The Warrior's Tale Part 31

No one slept that night And the next morning, we sailed into battle.

Twenty.

The Mailed Crescent THE SARZANA'S SHIPS were waiting. Their battle-formation was a huge semi-circle blocking the bay, which curved from the eastern shallows of the gut to the steep cliffs on the west. It was a bright morning and I saw the gleam of armour on the enemy ships. were waiting. Their battle-formation was a huge semi-circle blocking the bay, which curved from the eastern shallows of the gut to the steep cliffs on the west. It was a bright morning and I saw the gleam of armour on the enemy ships.

Our galleys sat rolling in the gentle swell, oars at the lift, as the three wings of the Konyan Navy went forward to meet the mailed crescent. We hadn't sent our masts down, since we might need full manoeuvring speed later in the day. Cholla Yi's galley sat not thirty feet from my. own and I had the morbid thought we were but idle spectators at some great match - with life as the prize. Xia was beside me on the quarterdeck, wearing her new armour and a sword belted about her waist. I'd wanted to a.s.sign her a bodyguard, but she'd refused. Corais, Pollilo and Gamelan were also on the quarterdeck -as were Stryker and Duban. Gamelan was accompanied by his two guards. One of his companions, Pamphylia, had become expert at being the 'eyes' for the wizard, and her low drone of narration had become a familiar backdrop to the Evocator's presence.

Oars flashed and feathered on The Sarzana's warfleet as they got under way. The wind blowing up the gut towards Ticino suddenly died. Then another arose, answering the call of our enemy's magic. It blasted south into our faces and the sails on The Sarzana's ships bellied and filled. The Konyan wizards struck back, and the sails flapped emptily as their counterspell broke The Sarzana's wind-magic. Winds gusted and swirled from all points of the compa.s.s. Cholla Yi bellowed orders, and we, too, began moving, making sure we kept the proper distance behind the Konyan battle-line - close enough to give support if summoned, far enough away to avoid entanglement when the fighting began. I had the sudden impulse to cast my tern-spell and observe the struggle from the skies. Fortunately, I asked Gamelan, and he grimaced. 'Rali,' he said, 'I thought I had taught you better and I certainly thought you brighter. What do you think would happen if you send yourself spiralling up there, as innocent as any n.o.ble b.o.o.by who takes a picnic to a battlefield to watch the gore splatter, and either of our great enemies happens to sight you, hanging there with no safeguards, no sense, and no cover? Woman, do you have have to look for the executioner's axe with your neck?' I was properly chastened. to look for the executioner's axe with your neck?' I was properly chastened.

But it didn't matter. I don't know exactly what to call it, more than a vision, less than actual sight, but it was as if I were hanging in the sky overhead or atop one of the cliffs to the west, and could see everything that happened on that dismal day. Just as the Konyans, The Sarzana's forces appeared to be divided into three battle groups as well. It may have been chance, or perhaps that was a standard tactic in these islands, but to me it boded no good, and suggested there might well have been some spying, magical or otherwise, and The Sarzana had cleverly planned to have his forces capable of responding independently to any equal threat from us.

I tried to look beyond the crescent as it moved forward, back up the bay towards Ticino. Once again I saw that bewildering 'mist' - lying low between me and the city, just where The Sarzana's reserve ships should've been. I still couldn't see what lay inside that fogbank, but now knew what it must be - The Sarzana had developed some sort of new magical weapon to be deployed at the proper moment. This was the second ill omen of the day. Then I noted that the clifftops to the west were barren of life. Somehow that made the day even more strange. If a sea-battle was being fought close to most cities, the entire populace would turn out to cheer their own warriors, worry about their own fate, or simply to gape over the spectacle. I wondered what had happened to the people of Ticino. I had a moment to wonder if we would enter a city emptied save of blood-smeared streets if The Sarzana fell on this day.

'They're firin',' Stryker grunted, and I, too, saw the ranging splashes rise up ahead of the onrushing Konyan galleys.

'Very good,' Polillo said, trying to sound optimistic. 'We can hope they waste all their weapons killing those waves between us.'

