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〃‘This should help some；' she said； dropping the small projectile on the ground and treating the wound with antiseptic solution。〃
〃The man thanked her in the same flat； clipped tone I was already beginning to dislike。 A breeze rustled through the woods just then； and I gazed up and saw something that reinforced my suspicions about the guy。 The wind revealed what the poncho had intended to hide： that his arm and a good portion of his chest were covered with some sort of gleaming alloy。 Rook must have seen it； too； because I heard her gasp while asking the rogue's name。〃
〃‘Excuse me； mister。 I didn't mean to embarrass you；' she hastened to add。 ‘What happened to you？'〃
〃‘Well； I'm glad you didn't run away when you saw it；' the stranger drawled。 ‘That's how most react。。。Let's just say it's a little present from our friends the Invid。 You could say I'm just lucky that they left me alive at all。'〃
〃Rook made a face。 ‘I guess it could've been worse。。。 ' She asked the man to remove his poncho and dabbed at the wound with gauze before beginning to dress it。 ‘At least you got away from them。' Rook winked at him flirtatiously。 ‘Now； I'm no doctor； so you better not let this rest until you see one。'〃
〃The rogue almost smiled…or maybe that tight…lipped grin was his idea of a smile。 But in any case； he said： ‘What'd you say your name was； missy…Rook？ Well； Rook； I just can't thank you enough for helping a stranger out。'〃
〃Rook had a blushing response all ready for him。 I saw her gesture to the bullet。 ‘But this isn't from any Invid；' she started to say。 ‘They don't have anything this primitive in their arsenal。'〃
〃The stranger was about to reply； but I stepped in with my Gallant drawn and aimed at his midsection。 ‘You're right； Rook。 And those Invid ships didn't just forget about us； either。 This rogue's a spy。'〃
〃‘What are you doing？！' Rook shouted at me。 ‘Put that thing away！'〃
〃‘Not till I find out what it is about his guy that makes the Invid run away； or how he ended up with a bullet in his arm。'〃
〃The rogue just stared； like he was sorry for me or something。 ‘If you have to know； the bullet came from my own gun。 It discharged by accident。 Check near the seat of the cycle if you don't believe me； kid。 You'll find an antique six…gun under…'〃
〃‘You're an Invid agent；' I snarled； ignoring the bit about the gun because it sounded too much like the truth。〃
〃‘If that was true； you'd be dead； kid。'〃
〃This also sounded right； but I ignored it and motioned with the blaster for him to get up。 Rook was already on her feet； cursing me。〃
〃‘He's not our enemy； Rand。 Besides…he's hurt！'〃
〃I told her to stand out of the way and ordered the guy to his feet。 He got up slowly； almost tiredly； and said we had helped him and he was grateful。 ‘I don't want anybody to get hurt。'〃
〃I had the weapon straight out in front of me； and I guess I really didn't expect him to go for his gun。 I even fired a warning shot into the tree behind him as his hand inched toward the holster； but he went for it anyway； confident that I wasn't about to kill him in cold blood； and caught me in the right hand with a stun blast； knocking the Gallant from my two…handed grip。〃
〃That made twice when I should have fired first and asked questions later…first with Wolff and now with Mr。 Clint McGlint。 But so help me； if I'm ever drawing a bead on someone again。。。〃
〃Anyhow； Rook ran over to me to take a look at my hand； dismissing it roughly when she saw that I was only mildly burned。〃
〃‘I hope you're satisfied！' she seethed。 〃You could have been killed！'〃
〃The stranger threw me a look。 ‘Like I said； kid； if I was one of them； you woulda never left the sands alive。'〃
〃I looked over at Rook； trying to sort through my feelings； and decided that it was all her fault for being so。。。friendly。〃
〃Back then I was still struggling with jealousy。〃
〃I let Rook and the stranger have a few moments of privacy by the river while I nursed my hand and wounded pride。 But I didn't let it go on for long。 The sun was going down； and I was certain that Scott and the others would be worrying about us。 I had all but forgotten about Dusty Ayres and the search that had brought us out here to begin with。〃
〃Rook and her new hero were too far off for me to； hear； but I could tell by her posturing that things were getting a little too chummy； so I finally banged the Cyc into gear and rode in to break it up。〃
〃‘Sorry to interrupt； but it's time we headed back to town；' I told her。 ‘Thank your friend for his hospitality and let's get moving。'〃
〃The stranger regarded me； then turned back to Rook。 ‘I have to leave anyway。'〃
〃‘Sorry to hear it；' I said。〃
〃He ignored the ment。 I tried to hurry Rook along and roared off； wanting no part of whatever good…byes the two planned to exchange。〃
〃Rook caught up with me a few minutes later； and we rode a long way before either of us spoke。 She repeated that I had been wrong about the man from the start…the man with no name。 As he told it； he had been used as a guinea pig in some gruesome experiments the Invid had carried out shortly after they had defeated the Earth forces； apparently； the whole right side of his body had been vivisected and replaced with prostheses and alloy plating。 Worse than that； his friends had stood by and made no attempt to rescue him。 He was an unusually sensitive man； Rook insisted； and I had acted like a plete moron。〃
〃I don't know why I didn't put two and two together then and figure out who the stranger was； I guess I was just too wrapped up in Rook's attachment to him to see the obvious。 ‘I have some unfinished business to take care of；' he had told her in response to her invitation to join us。〃
〃Well； by the time we got back to town； I was convinced that I had been wrong and full of forgive and forget toward Rook。 The open invitation didn't exactly thrill me； but I somehow managed to swallow my protests and keep still about it。〃
〃'Rand； level with me；' Rook said when we were getting off the Cycs。 ‘Was I wrong to befriend that stranger？'〃
〃‘No；' I told her。 ‘You've gotta follow your feelings sometimes； no matter what。' Naturally I thought she was trying to get to the heart of the possessive feelings I had displayed。 It was only later that I realized what was really on her mind： she had known all along just who it was she was helping and befriending。 The question had nothing to do with us； it had to do with loyalties of an entirely different sort。。。〃
〃We had tracked down Scott and the gang to a saloon/restaurant straight out of an old Western movie。 But if the place took me by surprise； the sight of Yellow Dancer nearly floored me。 I suppose I had started to think of her as gone…a missing person…someone who had traveled the road with us for a short while and vanished； a casualty of this bizarre war。 So to see Lancer now； in his turquoise tunic and helmet/bonnet； his pink belt and skin…tight pants； filled me with contrasting feelings。 Scott and Lunk were at the bar knocking back a few while Yellow sang a very subdued ‘Lonely Soldier Boy。'〃
〃A couple of the town's soldiers came in just then； announcing that they had finally dug up a photo of this Dusty