Mamelukes

by Jerry Pournelle

“I didn’t hear him say that. If he says that he puts on airs,” Enipses said.

  Rick nodded. The Guard were elites, many from noble families, who joined the Guard for family advancement. Enipses would know many of them, and certainly all of their officers.

  “Then who the devil is he, and why would the Wanax send him to meet me? And how would he know we were coming here? Would your grandson have told him?”

  “Yatar, no!” Enipses looked startled. “My Lord, I—My Lord, please, what is it that you suspect? Is my grandson in danger?”

  “What were his orders?” Rick demanded.

  “He was to ride quickly to the Wanax and tell him we were coming immediately, so that proper preparations could be made for your welcome.”

  “Not to alert an ambush,” Rick said.

  “By Yatar and Christ, Warlord! Why would His Majesty set an ambush for you? How could you suspect such a thing? You were His Majesty’s Guardian! He regards you as a father! Lord Rick, have you lost your wits?”

  Rick nodded slowly. The old man was sincere enough, and what he said made sense.

  “Not Wanax Ganton, then,” Rick mused aloud. “So who does want me dead? Someone who commands troops? Who probably commands Captain Radnos?”

  Enipses started to speak, then fell silent.

  “You thought of someone,” Rick said.

  “I hope—I hope I have not.”

  “The name, My Lord.”

  “No. No, it cannot be him. It cannot. Your pardon, My Lord, but I have no suggestions.”

  “Colonel, we both know who has to be behind this,” Warner said in English.

  “I think you’re right, but keep it to yourself for now,” Rick said.

  The handset buzzed.

  “Galloway.”

  “Rand, Colonel. Major Baker is with me. We’re deployed. Say the word and we’ll take them out.”

  “Rand, who the hell are those people?”

  “No idea, Colonel.” Rand’s voice was muffled as if he were speaking into his hand. “We’re not that close to them. They’re kind of on ready alert. They’re spooked now that you’ve dismounted, they were ready for you, but now they’re all confused.” Rand paused. “Colonel, I’m pretty good, and them Gurkhas may be better, but we’re not going to get close to them right now. I mean, maybe we could find one guy off by himself and slit his throat, but that would be taking a lot more chance than I want.”

  “No, don’t do that,” Rick said. “You say Baker is with you?”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  “I’ll call him direct.” He changed channels. “Baker?”

  “Still in place, Colonel. I should point out that this is an unstable situation. If we stay here long enough someone’s going to see us. Inevitable, I’d say.”

  Yeah, I know that, Rick thought. “Can you give me ten minutes?”

  “I’d hate for it to be longer than that.”

  “Right.”

  “Colonel, is there some problem here?” Baker asked.

  “Local politics,” Rick said. “The officer who met me claimed to be part of the Royal Guard, but according to the Lord Justicar, he isn’t. That doesn’t mean the rest of these people aren’t, though, and the Guards have a lot of younger sons of the aristocracy in their ranks. If any of those ambush troops actually are Royal Guards—or even if they’re not, but they’re still noble—we’re right back to those blood feuds if we kill them. I damned well don’t want to be the one who starts shooting.”

  “Awkward,” Baker said.

  And I don’t want to admit that I just don’t like killing a bunch of people without knowing who they are, Rick thought. But I may not have much choice . . .

  “Stand by, Major. I’ll be back shortly. Galloway out.”

  Rick turned to Enipses.

  “My Lord Justiciar, I ask you to come with me. I have instructions for Captain Radnos, and I want you there when I give them.”

  “Certainly. Warlord, what is happening here?”

  “I wish I knew.” Rick strode forward to where Ark had set up the light machine gun.

  “Captain Radnos, please attend the Lord Justiciar,” Rick said. “You won’t need your men.”

  He looks nervous, Rick thought, as Radnos strode towards them. Because he’s up to something, or just the situation?

  “Captain, you said you were of the Royal Guards.”

  “I am, Warlord.”

  “Then why does My Lord Justiciar not know you?”

  “Warlord, I am of the Guards assigned to the King’s Companion. We have only recently combined with His Majesty’s forces,” Radnos said, and Enipses nodded in understanding.

  “That is true, Warlord.”

  “Did the Wanax himself send you to conduct me?” Rick demanded.

