My men still have to search your packs for contraband, the captain said haughtily. I will consider this while they carry out their orders.
Do that, Sparhawk told him in a flat, unfriendly tone of voice,
and keep in mind the fact that a wrong decision here could have a negative impact on your career.
I didnt catch your meaning.
A man with no head seldom gets promoted.
I have nothing to fear, the captain declared. I am strictly following the orders of my government.
And the Atans wholl chop off your head will be strictly following the orders of theirs. Im certain that everyone involved will take enormous comfort in the fact that all the legal niceties were observed. Sparhawk turned his back on the officious captain, and he and Vanion walked back to rejoin the others.
Well? Sephrenia asked them.
The Emperors voice doesnt seem to be very loud here in Cynesga, Vanion replied. Our friend in the bathrobe has a whole book-full of regulations, and hes going to use every single one of them to delay us.
Well? Sephrenia asked them.
The Emperors voice doesnt seem to be very loud here in Cynesga, Vanion replied. Our friend in the bathrobe has a whole book-full of regulations, and hes going to use every single one of them to delay us.
Did you try to bribe him? Ulath asked.
I hinted at the fact that I might entertain a suggestion along those lines. Vanion shrugged. He didnt take the hint, though.
Now thats unusual, Kalten noted. Bribes are always the first thing on the mind of any official anywhere in the world. That sort of suggests that hes trying to hold us here until reinforcements arrive, doesnt it?
And theyre probably already on their way, Ulath added. Why dont we take steps?
Youre just guessing, gentlemen, Sephrenia chided them. Youre all just itching for the chance to do Elenish things to those border guards.
Did you want to do Elenish things to people, Ulath? Kalten asked mildly.
I was suggesting constructive Elenishism before we even got here.
Were not contemplating it out of sheer blood-lust, little mother, Vanion told the woman he loved.
Oh, really?
The situations manageable now, but if a thousand mounted Cynesgans suddenly ride in from the nearest garrison, its going to get out of hand.
But...
He held up one hand. My decision, Sephreniawell, Sparhawks , actually, since hes the Preceptor now.
Interim Preceptor, Sparhawk corrected.
Vanion did not like to be corrected. Did you want to do this? he asked.
No. Youre doing just fine, Vanion.
Do you want to be quiet, then? Its a military decision, Sephrenia, so well have to ask yourespectfully, of course to keep your pretty little nose out of it. She said a very harsh word in Styric. I love you too, he told her blandly. All right, gentlemen, lets sort of drift on over to our horses. Well do some of those Elenish things Ulath mentioned to the men who are going through our saddle-bags. Then well run off all those horses in that corral and be on our way.
There were a score of border guards under the captains command. Their primary weapon seemed to be the spear, although they wore a sort of rudimentary armor and scimitars at their waists.
Excuse me a moment, friend, Ulath said pleasantly to the fellow who was rifling his saddle-bags. Im going to need my tools for a couple of minutes. He reached for the war-axe slung from his saddle.
What for? the Cynesgan demanded suspiciously in broken Tamul.
Theres something in my way, Ulath smiled. I want to remove it. He lifted his axe out of its sling, tested the edge with his thumb, and then brained the border guard with a single stroke. The fight around the horses was brief and the outcome was fairly predictable. As a group, border guards are not among the worlds most highly skilled warriors.
What do you think youre doing? Sparhawk bellowed at Talen as the boy pulled his rapier out of the body of one of the Cynesgans.
Stragens been giving me lessons, Talen replied. I just wanted to find out if he knew what he was talking about. Watch your back.
Sparhawk spun, knocked aside the spear of a charging border guard, and cut the man down. He turned back just as Talen deftly parried the thrust of another, deflecting the curved blade off to one side. Then the young man lunged smoothly and ran the surprised fellow through. Neat, wouldnt you say? he smirked proudly.
Quit showing offand dont take so long to recover from your thrust. Youre exposing yourself with all that posing.
Yes, revered teacher.
What little question there had been about the outcome of the skirmish vanished once the knights were in their saddles. Things ended abruptly when the obnoxious captain, who had been shrieking, Youre all under arrest! broke off suddenly as Sir Bevier coolly swung his lochaber axe and sent his head flying.
Throw down your weapons! Ulath roared at the few survivors. Surrender or die!
Two of the guards, however, had reached their horses. They scrambled up into their saddles and rode off to the east at a gallop. One stiffened and toppled from his saddle after about fifty yards, with Berits arrow protruding from between his shoulder-blades. The other rode on some distance, flogging desperately at his mount. Then he too lurched and fell to the musical twang of Khalads crossbow.