I could see war engines on the bows of the enemy ships, and saw trebuchets buck as they lofted boulders through the air. I thought I could hear the thumps as their wooden arms struck the padded crossbars, and I could see them being wound back down for another launching. In Isolde, I'd suggested to Admiral Trahem the Konyan ships appeared under-equipped with such gear, but he said there was no place for machinery in their wars - Konyan battles were decided by steel and blood, riot wood, rope and iron. The few devices the Konyan ships had were all that would be necessary for victory, and he had little interest in duplicating any of the special weapons I'd designed. Obviously he'd never learned the truism there's no such thing as too much in battle.

I felt fear crawl up my spine - fear and the certainty of doom; with the added knowledge that I was worse than useless as a captain, more of a danger to my women than the enemy. But this I'd felt before. This was the same spell the Archon had levelled against us, so long ago when we killed him at the volcanoes. It still was unsettling, but at least being familiar the feeling was endurable. I heard shouts of alarm coming from the Konyan ships and cursed. I'd warned the Konyan Evocators of all the tricks the Archon might try, and they'd a.s.sured me counterspells would be simple. If they'd bothered to prepare any, they obviously weren't working. I remembered one of the frescoes on a wall of our armoury in Orissa. It depicted the corpse of a Guardswoman, sprawled on a battlefield, and over it the grim inscription: Despise Not Your Enemy. Despise Not Your Enemy. The Konyans were beginning to learn this lesson themselves, although where they'd got such arrogance, forgetting how swiftly The Sarzana had once defeated their best, was beyond me. I suppose victors have even shorter memories than the vanquished. The Konyans were beginning to learn this lesson themselves, although where they'd got such arrogance, forgetting how swiftly The Sarzana had once defeated their best, was beyond me. I suppose victors have even shorter memories than the vanquished.

Now The Sarzana's ships were in range. Another group of machines opened fire - catapults sending long arrows ripping forward, that tore through sails, bulwarks and, often as not, Konyan soldiers. What I'd called 'firefingers' rippled out from The Sarzana's forward ships, striking Konyan galleys and sending them roaring into flame. I tried to see if there was a single source for those firestrikes that might give me a clue as to which ship The Sarzana might be aboard, but they seemed to come from everywhere. Evidently the Archon had perfected his spell.

A Konyan ship not far away lost headway, its oars flailing like a water-beede who panics seeing the carp striking up from the depths. Our galleys drew closer and I could see soldiers and sailors fighting desperately on its main-deck, as if they'd been boarded by a yet invisible enemy. Then I saw what they were fighting. The decks were littered with great serpents, who thrashed and struck with unnatural energy at the men. I'd seen no trebuchet deliver such a wickedly clever load and knew the snakes had to have been transported aboard magically.

'The Sarzana has some interesting tricks,' Gamelan said when Pamphylia told him what had happened. 'That's one I'd never thought of. Worth noting, too.'

The Sarzana, or maybe the Archon,' Corais said quietly. Polillo shivered, and I surrept.i.tiously gripped her hand to rea.s.sure her, then let it go before anyone could notice. Polillo recovered in a bare second, and was her usual battle-cold self.

'We are forgetting,' I agreed, 'the Archons ruled Lycanth not just by magic, but by their skills with armies as well.'

Xia was looking very worried, and not a little frightened, which was natural in her first battle. 'What does that mean?' she wanted to know.

I tried to find soothing words, but Stryker spoke first. 'Cap'n Antero means we'd best hope th' bull can take th' lancer b'fore his horse dances him out of the way.'

The Konyan ships were still going forward, slowly, steadily, bulllike, against the rain of fire that came down. I remembered once being forward of such an attack, I don't even remember in which border skirmish it was, and seeing long lines of infantry advancing against archers. As the shafts struck down from the skies the soldiers hunched their shoulders and bent forward as they pushed doggedly onward, exactly like men forcing themselves through a rainstorm. So it was with the Konyan ships.

'Look,' Xia said gleefully. 'They're breaking!'

So it appeared. The enemy centre wing had swung out of line. Signal flags went up from Trahern's warship, but Admiral Bhzana had already seen, and bunting flapped from his own masthead. His ships swung out of the main Konyan formation, away from the shallows and the lagging enemy they'd been expecting to meet, hoping to attack The Sarzana's centre on its flank. Such a bold stroke could break the enemy fleet now and end the battle before midday.

'Too soon, too soon,' I heard Polillo moan under her breath. 'Always wait to make sure the throw is real, not a bluff!' And so it was. As Bhzana's ships formed their new line, a strong, spell-created wind gusted down the gut towards us, and The Sarzana's waiting ships shot like bolts against Bhzana's own flank.

