"

"Yes my precious, but not like you think. You need looking after now, not punishing. Tell me, do you dream in colour, or just in shades of grey?"

Pansy considered the strange question. "Err, colour I think, yes definitely, but not always."

"And do you see spiders webs, fishing nets, that sort of thing in your dreams?"

Pansy thought that she knew where this was leading, and was feeling decidedly uncomfortable. "Yes, sometimes."

Rosie thought a moment and nodded. "No more stories Pansy Prayerbook. Speak no words that are untrue. The cellar dwellers are no ordinary creatures, and it seems that somehow, the bite you received from that spider in the cellars has changed you, and put you in touch with the goddess of lies. She likes you. Likes your stories. And she appears to be making your stories come true. You spin the tales and she provides the substance to make them real."

Pansy gave a nervous laugh, then put her hand to her mouth as she realised that some of her stories hadn't been that nice. She struggled to sit up, with Rosie and Flossie helping her. "Oh, I feel dizzy."

"Not surprising dear, you've been asleep for most of two days."

Pansy looked round the darkened room. "I remember now. My shoulder aches sometimes. Where I got bitten."

"That could be when _'she'_ is listening to you. From now on, you must be careful. Think twice before you speak, Whatever you say, may come true."

Pansy goggled at her. "Oh no! That prophecy I made at Dockside, is that why the shark woman died in the tower?"

Rosie just nodded.

"I killed her. With words." Pansy closed her eyes as she realised what she had unwittingly done. "Which of my stories is out there now?" She asked.

"We are besieged by an army of sheep."

"More timber here," yelled Margo, as the South gate shuddered again. "They're nearly through. You. Jenny Grey, get up there and help with that rock."

As Margo continued to shout at the tired citizens, trying desperately to shore up the splintering gates, Jenny climbed the stairway.

Yesterday, when the sheep had arrived, coming from the South, most of the townsfolk had thought it was funny. After all, it wasn't every day that you saw multi coloured sheep, was it? Sasha and her cousins knew better though. They knew about the rainbow menace from Pansy's stories, and had dragged the older women inside, then shut and barred the farm gate before the killer sheep could get too close.

In Ibis, the sheep didn't amuse anyone for very long.

Josie and Jackie Twopenny had been by the river, gathering rushes, when the sheep army attacked, and they had not managed to outrun the nimble animals.

All that was left of the sisters was the ragged remains of their clothes. And their shoes of course, complete with feet inside them. Apparently, in sheep society, eating feet was considered to be socially unacceptable.

Margo and her band of archers had sent showers of arrows at the evil creatures, and scored many hits, but no sheep had died. Their wool was so thick that the arrows couldn't penetrate very far. So the sheep just carried on, with arrows hanging from their fleeces, as if nothing had happened. After the first few hectic hours, it was stalemate. Sheep circling the town, humans safe inside. Then today they had brought up the battering ram.

Philpot Rameses the third had been specially reared for this one job. Gates were his speciality. His head was solid bone, and he had shoulders as wide as a wardrobe to give him maximum oomph when he hit the target. Unfortunately, he had an IQ of minus ten so he didn't think very much. All the other sheep had to do, was to point him in the right direction, and leave him to it, while they went to have another cup of lemon tea or something.

"It's coming again," warned Jenny, and Sandy got into position. The rock was so heavy, that it had taken three of them all their strength to lift it onto the wall, and now it balanced there. Precariously. Ready to fall at the slightest push. They had watched the ram twice now, and had dropped a pebble the last time, to gauge when they should let the rock go.

"Only one chance Sandy," said Jenny. "Are you ready?"

Sandy nodded and braced herself. She had volunteered to be the pusher.

"It's up to speed. Twenty metres, fifteen, ten, PUSH!"

Their one chance fell from the wall and hurtled towards the ground. Instead of the mighty thud of ram against gate, there was a sickening crunch as the rock crushed the ram's pelvis. But seconds later, there was an insistent knocking noise from below.