Good shot, Berit noted.
Fair, Khalad agreed modestly.
The rest of the Cynesgans were throwing their weapons away.
You run a good fight, Sparhawk, Vanion complimented his friend.
I had a good teacher. Kalten, tie them all up and then run off their horses.
Why me?
Youre handy, and theres that other matter as well.
I didnt break my oath, Kalten protested.
No, but you were thinking about it.
Whats this? Vanion asked.
Theres a lady involved, my Lord, Sparhawk replied loftily, and no gentleman ever discusses things like that.
What are you doing? Aphrael asked sharply. She had raised her head from Sephrenias shoulder and was looking suspiciously at Sparhawk.
Are you with us again? he asked her.
Obviously. What are you doing?
There was some unpleasantness at the border, and were probably being followedchased, actually.
I cant leave you alone for a minute, can I, father?
It was more or less unavoidable. Have you finished with whatever it was you were doing?
For the time being.
The town of Edek is just ahead, and weve probably got a brigade of Cynesgan soldiers right behind us. Do you suppose you could move us on ahead a ways?
Why didnt you do it yourself? You know how its done.
Sephrenia wouldnt let me.
His attention wanders at critical moments, Sephrenia explained. I didnt want him to put us down on the moon.
I see your point, the little girl agreed. Why dont we just move straight on to Cynestra, Sparhawk? Theres nothing between here and there but open desert, you know.
They were expecting us at the border, he replied. It seems that our friend out there has alerted everybody along the way that were coming. Theres certain to be a large garrison of troops at Cynestra, and Id like to feel my way through the situation there before I blunder into something.
I guess that makes sensesort of.
Hows your mother?
Shes enjoying herself enormously. The political situation in Matherions very murky right now, and you know how much mother loves politics.
Im glad shes happy. Youll have to tell us about it, but lets get past Edek and outrun that Cynesgan brigade first. I dont like having people snapping at my heels.
Tell the others to stop, and then get Vanions map. Lets be sure we know where were going this time.
Im never going to get used to that, Kalten shuddered after they had covered fifty leagues of open desert in a single gray-blurred moment.
Your maps not very precise, Vanion, Aphrael said critically. We were trying for a spot on the other side of that peak. She pointed at a jagged spire rearing up out of the desert.
I didnt draw the map, Vanion replied a bit defensively. What difference does it make, though? Were close enough, arent we? We came to within a few miles of where we wanted to go.
Youd have found out how much difference it makes if wed been moving around near a large body of water, she said tartly. This is just too imprecise.
Vanion looked back over his shoulder toward the west. Its almost sunset. Why dont we get back away from this road and set up for the night? If weve got a problem with this, lets find a quiet place where we can work it out.
Sparhawk smiled. Despite all his protestations that he was no longer the Pandion Preceptor, Vanion automatically took charge unless he was consciously thinking about what he believed to be his changed status. Sparhawk didnt really mind. He was used to taking orders from Vanion, and his friends assumption of authority relieved him of the nagging details of command.
They rode out into the desert a couple of miles and set up for the night in a dry wash behind an up-thrust jumble of weathered boulders. Unlike the Rendorish desert, which was mostly sand, the desert here in Cynesga was sun-baked gravel, rusty-brown and sterile. The moving sands of Render at least gave an illusion of life. Cynesga was dead. Stark, treeless peaks clawed harshly at the sky, and the vast emptiness of gravel and rock was broken only by flat, bleached white beds of alkali.
Ugly place, Ulath grunted, looking around. Ulath was used to trees and snow-capped peaks.
Im sorry you feel that way, Kalten grinned.
I was thinking of selling it to you.
You couldnt give it to me.
Look on the bright side. It almost never rains here.
I think thats part of the problem.
Theres a lot of wild game, though.
Really?
Snakes, lizards, scorpionsthat sort of thing.
Have you developed a taste for baked scorpion?
Ahno, I dont think so.
I wouldnt waste any arrows on them, then.
Speaking of eating ...
Were we speaking of that?
Its a topic that comes up from time to time. Do you know of a way to set fire to rocks?
Not right offhand, no.
Then Ill volunteer to fix supper. I havent seen a stick or a twig or even a dry leaf around here, so a fires sort of out of the question. Oh, well, cold food never hurt anybody.
We can get by without fire, Vanion said, but were going to have to have water for the horses.
Aphrael and I can manage that, dear, Sephrenia assured him.
Good. I think we might be here for a day or so. Sparhawk and Aphrael are going to be working with Bhelliom on this little problem of precision. He looked inquiringly at the Child Goddess. Is it likely to take very long? he asked her.