[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
not strong enough. Do your people not ride cabos?"
"It would not be fitting," Joz said. "South of
here, people ride cabos and bumpers, but they are lesser people."
"What do your birds eat?" Hael asked. "I notice they are not going for the
fallen fruit and those beaks look more suited for a livelier diet."
"They are meat eaters. We hunt together and share the kill."
At that moment the roasted game was brought to the king's fire and serious
talk was halted while the men ate. One of Joz's men brought a broad leaf piled
with fruit from the trees of the oasis. The grasslanders had been reluctant to
experiment with these, although many of the fruits looked luscious. It was
always safe to eat game if it was properly cooked, but a man never knew what
might happen if he ate an unfamiliar plant. With the example of the Webba,
they tried the fruits and found that they liked most of them. This was a
welcome variation in diet, especially for the hill-dwelling Matwa who, unlike
the Amsi, grew much of their own food. The Webba fed their birds with raw,
gamy meat from bags carried by each rider.
When appetite was satisfied, the serious discussion began.
"Why do you come across the mountains?" asked Joz, "and cross the desert, and
fare to faraway Neva, where the folk live packed into little chambers confined
by walls, as if they hate the sun and the sky and the free wind?"
"A brother king has asked my assistance. He is at war and, although he has a
powerful army, he lacks fine mounted archers like my men. We ride to his aid."
"A war!" said Joz enthusiastically. "Will there be raiding and looting?"
"Undoubtedly," Hael assured him. "The civilized kingdoms like to pretend that
they do not make war that way, but in truth they are just more organized about
it. Would you and your men like to accompany us? I am sure that my brother
king, Pashir of Neva, would esteem such .-. . such unusual allies. And I can
absolutely guarantee that the people we are going to fight would be struck
with terror to see men charging down upon them mounted on killer birds. That
is what the birds would look like at first."
Joz sighed. "Alas, my friend, it is not to be. Our birds will not leave their
desert home. Many times we have tried to take them raiding in the jungles of
the south or the farmlands to the east, but they balk and become sulky before
they are far from the desert, and we must bring them back. Their spirits dwell
here. Many thanks, though, for your kind invitation." He gazed into the
distance, as if at fondly remembered sights of murder and rapine.
"How unfortunate," Hael said. Now that he had established goodwill, he decided
it was time to negotiate a little business. "In order to reach Neva in time to
take part in the war, our way would be greatly facilitated by reliable guides.
I have only written accounts of this country, long out of date and of doubtful
worth."
Joz nodded. "That would be wise. Only those native to this desert know where
the water is, and this great mass of men and beasts must have much water every
day."
"Very true. Also it would be a great saving in time if we had someone to go
ahead of us to speak to such towns and peoples as may be in our path, assuring
them of our peaceful intentions and negotiating for such supplies as we may."
Joz nodded wisely and stroked his chin. He had lowered his veil slightly to
eat, revealing a dark face with small, precise features. A diminutive beard
formed a circular patch on his chin. The beard was startlingly red in color.
"That is sensible. With our company, you would meet with no resistance from
Page 66
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
the people in your path. All fear the Webba."
Hael forbore to point out that anyone who might be overawed by fifty
bird-mounted warriors would surely be cautious about attacking six thousand on
cabos.
"Then," Hael said, "we shall have nothing to fear. Will you accompany us,
then?"
"Well, we must rejoin our people, who range far to the south of here, and it
might be pleasant to wend our way thither in company. Still ..." He paused
elaborately. "We had wished to hunt this land for some time longer, while the
game is abundant."
"There is no need to rush your decision," Hael said. "We still have all of
this most pleasant evening, at this lovely pool given to your ancestors by
your equally lovely goddess. And now, I have some gifts I think will please
you." At his command, several saddlebags were brought. After sorting through
them, Hael brought out some finely crafted ornaments of silver and several
coils of copper wire. He had brought coined money but wished to save that
for more civilized locales, and metal was prized by everyone. Joz accepted the
gifts as if they were no more than a polite token of gratitude for the free
use of his oasis, and he was only showing good manners by accepting them and
praising the giver. But the next morning, the fifty bird-riders accompanied
King Hael's army southward.
TEN
As Princess Shazad boarded the Moon-glow, the sailing master, the crew and the
marines bowed deeply. As was her practice when visiting the docks, she wore
her riding outfit as most appropriate for her newly active life. There was no
feminine equivalent for a military uniform, and she feared she would look
ludicrous if she tried to wear one. Now that she had established the respect
of these men, she could not afford to be laughed at.
The Moonglow had been her personal yacht, a pleasure boat suitable for
fine-weather cruises and floating parties. She had ordered it completely
renovated and rerigged as a light naval cutter. Most of its luxurious
appointments had been torn out and replaced by warlike simplicity. Her
elaborate bedchamber had been cut away to lower the little ship's profile and
make
it more seaworthy. In its place, she now had a tiny, spare cabin. Benches for
rowers had been installed, and tholes now lined the bulwarks. The ship was
painted green and yellow, the colors of the Nevan navy. Like her father's
flagship, the War Dragon, Moonglow's sails were striped red and white, the
colors of the royal family.
She returned the salutes and acknowledged the cheers of the crowd gathered
along the piers and in the great plaza just behind the merchant docks. For
weeks now, on every day when the weather was good, people had been coming to
the waterfront to see the new fleet taking shape. The navy had always been the
pride of Kasin, and the citizenry took a proprietary interest in it. They knew
that the amazing princess had overseen its restoration and she was now, after
her father, the most popular person in the kingdom.
She had seen to it that the people knew who was responsible for this naval
renaissance by sending her agents out into the city to spread the story.
Everywhere, in taverns and markets, in gaming-houses and brothels, had been
spread the story of the princess who was more capable than any nobleman, who
had taken the decrepit navy in hand and restored it to its former glory. She
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]