Jenny, Sandra and Phyllis leaned out and looked down from the wall. The ram had managed to crawl the last metre or so to the gate and was doing what it did best.

It's head rose and fell gently against the gate as it continued to do it's duty.

Marianne came into Pansy's bedroom. "It's nearly ready," she said, "just a little more sugar, then we can go."

"Are you sure this is what we have to do?" asked Rosalind.

Marianne looked to Pansy for confirmation. Pansy nodded. She dare not say the words.

"They've killed him," bleated Evelyn, black captain of the first woollen brigade.

"No," replied Heather, also black and her second in command. "He's still moving."

Evelyn gave a sheepish scowl. "As good as," she insisted, then took a deep breath. "RED SECTION," she bellowed. "Pyramid duty."

Thirty red sheep trotted forward. "Hope we get a medal this time," grumbled one. "Got sent to the kitchen to peel potatoes last time we did this. The Great Shepherdess said it was a reward. Huh. Some reward. Those lazy greens got a medal, and all they did was chase off a couple of lions."

Nobody was listening. They were all concentrating, and doing their best not to be in the first rank to reach the wall.

"After you lamb."

"Don't you lamb me, Barbara Redstock. You're bigger than most of us, so get yourself in that front row."

"Well. The cheek of it. I'll have you know that I fit nicely into a size eight and a half."

"Yes. Maybe your left foot does, but what size is the rest of you?"

"RED SECTION. GET TO THAT WALL." Evelyn shouted her orders at the dawdling reds. "ORANGE SECTION. ADVANCE."

"Oh rhubarb, they're coming," yelled one of the rearmost sheep. "Brace yourselves girls."

The red sheep started to form the pyramid against the town wall at last, and only just in time, as the orange section began to climb over them to reach the ramparts.

"Are you ready girls," shouted Tanya to her little squad.

The seven, picked because they were the fastest runners, all confirmed their readiness.

"Ready at the gate?"

Marco raised his right thumb and grasped the locking bar.

"Let's do it then." She looked up to the wall top. "Doris?"

"All clear."

Marco heaved the bar from it's socket and Polly pushed open the gate to let out the eight runners. They swept past her, and before they had cleared the orchard, the gate was shut and barred again.

Margo screamed her defiance and heaved with all her might. "GET OFF MY WALL."

The sheep grabbed at the spear shaft, but it's orange paws couldn't grip tight enough to wrest it from Margo's grasp. It fell slowly backwards, and on the way down it dislodged two more from the pyramid. It limped away to let fresher legs have a go at the climb.

Evelyn turned to Heather, "get the yellow squad up here."

"YELLOW," screamed Heather. Then sniffed as the wind briefly veered to come from the East. "What's that?"

Evelyn sniffed too. "Imagination. Get on with it."

The yellow squad were nearly at the pyramid and starting to pick their way through the orange and red casualties when another gust of wind made all heads turn into the breeze. Eight girls in loose robes were jogging towards them. None of them were carrying weapons.

"Get me some more rocks," shouted Margo to the exhausted crowd below. They had been carrying stones and statues from all parts of the town and were nearing the end of their strength. The sudden silence from the enemy below made her look in the same direction that the sheep were all facing. She could see, but couldn't believe. Eight girls carrying buckets and paint brushes were nearly amongst the sheep.

"Pick your targets," yelled Tanya firmly. "Stay in your pairs. And CHARGE."

One girl to attack and one to defend the attacker. Dancing among the panicking sheep they chose their targets with care, and the slightest touch from a paint brush loaded with mint sauce was enough to make them curl up and die.

Pansy certainly told the strangest stories.

Most of the red and orange sheep met a saucy end, but the majority of the yellows managed to get away from the flashing paint brushes with the deadly vinegar dripping from their bristles. The green and blue squads were still drawn up at the river side, and looking on in horror at the mayhem surrounding the gate, decided to look for a different job. Perhaps one with better pension rights.

