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the bottle he was carrying。 Then； when one of the women fell…a cute brunette in knee boots and a full skirt…the riders began to circle her； revving their bikes and promising a wide variety of injustices。 The only helmeted rider had taken hold of the second woman and was grabbing what he could； heedless of the fury of her fists。
〃Rook； meanwhile； had edged her bike up to the perimeter of the riders' circle； now； as they were making grabs for the downed girl； she switched on the Cyclone's headlight and brought it to bear on the group。 Stunned； the riders brought hands up to shield their eyes。
〃‘You Snakes haven't changed a bit；' Rook growled。 She turned the front wheel aside so the bikers could get a look at the hand blaster she had trained on them。 ‘Well； now don't tell me you've forgotten my face。。。'〃
〃The Mohawked rider； who I now noticed had a blue heart tattooed on his left arm； squinted and scowled。 ‘Why； it's Rook！'〃
〃The two women broke free of their pursuers and ran to stand by Rook's Cyclone； one of them crying hysterically。〃
〃‘I suppose you degenerates have overrun the whole place since I've been gone；' Rook continued。〃
〃The outlaw riders looked at one another and said nothing。 Finally； they laughed and took off； warning Rook that she had made a big mistake in ing back。〃
〃‘Skull's right；' I heard one of the women say to Rook。 ‘You better split。 The wars aren't like before。 The Red Snakes have five times as many members now。'〃
〃‘Five times？。。。Is Romy doing anything about it？ Are the Blue Angels still around？'〃
〃‘Broken up；' the other woman said between sobs。 ‘They've fallen apart。 Romy spends all his time with。。。'〃
〃‘Say it； Sue…I already know。'〃
〃‘Your sister；' Sue said； lowering her head。 ‘He can't fight them alone。 No one can。'〃
〃The canyon widened some at its eastern end； where there was a surprisingly well kept park。 Rook spent the rest of the night there…what little there was left of it…still unaware that I wasn't fifty feet away from her。 In the morning a small van drove into the park； a nondescript…looking guy and a girl who couldn't have been more than fifteen stepped out； opened up the back； and； for an hour or so； sold and refilled canisters of propane gas for what appeared to be steady customers。 Rook watched for some time without revealing herself； until the last customer had been served and the duo was getting ready to pack up and leave。 Of course it occurred to me that these two might be Romy and Rook's sister； Lilly； but I had no way of being sure until Rook opened her mouth。〃
〃On foot； she had moved her Cyclone to the top of a wide stone staircase that overlooked the couple's business area and signaled her presence by starting up the mecha。 The man looked up at the sound and said； ‘Who the heck。。。？' then； ‘Rook！' full of excitement。〃
〃But she returned a cold sneer。 ‘Romy； how the heck could you just let the Snakes take control of this place？' she demanded。〃
〃‘Wele back；' Romy said； nonplussed。〃
〃‘Sue tells me there's five times as many of them as there used to be。'〃
〃‘I worried about you； Rook。'〃
〃‘Liar！' she shot back。 ‘I'll bet you were real worried about me when Atilla and his Snakes were stomping the hell out of me in a rumble you and the rest of the Angels never attended！'〃
〃‘Rook…'〃
〃‘How could you have done that to me； Romy？' Rook said； sobbing now。 ‘If you only knew what they did to me。。。there was no way I could stay here after that。'〃
〃While all this was going on； I saw the girl walk out from behind the van； her hand to her mouth in a startled gesture。 Now she spoke to Rook through sobs of her own。〃
〃‘You don't understand…it wasn't like that at all！' she began。〃
〃Rook's younger sister！ I thought。 She bore almost no resemblance to her blond sibling。 Lilly was raven…haired and petite； dressed in a pleated white skirt and a simple burgundy…colored sweater。〃
〃‘Romy didn't run away…he tried to help you； but he was ambushed by the Red Snakes。 They beat him up so bad； he couldn't walk for a month。 It was the Snakes' plan all along to make it seem like Romy deserted you。 They knew you would leave the Angels； and without you； the Angels were nothing。 So when you left； everything fell apart。'〃
