Middenface was making his way along a dry river bed that had been carved in the desert floor millennia ago. It was a couple of metres deep, with sloping sides, and he was walking along the bottom of it in the centre. It seemed a good way of making fast progress without being visible from a distance.
After last night's experience, Middenface had decided to abandon his nest in the mine. If Stella Dysh came back into the vicinity, he knew he was finished. So, at dawn he'd set off, moving quickly, without a backward glance at the box canyon that had been his sanctuary. Of course, there was no guarantee that he wouldn't run into Stella somewhere out here in the desert, but it simply felt safer to be on the move. He had buried Slim Drago in a makeshift grave mound marked with a wooden cross and then he'd set off. He was moving in the direction of the mountain with the fort at its base, which he could see as a massive ghost in the distance of the desert morning. He estimated that it would take him the best part of the day to get back to the fort. He had no idea what he'd do when he got there, but it seemed like the right course of action. It seemed like the sort of thing Johnny would do. When he'd found the dry river bed, which ran conveniently in the direction he was travelling, he had descended into it and followed it without hesitation.
The river bed twisted and turned, following some inscrutable rules of the land's topography, and each time Middenface came to a blind turning he slowed down, dropped to his knees, and peered around the bend. After a couple of hours, this strategy had begun to seem pointless and also a little craven, so now he was pressing along at full speed, taking each blind curve boldly, his rifle held high and ready.
He was moving like that, when he came around one bend and found himself face to face with Ray. Like Middenface, the boy had a rifle in his hands. He also had an odd, dream-like expression on his face, but Middenface didn't really register this until after he'd aimed, fired, and dropped Ray in his tracks.
Middenface darted forward and examined the boy. He was dead all right. The bullet had taken him squarely in the chest and killed him outright.
Middenface repressed a flicker of regret. Ray would no doubt have killed him with an equal lack of ceremony, if he'd had the chance. Middenface had just been lucky enough to shoot first. But something about the look of Ray bothered him. The odd, dreamy expression he'd had on his face, and the way he hadn't even attempted to use his gun. The fierce elation Middenface had felt on defeating his opponent began to fade, to be replaced by a profound sense of disquiet. He looked around the empty river bed. Something was wrong.
Where was Bel? He had never seen the twins separated before. He'd imagined that only death could keep them apart. Death, or...
Middenface remembered the odd expression on Ray's face, and the way he'd made no attempt to defend himself. It reminded Middenface of Slim Drago and how he'd gone obediently to his executioner in the moonlight. Despite the heat of the desert sun, Middenface found himself shivering. What if Ray had been under Stella Dysh's spell? What if he'd been on his way to her when Middenface had run into him?
Middenface left Ray's body where it fell and scrambled up the slanting wall of the river bed. He didn't know what was going on, but he was going to get the hell out of here. He struggled back onto ground level and found himself in a range of small hills, dotted with scrubby trees and dry bush. Some birds where wheeling high up in the cloudless blue sky. Their tiny black shapes made Middenface think uncomfortably of vultures. The bush around began to sway with the approach of a breeze and Middenface felt the slow, gliding rush of air cooling the sweat on his face.
The breeze brought more than coolness with it. It also carried an undetectable, but powerful, chemical scent and, although Middenface couldn't smell it consciously, he immediately felt its effect. He dropped his rifle and the rolled blanket he had been carrying. They no longer seemed important. He turned towards the foot hills that rose above him, slowly building in height, towards the blue mountains beyond. Middenface started up into the hills. He understood what was happening to him with total clarity. But that didn't seem important, either.
He found Stella Dysh sitting on the downwards slope on the far side of the hill. She had built a small fire and its tiny flames flickered invisibly in the daylight. Stella was eating something scorched and black, impaled on a sharp twig. "This beef jerky isn't so bad if you cook it up a bit," she said. She crunched a final mouthful of the seared jerky, then discarded the twig and stood up, dusting off the seat of her jeans. "I heard a shot," she said. "Was that you?"
"I shot Ray," said Middenface. It didn't occur to him to attack Stella, or to struggle, or attempt to flee. Anything like that was clearly impossible.