Heather put self before duty, and ran after the disappearing flock, but Evelyn was furious and charged at the interlopers. Marianne and Lilibet were nearest and her first choice of target. The captain of the ovine army was nearly on them, but Molli shouted a warning just in time. Dropping her almost empty bucket, Marianne grabbed her cousin and they rolled out of the way of the thundering hooves and flashing teeth. Evelyn fell to her knees as she stepped into the puddle of mint sauce, and she rolled several times before coming to a halt. She fixed the girls with a baleful stare.

"Baa," she said. "Nearly had you." Then she closed her eyes and expired.

Tanya put her hand out and tickled the ram behind his ears. He stopped banging his head against the town gate and looked up at her sadly.

"You're nearly a goat, aren't you?" she whispered to him. "I'm sorry sweetheart, but I can't help you."

There were tears in her eyes as she gently touched his forehead with her brush.

Maddy Toogood surveyed the pile of dead sheep. She had been nowhere to be seen during the sheep's frantic attack on the wall, but now it was all over, she was trying to claim the glory, and the prize. Although they had lost the Twopenny sisters, they had gained enough wool to set up a clothing industry.

"That's right," she called to the girls clipping the wool from the carcases, "keep the same colours together."

Margo looked up angrily at the sound of her voice. "You're late, Maddy. Where were you half an hour ago?"

"Who are you to question me, Margo Lemon? But for your information, I've been defending the North gate. In case of surprise attacks."

"Well push off back to the North gate then, and you can collect your own wool there."

Maddy was surprised by the venom in Margo's voice. "Surely, you can see that all this wool must go to the city's treasury?"

Margo held up one gnarled fist. "Surely, you can see that this fist will be in your face if you don't sod off? You've outlived your usefulness to us Maddy Toogood. When it got nasty out here, you were hiding in the council house. Shelly heard you crying upstairs." She raised her voice as Maddy turned and ran off. "And it's no use going back there. It's locked against you now. You'll have to earn your keep for a change." She gave a grim smile as Maddy disappeared round the corner. "Right ladies." She waved the women and girls back into action. "Carry on, and there'll be fair shares for all."

Tanya and the panting girls were sitting on the grassy slope leading towards the farm, and they watched the frenzied activity at the wall, where the naked sheep were now being carried away to be buried.

"Is that the end of it?" Tanya asked Caroline.

She opened her mouth to answer, but was interrupted by Molli. "There's another one," she gasped, and jumped up grabbing her almost empty pot.

It did her no good, as she was deftly shouldered aside, and the bedraggled goat came to an unsteady halt in front of Tanya, mint sauce dripping from it's nose.

"Baaaaa."

The girls were dumbfounded at the appearance of the creature. It was trembling from head to hoof, gasping for breath and was filthy.

"Baaaaa!!!"

Tanya pushed the others out of the way, and held the goats head gently in her hands.

"I know you," she said quietly. "What on earth brings you here?"

It was nearly possible to see the workings of the strange mind as it struggled with alien concepts. "Baa. Daaamn."

It was Tanya's turn to be surprised, and her eyes were like saucers as she heard the first word ever spoken by a goat. (Gretagast didn't count, being an alien)

"Calm down," she whispered and stroked the goats forehead.

"Hooome." The goats face was twitching with the effort. "Saaaliiii."

"Good girl," said Tanya, "You're doing really well."

"Woof."

"What?"

"Woof?"

Tanya gave a short laugh. "You've been round the dogs too long!"

"Woof... Wool... WOOOLF! HOOOME! SAAALIIII!"
Chapter 18

### Beginning of the end

"When we get back," said Ellen slowly, "I'm going to go and see that Anton, I think."

"Oh yes?" answered Rachel with a smile, and a wink to Phyllis, "and what makes you think he'll want to see you?"

Ellen's head whirled round. "And why should he not?" she demanded. "I may be a little older than you giggling girls, but I still have my monthlies you know, and my feelings."

