od move," Jil-Lee said, coming out of concealment. "But
what have you done to yourself?" He stepped closer, pulling Travis' hand
away from his side. By the time Lupe came to report, Travis was again
wound in a strapping bandage pulled tightly about his lower ribs, and
reconciled to the fact that any trailing he would do must be well to the
rear of the first party.

"The towers," he said to Jil-Lee. "If our plan works, we can catch part
of the Reds here. But we still have their ship to take, and for that we
need help which we may find at the towers. Or at least we can be on
guard there if they return with Kaydessa on that path."

Lupe dropped down lightly from an upper ledge. He was grinning.

"That woman is one who thinks. She runs from the ship first as a rabbit
with a wolf at her heels. Then she begins to think. She climbs--" He
lifted one finger to the slope behind them. "She goes behind a rock to
watch under cover. When Fox comes from the ship with Eskelta, again she
climbs. Buck lets himself be seen, so she moves east, as we wish--"

"And now?" questioned Travis.

"She is keeping to the high ways; almost she thinks like one of the
People on the war trail. Nolan believes she will hole up for the night
somewhere above. He will make sure."

Travis licked his lips. "She has no food or water."

Jil-Lee's lips shaped a smile. "They will see that she comes upon both
as if by chance. We have planned all of this, as you know, younger
brother."

That was true. Travis knew that Kaydessa would be guided without her
knowledge by the "accidental" appearance now and then of some
pursuer--just enough to push her along.

"Then, too, she is now armed," Jil-Lee added.

"How?" demanded Travis.

"Look to your own belt, younger brother. Where is your knife?"

Startled, Travis glanced down. His sheath was empty, and he had not
needed that blade since he had drawn it to cut meat at the morning meal.
Lupe laughed.

"She had steel in her hand when she came out of that ghost ship."

"Took it from me while we struggled!" Travis was openly surprised. He
had considered the frenzy displayed by the Tatar girl as an outburst of
almost mindless terror. Yet Kaydessa had had wit enough to take his
knife! Could this be another case where one race was less affected by a
mind machine than the other? Just as the Apaches had not been governed
by the Red caller, so the Tatars might not be as sensitive to the Redax.

"She is a strong one,