〃Rook wore a confused look now。〃
〃‘That's enough；' Romy was telling Lilly。〃
〃‘Please don't blame him；' said Lilly。 ‘He searched all over for you。'〃
〃Rook looked from one to the other； former lover to sister。〃
〃‘Why should I believe you？' she asked。 ‘Either of you！'〃
〃Lilly took a step closer。 ‘Besides； you can't expect Romy to take on the Snakes alone。' She motioned to the delivery van and to Romy； who was tight…lipped and； I think； embarrassed by the scene。 ‘We're trying to build a life for ourselves； Rook。 Romy isn't going to do the stupid things he used to do。 He's。。。he's grown up。'〃
〃I thought Rook was going to take offense at the remark； but she didn't。 In fact； I could see that she was no longer angry。〃
〃‘Sure the Snakes are an evil bunch；' Lilly continued。 ‘But if you don't give them a reason to fight； they mind their own turf。 Romy's not holding back because he's a coward； but for the good of everyone。'〃
〃Rook smiled。 ‘So you're holding back； are you； Romy？'〃
〃I'm not sure just what was on Rook's mind…maybe the idea that Romy was also holding back the affection he still had for her。 In any case； Lilly answered yes for him； and Rook said that she was beginning to understand。 ‘I guess it took a bookworm to make him see the light；' she directed at Lilly。〃
〃Lilly was about to say something； when one of the girls Rook had rescued appeared at the top of the staircase。 Sue； if I recall。〃
〃‘You've got to run for it； Rook！' she said； out of breath。 ‘The Red Snakes are all over Trenchtown looking for you！'〃
〃I saw Rook grin。 ‘Great！' she said； engaging the Cyclone。 She asked Romy if the Snakes still hung out at something she named ‘Highways。' Romy nodded warily。 ‘Rook； you're not thinking of…'〃
〃‘It's what I've been waiting for；' she told him。 'Revenge！'〃
〃She stomped the Cyclone into gear and raced off； leaving all of us wondering if we would ever see her again。〃
CHAPTER ELEVEN
〃No one can dispute the acplishment。 The very fact that they undertook the journey ！to Reflex Point＇ is in and of itself a measure of their courage and mitment； the very fact that they journeyed so far through such hostile territory a testament to their skills。 But someone needs to point out the troubles the journey stirred up for those along the way。 Can anyone name one Southlands settlement that survived their ＇the Bernard team's＇ wake？〃
Breetai Tul； as quoted in Zeus Bellow； The Road to Reflex Point
〃I decided to show myself after Rook split。 I brought the Cyclone to life and pulled out from my place of concealment in the bushes； surprising the hell out of Romy and Lilly。 I popped a small wheelie for effect and screeched to a halt； allowing the tail end to slide around to where Romy stood with his mouth half…open。
〃'Well； don't just stand there waiting for flies to land；' I said to him。 'Hop on and let's give her some backup support。'〃
〃Romy flashed Lilly a look that municated several dozen things at once and climbed on。 I could tell that Lilly wanted to hold him back； but she knew better than to try。 Romy had to get this out of his system for his sake as well as Rook's。 I mean； nobody likes to be thought of as a Khyron； even if it was all a misunderstanding。〃
〃Cavalierly； I nodded to Lilly and powered the Cyclone up the staircase； getting a rise out of the fact that Romy was white…knuckling the seat grips all the while。 I have to admit that I liked impressing would…be motorcycle toughs like Romy； they were an all too frequently encountered breed in the wastes； and I was bored to tears by them。〃
〃Once up top； I asked Romy about this ‘Highways' place Rook had mentioned； he shouted directions into my ear； and I wristed the Cyc's throttle； letting it open up along the undamaged sections of roadway that led back to the narrow heart of the city。〃
〃It must have been about this time that the three Invid paid a call on Scott and the others。 I had been wondering what they had made of our disappearance from camp