Phyllis leaned towards her and sniffed loudly. "That's why madam," she laughed. "We stink of fish and it'll take us weeks to get back to smelling of flowers again."

"Stupid girls," growled Ellen. "Anybody would think that you invented sex!!"

Gudrun joined in the Homesteaders laughter, but in truth, it wasn't that funny. They had been in Dockside for five weeks, having been sent by Connie Nesbitt to help out, working on the fishing boats which had been dragged up onto the beach for their hulls to be scraped clean. One boat had been past repair, and had been stripped of useful parts and abandoned. The Dockside fleet was down to four serviceable boats and a new one was being planned for next year. Gudrun had decided that she wasn't going to be available when volunteers were called for to fell the necessary trees for the new hull.

Last year she had been clearing Valencia airport's runway, this year scraping barnacles off ships bottoms, but next year it was someone else's turn to do the dirty work.

It was a pleasant day, and they were in no great hurry. They were already in Burnt Wood and Homestead was only about three hours away. Rachel looked suddenly at Phyllis. "Where's your Sticker then? Thought you said he would be here to meet us."

Phyllis shook her head. "Don't know, saw him a week ago and he said he would be here. Never let me down before."

It was Ellen's turn to laugh. "Probably found some other wench who's more accommodating?"

Phyllis scowled at her. "Wouldn't do that. We're partners."

"Yeah, partners," sneered Ellen. "you, him and that bitch Streak."

Phyllis looked at Ellen with murder in her eyes, but Rachel butted in. "We'd better get over to Hood's Hole and find out," she said quickly, then she frowned. "Hey, it's awful quiet today."

They stopped and listened carefully, turning round slowly where they stood.

"What's going on?" Asked Gudrun.

The others looked to Rachel, who had the best hearing.

"Don't know yet," she answered. "Can't hear any dogs at all. Not even the young uns."

The dog's campsite looked like a whirlwind had gone through it. The tents had been torn down, and were laying in forlorn heaps with the broken storage boxes scattered across the clearing. What few tables and chairs the dogs had possessed were now heaps of firewood.

The four weary travellers looked round in amazement and dismay.

"What the bloody hell's happened here?"

None of the three Homesteaders answered Gudrun directly.

"Smell it?" asked Rachel.

Ellen nodded. "Bird shit?"

"Not just that. Something that's dog, but more than dog."

"Oh!" Phyllis exclaimed worriedly. "That's wolf."

"Wolf?" Gudrun said. "I thought that there weren't any wolves round here."

Rachel was on all fours, sniffing at the soil. She looked up at her. "There are now," she said quietly. "And more than just a few, I'm thinking."

They stood a few moments, not knowing what to do for the best.

"What now?" asked Ellen.

"Can't stay here," Rachel said firmly, and the others agreed.

They decided to press on carefully to Homestead, but only got another hundred metres or so down the trail before they met the first wave of wolves fleeing for their lives.

Ellen was in front, and the wolf pack bore her down to the ground, tearing at her neck, arms and body in frustration and anger. Her screams died within seconds and her horrified companions turned and ran for their lives.

A grey shape leapt out of the undergrowth at them.

Rachel and Phyllis were bowled over by the wolf, but Gudrun raced on.

"Got you now, meat." Colin growled, and held Rachel down with one enormous hand clamped round her ankle. "You're mine." _'Till Big Al comes back anyway,'_ he thought.

He didn't think much longer though, as Phyllis plunged her knife into his back, severing the spinal cord. He fell in an untidy heap, making little mewing noises, all feeling below the knife wound totally gone. Phyllis dragged Rachel to her feet and together they followed after Gudrun.

The sound of Gudrun's hand ineffectually slapping against the side of the Never Look Back was a harsh counterpoint to her gasping breaths.

"Please open the door. Pleeeease."

There was no answer from the time machine.

"Aaargh. Damn you."

"TEMPER, TEMPER."

"We're going to die out here if you don't open the door," yelled Gudrun, more frightened now, than she had been for years.

