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and some extra mounts. All the rifles are new Cadmian pieces. My scouts found
at least three more companies to the west of the mine road, maybe four. They
were riding west. I didn t bother with bodies when I could have been
outnumbered five to one. I also thought you ought to know.
 Five to one?
 Four and one makes five, Mykel said.  There might be more. We didn t finish
up until close to dark. Oh& the western bluecoats burned a score of cots north
of Dramuria.
 I got word on that when we got here earlier tonight. We got tied up with
snipers on the smuggling road. Didn t lose many men, just three, captured a
small boatload of ammunition last night. Five cases. Then we started south.
It s a long ride back here. It s a long ride anywhere on this frig-gin
island.
 Yes, sir.
 How much of your company do you have left that can fight?
 A little less than fourscore. Some of my earlier wounded might be well enough
in another week or so to rejoin the company. Mykel paused, then asked,  Have
you heard anything from Seventeenth Company?
 No. Have you?
 No. That s why I asked. They were supposed to be patrolling the west road.
When I found out there were five-odd companies that came down the road& 
 Could be Heransyr had enough sense not to engage them.
 It could be, Mykel agreed politely.
 You don t think so.
 I don t know. The other thing that really bothers me is that these bluecoats
can t fight. Why are they sending them over here to get killed?
 Maybe they didn t know they couldn t fight, Dohark said quietly.
Mykel sat there for a moment. He d never considered that possibility.
 They can get reinforcements. We can t, Dohark pointed out.  Not for a long
while, anyway. We ll have to scout the western road and protect Dramuria. I ve
called . Sixteenth Company in from the north. They should be here tomorrow.
I ll also be suggesting to Majer Herryf that he either station both Cadmian
companies at the mine or pull everyone out. Dohark laughed harshly.  He
won t. He might get by with it because the walls there are high and thick.
Mykel nodded.
 As for you, Mykel. You look like shit. I ll bet your men do, too, or you
wouldn t have brought them back. We can t afford exhausted troopers, or
captains. Get some sleep, and check in with me in the morning.
 Sir?
 Yes?
 The same goes for exhausted overcaptains, sir.
Dohark laughed, briefly.  You get some sleep, and I ll get some. Now& get out
of here, so I can finish figuring out something, and we ll both get to sleep
sooner.
 Yes, sir.
Mykel eased out of the study, realizing that Dohark was using it because the
Myrmidon colonel was gone and because Dohark didn t expect him back soon. He
shook his head, then slipped out of the building and into the cool night air.
He did not head for quarters, but to the officer s cell that he hoped still
held Rachyla.
The guards looked at him. One opened his mouth.
Mykel looked back, hard.  I won t be long.
 Ah& yes, sir.
As always, they held their rifles ready as they unlocked the cell and let him
enter.
Rachyla turned from the desk where she had been writing in the dim light of
the lamp hung on the wall. She did not rise from the stool.  It s rather
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presumptuous of you to come so late. What if I were asleep?
 I would have left.
She studied him before speaking.  You have blood all over your neck.
 You were right.
 What does that have to do with the blood. Have you been out slaughtering more
helpless and untrained men?
 Yes. We ambushed two companies of bluecoats after they had burned out cots
and dwellings north of Dramuria.
 After? How brave of you.
 We d fought our way out of one ambush the night before. That was where your
equally noble bluecoats tried to massacre the mine prisoners. Mykel managed,
somehow, to keep a dry tone to his words, rather than the anger he felt.  We d
already fought another skirmish earlier in the day. In the last fight, since
we were outnumbered more than two to one, we were the ones to spring the
ambush. And no, I don t feel good about it. But& you were right. They were all
from the west.
 And they wounded you.
Mykel laughed, ironically.  No. They didn t. Someone hit a tree beside me, I
was hit by a big splinter. I pulled it out. I didn t even know I was
bleeding.
For a moment, she was silent.
 How many large or powerful seltyrs are there west of the mountains? he
asked.
Rachyla cocked her head, then said,  Twelve. There are only twelve of the
west, as there are only& were only twelve of the east. Some of the growers in
the west hold more land than some of the seltyrs in the east, but they are not
seltyrs.
 Thank you. Mykel forced himself to breathe easily.
 Why did you say I was right?
 You said you hinted, rather that the seltyrs of the west might be a problem.
They are. There are at least four companies east of the mountains.
 So& you will kill them all, too.
Mykel wanted to break through her composure, almost to scream at her that she
didn t understand, that he didn t like slaughter, didn t want to kill so many
men.  Perhaps.
 If you do not, the Myrmidons will.
 The Myrmidons have left, Mykel said.  Didn t you know?
Strangely, Rachyla laughed, softly and musically. It was anything but a happy
sound.  You, too, have been betrayed.
Mykel understood exactly what she meant. Was the whole campaign really just
meant to destroy Third Battalion? Were the Cadmians being scattered across
Coras so that they could be destroyed piecemeal? Or was there any explanation?
Would it be any better?
 You see, Captain? She stood.  You need sleep. I have nothing more to say.
Good night.
They faced each other for several moments.
Finally, Mykel said,  Good night, Lady Rachyla.
He rapped on the door and left without saying a word to the guards. Whether he
was right or not, there was no way that the seltyrs could have gotten so many
Cadmian weapons without some alectors supporting them. While the seltyrs saw
more clearly than other landers that the world ran on force, their mistake had
been that they d thought that the alectors would respect force, rather than
crash it. The rest of Corus accepted what was mostly, anyway and that was that
there was no practical way to use force against the alectors and their [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]