by Джеффри Лорд
Then a Tribesman hurled himself out of the darkness, landing on top of the grenade. A moment later it exploded harmlessly-except to the man on top of it.
Half-deafened, Blade rose to his feet-as the Tribesman started to scream. Then he shot the man in the back of the head. There was no point in trying to cure such a wound, or even turn him over. Blade had seen what happens to a man who smothered a grenade with his own body. A quick death was all he could give to the man who’d saved Bekror, Sparra and himself, because he’d been about to leap on the grenade when the Tribesman did it.
Then there was silence, except for the crackle of the blazing bush and the distant moan of a dying man. Sparra and Terbo went off to investigate, and came back a couple of minutes later, looking grim.
«One of their sentries, with his back broken,» she said. «He admitted they were Chyatho’s friends out to kill me and Bekror. Said, ‘We’d have done it without that big bitch.’»
«Big bitch?» repeated Bekror. He looked startled, then hastily straightened his face.
«That’s what he said. Then he died.»
«No loss,» said Bekror evenly.
«N-n-no,» said Sparra. She was obviously fighting off the shakes, frightened over the night’s events, even more frightened of appearing a coward in the eves of the Tribesmen.
«They were not men the gods could love,» said Ikhnan. «The Laws of the Cities are not ours. But men who will kill because they are not allowed to defy a Law are evil anywhere.» He looked down at the dead Tribesman. «I only wish he had died against a worthier foe.»
«He died well, nonetheless,» said Bekror. He picked up two of the dead man’s guns and handed them to Ikhnan. «For his grave.»
Ikhnan’s eyes widened. «You know our custom, of putting the weapons of a slain warrior’s enemies on his grave?»
«Of course,» said Bekror. «I have long been the enemy of the Tribes. I may be the enemy of the Tribes again. I have never been, and never will be, ignorant of their ways.» In the silence these words produced, he went on:
«Indeed, I would propose that we bury him here and now, with both peoples doing him honor. However, we are too close to my lands. Someone without respect for the dead might pollute his grave.»
«If we’re that close to your lands, shall we finish our talking before we have more unwelcome visitors?» said Blade. «The best honor we can do for this warrior is not to let his death be wasted.»
No one disagreed, and the negotiations were finished quickly. A lifter would deliver Sparra and her squad with the weapons and explosives to an agreed-on rendezvous in five days. When Bekror got more explosives, he would deliver them along with the lifters themselves, when the raiders were ready to move out.
Then Bekror’s party vanished, leaving the Tribesmen and Blade to pick up their dead and retreat. «A wise and mighty chief,» Ikhnan called Bekror. He called him other things, too, but Blade was too absorbed in his own thoughts to remember any of them.
What had happened in the fight with the would-be assassins’ sentries? And who was the «big bitch»? Bekror knew, at least, or thought he knew. If he didn’t, Blade was no judge of faces or voices!
Blade had a nasty feeling that there were going to be other players in this game he’d begun-players he hadn’t asked to sit in, and who might reveal themselves only when it was too late to change the rules.
Chapter 21
«You’re absolutely sure it was Voros himself?» said Geyrna. «You only saw him once, in poor light, and in a hurry.»
«I’m sure, Aunt,» said Baliza. «Between what I saw and what I wormed out of Bekror, it couldn’t be anybody else. Unless you think it’s my father the Sky Master Blade come back again? She laughed and stretched catlike. It felt fine to be safe at home in Kaldak again, able to relax and soak up the sun and good food. It wasn’t going to last very long, though.
«You almost said that as if it was a joke,» said Geyrna. Baliza felt her face going hot, but her aunt didn’t seem to notice as she went on. «Certainly Voros seems to be almost as good a fighter and leader as the Sky Master. He also seems to have the same gift for talking sense and making you realize it. I can’t imagine he would have impressed that stubborn old cynic Bekror otherwise. By the way, how was he?»
Baliza couldn’t quite suppress a pleasurable wriggle at the memories. Her aunt laughed. «Still good, eh? I had him a few years ago myself, and I couldn’t complain either.»