's.h.i.t!' Stryker swore. 'Caught in th' same net they'd hoped t' cast!'

The threat was more than to just our east wing. Trahern's centre was also out of position. Perhaps he'd hoped to help exploit the enemy's mistake, which now was clearly a ruse that we'd fallen for.

The two lines of ships closed and the battle proper began. But it did not open as Trahern and the Konyans had wished. Trahern might've wanted to close and board with the other ships, but The Sarzana's galleys veered, trying to evade contact. Clumsy as they were, there were many instances where they weren't able to turn away and grapnels went across and Konyan soldiers leapt for the bulwarks. But even when an enemy ship was trapped, the battle still was not joined on Trahern's terms. Another galley would strike the Konyan ship from the rear, keeping just a few yards away and archers would pelt the ship, trying to divert it. It was just as a well-trained pack of hounds behave, savaging a bear's legs and flanks when he traps one of their brothers.

I heard screams and shouts across the water and saw flames mount and masts tumble as The Sarzana's ships kept hammering the Konyans. Even boarding wasn't as simple as Trahern had imagined. I saw glints of steel from just above the bulwarks of an enemy ship and stakes protruding out and up at an angle from the rails of the galley -stakes that were so much fence-posting from the sharp strands of steel strung along them. That would be even better than the traditional sagging nets to keep boarders away. Of course, it'd keep The Sarzana's own troops from attacking, but it looked as if he had no intent of fighting a traditional battle this day. Again I knew the Archon's orders had been taken, not only in magic but in war as well.

We were too close to the fray and I shouted a warning to Cholla Yi for us to pull back, but to stand by to reinforce Bhzana's wing if it broke. We withdrew to a better position, but still there came no signal for us to join the attack. All we could do was wait. Now it was truly as if I were above the fleets as the battle continued. From the water it appeared as confusing as any land battlefield, with men shouting, bleeding and dying, staggering back and forth, and dust and smoke everywhere, and banners waving and going down, only to rise up once more; except the soldiers were monstrous ships. I were above the fleets as the battle continued. From the water it appeared as confusing as any land battlefield, with men shouting, bleeding and dying, staggering back and forth, and dust and smoke everywhere, and banners waving and going down, only to rise up once more; except the soldiers were monstrous ships.

Ships were already sinking and there were sailors drowning, clinging to flotsam and shouting for rescue. Some saw our galleys and desperately began swimming towards us. But it was far, too far, and one by one their heads vanished. Other ships drifted back out of battle, some with fighting still raging on their decks, others showing no sign of life at all, still others with their huge deckhouses shattered by boulders. I thought there were more Konyan vessels than enemy ships. Then I saw Konyan ships start to sail back - away from the battle. Some of them were crippled, dragging the ruins of masts overboard, others were smoking and crippled. But all too many of them showed no damage.

Polillo had her axe unsheathed, and was holding it in her hand, without noticing, slapping its flat hard against her reddening palm, her face mottied in anger and helplessness.

'Weak-gutted sonsab.i.t.c.hes,' Stryker swore. 'Rope-spined b.a.s.t.a.r.ds are breakin' and th' day's not half-gone.'

I realized with a jolt the sun was now high overhead and wondered where the hours had gone; then my eyes were torn away, as The Sarzana's sorcerous cloud lifted and his secret weapon broke into the battle. It was a small fleet of ships such as I'd never imagined. They were not much longer than our Orissan ships, if somewhat broader beamed, and single-rowed galleys like ours. But what made them striking and fearsome weren't just the lurid colours they'd been painted with - the colours of blood and death - but that they were solidly roofed and mastless. They looked like many-legged turtles as they swept forward. There'd be no boarding these craft; small as they were, the hulking Konyan ships would hardly be able even to close with them. I was very glad I wasn't a Konyan captain in the vanguard, because for the moment I had no idea how these invulnerable-looking craft could be destroyed. There were at least thirty of them and they were attacking in a spearhead formation - striking straight for the ignored and open west side of Trahern's centre wing where a gap lay between it and Admiral Bornu's ships.

Stryker swore, and I heard Duban whine something.

Corais was unbothered. 'I don't see how they fight,' she observed. 'Maybe they're intending to scare us to death.'

