Free Mutiny by Mike Resnick Page B

rode the river until sunrise. Every now and then he'd fall asleep. Then his face would hit the water and he'd wake up, coughing and choking, and desperately trying not to lose his hold on the log. He had no idea exactly how far he'd come. The mountain seemed to be about twenty miles behind him, but the river wasn't running a straight course, so he might have traveled much farther.
    He now faced another decision: Was he less likely to be spotted on the water or walking beside it? He was still considering his options when he nodded off yet again, and this time he breathed in so much water that he had to go ashore to clear his lungs. He decided he didn't want to plunge back into the cold water and realized that he couldn't go much farther, that he had to get some sleep. He looked around, saw a stand of shoulder-high shrubbery about fifty yards away, trudged over to it, lay down with the shrubbery shielding him from the river, and was asleep almost before his head hit the ground.
    He didn't know how long he slept, but when he awoke he didn't feel especially well rested. For a moment he couldn't figure out why he woke up with the sun still high in the sky; he had assumed after his experiences of the past thirty-six hours that he'd probably sleep until nightfall.
    Then he realized what had awakened him. He was being prodded with the barrel of a sonic rifle.

"Who the hell are you?" said a gruff voice.
    Cole sat up and tried to focus his eyes. "Where am I?" he asked groggily.
    "I'm asking the questions here. Who are you and what are you doing here?"
    "Just give me a second to get my bearings," said Cole.
    "You look pretty torn up. Where's your outfit?"
    "My outfit?" repeated Cole.
    "You're wearing a military uniform. Well, what's left of one, anyway."
    "My ship's light-years from here," answered Cole.
    "You're a one-man invasion party, are you?"
    Cole finally looked up at the man who was speaking. He was middle-aged, on the slim side, his clothes expensive but well-worn, his (ace in need of a shave.
    "I'm a one-man escape party," said Cole at last.
    "From the mountain? I saw a bunch of Bug-Eyes working up there."
    "Bug-Eyes?"
    "Bortellites."
    "Yeah, that's where I came from."
    The man reached down and helped him to his feet. "Some of those cuts and gouges look pretty deep," he said. "Come on back to my cabin and we'll get you patched up."
    "You live out here?"
    The man shook his head. "No. I just get away whenever I can for some serious fishing."
    "Do you deafen them first?" said Cole, indicating the sonic rifle.
    "You never know what you'll run into up here," replied the man. "Devilcats, Bug-Eyes"—suddenly he smiled—"even escapees. You got a name?"
    "Wilson Cole."
    "Very funny," said the man without smiling. "Now how about your real one?"
    "I just gave it to you."
    "You expect me to believe that someone like Wilson Cole would come to a little backwater world like Rapunzel? Let's see some ID."
    "The Bortellites took it from me."
    "Well, whoever the hell you are, if you're running from them, I'll help you all I can. My name's Carson Potter. Pleased to meet you." He extended his hand, and Cole shook it.
    "Where's this cabin of yours?"
    "About a mile."
    "I don't suppose you have a subspace radio there?"
    "Now, what the hell would I be doing with a subspace radio in a fishing cabin?"
    "I've got to get to Pinocchio," said Cole. "Can you take me there?"
    "Once we get you patched up," said Potter. "Going to contact your ship?"
    Cole shook his head. "My ship wouldn't go an inch out of its way for me. I've got a captain who won't bend a regulation and a first officer who makes the captain look like a flaming radical."
    "Hit the dirt!" said Potter urgently. "Here comes one of their shuttles."
    "Keep walking," said Cole, waving his hand at the shuttle.
    "You got a death wish?" retorted Potter. "I have to think they're not after me."
    "We can't hide from their sensors, so we might as well not try. If we keep walking and give them a friendly