A servant came in with beer and snacks, interrupting the flow of bawdy chatter. When the two women were alone again, Geyrna got down to business.
«So now we know Bekror and the Tribesmen intend to launch a major strike at Detcharn’s rockets. If it’s true Voros is among them, we can be sure the training of the Tribesmen is in good hands.
«But that may not be enough. With what he’ll have, Voros can only take thirty, maybe forty men, to near the base. They’ll have to walk the rest of the way. Suppose he had two or three real Doimari lifters, such as the ones we’ve captured in past wars? Suppose he could take sixty or eighty men in those lifters all the way to the rocket base before anyone there knew anything was wrong? And suppose, also, men were sent from the City Regiment to help Voros?»
Baliza’s eyes widened. «Of course. I should have thought of that myself. Aunt, you wouldn’t be such a bad soldier yourself.»
«Thank you. But I had good teachers, like Sidas. I listened to everyone who ever talked about war while I was around.»
«You also heard some wise words from Bairam,» said Kareena.
Geyrna frowned. «Not his wisdom, I think. More likely what he heard from the Sky Master and passed on.»
«You do him an injustice, I think.»
«You would say that even if you didn’t think it, just to annoy me.»
«If more people had said it to you twenty years ago, Bairam might not have started drinking.»
«He started drinking because I would not stay fifteen years old forever. That was what he loved, not the woman who knew she could do better at ruling Kaldak than he.»
Baliza sighed. It was an old and bitter quarrel between them, and right now even more pointless than usual. «Forgive me, Aunt. But you know what I have thought on this for so many years. I keep hoping that one day you’ll listen.»
«Perhaps I will, one day. Certainly not before we’ve stamped Detcharn and his plans into the ground.» She sipped her beer. «But let’s be serious again. To get those Doimari lifters and additional men, we’re going to have to go to Sidas.»
«So?»
«Sidas is a hard-headed son of a munfan, as you should know. Sidas is also very shrewd, and he’s going to notice you’re full of thoughts you won’t confess, about this mysterious Voros. He may ask questions. When he does, you’d better be ready to tell him the truth, or as much of it as you know yourself.»
«I’ll do my best.»
«Your best had better be pretty damned good, Baliza!»
«You next, Shangbari,» the woman Sparra said.
Shangbari lay down, his fire rifle pointing out in front of him. It was strange, obeying a woman so easily. But it no longer seemed unLawful. Voros followed the Laws of the Cities, which said that women might be warriors and hunters; Shangbari had sworn to follow Voros.
Some of the warriors of the Red Cats had still been stupid enough to think that Sparra was a woman for bedding, in spite of their oaths. Some of those would not be thinking of women for many days-or at least thinking would be all they could do. Sparra had done the work on them herself, too. She’d said that Voros taught her those ways of fighting.
Was there anything about war Voros did not know or could not teach? Shangbari doubted it. Certainly he did not wonder that the Red Cats were beginning to call the new leader «Voros the Wise.»
«All right, Shangbari,» Sparra said. «This is an Oltec rifle. Remember, it shoots burning hot light, not single bullets. You must take your finger off the trigger the moment you hit the target. Otherwise the rifle will lose its magic too quick
ly.»
«I understand.» He’d begun to understand more than he wanted to admit to this woman or even to Voros. Among the things he’d begun to understand was that there was no magic in Oltec. If you had the right tools and knew how to use them, it was no harder to make one of the «magic» rifles than it was to tan a hide or sharpen a spear.
Someday the Tribes would have those tools and know how to make their own rifles. Then they could avenge their dead on all the Cities. But-if there were people in the Cities like Voros and Sparra-yes, and Bekror-might there not be peace someday between Tribe and City?
That thought was so new and frightening that Shangbari had to grip his rifle more tightly than ever. He did not want Sparra to see his hands shaking, or miss his target.
He was ready to shoot again, when suddenly a City skymachine passed over the clearing. A moment later if floated down to a landing place on the other side of the little stream which divided the clearing. All the men practicing with the rifles jumped up and shouted. Sparra was shouting, too. She seemed angry that the men would not listen to her. Then she saw Voros himself walking toward the machine, and shrugged.