But in bare seconds we realized the turtleboats were as deadly in fact as appearance. They were rams, but I realized once more that The Sarzana's tactics were new, as I saw the first turtleship strike a Konyan vessel and then pull away as if nothing had happened instead of remaining in a death-embrace with its foe. The Konyan ship rolled at the impact, then wallowed to the side as water rushed into the hole the turtleship's beak had torn. In seconds it vanished under the waves. I realized the rams must either be demountable or, more likely, grooved to snap when a certain amount of force was exerted against them. Such a device would be foolhardy on a ship intended to endure hard weather, since it was likely to snap unpredictably and rip the galley's own bows open; but here in the calm waters of the bay, it was an ideal weapon. But that wasn't the only armament the turtleships had. Hatches flipped open on the covering deck and I saw the warheads of huge arrows emerge from one turtleship as it sailed close under a Konyan's stern. Smoke lifted from each arrowhead and then the catapults fired, sending the firearrows deep into the wooden counter. The hatches banged shut and the gunners began reloading safely out of sight, as flames roared up from the stricken Konyan vessel. The arrows were either pitch-soaked or, more likely, 'dressed' with an incantation.

When the first ship burst into flames, I heard Xia hide a tiny shriek of fear, which no one but me could've heard and felt a flash of admiration for her courage. She was doing better than most before their first battle, better than I did marching up to my first skirmish, not having learned that the waiting and the thinking are deadlier to bravery than the most brutal foe.

Now the battle's tide was in full flood - and for The Sarzana's forces. Behind the turtleships came the entire west wing of the fleet, possibly a hundred or more conventional ships. I didn't know what to do. The entire Konyan fleet was breaking. On my left Admiral Bhzana's ships were reeling back; in the centre Trahern's forces were locked in a smoky melee; and on my right the turtleships and their reinforcements were driving a wedge through Bornu's wing. As Bornu's forces shattered I realized there wasn't anything I could've done, unless there was a thousand of me, and a thousand thousand of my Guardswomen and Cholla Yi's galleys. His still-undamaged ships changed course, oars flailing, and set full sail to take advantage of The Sarzana's wind blowing away from the city. Singly and by squadrons they tacked back towards the open sea; on their heels came the turtleboats and The Sarzana's large galleys.

The other Konyans must've seen or sensed what had happened, because both Trahern's and Bhzana's wings shattered at the same instant. But not all the ships would be able to retreat. There were many ships still caught in the cauldron of the centre; ships that would now be brought to battle and destroyed, one by one. I saw the banner of Bhzana's ship coming away from the shallows, and then spotted Trahern's flagship, its mainsail at full swell, oarsmen pulling for their lives. You b.a.s.t.a.r.d, I thought. You led your sailors to this death, and you don't even have the d.a.m.ned courage to stay and share it with them. Whatever courage the admiral had in the past that brought him greatness had vanished with age and ease.

The first ships sailed past and I heard their sailors scream to flee, flee, the battle was lost, and even the dead had risen from the depths to fight us. I wondered for an instant, then nearly retched as a horrible stench rolled over our galley, coming from the first Konyan ships, now not more than three or four hundred yards away.

I made a decision, but Cholla Yi had already made it for me. Flags were at his masthead, and he was crying through his trumpet to retreat, pull back, there was no standing against them.

Xia shouted in blind rage, shouted he was a coward, then spun as I snapped the same orders to Stryker. 'You can't!' she cried in her frenzy, nearly in tears, 'You're no better than-'

'Silence!' I shouted. 'You wanted to be a soldier! Now soldier!' That outcry stopped her for an instant, and in that instant common sense returned and she slumped and turned away from me.

I could see some of The Sarzana's ships clearly now, and gasped. It looked as if the fleeing Konyans were right. On their decks were horrid beings who'd once been men, some rotting from exposure, some dried up into brown wisps by a hot desert wind, others bloated and fishbelly-white from their time on the ocean floor. Some were working the sweeps, others methodically served catapults or waited patiendy with bow or spear for the range to close. For an instant I remembered my brother's tale of a city of the walking dead far away to the west, almost at the gates of the Far Kingdoms, where even the city's Lord was a living cadaver and how Amalric almost died in that horrid necropolis. But he had Greycloak with him ... and I did not.

The charnel reek was all around us and even my hardened mercenaries were beginning to show fear, even as they obeyed orders and we turned and fled with the others.

