It was late afternoon and no one had slept well, so they stopped to sit for a round of free coffee. Elzbieta was working the shift, almost asleep on her feet. Claudia nodded over her mobile, murmering something about Robots. There were a number of others about, interested but not entirely in the know.

Danjel looked around the room. A lot of young faces, many watching him. Somehow, in the short time he had been back home, he had gathered this following. He told himself sometimes that it was all Claudia behind his back. Claudia and her secret computer messages. Or, maybe Elzbieta had simply called her girlfriends to tell them how cute he was.

He so wanted Claudia. He had the night before and right now he did again. It would probably be vulgar to drag her from this place for all to see and attempt to secret her away with him somewhere. He didn't want to be vulgar, just wanted Claudia. She was biting at her fingers as she looked at the computer before her. She was awfully concerned about the timing of events between Warsaw and here.

Karl reached around Danjel for his word recorder, and as Danjel felt the arm on his back he turned his head. For a moment, he was so close to Karl's face, then Karl smiled in his almost smug way, and withdrew. Danjel turned away and lay his head on the table. They had been much closer last night. Danjel wasn't even sure how to name what they did. It had been sexual, but he doubted making love was accurate, and it hadn't seemed vulgar enough to be fucking.

Kit might know, but then Danjel would have to tell him, and Kit would be sad. Nice as it had been, Danjel really had wanted Claudia. Now, he was distraught, thinking such melodramatic thoughts when they had serious work to do. "Claudy," he said.

She looked away from the screen. There wasn't anything Danjel could say in public. She seemed to be studying him. "Tell them we are having a meeting tommorrow at St Casimir," she said suddenly.

Danjel straightened.

"Tell them to meet at St. Casimir tomorrow," he told Karl.

Karl nodded, passed the word along. The periphery of the crowd disbanded, and shortly only those who knew of their plans with the hospital were left. "We're all too tired," Danjel said. "Let's go to the hospital and take a forced nap after we get there. When it is darker we can try to move the first of them; see what Jacob says."

† † †

The hospital was busy when they arrived, the IDs and last supplies having been delivered earlier. Their 24 patients and helpers were packing what they could. Danjel explained that they were all exhausted and he agreed they should rest. His group had decided they would travel toward Berlin. They would be safe there, able to go to a good hospital and find others of their various kinds in the city.

Blankets were broken out and the group of friends that were just the six in number attempted sleep on the wooden floor of the dance studio. Danjel felt a lot better when Claudia lay down with him. "We need to sleep," was all she said, but he didn't care. He slept easily with Claudia under his arm.

Milla came to wake them later. She whispered to Danjel only, but Claudia was soon awake. "There is news," she said. She led them behind the curtain, where Danjel had seen the row of cots and bedrolls with the patients. Now, everyone sat or stood beside their packs. Jacob and Efrit, who seemed to be leaders, were gathered before a monitor watching a newscast.

Danjel approached, sure it was bad news. The video from helicopter showed an armed column parallel to camera movement, but heading in the opposite direction. Panning back, there were armored vehicles at the front of the line, and the line stretched for miles. This was Warsaw early in the morning. The footage was edited with a quick jump cut. A helicopter shot from a higher angle, and suddenly the column seemed to disappear. Another jump-cut. Polish Army were throwing what they had at the tanks. They bloodied the streets with Russian blood, and fell from windows when very real fire was returned. Another piece of footage showed military hovercraft mowing down entrenched Polish soldiers.

"Since dawn," Jacob said, "The video and tallies are still coming in, as they move. They have developed a means of electronic camoflague. You saw? It makes air attacks ineffective. Their numbers are great. And, due to the Back Age regression, Poland, like many nations, is ill prepared to fend off such an attack."

Danjel stared at the screen, the images of blood and human bodies. "It is just what we feared. If we try to stay and fight, it will almost be pointless. If there were a good reason to delay them in forwarding some plan...but even then it would be suicide."