  “No, My Lord. Companion Morrone gave me my orders. But he often speaks in His Majesty’s name.”

  “And where was this?”

  “My Lord?”

  “Where was Morrone when last you saw him?”

  “Just outside the encampment of the Wanax,” Radnos said.

  “With how many soldiers?”

  Radnos frowned.

  “Answer, Captain,” Enipses snapped.

  “Three hundred.”

  “Armed as you are armed, I presume?” Rick asked.

  “Yes, Warlord, mail, crossbows, and swords, mounted on horses. Although Captain Janisos has a centaur.”

  “So the men hidden along the road ahead are Companion Morrone’s Guards,” Rick said. “Royal Guardsmen. Presumably loyal to Wanax Ganton. Lying in wait for the Warlord and Justiciar. Tell me, Captain, what do you know of this?”

  “Warlord, I know nothing!” Radnos insisted. He turned to Enipses. “Justiciar, you know my family! I am the younger son of the Bheroman Dnestros! I would never be disloyal to the Wanax!”

  The Justiciar regarded him coldly, then looked at Rick.

  “Warlord, I believe that may be true. He bears a resemblance to the bheroman.”

  “Now I’m really worried,” Warner said softly in English. “Skipper, whose plot is this? Morrone doesn’t like you much but he wouldn’t kill you without the king’s permission. Would he?”

  “Easier to get forgiveness than permission,” Passavopolous said.

  Warner looked thoughtful, then nodded.

  “Good point,” Rick said, also in English. He turned back to Radnos and Enipses.

  “Captain Radnos, how could you have gone past three to four hundred men lying in wait with weapons and not have seen anything?”

  “It is not possible, Warlord. There were no men there when I came down that road. One of my tasks was to be certain the road was safe.”

  “It appears that it isn’t safe now. Who followed you from the camp of the Wanax?”

  Radnos gulped and turned away.

  “So that’s how it is,” Rick said. “Captain, you say your task was to be certain that road was safe for me and for Lord Enipses?”

  “Aye, Warlord.”

  “Then I suggest you do that.”

  “Warlord?”

  “Take your escort and go ahead of us. You see up ahead there is a ten-foot bluff along the left side of the road. There are men lying in wait on the bluff, and more on the low side of the road. Order them in the name of Warlord and Justiciar to come out and form up in the road.”

  “And if they refuse my orders?”

  “Turn and ride as if Vothan’s wolves pursued you, Captain. Get away from there, because we’re going to unleash Hell.”

  CHAPTER NINE

  AYO GURKHALI!

  Captain Radnos mounted. He shouted commands, and his escorts mounted and formed a column of twos. There was just enough light to show them moving down the road at a slow walk.

  “Skipper, what’s going on?” Bisso asked. “He sure don’t look eager.”

  “I wouldn’t either,” Warner said.

  “I think Morrone’s decided to take matters into his own hands,” Rick said.

  “He wouldn
’t do that against the King’s orders!” Bisso protested.

  “Like hell he wouldn’t,” Warner said. “Morrone makes no secret of it, he believes the Colonel doesn’t kowtow enough to the King and he resents hell out of it. We’ve all heard stories.”

  Bisso and Passavopolous grunted agreement.

  “Colonel,” Bisso said. “Just for the hell of it, would you please get off the skyline?”

  “Right.” Rick scrambled down into the ditch. “My Lord Enipses, I suggest you join me.”

  “Surely I am safe enough here,” Enipses said. “My Lord, I believe you have lost your senses! There are no traitors here!”

  Radnos had almost reached the edge of the embankment. His group halted, and Radnos turned to point back up the road towards Rick.

  “The traitor has turned coward!” he shouted. “He is there, above you. We have the numbers, we have the will. Forward lads! For the Wanax and Drantos! Kill the traitor!”

  There were shouts. Armed men sprang up from both sides of the road and a dozen crossbow bolts whistled past. Enipses fell clutching at his neck. Two of his escorts dropped to the ground. Rick couldn’t tell if they were hit or instinctively diving for cover.

  “Get down, you idiots!” Bisso shouted. “Troops, prepare to engage!”

  “Haerther!” Rich shouted. “See to the Lord Justiciar!”