Then I knew what the smell was, and what the corpse-sailors were. I guess I knew this because of my own spell-casting, my own sensitivity to wizardry. Just as I knew what the truth was, I knew the countermeasure. I ordered Xia below and told her to bring up her cosmetics bag. She gaped, and I snapped at her sharply. Puzzled, she obeyed. In a few seconds she'd returned and handed it to me. I found a vial of perfume, unstoppered it and sniffed. It was ideal - a heavy, strong flower-based scent.

I cast the bottle into the air, and it spun - contents spraying. I chanted, the words coming easily: Seek flowers Seek your foe Cling to him Change him You are the greater You are on the earth And of the earth He comes from the ether He is not Take him Change him Turn him.

The corpse-smell vanished.

I shouted, 'It's just a spell-lie! Those men are no different from you and I. It's the Archon's magic!'

The words, or possibly just that someone appeared unpanicked broke the frenzy, even though the men could look behind them and see the onrushing enemy ships still manned by the undead.

'I'll break that spell, too,' I shouted, and then stopped short.

The battle was over, but not for all of us. Two galleys were sailing back, back towards The Sarzana's ships! I didn't need to strain my eyes to know who they were. They were two of Nor's galleys, blinded by their rage. I might've felt a bit of admiration for their suicidal attack, having seen and known women who deliberately threw their lives away and charged into the midst of the enemy, shouting their deathsong in joy. But I didn't. There were eight of my women on board those two ships who hadn't chosen that death. Very well, I thought. That'll be another debt to settle, first with Nor, then with The Sarzana and the Archon.

The two ships were surrounded by the turtleships, and their masts vanished and I saw no more of them that day - ever again. But there wasn't time for anger.

Just to our west, one of The Sarzana's monster galleys was bearing down on us.

'Polillo!' I shouted, and my legate bounded forward to where her nervous catapult teams waited behind their strange weapons mounted on either side of the foremast. The catapults' prods were wound back to full c.o.c.k, a shaft in each of the twin troughs, and hanging between them a loose net-bag with a coiled chain inside, a thin chain that I'd cast a spell of strength on.

The huge ship rolled down on us, its sail big with The Sarzana's magic wind, and I could hear, dimly, the gleeful shouts of the soldiers aboard the ship, thinking they had us trapped.

Above their shouts I heard Polillo's chant.

'Steady... steady... left a little... steady... up... a little more ... steady ... steady ...'

'Shoot!' I screamed, and the catapults thw.a.n.ged like two miscast bells struck with steel mallets. The starboard set of bolts went wide, and missed, but the port one sped true. Just as I'd designed, just as I'd tested, the bolts vee-ed out, the net-bag snapping and the chain coming taut between them, about to snap or else send the device spinning out of control, and then it struck fair, about halfway up the enemy ship's mast, and snapped it like a twig. The sail billowed back, and stays and yards cascaded down over the ship's deck.

That was the only strike we had time for, and I'd only allowed it so we wouldn't feel completely defeated.

Now it was time to run, before the turtleships could close and destroy us.

Full sail was set, and our rowers pulled for their lives. I thanked Maranonia we hadn't set normal battle order earlier and sent the sails down. Now, with the first part of the Archon's illusion broken, it would be easier to find a counterspell to shatter the rest of it. Perhaps that would be enough to make the fleet turn and at least fight The Sarzana's ships to a standstill.

While one part of my mind sought for the words and ingredients, another was preparing a signal to Trahern. I went to the rail, looking out over the gut, which was now widening to the open sea, and we were almost past the two portal-cities. Our ships were scattered across the waters like bits of paper on a floodtide, each trying to escape, none concerned with any but himself and finding safety. Spell or not, there would be no more fighting this day.

It was too late for my magic, mine or anyone else's.

It was fortunate The Sarzana's ships had no greater turn of speed than the Konyans, because if they could've caught them, they would've wiped them out to the man. But they were dropping back now. I saw the turtleships wallow as the first great swells of the ocean struck them and they turned back to calmer waters, their mission accomplished. A few minutes later the rest of The Sarzana's fleet followed. Now that spell wouldn't be needed. The Sarzana had won his great victory and broken our fleet.

