eodorq sunna Nagarajan the Ironhand
and raised his hand, palm out.
always woke quickly. It was what the
“Hi,” he said in the Plains style.
men of the Great Grass called a “sur-
The man flourished his sword to sky guard.
Tvival skill,” since those who did not of- “You have to go through me to get out.”
ten did not. In this case he awoke on satin pil-
“Sure,” said Teo, and decked him.
lows (which was unusual) even before the
Perhaps the Lar had been expecting a more
woman began to shake him (which was not).
protracted discussion over the matter, but Teo
“My husband!” she whispered. “He is home!”
saw no reason to stretch things out. He hated
“Will you introduce us?” Teodorq asked, for
long good-byes.
he had not yet mastered the etiquette of Old
Cuffland.
A troop in the meadow
“You fool!” she scolded him. “He is a master
Sammi o’ th’ Eagles, Teo’s boon companion
duelist! He has slain seven lovers of mine!”
for now several sun circuits, sat atop a short
Teo was a quick study, and from this he
pony alongside the more splendidly mounted
gathered that being a lover of the Lay Lisspeh
off icers of the First Royal Savage Archers of
dee Haddafahm was not a job with long-term
Cuffy as they watched the recruits train. “You
prospects. She was either a slow learner, or
didn’t have permission,” he explained to Teo.
she was the beater flushing quarry for her hus-
The recruits, the cream of the prisons of
band.
Cuffland, dissolved from an orderly line into a
“I have some skills at dueling, too,” he
mob on horseback that filled the meadow be-
promised and showed her his rapier. She swat-
low with milling confusion. Teo reached for his
ted his arm and said she was serious.
bullroarer, but his lieutenant-colonel, ever at-
Like all the folk of the Great States, Lay Lis-
tendant on his boss’ needs, whirled his own
speh was green of skin and smelled faintly of
around his head, drawing the attention of the
grass. This pleased Teo, who had grown up on
captains leading the exercise. Banner staffs
the rolling prairies of the western continent,
snapped up and the mob became a little less
and to his nostrils, the scent of grass was
moblike. Teo was dissatisfied with the evolu-
sweet perfume. She also possessed a frill
tion.
around her neck that, when excited, spread
“She said ‘yes,’” he continued to Sammi. “It
out like a ruff. He understood from the Wis-
sounded like permission to me. Does yes
doms of this land that their ancient ancestors
mean something different over here?”
had in some unknown way “spliced” the pow-
Sammi shook his head sadly. “Cā rjeñt-major
er of plants into their bloodlines so they could
Jestapul, you want to school stupid plains-
supplement their diets by “drinking” sunlight.
man?”
Teodorq himself was a noble bronze and
The grizzled older man was the only one
supplemented his diet by eating cows and
among the off icers wearing blacks and the
drinking beer.
only one who looked distinctly out of place on
It was the work of a moment to don his kilts
horseback. Everyone else wore the uniforms
and boots and throw his cloak across his
Teo had devised for the Savage Archers: open
shoulders. It was not as though he had had no
vests and trousers of soft deerskin with fringes
practice at swift departures. In a pinch, he had
down the side and embroidered with insignia
been known to skip the kilt.
of rank and unit. Jestapul was sergeant-major
THE JOURNEYMAN: THROUGH MADNESS GAP
67
ANALOG
of the regiment but had been an infantryman
squadrons on any basis but geography, Jesta-
beforetimes. He was tasked with the
pul had instructed him. The roy will not toler-
Sisyphean labor of civilizing Teo and Sammi
ate anything that smacks of localism.
for polite company.
The roy was f ixed on achieving world
“She’s a wife,” Jestapul said, “she can’t give
peace, which he intended to accomplish the
permission. Only her husband can. Now, nine
old-fashioned way: by conquering everyone
times out of ten, he’ll say yes, if you ask nice
else. Teo thought that was a mistake. Bardre-
and exchange favors. It’s how the noble hous-
mow sunna Iyash had once declared himself
es make alliances. But you got to follow pro-
First-of-all-Firsts on the Great Grass and sought
cedure. O’ course, widows and spinsters past
to bring all the tribes under his bow. That had
twenty-f ive sun-circuits can speak for them-
not worked out well—for him or anyone else.
selves.”
Every corner of World seemed large to those
Teo scratched his head. “So the husband is
living there and mastery of it a songworthy
sorta like a pimp?”
stunt; but Teo had seen how small each was
Jestapul choked, and Teo sighed, “It’s a lot
and how short the reach of those who thought
simpler on the Great Grass.”
themselves large.
The sergeant-major swept his arm around
But then, the roy had not asked him for his
the Meadow Reàl where the regiment drilled.
advice.