  Haerther and two clansmen dashed forward to drag Enipses to the safety of the ditch. Another volley of crossbow bolts whistled in and one of the clansmen fell. Enipses was dragged to the shelter of the ditch. Blood flowed from a nasty gash on his face.

  “Priest!” Haerther shouted. “Priest of Yatar, the Lord Justiciar is wounded!”

  “Look to the front!” Bisso shouted. “Hold your fire until they get closer. Stay down!”

  A blue-robed apprentice dashed forward in a deep crouch. He knelt beside Enipses.

  “Be careful of him,” Rick admonished.

  The apprentice looked up. He was a young man, no more than twenty, a recruit from one of the Chelm villages, but it was clear he had already been through some of his priestly training.

  “As I would anyone,” he said. “I have balm.”

  Balm. Antiseptic cream laced with blue bread mold. Rick nodded in satisfaction. Much of Tran’s bacteria hadn’t yet adapted to attack humans, so infection wasn’t as universal here as on Earth battlefields, but some common infections had clearly been brought from Earth. Local fungus could be dangerous, but the bread mold penicillin was effective on the Earth bacteria. Blue bread mold and sanitary practices . . .

  “Carry on,” Rick said.

  Bisso was looking down the hill with his binoculars. He raised his battle rifle and fired twice.

  “They’re not too eager to rush us, Colonel,” he said. “But four hundred? May be a near thing if they can get organized. Morrone’s a pretty good leader, too. At least he can get men to follow him.”

  “Right. Ark, stand by.”

  “Roger that, Colonel. We’re pretty low on ammo for this thing.”

  “Make it count,” Bisso said. More crossbow bolts whistled overhead. “Shooting high, and they don’t want to close. Maybe it’s going to be all right.”

  “I think we’ll know a lot more in a moment,” Rick said.

  As he spoke an amplified voice cut through the dark.

  “Gurkhas, make ready for volley fire! Mark your targets! Take your aim!”

  “Who the hell?” Bisso demanded.

  “Fire.” Thirty rifles went off at once. There were flashes from one side of the road, and Rick thought he saw other flashes farther up. The classic ambush pattern for rifle fire was L-shaped to avoid fratricide.

  “Hot damn!” Bisso exclaimed.

  “Ayo Gurkhali!” The shout came from one side of the road. “Ayo Gurkhali!”

  “Kind of chills the blood, don’t it?” Passavopolous said. “Hah.”

  “Intended to,” Warner said.

  “Yes, professor,” Bisso answered.

  The bullhorn spoke again.

  “Make ready to fire in volley! Mark your targets! Take your aim! Fire. Take aim! Fire!”

  “Ayo Gurkhali!”

  “Skipper, what the hell is going on?” Bisso asked.

  “I think you’re seeing just why we wanted these guys as allies,” Warner said. “I’m sure glad they’re not after us!”

  “You can say that again, Mr. Warner,” Passavopolous said. “You can say that again.”

  There was total confusion near the bluff. Someone was shouting from the road, but Rick couldn’t make out who was saying what. The bullhorn spoke again.

  “What the hell is the Major saying?” Bisso asked. “Is that Gurkha?”

  “No, it’s that goddam northern dialect,” Warner said. “I think he’s trying to tell them to surrender, but they sure won’t understand him.”

  “Oh, crap,” Rick said.

  “Mark your targets! Take your aim! Fire!”

  The rifles spoke again, like one prolonged shot.

  “Ayo Gurkhali!”

  Rick thumbed the handset. “Major?”

  “Sir.”

  “What’s the situation?”

  “They haven’t a clue as to what’s happening, Colonel. I think they want to surrender, but I’m having a bit of a problem telling them how to do it.”

  “Give the bullhorn to Rand for a moment, please. Tell him I’ll be talking to him. Out.” He changed channels. “Rand, tell those poor bastards to surrender in a language they’ll understand. Have them go to the road and lay down their arms. Be sure Major Baker tells his men that. The fewer of those people we kill, the better off we’ll all be.”

  “What about any that run away?”

  “Rather have them alive than dead. Be sure the Major knows that.”

  “Sir.”

  * * *

  The one-sided battle lasted another ten minutes, but now there were only individual rifle shots, punctuated by the Gurkha battle cry. Once there was a shout of Ayo Gurkhali! followed by a blood-curdling scream, then silence.