I saw Trahern's galley far to the rear. It might've been one of the first to flee, but was as unhandy as I'd thought, barely making steerage way. Just as my eyes found it, it changed, and became a swelling, building boil of fire and smoke, white streamers soaring high into the heavens as it exploded! Seconds later the Shockwave of the blast rolled across the waters and over our galleys.

Before that flameball vanished an apparition spread across the sky above it.

It was the Archon, seen for just an instant, his filed teeth bared as he howled in glee over his victory. Then the sky was empty, and there was nothing but the ashen taste of defeat and death.

Twenty-One.

The Puppeteer in the Round Tower NEAR DUSK THE Konyans slowed their flight. This wasn't the first battle panic I'd seen, nor would it most likely be the last. Terror-stricken soldiers only run so far and so long. They stop when they can't see the enemy any longer, when they collapse from exhaustion, when they see others slow down, or when they're faced with the unknown - something that's even more frightening than whatever sent them scurrying away from the sound of drums. Konyans slowed their flight. This wasn't the first battle panic I'd seen, nor would it most likely be the last. Terror-stricken soldiers only run so far and so long. They stop when they can't see the enemy any longer, when they collapse from exhaustion, when they see others slow down, or when they're faced with the unknown - something that's even more frightening than whatever sent them scurrying away from the sound of drums.

Thus it was with the Konyan ships. We were too far away from their homelands with open seas between us and final safety. Also, some of them might've seen The Sarzana's forces turn back and realized after a while they were now unpursued. So the ships gathered in little knots around their division leaders or other command ships that had survived.

This was a grave mistake by The Sarzana. He should've chased us until darkness at least, so that all would 'know' the demons were still hot on our trail.

I thought there were two possible reasons. The Sarzana wanted a signal victory, and didn't want to commit his ships to a long series of actions that'd finish us in detail. This is a common mistake with Great Leaders - all of their actions must be marked with boldness and energy and last no longer than the attention span of those they rule. The grind of small details aren't for them. This is why, when war is waged between a Brilliant General and Scruffy Bandits, it's not entirely foolish to bet on the bandits.

Also, I sensed the killing stroke yet to come would be a storm brewed up by the Archon. This would scatter our ships like sand, so only a few would return to Konya with news of the disaster. I felt magics a-building even as we sailed away from the Gut of Ticino after the fleeing Konyans, making signal after ignored signal. By the time the ships had lowered sails -I swear as sheepishly as men realizing they're behaving as foolishly as barnyard fowl - the beginnings of the storm were already showing themselves. A chill wind blew up from Ticino; there was a chop to the waves and the gla.s.s was falling. swear as sheepishly as men realizing they're behaving as foolishly as barnyard fowl - the beginnings of the storm were already showing themselves. A chill wind blew up from Ticino; there was a chop to the waves and the gla.s.s was falling.

I knew we'd have to deal with that within the next few hours, but there were more important problems at hand.

We closed on Bhzana's galley, which would for the moment be the fleet's flagship, and sent signals requiring him immediately to summon all other ship captains, not just division or element leaders, for a conference. I thought there'd be more than enough room on the flagship - I estimated that less than half of the Konyan. ships had survived. I waited, not quite sure what I'd do if my orders were ignored, but saw with relief both flags fluttering and bullseye lanterns flashing as the gloom gathered. His signals were received and echoed by other ships as they drew together near the flagship, and I saw small boats being swung out.

I made a signal to Nor's nearby galley that he was not not to attend this conference, and I would require his presence aboard our galley when I summoned him. I wanted to give the Broken Man some time to consider his broken oath. I said I wished Corais, Xia and Gamelan to accompany me. I told Xia she was to wear her battle garb. She seemed surprised, but I said the reason would become apparent soon. to attend this conference, and I would require his presence aboard our galley when I summoned him. I wanted to give the Broken Man some time to consider his broken oath. I said I wished Corais, Xia and Gamelan to accompany me. I told Xia she was to wear her battle garb. She seemed surprised, but I said the reason would become apparent soon.

I left Polillo in charge of the Guard, not only because I wanted someone of her imposing presence to ensure my back was covered, but also because what I intended suited her little. Some of the darker duties of soldiering ill became my legate, and I thought the better of her for it, and secretly despised the part of me that held me firm to distasteful tasks like the one I was almost sure would be required.