“Begging the kemal’s pardon, but this here
The next on the royal to-do list, everyone
ain’t your Great Grass.”
said, was the Imperial Republic of Yaval-
Teo grunted. “Don’t I know it. Otherwise I
prawns, which was a sort of cork in the penin-
wouldn’t be stuck with such inept horse-
sular bottle. She had contested with Cuffy
men.”
across the Wrist for two hundred sun-circuits.
The major-ji in charge of recruiting turned
Since Teo was headed to Yavalprawns in any
and said, “The senior troopers include some
case, he had no objection to doing so with
of the finest horsemen in Cuffland.” Like the
several thousand well-armed friends to accom-
other major off icers, he wore the plains uni-
pany him.
form awkwardly.
He was determined to visit Yavalprawns be-
Teo sighed, “Yah, I was afraid of that. At
cause he had recently discovered that is was
least they’re well-mounted.”
built on the ruins of the old star-village of
The horse-major swelled at that compli-
Iabran. Out on the shortgrass prairie of the
ment. “The bluegrass of southeast Cuff land
western continent, Jamly-the-ghost, a project-
breeds the finest horses on World.”
ed image that moved and spoke, had given
The supplies major said, not quite sotto
him a warrant as a subadar of scouts in some-
voce, “Which were Arandtsland.” He had a
thing called the Commonwealth of Suns, a
slight potbelly, and the open vest did not dis-
great league of villages that had existed in the
play it to advantage. Only the lieutenant-
sphere of the stars and had fought a war with
colonel, Lar Rigo Della Hepplewhite, man-
the People of Sand and Iron in the long ago.
aged the uniform with any panache. Teo had
Jamly had charged Teo and Sammi with find-
the impression that he rather enjoyed the
ing the star-villages of Iabran and Varucciya-
whole lark, though he might have his own no-
men, so they might send back aid to repair her
tion about who should command it.
shuttle. While Teo did not hold much hope
The other major off icers shifted on their
that any such aid would be forthcoming, he
saddles at Major Feinuarth’s remark. Two
was oath-bound to make the effort.
turned stone-faced, another two grinned at
nothing in particular. Jestapul pretended he
He himself would be quite happy to master
had heard nothing.
the Savage Archers, but based on these drills,
Over the generations, the half dozen king-
this did not seem imminent. He turned to the
doms on the Peninsula had been unified with
recruiting off icer, Major-ji One, Don Pfuil
various degrees of enthusiasm into Greater
Beadbush. “Any word yet from Lar Feddy?”
Cuffland. In some parts of the realm, dialects,
“The governor of New Cuffy,” the man
customs, and perhaps even patriotisms per-
replied, “has no doubt more urgent demands
sisted. An’ that’s why you can order your
on his time than rounding up recruits for this
68
MICHAEL F. FLYNN
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018
one regiment.” He appeared irritated as well
Teo and Jestapul twisted about and saw a
at the reminder that his colonel was on close
band of six mounted men approaching from
terms with the roy’s cousin.
the south. One of them waved an arm over his
“A few plainsmen or ironmen light cavalry
head. “Don’t feel bad about miscounting,” Teo
would give a bit of yeast for our beer.”
told Sammi. “One’s a plainsman. We ride like
“The idea of loosing arrows while at the gal-
cats. Never hear us coming.”
lop is absurd,” the strategy and tactics major,
“Sammi use nose for that.”
Gunning Karl, assured him. “The purpose of
The other horsemen were garbed as iron-
the Savage Archers is to strike fear into the en-
men light cavalry, and Teo recognized a for-
emy with the implication that your regiment
mer subyar of Tiger’s Foreign Legion. His
will not fight by civilized rules.”
smile broadened.
“Like the Death’s Head Goons of Edacare,
“Looks like we can begin the real training
who dress as the desert nomads of the South,”
now.”
added Beadbush.
“No one ’spects this-here regiment to turn
After the regiment was returned to bar-
the point of battle,” the horse major suggest-
racks, Teo and Sammi met with the newcom-
ed. Kohdam Huan hailed from the lowlands
ers in Felicity’s Tavern, an establishment in the
near the Wrist. It was the same province that
village that serviced the varied appetites of the
Sinna Bob, the archeologist, had called home.
soldiers of the cantonment. Bepelo Two Stags
“Begging your pardons, sirs,” said Jestapul,
and Jimjim Dancing Deer were forestman half-
“But, loosing at the gallop, the Horse Archers
breeds. Bepelo had been subyar of the
of House Tiger held off three companies of
foresters in the Foreign Legion. He and Teo
New Cuffy militia.”
knew each other from the battle of Joojen’s
“Oh,” said the horse major with a shrug.
