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just like you!"
Astonished, Hael looked where the man was pointing. He saw tall, black shields
and behind them men who seemed to be made of bronze. Hael called some of his
chiefs to him and walked his cabo to the little group who stood staring
defiantly. There were no more than twelve of them, some wearing the plaited
hair of junior warriors. He had not seen them at the battle. Probably they had
been in the camp.
He reined in before them and studied faces. He found two that he thought he
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recognized. "Luo? Pendu? Is that truly you?" Their expressions were stony.
Could these two brutal-faced
known? But he knew he must look much changed to them as well. No one stays a
boy forever.
"Hael!" said Pendu, not sounding pleased. "So it is true. You have become a
leader of cowardly archers and cabo-riders." It was strange to hear his native
Island dialect again, after so many years.
"These men rode across half a world to be here today," Hael said. "Show some
respect. This is a poor greeting to receive from two old brothers of the
Fraternity of Night-Cats."
Luo snorted through his nose. "The old fraternities are no more, Hael. There
is no room for them in our new world. You did well to run away when you did. A
fool like you would not have lasted long when our king began to lead us."
"I did not run away," he reminded them. "I was exiled. Gasam and Larissa
arranged that. Tell me, has Gasam ever managed to kill a long-neck
single-handed? No man before me ever did and I am sure that he never has. He
always used others to do the things he feared to do himself."
"You talk like the boy you were, Hael," Pendu said. "Gasam is our king and he
has made us great. What are you?"
"A good question. Where is Danats, my old chabas-fastan?"
"Dead," Luo said, "in the fight to take over the Islands."
Hael lowered his head. He and Danats had been like brothers. "And Raba?"
"Raba leads a contingent of the Squall Island Shasinn," Luo said. "He is a
loyal warrior of the king and has no more use for you than we
have. Come, Hael, we are warriors, not white-haired elders to sit about
talking of old times. Are you going to kill us? You are no longer Shasinn and
have probably forgotten how to use your spear, but I am sure that your half
men can stand off at a safe distance and fill us with arrows."
As if he had not heard, Hael asked: "What of Tata Mai?"
"The king had him killed," Pendu said, "at the same time he had all the
spirit-speakers killed. They were his enemies, and his enemies must die."
"He has destroyed the Shasinn, then," Hael said with true grief. "We were a
people of custom and ritual. We were regulated by the spirits who spoke
through our spirit-speakers. Now Gasam has killed all that. No more warrior
fraternities, you say? No more headmen, just Gasam. No more spirit-speakers.
You have become merely the instruments of a single man, a man you once
despised."
"That is not true!" Pendu said, but there was an uneasy edge in his voice. "We
are a race of conquerors! Our king has revealed this to us and has proven it
by his actions. The spirit-speakers kept us fearful. We could do nothing truly
worthy for fear of breaking one of their stupid taboos! Now we are unfettered,
free to yoke lesser peoples and crush them beneath our heels."
"Where is this man of destiny?" Hael asked. "I notice he is not with you."
Pendu grinned without mirth. "He was here, but he has gone back to the City of
Victory."
"Here?" Hael said, surprised. "Where was he?"
"There," Luo said, pointing across the river. The water was full of bodies,
some struggling, some swimming, some unmoving. On the bank, some of his
warriors were using poles, trying to drag in the bodies that had arrows in
them. On the other side stood the rickety structure Hael had remarked earlier.
"That's where the King of Omia's fat brother pretended to supervise the
ferrying of the army across the river. Our king arrived last night and when
you came onto the field this morning, he watched from up there. He brought a
few hundred men as a show of support, but he never intended to aid these
worthless Omians. He was here to see what you would bring. He knew you would
show up soon."
Hael cursed inwardly. Gasam had not chanced being caught by surprise. He had
come, personally, to observe. "What were you doing on this side of the river?"
Hael asked.
"We have been with the Omians for a number of days," Luo said, "supposedly to
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maintain contact between our armies, but truly to report on them to the king."
Hael thought for a while. "I am not going to kill you," he said. Their
expression did not change. "You will go back to your king, bearing a message
from me. I will put it in writing, so that I will know that he will receive my
true words. Wait here. If you try to go before I bid you, you will be killed."
He wheeled his mount and rode toward the Omian camp, where he might find
writing instruments and paper. He was saddened, forced,
finally, to admit that the past was irretrievably lost. He had cherished a
vain hope that it was only Gasam, that if he could eliminate him, things would
return to their old order. But that was not possible.
In the camp, Jochim came to him. "My king, we have a fat man here who claims
to be the brother of the King of Omia."
They went into a huge tent and found the fat man sitting on a folding chair
looking sullen, displeased and very stupid. He did not look at all fearful,
apparently confident that his royal status protected him.
"I am King Hael. Were you in command here?"
"You are a king?" Apparently, Hael's appearance, sweaty, dusty and dressed in
worn riding clothes did not meet with his standards for royalty.
"I do not wear a crown, but I am a king. Ask any of my men."
"Well, I am Prince Amus, younger brother of King Oland. I suppose you have
terms to discuss?"
"No terms," Hael said. "Demands. Your king has ten days to remove all his
troops from Nevan territory. If he does not comply, we will slaughter them
all. You have seen my forces and you know I can carry this out. King Pashir
will dispatch diplomats to deliver terms for reparations to be paid for the
damage your brother caused by this foolish invasion."
"Oh, very well." Then, peevishly: "You had no call to interfere. King Hael.
Relations between Omia and your grassy kingdom have been
amicable. We have enjoyed trade of mutual benefit. Why do you do this?"
"I came here to help King Pashir against Gasam, who is the enemy of the whole
world. It was your king who foolishly allied with him. Now go and deliver my
words. Oh, by the way, can you swim?"
"Can I what?" Amus demanded indignantly.
Hael jerked his head toward the entrance and two grinning warriors hauled the
protesting Omian to his feet. Still squawking, he was hustled out of the tent.
Hael began to search the tent for writing materials.
SEVENTEEN
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