"I'LL TRADE YOU AN OPEN DOOR FOR A JOKE TO IMPRESS HOOD WITH."

"What? Oh god!" she wracked her brains for something funny, but there was only horror and rubbish there.

"Knock knock."

"WHO'S THERE."

"Egbert."

"EGBERT WHO?"

"Egg but no bacon."

There was a moments silence.

"IS THAT FUNNY THEN?"

"Yes, it's downright hilarious."

"WHAT'S BACON?"

"Hood knows, she'll laugh her socks off."

There was a small but very solid clunk and the door crept open at last.

Gudrun scrambled inside and wrenched the lid off the nearest crate, then slammed the lid down. "Damn, where is it?"

She hit the jackpot at the third attempt, and lifted Marcus's Growler rifle out of the box. "Please work," she whispered as she slid the power switch forward. A barely audible hum came from the huge weapon, as the indicators rose and then settled on just less than sixty percent.

She laughed briefly. "YES," she yelled and jumped back down to the cave floor.

"UNREGISTERED HOSTILE SIGNAL. POSITION KNOWN AND LOGGED."

"PROGRAM SOFT."

"OPTIMUM ANGLE IN 3,78 MINUTES. REINSTATE PROGRAM"

With Hood and Hawk being below her horizon, Hind was talking to herself. Never Look Back heard the one sided conversation, but was powerless to inform Gudrun of the deranged mining ship's intentions.

Phyllis and Rachel came limping into view as Gudrun left the cave, and she screamed again as the first grey wolves dashed from the trees to her right. Swinging the awesome weapon in their direction, she lovingly caressed the firing stud.

"EXECUTE."

In the blink of an eye, one wolf became a charred mass of carbon and another went down howling in agony, but two others pressed home their attack across the remains of dog city. The rifle pulsed again weakly, but she missed the swift target and Rachel fell as the wolves leapt on her.

"Move it," screamed Gudrun, above the whine of the Growler's capacitors charging up again. "Get out of the way," and shuffled sideways for a clear shot at the snarling animals, but was thwarted in her intentions by the sobbing Phyllis going the same way.

Rachel stopped screaming at last and Phyllis collapsed on the ground in shock. Gudrun heaved the rifle up again.

"My turn, oooph!" All breath was forced from her, and the sound of her arm breaking was like the crack of a whip as Alain's great weight bore her to the ground. He had circled round and leapt from the rocks above the cave entrance.

"Back," he snarled as the rest of his depleted pack joined their two brothers at Rachel's body. There were only twenty two of them left now, sixteen of them the four legged variety.

Alain's tone belied his words, "well that was fun, wasn't it?" he said and kicked Gudrun in the ribs as she reached for the Growler with her good arm.

"Naughty, naughty," chided the pack's angry leader, "you've been a bad girl and we'll have to teach you a lesson, won't we?" and his grin made Gudrun shiver with fear. He reached down and grabbed her by the arm, then threw her effortlessly away, as if she was a rag doll. She landed among the boulders at the side of the cave mouth and slumped to the floor, blood pouring from a cut on her head. She moaned and started coughing. There was more blood in her mouth, and the burning pain from her broken arm was only one spot of torture in her twisted body. Her other arm was dislocated at the shoulder and her left leg was bent at an unnatural angle.

"Let me bite her," panted Tomas, "just a little bit."

Alain ignored him and picked up the rifle. "Pretty little toy you have. May I look?"

Phyllis screamed as Tomas's jaws fastened on her ankle and his eyes closed as he savoured human blood again.

"This isn't happening," thought Gudrun, over and over again. "Caren said I'm going to the future. I can't die." And as she lay on her back waiting for a grisly death, she saw a light in the Eastern sky. Growing brighter, ever brighter.

Every nerve in her body briefly sent messages of intense agony, and as the welcoming blanket of oblivion finally descended, the Never Look Back silently screamed for help.