«All right. It’s pretty late anyway.»
By the time Shangbari reached the machine, the City men in it were unloading boxes. Voros counted them as they came out. Shangbari recognized the writing on some of the boxes. They held the «explosives» which they would use to destroy the Doimari machines.
Now a big man in City clothing stepped out of the skymachine. «Hoy, Voros!» he shouted.
Voros turned. «What the-? Ezarn?»
«Have you ever met anybody else as big and smelly, old friend?» He stepped up to Voros and gripped him by both shoulders. «How’s the work here, Voros? Got enough to give me some?»
«You can stay?»
«If you’ll have me.»
«Will I have you? Does rain fall down, or smoke rise? Come and have a beer. It’s the Tribal brew, I’m afraid, but-«
«Won’t need to drink that tonight, Voros. I came with a barrel of my own from Bekror’s.»
«Even better.»
The two big men walked off side by side. Shangbari wondered who the new man, Ezarn, was. Obviously a City warrior, and he looked like a good one who would make the attack on the Doimari much stronger. He’d also greeted Voros as though they were sworn brothers or at least old battle-mates.
Then why did Voros look and speak as though he did not understand Ezarn’s coming, or even feared it?
Outside the hut it was dark. Blade piled more wood on the fire and rolled the empty beer barrel out of the way. Sparra was already asleep under the furs in the corner. Cheeky was curling up in the crook of her arm, not only asleep but snoring.
«So, old friend,» said Blade. «What really brought you out here-besides Bekror’s lifter, that is?»
Ezarn had either drunk enough to slow his thoughts, which weren’t too fast to begin with, or else he was, picking his words with care. «When I got back from leave, they asked me to come out here. Well, they really asked me if I’d go out to Bekror’s, to help train his men. I’d get regular pay, and maybe more than that from Bekror.»
«Who asked?»
«The High Commander Sidas.»
«He asked, not ordered?»
«Couldn’t say. But then, you know him. Could you tell if he was being nice or giving an order?» Ezarn had a point there. So why was Blade thinking that «couldn’t say» might have a double meaning?
«I couldn’t refuse,» Ezarn went on. He hiccupped. «So I came out, and Bekror tells me about you and the friendly Tribesmen. Are their women friendly, too? You’ve got your own, I see,» he said with a wave at Sparra.
«If you’re a friend of Voros and observe their customs-yes, the women are friendly enough.»
«Good. Real good.» Ezarn cocked his head on one side, as if he was thinking hard. His head stayed at that angle, then Blade heard a long rumbling snore. The beer had finally got to him.
Blade got up and arranged Ezarn so he could sleep comfortably in the chair. Then he barred the hut door, pulled off his clothes and crawled in under the furs beside Sparra. She murmured contentedly as she felt him beside her, and pressed one firm breast against his arm. Cheeky went right on sleeping-but then, he could sleep through an earthquake if he wanted to.
Blade’s feeling that somebody he didn’t know was taking a hand in the game was stronger than ever. Or maybe several somebodies? It was no worse than usual in the secret-operations business, but that didn’t mean he had to like it!
Ezarn’s coming out here was a good sign, though. Nobody who knew much about the big soldier would send him on any mission dangerous to «Voros.» Anybody, who didn’t knew Ezarn’s loyalty was too stupid to be very dangerous, whatever they wanted.
Chapter 22
Baliza wondered why High Commander Sidas had invited her and Geyrna to his house outside Kaldak. Didn’t he trust the people in his office anymore? At least it got her and her aunt a good dinner-Sidas’s cook was famous all over Kaldak.
In his private chamber afterward, Sidas served sweet wine and dismissed the servants. Then he locked the door after them. When he turned back to his guests, his face was suddenly much harder. Baliza was now almost certain that he disapproved of their plan-which they had told him about earlier at his headquarters-to send Doimari lifters to Voros. Sidas probably invited them to his house to tell them so. He probably also had some other things to discuss, and Baliza feared it had something to do with Voros.