Stella smiled at him. "Good for you. That's one less for me to deal with and one more to add to the jackpot." She picked up her rifle from the ground. "Before I deal with you, you'd better show me where he is. I need a sample of his hair for proof of a kill."
"All right," said Middenface. He led Stella back down the far side of the hill. As they walked, he found himself noticing how beautiful the desert was, how vast and clear the sky. The mountains towering in the distance were grandly magnificent, exquisite in every detail. The world had never looked this beautiful to Middenface before. He supposed it was something to do with knowing he was going to die.
They reached the point where he'd dropped his rifle and bedroll. Stella Dysh paused. "I wonder if there's anything in your kit I could use? Oh well, I'll take a look at it on the way back." Middenface knew he wouldn't be with her on the way back. It wasn't a happy thought, but there was nothing he could do about it. "Which way now?" said Stella.
He led her down the sloping side into the dried river bed. When Stella looked like she might be about to stumble, he helped her. "Thanks," said Stella. "You're a real gent." Middenface led her through the winding river bed, along a blind curve, to the point where Ray's body was lying, just as he'd left it. "Good boy," said Stella to Middenface, giving him the sort of absent-minded pat on the head that you might offer to somebody else's dog.
She set her rifle down and kneeled by the corpse, taking out a knife which she used to cut a piece of Ray's hair. "I'm glad you didn't shoot him in the head," she said. "I made the mistake of doing that with old Slim last night and then, of course, I had to get a bit of his hair. Yuck! Talk about bad planning."
"I know," said Middenface. "I saw you."
"Did you now? In that box canyon? Sounds like I should have stuck around for a few minutes. I could have crossed you off the list, too. Never mind. I've got you now." She put the tuft of hair into the pocket of her jeans and stood up, picking up her rifle. "I'll shoot you in the chest, just like you got him. Sound all right to you?"
"No," said Middenface mournfully.
"No," agreed Stella with a chuckle, "but what are you going to do?" She raised the gun. "Say goodbye."
"Goodbye," said a voice from above them. A shot rang out and Stella Dysh dropped to the ground at Middenface's feet. He looked up to see Johnny standing at the top of the bank. Granny Haxer stood beside him. They came slowly down the sloping gradient towards Middenface, dust rising at their feet. Johnny helped Granny, who had a bloody bandage tied on one arm. The old woman went to Stella's body and gave it a kick.
She looked up at Middenface and Johnny. "I don't know what you fellas saw in her," she said.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
DUEL IN THE FORTRESS
Charlie Yuletide sat beside the old iron stove in the kitchen of the fort. He had his feet up and was strumming on his banjo and singing softly.
"They fought and they fought, to their last breath. Brave Strontium Dogs in a fight to the death."
"Oh, for God's sake, put a sock in it," said Hari Mata Karma Zo as she passed him, poured herself a cup of coffee, and wandered out again.
Hari Mata Karma Zo stood on the battlements of the old fort, sipping her coffee and staring out over the desert. The view was magnificent and the coffee wasn't bad, either, though oddly not as good as the vile-looking stuff
Granny Haxer had brewed up. She felt a small twinge of regret about Granny and the others, especially Middenface and Johnny. They were out there in the desert right now, engaged in the tricky business of killing each other. HMKZ sighed and set her coffee cup down. On either side of her were the spaces for the four cannons, which she had sabotaged, and which had blown themselves to pieces. Her husband had ordered them to be removed for repairs by his team of experts. Within a few days they'd be back in place, fully restored and as good as new.
"Or as good as old," thought HMKZ, since they were already antiques. She smiled. The thought amused her. It was about the only thing that did amuse her at the moment. She turned away and moved to the inner wall of the fortress, looking down over the courtyard. The pale blue shape of the shuttle ship rested there in the heart of the fort, fitting neatly between the four walls. It was no surprise that it fitted so well, since the fort had been purpose built to accommodate the vessel. Asdoel Zo had moved it inside as soon as he dropped the drugged bounty hunters off in the desert to begin their game. "You never know what those desperados might get up to. They're really quite resourceful for a pack of primitive low-lifes," he'd said. "It'll be safer inside." But HMKZ knew that wasn't the real reason, and that if Asdoel had his way, the ship would be vastly less safe in its new berth.