Hind's missile, made from three microwave ovens inside a refrigerator and packed with engine parts and insulating foam, had lost more than half of it's mass during it's short journey through the atmosphere, but it was deadly accurate, and still left a crater more than five hundred metres in diameter centred on the clearing. The sound of it's impact was even heard in Dockside.

Homestead was sheltered from the blast by the hill, but several chimneys fell down and Hood's chapel collapsed majestically in upon itself.

The sun was obscured by the dust cloud and the remains of Burnt Wood was ablaze again. The wolf menace was no more, but the cost of victory changed the map of Spangerland for ever.
Chapter 19

### Together again

Smoke was still rising in several places from the scorched wasteland that had been Burnt Wood, but there was a gentle breeze blowing from the West, taking the haze towards the sea and away from Tanya's vantage point on a ridge about three kilometres from Homestead. In the light of early dawn, she could see no movement anywhere, but several black shapes to the North suggested that the cattle were still here. Dead or alive? She had no idea. Turning her head to look over her shoulder, she gave a low whistle, then motioned for the others to join her.

There were only nine of them now. Pansy, Flossie and Polly had been natural choices to join Tanya in the two day run overland from Toogood Farm, but there had been arguments between the others about who would go and stay. Marco was bitterly disappointed that Tanya wouldn't let him go as well, but all the girls agreed, he was too precious to be risked in another fight. In the end, Evelyn and her sister Annie with their two eldest, Caroline and Marianne were elected to go to Homestead as well. As they were setting out, they were joined by Margo, Jenny and Firenza from Ibis. That made eleven, but during the first night, Evelyn had taken a bad fall and sprained her ankle, so they had pulled and pushed her up into a convenient tree, and Jenny had volunteered to stay with her.

They were very tired, having only stopped twice to get a couple of hours sleep, and reluctantly left the comparative comfort and safety of the ridge for the long exposed walk across the open fields.

They were simply dressed, and ready to fight. No flowing colourful robes this time, only padded leather jerkins and round helmets, plus bows, swords and spears. What they had lacked on Toogood Farm, Polly and Margo had borrowed from Ibis's armoury.

They had nearly reached the West gate.

"Gate's open," whispered Flossie trembling slightly. The last time she had been here had been two years ago, when she had run in terror from the bloodbath that had been the battle on the green, and had been the only survivor.

"Take the forge and cover us," Tanya whispered, and indicated that the archers, Margo and Firenza should go with her, as well as Polly and Marianne.

They started to run now. Tanya leading Pansy, Annie and Caroline towards the Vine. At the last minute, she veered off and stopped by the door of the cottage next door. There were animal noises coming from inside.

"Ready?" She just breathed the word.

The others nodded and held their swords and hunting knives high.

Gritting her teeth, Tanya lifted the latch, and shouldering open the door rushed inside, the others following on her heels.

"Tanya?"

"Mum?"

"Tanya?"

"Simon! Where's the bloody wolfs then?" Then turning round quickly, she grabbed Caroline by the shoulder. "Outside you. This is no fit sight for girls."

Pansy and Annie followed them outside, giggling with relief.

"Never saw a man move so fast before," laughed Annie. "Wait till the girls at home hear this one."

"Never saw a woman go so red before either," replied Pansy, and they walked laughing across the green to collect the others from the forge.

"Well Tanya Vine," said Ma Nesbitt, smiling broadly. "You're a credit to your family, and no mistake. Your mum's a bit put out though, you bursting in on her like that."

It was the first time that anyone in Homestead had managed to smile since they had run home on the day of judgement, as it was being called. The missile launched by Hind had been seen by Connie Nesbitt's party returning to Homestead, and they had completed their journey as quickly as they could, in fear of what they would find there.

Tanya scowled. "Making babies at that time of day. Should be ashamed of themselves. Ran ourselves fit to drop, and for what?"

"No no Tanya. That's not the point. You thought you was needed, so you came. Didn't need asking twice, and for that we all thank you."

Tanya still scowled, but Pansy butted in. "Just think Tan. You nearly stabbed him. He nearly got your sword up his arse."

