101
Puzzled and frustrated by his unexpected retreat, all manner of questions form in your mind. Did he see you? Was he only a clan scout and not the sniper after all? Did the sniper overtake you during the night, and is he now lying in wait somewhere on the road ahead?
After several minutes of useless deliberation you try to lay aside these thoughts and apply yourself to the task of rejoining your colony. Without transport, the journey is going to be extremely difficult, so you decide to try to salvage your discarded motorcycle. To the west, the rockfall is far less steep and you have no difficulty descending to the edge of the gully. Then you lower yourself down the final slope to where your motorcycle lies at the bottom. You are expecting to find little more than a twisted heap of scrap metal, so it comes as a welcome surprise to discover that the machine is still in working order. After straightening the handlebars and the front wheel alignment, you climb astride it and restart the engine on the fifth kick.
You follow the wide trench until you find a suitable place to make your exit. The ascent is accomplished without difficulty, and, as you clear the crest of the gully, you bring your motorcycle to a halt in order to take a last look at the retreating clansman. For a moment the recent memory of your murdered companions sends a shiver along your spine, but the memory fades quickly when you wind back the throttle and gun your bike along the bumpy mountain road, heading west.