"Penny for your thoughts."
She turned to see her husband standing there, smoking one of his cigars. She hadn't heard him approach. "Are you practising sneaking up on me?" she said. "You'd better, because that's the only way you're going to be able to exercise your conjugal rights from now on."
"Oh come now, honey," said Asdoel Zo. He was wearing his usual shorts and sandals and brightly coloured shirt - in this case one decorated with a motif of black horses' heads on a red background. "You aren't still mad about that stupid girl are you? She didn't mean anything to me." He took the cigar out of his mouth, blowing smoke. Blowing smoke is right, thought HMKZ. He's trying to blow smoke up my ass.
"Where is she?" said HMKZ.
"Where is who? Her? I got rid of her ages ago."
"That's what you said before."
"I left her back at the mall, I swear. The jewellery store was the last place I saw her. The last place I'll ever see her."
HMKZ sighed. "This all has a terribly familiar ring to it."
"It's the truth this time, my dove," said Asdoel Zo, bending to kiss her on the cheek. She dodged the kiss.
"You reek of that ganja," she said.
He grinned at her. "You used to say you liked the smell of it."
"I was just saying that."
"I know you're upset, darling," he cooed in his most annoying voice, the one of wheedling, unctuous sincerity. HMKZ had heard it many times before. Too many times. "But it will all be better when this is over. We'll be able to spend some time together and iron out any misunderstandings."
"There aren't any misunderstandings. I understand you all too well. That's the trouble."
"You'll feel better in a few days, dear. I know you're a bit upset because you bonded with those Strontium Dogs."
"Johnny and Middenface are both twice the man you are."
"I see. So on aggregate they're four times the man I am." Asdoel chuckled and sucked on his cigar, quite unruffled. He was so vastly arrogant, he was almost impossible to insult.
"Are you still determined to go through with this ridiculous stunt of yours?" demanded HMKZ.
"The grand finale you mean?" Asdoel exhaled smoke. "Of course I am."
"What if something goes wrong?"
"What could possibly go wrong?" Asdoel patted the stone wall of the battlements. "Except for this entire fort and the shuttle craft being blown to pieces, of course." He chuckled and winked at her.
"Where are the girls?" said HMKZ.
"Stop worrying. Lorna and Jodi are perfectly safe, back up in orbit on the Charles Neider." He peered at her. "Maybe you ought to be up there with them."
"No, I'll stay down here and see it through to the bitter end."
"That's my girl."
"But for God's sake, let's wrap it up quickly. I'm getting sick of the whole affair."
Asdoel consulted the clock on his watch. "It will be over sooner than you think. As a matter of fact, that's why I came up here to get you. They're already on their way to the powder magazine."
"They're here!" said HMKZ. "Middenface and Johnny?"
"And that old bat, Granny Haxer too. Remarkably enough she's one of the three survivors. She's a tough old bird all right."
"Tough, but stupid. She never worked out that you were the mystery client who hired her to get Stella Dysh, did she?"
Asdoel smiled. "Do you want to tell her?"
HMKZ ignored the question. She said, "What would you have done if Johnny and Middenface hadn't made it?"
"Oh, you know me," said Asdoel. "Mr Eventuality. I had scenarios prepared for any permutation of survivors. But this one just happened to be my favourite."
"I'm so glad it worked out for you," said HMKZ bitterly. "How did you lure them here?"
"I sent Tarkettle out into the desert to find them. He's led them back in through the secret entrance that leads to the powder magazine."
"Secret entrance?"