Slowly Tanya's face relaxed and she started laughing softly, but very quickly the taverna was filled with peals of hysterical laughter.

Simon appeared in the kitchen doorway to see what the fuss was about. The laughter rose to new levels and red faced, he retreated, slamming the kitchen door shut behind him.

### Rule number one

Later that day, after the weary girls had rested, Connie called some of them back to the Vine for lunch.

The old guru put down her spoon. "It'll not be easy, but we're going to rebuild Homestead. The whole village is looking a bit weary now." She had seen the grand houses in Ibis and wanted to make her home town a better place to live in. "Land will heal itself in time, but this place needs a helping hand."

Sylvia licked her lips and reached for her mug of cider. "Reckon we'll need help ourselves Connie, we're getting shorthanded. Can't afford any more strife or accidents."

Tanya looked up from her bowl of stew frowning slightly. There was something bothering her. "We can come over and help out from time to time Ma," she offered, then lowered her spoon again.

"Well that's right neighbourly young Tanya, but first, there's two more jobs for you."

Tanya looked up in surprise, "what will they be then Ma Nesbitt?"

"First, I want you to see if you can find them dozy dogs for me. Young Caren has seen something important in their drawings that they seem to have missed, or forgotten."

Tanya pulled a wry face. More work for the grumpy guru. "What then?" she asked.

Connie took a deep breath. She was about to speak of one of Homestead's old dark secrets. "When I was only a bit of a girl, about your age, there was this woman, lived on Back Lane she did, to start with anyway." She shook her head slowly. "Nice old girl she was, but she was blessed by the Lady, and she had the Power of casting. Turned out she was the best caster anyone had ever heard of. Forecasting weather, births, crops and so forth. Always right."

She took another drink from the mug. "But she wasn't prima. Not even guru, like me. Guru them days was my Grandma, Floren. Anyway, Prudence, the caster, got ideas above her station and started studying... unsavoury things. Won't go into it now, but she turned evil on us. Started broadcasting as well as forecasting, stopped my Grandma from seeing. Made decent folk turn on each other, murdered my mum, my old gran and some others as well. I was only fourteen then, but I remember what it was like, the mental stuff as well as the violence that came after."

She took another sip and briefly studied her silent audience.

"It was a dark time for Homestead it was, when we decided enough was enough. All through that long night she was still making us see things that weren't there, and do things we shouldn't, but she tired in the end." She looked round briefly at all the sunburned faces. Would they condemn her?

"Took fifteen of us to catch and drown her."

The silence dragged on. Even Sylvie hadn't heard this before yesterday.

"Me and Joannie have had trouble _seeing_ lately. Then, when I was in Ibis, my head was alright again." She looked round her audience again. "We've got a caster here, in Homestead."

Her eyes locked onto Tanya's, and she steeled herself for the girl's reaction. "You've got to take Sali Vorden away with you. She can't come here again, and if she goes bad on you, like her granny's sister, you've got to be strong, and kill her."

Tanya's spoon dropped to the table as she quickly stood up. "Sali." she shouted, but her mind said _'Saaaliii.'_

"Steady," said Sylvia, "Sali's a good girl, probably never happen."

"No," shouted Tanya. Her mind was filled with _'Wooolf, Hooome, Saaaliii.'_

"I'm a cannibal," she yelled in horror, and knocking the bowl of goat stew to the floor, rushed outside to be sick.

Ma Nesbitt watched the horrified girl as she dashed through the door, then turned to Sylvia with a smile on her face. "Took it rather well, I thought. Didn't she?"

Here ends book 1

Thankyou for getting this far, and

I hope it was not too painful for you.

Next in the series :

Book 2 **The Sali Vorden affair.**

In which Sali grows up too quickly,

Tanya takes up archery again,

then Walter goes to church

and gets married to all the women of Lakeside.

Contains some bad language, violence,

and several passages of a sexual nature.

I have tried to edit them out

but the plot does not work without them.

Sorry.