"You should leave us, go to your families," Efrit said.

Danjel shook his head. "There is time for us. You have wounded and would be killed on sight. If we can get you far enough west by car, you can get a train where they won't even be watching the stations. I wouldn't suggest rail the entire way. The wounded would probably raise questions coming from the east."

"He is right," Jacob said. "Best to accept their help."

"I'll wake the others," Claudia said. She left them only for the other half of the large room.

Danjel looked over the assorted Darkling. Over half had some ailment. Some, like Milla or Efrit showed some form of scaring from attack on their life while others had been ill or otherwise wounded and in the hospital from an earlier time. The rest were family or friends. "We have three cars now with us, a mini, a hovercar and a jeep. We'll split the wounded and drive out to the rural stations. You should be on a train by dawn."

"We also have one vehicle of our own," Efrit said, and father Kit is supposed to meet us with another."

"Shouldn't he be here?" Danjel asked.

Jacob nodded.

Danjel went out into the room. His friends were all awake. "Karina can drive out the most wounded in one vehicle then," Danjel said.

"The children can get into our carriage," Efrit said "and any more sick."

"I can drive the carriage," Danjel offered, "Claudia and Karl will be fine to make decisions here."

"Fitting," Efrit laughed, "I think they are your horses, borrowed from Zakopane."

"What?"

"The Swiss brought in reinforcements before the DG could, a group of us fled north through the mountains. They are your horses."

"Well, it is fitting, I suppose," Danjel said.

† † †

The carriage was not the same, but the team of eight were all horses Danjel knew well. He set about putting them in their rigging quickly, talking to them and petting the animals. The elegant black had been his personal favorite, named Darkling. There were a chestnut and a gray that had been often ridden by joy and Claudia closest to the carriage now, harnessed side by side, Velven and Cloud. The rest of the team were black as Darkling and strong horses all, mares along with the stallions.

Shortly, the passengers began coming down and out the back door of the old dance academy. There were four children, three of the breed and another girl who was ill; likely part Angel, or Faerie as some preferred, because it seemed less like admitting Angels were real and sometimes had sex with Humans. With them, came Mrs. Kaytan who was mother of two of these children, and an older boy. Six. They could fit more if they tried. "We should take at least two more," Danjel said.

A minute or so passed as they waited. Karina came down, helping their other able-bodied people to carry the most wounded into her mini. It would be a much smoother ride than in the carriage, despite the strength of the team, the carriage itself was large and cheaply constructed, did not look to have descent shocks underneath.

Danjel moved to help the others, and when he saw the mini full, he looked into the carriage. Between these two vehicles they had eighteen in all, that included he and Karina each driving.

"I should get the carriage moving," Danjel said. It would be slower.

Nicolas was there with Karl, to wave him on. Danjel climbed up into the driver's seat and adjusted the controls of lights, mirrors, and shade above. He took up the whip looped beside the seat, and snapped it over the horses' heads. "On, Darkling," he called. The team slowly pranced into unison and along the alleyway to the street. The rubber-steel composite shoes took to the road well and the large narrow tires and so-so shocks made the ride tolerable.

From behind, the mini accelerated and soon passed by the carriage, the children calling from the windows to those in the mini.

† † †

The carriage attracted no attention leaving the city. Danjel was glad of that. Once in the suburbs, the trip went smoothly, and they passed into in the rural areas beyond. Danjel knew where he was going. As they came into the small town about the agreed station, Danjel saw the mini. He reined-in the horses and called for them to slow.

Karina approached as he hopped from the carriage. She looked nervous.

"Problems?" Danjel asked.

"Can't be sure. It seems that where possible the Russians have delayed or held trains travelling west and so not all the scheduled trains have made it here from the east. Of course that means less trains travelling through this area at all."

"They can't tell you when there will be a train?" Danjel asked.

"No. They say they do not know. I believe them."

Danjel nodded. "We'll have to wait for the others."He thought they should have passed by him already.