I had one longboat launched and sent directly to Admiral Bhzana's flagship. It carried Flag Sergeant Ismet, ten heavily-armed Guards-women, our ship's carpenter, two sailors and the gear I'd determined necessary. I had another boat launched and the four of us boarded it. I ordered it rowed to Cholla Yi's ship, and explained to him what I intended at the conference and what must must be done if we had any hope of survival, let alone recovery from this terrible situation. be done if we had any hope of survival, let alone recovery from this terrible situation.

I'd had time enough to devise a plan as our galley sped after the others. Surprisingly, Cholla Yi listened closely, and grudgingly agreed that most likely I was correct in my thinking and strategy. The only hesitation, I thought, was that the plan wasn't his, nor would he lead it. That gave me one ally, at least for the moment. I was under no illusions as to the pirate's long-term reliability.

As we rowed up to Admiral Bhzana's ship, my anger ebbed when I saw it. He hadn't fled at the first hostile shout from The Sarzana. His galley had taken serious damage from The Sarzana's war engines. The upper deckhouse's roof had been torn away, as had one entire railing and part of the hull itself on the starboard side. The main deckhouse was smoke-seared and blackened from fires set by The Sarzana's catapulted arrows and half his oars had been snapped. Two mainstays had snapped, and the ship's mast sagged drunkenly. Men swarmed over the decks making hasty repairs. They tried to avoid looking at the long line of covered bodies on the afterdeck awaiting burial.

We boarded, and were saluted by the galley's master. I stared at him coldly. 'I only accept honours,' I said, deliberately in a loud voice intended to carry to every seaman within earshot, 'from soldiers, not from men who've turned their backs on honour.'

He turned red, but didn't meet my eye. That was the first sign I might carry the day - if he'd exploded in anger or reached for a weapon I would've known the Konyans were truly without courage.

I ordered Yi and the others to wait on deck, and our ship's carpenter and his a.s.sistants to set to. I told the ship's master to take me to Admiral Bhzana. He was below, in a cabin nearly as magnificent as Admiral Trahern's. He had his back to me, and was staring out through the round portholes at the afterdeck and the line of corpses.

Without turning, he said, 'I'm a fool.'

'You are,' I agreed. 'And worse. You broke.'

Now he turned. 'First I let myself be drawn in by that childish artifice, then, when the Konyans attacked, I couldn't rally my ships.' I just stared at him. 'But I swear to you I didn't break,' he said. 'I swear I saw signals from Trahern's ship ordering me to retreat.'

I remained silent, and his shoulders fell. 'I cannot expect you to believe me,' he went on. 'I can only ask your permission to pay for my error.'

'How do you propose to do that?'

'By going to my G.o.ds.' His fingers touched the shortsword at his waist. 'I wanted to do that earlier, but was stopped. Captain Oirot said ... it doesn't matter what he said.'

'You fled once,' I said, letting scorn run down my words like blood down a sword, 'now you wish to do it again? Your self-indulgence is denied.' Bhzana flushed. 'You can kill yourself, give yourself medals or run a mast up your a.s.s when this is over for all I care, but for the moment you will place yourself under my orders, and do exactly as you're told. Is that clear?'

Once a soldier's honour is broken, he's like putty drowned in linseed oil. The trick is to avoid further shaming him, unless you wish to make the ruin complete. This I didn't want.

I said, 'Now. Here is what will happen,' I went on, closing the subject and giving him very thorough instructions.

An hour later, the ship captains were a.s.sembled. There were 174 of them, so they packed not only the foredeck, but the pa.s.sageways beside the deckhouse as well. Among them was Admiral Bornu, who I noted showed no more battle damage than I'd seen on his ship when it fled towards the open sea. Unlike Bhzana, Bornu was trying to bl.u.s.ter his way out. I paid no attention, but bade him wait on the foredeck with the others. There wasn't much conversation from them, both because of the day's shame and because their attention was fixed by the device I'd had my carpenter set up on the topdeck.

I stood just at the top of the companionway that led to the main cabin's topdeck. Just behind and beside me were Cholla Yi, Corais, Xia, Gamelan and Admiral Bhzana. Behind them were my Guardswomen.

We'd come out of the cabin's ruins silently, making no announcement, and stood, waiting. Slowly we were noticed, and the buzz of low conversation died. I let the silence build and build until it was intolerable. There was nothing but the whine of the wind as it increased in speed, and the wash of the waves against the galley's sides.