Creek, the one in which Jestapul had been on
“Colonials, after all.”
the other side. Nestor Upstream was a sod-
Jestapul went tight-lipped but said nothing.
buster from the shortgrass prairie, who had
Teo grunted. “Where’s the target? That mel-
ridden with one of the plains clans in the bor-
on on the pole?” He pulled his bow and
derlands. Bourse Changov and Tunny Xhozey-
kicked his horse into action. He cantered from
of were ironmen free-lances who had doffed
the ridge where the major officers were lined
their suits of iron for the light cavalry of their
up and brought his horse up to the gallop as
respective Houses. They wore helmets curved
he crossed the meadow.
to deflect sword blows, and their breast-and-
Slipping an arrow from the saddle quiver as
back armor offered similar protection, though
he passed the target, he nocked and pulled in
not against slugs from greenie thundertubes.
a single motion, twisted in his seat, and
The plainsman, Jerry sunna Ranuuj the Im-
loosed. The trick was to loose when all four of
placable, was unarmored and garbed some-
the horse’s legs were off the ground and one’s
what as Teo. He was a man of the Pumas from
ride was in what plainsmen called “free fall.”
the northwest margin of the Grass, and his
The arrow split the melon, and a cry went
fists were tattooed with the claws of a moun-
up from the recruits. One of the captains,
tain cat. Teo asked him what had brought him
quicker on the uptake than the others, shout-
all the way out to New Cuffy for the Lar to re-
ed at his troop, “There, now that’s the way yer
cruit.
to do it. Ye’re not gonna let a’ orfficer best ye
“I got me curious,” the Puma answered
at yer own work, are ye?”
through his beer. “We heard stories about
Teo slowed to a trot and returned to the
southerners what went east but never heard
ridge, where he realigned himself with the
nothing about any what come back. So I
other staff officers. He said nothing to the ma-
thought I would take a look, me. You gotta be
jors; did not even look at them. Nor did he
the Scorp what started the whole thing.” He
take off icial notice of his lieutenant-colonel
nodded to the scorpion tats on Teo’s f ists.
slapping a half-crown gold piece into Sammi’s
“Guess you pack a sting with those.” He
waiting palm.
chuckled. Pumas chuckled a lot. Scorpions
“Horsemen coming up behind us,” Sammi
laughed, Serpentines guffawed, Ptarmigans
said without turning. “Five of them.”
snorted. But Pumas c
huckled. It was irritating,
THE JOURNEYMAN: THROUGH MADNESS GAP
69
ANALOG
like the world was a joke, and only they were
Moose was stirring up trouble among greenie
in on it.
factions and new governor took unkindly to it.”
“Besides,” interjected Bepelo with a wag of
“Yah,” said Teo. “They tried to get him
his thumb, “the Pumas had a price on his
killed and put the blame on his predecessor.”
head.” He wore a green jerkin with a sprig of
He explained how their efforts had been
brush in his narrow fore-and-aft cap.
thwarted by no less than the son of Nagarajan
Jerr y shrugged. “Well, I hadda ride far
himself.
enough where my value outweighed my
“That’s nice,” said Jerry, who affected indif-
bounty, dint I?”
ference. “But with all the trouble in the Neck,
“How much your head worth?” Sammi
it’s not likely many more plainsmen will be
asked in a speculative voice.
drifting east.”
But Jerry affected not to hear, which meant
“You run into Chorchi sunna Voothateff,
either that he paid no heed to the hereditary
what calls himself the Hawkeye?”
enemies of the plains, or that the bounty was
“Yah. Works for the Guvnor. He’s the one
considerable even at this distance.
what vetted us. Given us these tokens to show
“It’s the middlemen what takes the bite,”
yuh.” He and the others pulled out medallions
Jerry went on. “They buy the bounty from the
that hung from their necks on loops of
Pumas and discount it, so that they pay out
rawhide. Each bore the stylized eye used by
less’n what the Pumas’ll pay them. Then
Chorchi for his logo, but they differed subtly
someone farther east discounts it again. Pretty
in the number of eyelashes that embellished
soon, the last bounty hunter ain’t paid enough
them. Teo had wondered if Chorchi would re-
to make the head-hunting profitable.”
member to use the code they had worked out.
“Is what hillmen call ROI,” said Sammi. “Be-
The Ptarm couldn’t pull a bow proper any-
pelo, what word from Legion? Sammi have
more since his shoulder wound at Phanklar
soft spot in head for old companions. How
Noi, but he could certainly check out the vol-
Thewèhdarosh and the other scouts.”
unteers before Feddy sent them over.
Bepelo grunted. “Thewèhdarosh bought a
All the men received high marks for horse-
Analog Science Fiction and Fact Page 19