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"Watch that weapon, David," the Dispatcher said. "What's going on? Pants too tight and you're looking for the tailor?"
A few laughed.
"Dispatcher," Valentine said. "Our Grogs were down looking at the contest field. They went off to some bushes to-you know-"
"And?" the Dispatcher asked.
"They saw the Wildcats. Some of them on their worms, armed, others gathering."
"Coming this way?" the Dispatcher asked.
"The Grogs just ran back. Armed riders is all I know."
The Dispatcher upended his glass of bourbon onto the concrete. "Carpenter, get to the herd riders, have them try to lead the wild worms west. Mother Shaw, take the children out to the cover-field. Everyone else who can shoulder a gun, get to the rein-worms. Lead riders Mandvi, French, Cherniawsky and McGee, with me. David, you and your people with Zak; Zak, get them clear."
"You might see some fancy riding after all," Tikka said.
The crowd dissolved, and the musicians cased their instruments, if not sober at least sobered.
Zak brought Valentine to his legworm at the road trough. Other riders were climbing on board, bawling orders to the teenage boys watching the mounts-
-when a rocket cut across the sky, leaving a sparking trail. It exploded overhead with a BOOM that rattled Valentine's bones.
The legworm reared but Zak settled it.
Zak extended a hand, but Valentine found that with the hooks and spikes in his costume, climbing the side of the legworm was possible without assistance, as long as another shell didn't fire.
"What the hell was that?" Valentine asked, the boom still echoing in his ears.
"A big firework, sorta. Scares the worms. They're trying to make the mounts bolt."
Valentine saw one worm humping as it headed down the road, a rider raising dust as he was dragged. The others had their mounts under control, more or less, and turned them toward the barn.
Another rocket exploded, but it only served to hurry the legworms in the direction they were already going. Zak reached their campsite.
"Get on!" Valentine called. "We've got to ride out of here. Where's Price?"
"I don't know," Ahn-Kha said. "Still off with his mule." Valentine helped the others up.
Bee looked alarmed, and refused to mount. She let out a shriek into the night. Ahn-Kha barked something at her and reached out, but she slapped his hand away and ran off toward the road.
"I'll drop you off with the kids in the cover-field," Zak said. "You'll be safe there."
"Take us to the fight," Valentine said.
"The Dispatcher-"
"The Dispatcher's going to need every gun," Valentine said. "We've got three. Right?" He looked over his shoulder at Duvalier and Ahn-Kha.
Anh-Kha nodded. He had his cannon and Price's Kalashnikov. Duvalier patted her shotgun. "I'm happy to plant a few bobcats."
"Wildcats," Zak said.
"Then let's get online."
Valentine looked down at his U-gun. The only ammunition he had for it was Everready's 5.56mm. He wished he had a real sniper load. He looked at Duvalier's shotgun. The Mossberg would be useless in anything but a close-quarters fight. "Ali, take Price's rifle."
"Be sparing," Ahn-Kha said. "There is only one magazine."