Then Sidas sat down on the corner of the great wooden table by the wall, one booted leg crossed over the other. «So you want me to send Voros two or three of our Doimari lifters, do you? Why?»
His sharp tone stung Baliza. «We’ve already explained why.»
«Tell me again.»
«Very well, then. The three Doimari lifters can take twice as many men and guns as Bekror’s two. Voros will have a stronger force, and he can fly it right into the base. With surprise on his side, he’ll do more damage, then get more of his men out again.»
«Maybe. You have a lot of faith in Voros.»
«Yes. Don’t you?»
«Not that much. I would believe the Sky Master Blade could do something like this. Not Voros, a man from nowhere. He’s a good soldier, I’ll admit. Maybe one of our best, and I don’t really doubt his loyalty, even if he did desert after the rape charge. But I don’t think he’s good enough to do this, and with Tribesmen.»
Sidas’s eyes were like stones now as he lit a cigar and offered them to the women. Geyrna took one. Baliza refused. She was afraid her hands would shake if she reached for it. Sidas puffed quietly for a minute or so, then stabbed at Baliza with the cigar.
«I’ll give Voros the lifters, under one condition. You tell me the truth. Who do you think he really is?»
For a moment Baliza thought she was going to be sick. Then the nausea passed and relief took its place. The question she’d feared for so long had been asked, and she was still alive.
«I think Voros is my father, the Sky Master Blade, returned to Kaldak. I do not know how he did this, but I think he has.»
«Never mind how he got back here-at least for now,» Sidas added. «Tell me how you decided he was-who he is.» Baliza was glad to notice the hesitation in Sidas’s voice. The idea of the Sky Master Blade among them again had slightly shaken even the iron-nerved High Commander.
So Baliza told Sidas and Geyrna everything she’d learned or thought about the man who called himself Voros. She kept her voice clear and steady, even through the tale of the night she’d tried to seduce him, although she felt her face turning red. Sidas was obviously trying not to laugh, but only said, «I always thought that warm blood of yours would get you into trouble one of these days. Well, better to be the way you are and your mother was, then cold and alone.» Then he was silent until she’d finished, when he handed her another glass of wine. She emptied it quickly.
Sidas sat with his hands folded in his lap, his cigar burning itself
out unnoticed, until she was finished. Then:
«I’m glad you told the truth,» he said. «I wouldn’t have held back the lifters, no matter what. In fact, I’ve already decided to send the lifters. You see, Bekror sent me a serum formula given him by Voros. I had the formula studied by a few of our own people. They say Voros is telling the truth: it is indeed an antidote to the deadly germs Detcharn plans to let loose on Kaldak. So Veros has gotten all the help I can give him, no matter who he is.»
«You won’t send people from-oh, the City Regiment? Wouldn’t they do the job better than raw Tribesmen?»
«With the best weapons and Voros-Blade to lead them, those ‘raw Tribesmen’ will be good enough. Also, City people wouldn’t follow Voros unless he was pardoned for his desertion. That would raise a lot of questions better left lying. If it is Blade come back, he’s probably got good reasons for not wanting everybody knowing it. For the time being, I’ll respect those reasons, though I did decide to send one man from the City Regiment to help Voros train his men.»
Sidas lit another cigar, and this time Baliza joined him, although she put hers down after a few puffs. She was afraid she would be sick all over again. «No, what I’d have done if you’d lied wouldn’t hurt Voros. I’d simply have ordered you to sit in Kaldak during this fight. Under arrest, if necessary.» She could tell he wasn’t joking.
«Then-I can join my-Voros-in the raid on the rocket base?» She hadn’t realized until now just how badly she wanted to do this, and she still didn’t know exactly why.
Sidas shook his head. «He’s too likely to recognize you, and spend time worrying about keeping you out of danger. That’s not a worry to give a man leading a raid like that. I know,» he said with a sigh. «Your mother, as much as I loved her, would never stop giving me that worry.»
«But if he’s not my father-«
«Even if he really is just a man named Voros, it’s still not a good idea. Do you think he’ll want to be remembered as the man who led the Sky Master Blade’s daughter to her death?»