"You know, we had it dug last week. Designed to look like a clandestine escape route with an entrance near the waterfalls. Very nice piece of work. Anyway, Tarkettle met up with the Strontium Dogs and told them how he's appalled by my plan and the part he has been made to play in it, the cavalier treatment of humans as playthings, yadda yadda, being made to act out life and death games purely for my amusement, and blah, blah, blah. So he shows Johnny and Middenface, and old Granny, this concealed entrance to the fortress that takes them into the caves beneath it and through the gunpowder magazine. The idea is that they'll blow up the magazine, and the fortress and the shuttle craft - now handily docked in the courtyard - into the bargain and thereby eliminate the evil rich man."
"And his evil, rich wife," said HMKZ.
Asdoel laughed. "That's right!"
"And you seriously expect Johnny and the others to believe Tarkettle's story?"
"Why not? Tarkettle believes it. I had it implanted as a hypnotic suggestion while he was asleep last night. He woke up this morning with a desire for escape and revenge. He was all primed and ready and waiting for me to give him his cue, which I duly did. So he slipped out and went looking for Johnny and the other heroes. I gave him a little subliminal guidance, of course, based on their last known positions. He found them pretty quick and brought them back here."
"Like a Judas goat."
"Nice image. Of course Tarkettle knew all about the secret tunnel and the access to the powder magazine. By now he believes he thought up the plan himself."
HMKZ went back to the battlements and found her tin coffee cup. It was still half full. She took a sip, but it was cold and bitter. She set it aside again. "Well, if they're preparing to blow up the fort, don't you think you should be doing something about it?"
Her husband checked the time again. "In just a minute now, darling. Do you want to be there to see the big finish?"
HMKZ yawned. "I suppose so. Do you still plan that ridiculous, final confrontation we discussed?"
"Indeed I do. Thanks for reminding me." He dug in the pockets of his shorts and took out a silver box. He prised it's lid open with his thumbnail and took out a pale blue pill. "Better top myself up. I want to be at my best for the big showdown." He turned and walked towards the stairs that led down to the courtyard. But before he could go, HMKZ caught his arm. He turned to look at her. "What is it, honey?"
"Are you really sure you want to go through with this, Asdoel? You don't have to, you know."
"What else am I going to do?"
"Let Johnny and the others go. Pay them off and let them go. We've had our fun. Put an end to it now."
"Oh sure," said Asdoel Zo. "Like I'm going to do that." He laughed heartily and set off down the stairs, his sandals slapping as he
went. HMKZ stared after him for a long moment, then followed.
First, her husband went into the underground kitchen, descending the steps on the right of the courtyard. "Where are you going?" said HMKZ. "The powder magazine is the other way."
"I know that, dear. I thought I'd collect our lackadaisical troubadour en route. He should witness the end of the drama. Maybe it will inspire him to compose a suitably poignant, final verse to sing on the video."
They went into the kitchen where they found Charlie Yuletide eating a large, messy bacon and egg sandwich and forced him to abandon it. Then they returned up into the courtyard and back down into the cellar on the opposite side, pausing in the armoury that adjoined the powder magazine. "What now?" said HMKZ impatiently.
"First we arm you, my darling." He inspected rows of rifles, gleaming dully in a glass cabinet and decisively opened it and chose one. "An original Volcanic repeating rifle, circa 1856. The perfect thing for the lady in my life."
"Do you mean me?" said HMKZ, sardonically lifting an eyebrow. After a moment, she accepted the rifle from her husband.
Asdoel Zo took a box of shells out of a drawer in the cabinet and handed it to her. HMKZ began loading the rifle with practised expertise while Asdoel turned to a wall covered with revolvers hanging on pegs. "And now I arm myself. After all, we can't have a final shootout without something to do the shooting with can we?" He looked at the rows of handguns and selected one. "Remington .44 calibre new army model, I think, designed for service in the Civil War."
"Just get on with it."
"Almost there, my dove." He opened a drawer in a tall wooden chest that ran from floor to ceiling, and selected a leather belt and holster. He strapped them to his hip, slipped the Remington into the belt and tried a few slow practice draws, watching himself in a mirror. The pistol cleared the holster cleanly every time.
"What's he doing?" whispered Charlie Yuletide.
"He's going to fight a duel with Johnny Alpha," said HMKZ in a voice of profound, flat neutrality.
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