  “No shot,” Warner observed.

  “Them knives,” Bisso said. “Christ, Mr. Warner, this gives me the creeps!”

  “They’re surrendering, though,” Passavopolous said. He pointed towards the road. More than a hundred men stood there with their arms held high. “You know, I haven’t seen one of them Gurkha troops tonight. Not one.”

  “I doubt any of the enemy saw one either,” Rick said.

  “Son of a bitch. I sure don’t want them mad at us, Colonel,” Bisso said.

  “Nor do I, Sergeant,” Rick said. “Nor do I.”

  * * *

  Rick’s handset chirped.

  “Galloway.”

  “Baker here, Colonel. I think you can bring your men down to collect the prisoners now. We’ve checked and disarmed all the downed troops along the road. Perhaps you should stay back a bit just in case there’s one armed sniper left looking just for you, but there’s no organized resistance. And until you’ve got them covered I’d as soon they didn’t realize just how few of my lads they’re facing. Might give them ideas, don’t you know.”

  He’s amusing himself, Rick thought. Well, I’d be proud too.

  “How many prisoners do we have, Major?”

  “I’d estimate about two hundred surrendered, and perhaps another seventy-five wounded. I wouldn’t expect many of the wounded to survive, unless you’re better at treating gunshot wounds to the torso than we are.”

  “No knife wounds?”

  “I’d be surprised if there were. When my lads use their knives the result generally isn’t a wound.”

  “Butcher’s bill?”

  “None of ours that I know of, Colonel. The surprise was complete.”

  “Right. We’ll be down shortly, then.”

  “Good—Uh, Colonel, stand by a moment. Yes, Leftenant Rand?” There was a long pause. “Colonel, there’s a contingent of horsemen coming up the road towards us. Proceeding cautiously.”<
br />
  “The King’s Guards,” Rick said. “Coming to see what’s going on. Do your very best not to engage them, Major. I’ll send someone along to talk to them. Now we’ll get moving. Out.”

  Rick turned to shout. “Mount up! Get ready to go take charge of the prisoners.”

  He turned to Bisso.

  “Get down there and set up to guard a couple of hundred prisoners,” he said. “That includes that Captain Radnos they sent and all his men. Put them where you and Ark can cover them. I don’t expect any trouble from them but you never know. And there’s more troops coming up the road, may be friendlies, may be something else. Set up with cover, but for God’s sake don’t start shooting! It may be the Wanax.”

  “Yes, Sir, but wouldn’t it serve him right?”

  “I don’t know, Sergeant. I do know that if we kill the King we’ll be hostiles in hostile territory. Remember what that was like when Andre Parsons was leading you?”

  “I remember, Colonel. We’ll be damned careful.”

  Duncan came up leading two horses. Rick acknowledged him with a nod and turned to Haerther.

  “How is Lord Enipses?”

  “Wooden quarrel, sliced his cheek above his mail shirt, My Lord. Baniclos has stitched the wound and applied balm. If the quarrel wasn’t poisoned he may be all right.”

  “I will live, My Lord,” Enipses said. A large bandage held a compress against his left cheek. “Young Baniclos is quite skilled. I no longer bleed.”

  “Can you ride?”

  “I would rather not, My Lord, but I suppose I have little choice.”

  “Lord Enipses, my scouts report a group of men coming from the direction of the Wanax’s camp,” Rick said. “I’d presume they’re guardsmen. I would not care to see them—or the Wanax!—wander into a battle zone.”

  “Yatar no!” Enipses struggled to his feet. “Lord Rick—My Lord, just what did happen?” Enipses pleaded.

  “As you saw, Captain Radnos ordered an attack on us, and my troops defeated the ambush.” He turned to shout. “Duncan, bring Lord Enipses his mount and prepare to accompany him!”

  “Your troops,” Enipses said. “All those star weapons! And that battle cry. I have never heard that battle cry before.”

  “It may not be the last time you hear it,” Rick said. “Those are my new troops, Lord Enipses. New men from the stars. Be certain that His Majesty understands that. Now ride, while I make certain you will be allowed to pass through on the road.” He pressed the transmit button on the radio.