Chapter 8

     On the other side, the initial pursuers were pouting as the rest of their party caught up.
     “Those little brats got away!” one of the archers huffed.
     “Curse those technocrats and their flashy manipulations,” another sneered. “They use whatever machinery they have and do whatever they feel like. And those scientists make it that way, with all their messing around with how things are supposed to be, and never once considering the consequences…” Then, seeing someone come out of the trees, he stood at attention and saluted. “Captain Khinterlin!”
     One man on a brown stallion rode out of the trees, and the rest of the men and women saluted as well.
     Khinterlin glanced around at them dourly. “At ease, ladies and gentlemen.”
     “Captain, unfortunately we weren’t able to get the scientist intruders,” one of them reported, “but as soon as we can cross this we’ll…Oww!” Abruptly the captain had, with his two forefingers, performed his notorious ear-clipping rebuke.
     “Terrance, why didn’t you and these idiots listen when I told you to hold your fire?” he admonished.
     “I don’t know what happened, Captain!” he replied, wincing. “But all I know is that some scientist trainees were barging into the woods, and they looked awfully suspicious…”
     Khinterlin shook his head in disbelief. “Are we cowards, or just plain stupid? Or can we not even handle our own weapons, for cryin’ out loud? Honestly, what kind of a faction are we if we go around shooting at kids?”
     “Then what the heck are they doing wandering around in the reserve, anyway?” he responded with disdain. “These technocrats don’t ever come into nature unless they want something from it. They’re up to something, Captain, you mark my words.”
     “I don’t doubt it,” he said, stroking his chin pensively. “We’ll have some of our people bring out the canoes and rafts and follow them across. But don’t get too excited just yet. If you hadn’t been going out on a goose hunt, you’d have heard about the legions of government agents that just stopped by at the Tripletree near here.”
     “Say what?!”
     “Yeah, that’s right. Looks like they took someone into custody, but they aren’t acting like they’ve found what they’re looking for. You know whom it was they caught? Professor Enstrite.”
     “What?! Him?” an archer questioned with bafflement. “How can that be? Isn’t he working with the government on that ‘dimensional translator’ of his?”
     “Yep. But from what I’ve been hearing around, he’s been having some trouble with them, a major disagreement. And we all know what the federal government plans to do with it,” he remarked darkly.
     Everyone nodded gravely.
     “All right. If what I’m suspecting is correct,” Khinterlin said, “then we need to clear out of here and make ourselves inconspicuous. We may end up following these kids anyway.”
     “Yes, sir!”