We'd been on the trail about a half hour when Lance began asking Lisa questions.
"Where are they going?" Lance's first question left Lisa perplexed at first.
"Where are who going... OH, you mean the women?"
"Yes. I mean the women."
Lisa hung her head for a moment. "I don't know. I was never told anything about their destination directly. What I overheard though was that there's supposed to be another city several weeks ride to the south."
Lance laughed. "That rumor again!"
"Rumor?" it was Lisa's turn to question.
"Yes, rumor. As far as we've been able to tell, there may at one time have been a city somewhere far to the south, but not that we've ever been able to locate."
"But the Councilwomen seem certain that it's there." Lisa was speaking almost to herself. "It seems unlikely to me that they would risk traveling in the wilderness if they didn't know for sure the city was there."
Both Lance and Jack pulled their horses to a stop at the mention of the Councilwomen. "You mean the women's Counsel is traveling in that group?"
"Yes. Why?"
"When was the last time they traveled outside the City of Towers?"
"I don't know. I can't remember them ever leaving the city."
"Neither do we!"
We rode on for some time in silence.
Jack broke the silence by asking, "What's happened that prompted the Counsel to leave the City of Towers?"
"In a word, a man by the name of Geoff happened."
Lance and Jack glanced at each other then at me. "Geoff. Who's Geoff?" It was Jack who had voiced the question.
Instead of answering Lisa turned to me with a puzzled look on her face. "Haven't you told them about Geoff?" She sounded surprised.
"I started to tell Lance about him, but haven't gotten very far. Besides lots must have happened since I was in the city if the Counsel is leaving because of Geoff. When I was banished, the Counsel was still in complete control!"
Lisa laughed, "That's what they thought too!"
It was my turn to be puzzled for a while, but I was nowhere as lost as Lance and Jack.
"Wait a minute." Lance was nearly shouting, "Will you two slow down a bit? At least enough for us to follow along."
Lisa asked. "Where do we start?"
"I started to tell the story, but only got as far as telling him that Geoff was a prisoner who was selected by the counsel for an experiment. I also told him that Geoff is the father of Mary, and I assume he'd be your babies father too."
"You've hardly just begun!" Lisa remarked.
"True, very true."
Jack began to show irritation at the inside nature of the conversation, "If I didn't know any better, I'd have to say these two women are keeping something from us. Something very important I might add." Jack's voice was dripping with disgust.
Lisa an I looked at each other for a moment, then she said, "I doubt very much if either of us is trying to keep anything from you at all. But I think you should know it will be a lot easier for us to tell you about what's been happening inside the city, and outside for that matter, if you give us just a little room to gather our thoughts." She was glaring when I continued for her.
"Besides, Lisa hasn't been with us long enough for you to really say she's been with-holding anything, and as far as I'm concerned, it's apparent the really important stuff took place after I left the city." It was my turn to glare at Jack and Lance.
"OK. OK." they said together. "Why don't you two sort out your information, then tell us what you know? In the meantime, do you think you can talk and ride at the same time.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Lisa's back was coming up.
"Just that Joe is coming back to find us, that's all." Lance was pointing south through the trees, where we could see Joe riding our direction.
"I think we can manage to do that." I replied, "Let's go."
We started to move southward again, and soon came up to Joe, who had stopped when he saw us start to move his direction.
Jack and Lance spurred their mounts to gallop, reaching Joe ahead of us. When Lisa and I arrived we overheard Jack telling Joe, "Just make sure they keep moving, that's all." then as an afterthought, "But if you know what's good for you don't talk with them, they're in a hell of a mood.!"
As soon as that was said Lance and Jack wet off at a fast pace to catch Terry and Jason, leaving Joe sitting there with a perplexed look on his face. As we rode up to him he started to ask, "Would someone mind telling me just what in hell is going on?"
I replied with a question. "You're not going to make the same mistake those two made are you?"
"What was that?" Joe asked.
"Asking too many questions too fast." Lisa cut in.
Joe looked after the fast fading Lance and Jack, then back at us. His face held confusion, and I thought he was going to ask for more explanation. Joe surprised me when he just shut his mouth, hung his head, and was silent. Finally he looked up at us, held his hand down the trail, and said one word, "Ladies."
Lisa and I moved southward without hesitation, while Joe followed, like a herdsman.
The day passed quickly for Lisa and I. We were busy with our news, and spent most of the day catching up on the current state of affairs. A first Joe was a nuisance, with his constant reminders to keep the horses moving, and for us to watch where we were going. After about an hour of his constant prodding, Lisa nearly exploded at the poor fellow whose job it was to make sure we at least stayed on the proper trail. She'd just opened her mouth to tell Joe off, when I jumped in and shouted her down.
"Lisa!" she looked at me, almost as if I had no right to interrupt the tirade she was about to loose on the hapless man. "Lisa, he's just doing his job, that's all!" Lisa's look turned contrite.
"I suppose that's true." her voice was quiet. "I'm sorry Joe, you're following a bad act by those other two."
Joe was looking at the two of us with pinched lips, then he finally spoke, "Well I'm glad you recognize that!" There was a short pause in his speech. "But, what do you two think we should do here? Neither of you are paying attention to where you're going, and it's my job to keep you on track and moving."
Nobody said anything for a few moments, then Joe asked, "Well, any bright ideas, girls?"
The reference to Lisa and I as "Girls" brought a flash of anger to me. Somehow I caught myself before I tore into him, and my reply somehow managed to be both civil, and intelligent.
"Yes." I changed my tone to something I hoped would pass for sweet, "Why don't you lead?" I paused, then, "Here." I offered him the reins of my horse, "If we hive you the reins to out horses, you can lead us along, and not have to interrupt our conversation." The next part was probably unnecessary. "That way you can kill two birds with one stone. We keep moving, and if you're quiet you might learn something, not to mention not having us angry at you!"
There are times when I've been amazed at the insight some men seem to have. This was one of those times. Joe didn't say another word to either of us for the rest of that day. He simply took my offered reins, held out his hand for Lisa's, and when she'd handed him hers, rode on, leading us behind him.
As we moved off, Lisa caught my eye and raised an eyebrow at me, I just grinned in response leaving the thought of how these men seemed to need to feel like they were in charge unsaid. We probably hadn't gone another hundred yards by the time Lisa and I were back into our gossip, oblivious to the passage of time or distance.
Most of the day was taken up with Lisa telling what she knew of the events in the city. As the day progressed, I became more and more impressed with what Geoff seemed to have accomplished as she told me about the population drain on the city.
Finally I couldn't stand it any longer, and asked, "Didn't the Counsel even try to stop it?"
"Oh, yes, they tried, but it seems they never found out anything about how the women were being recruited, or how they were leaving the City. However he was doing it, it's still a secret."
"Didn't the Counsel send out search parties to find where they went, once outside?"
"Yes, they did that too, but most of them just didn't return, and those who did, found nothing. At least that's what they told the Counsel."
"But how?"
"Don't ask me! I don't know either."