Looking around, Orodes followed the base of the cliffs into the distance. Perhaps half a mile away, he saw what appeared to be another landslide obstructed the way. They’d have to go over that one, too, but from here it looked passable. He returned his attention to the rocks beneath his feet.
Staring down, he saw the jumble of boulders, large rocks, stones, and even flat chunks of the cliff that had collapsed. About fifty paces of trail, wide enough to accommodate two horses riding side by side, would need to be cleared, perhaps more. Moving these stones would be dangerous, but from what he could see, it could be done.
For this first obstacle, the soldiers would have to start from the top. No doubt some of the subsequent blockages would have to be worked from the bottom, undermining the boulders and slabs of stone. Here, the loose fragments could simply be tossed over the side into the depths below.
Not having to carry the rocks away would save time and labor. The larger pieces would have to be broken up first. Supposedly all these soldiers understood how to use a hammer and chisel, but he knew how often fighting men lied about such claims. For the promise of an extra copper or two, they’d swear they had swum the length of the Tigris. Still, with luck, he might not lose more than a couple of men to falls or injuries.
Orodes turned to Luka. “What else is up ahead?”
“About a mile farther on, around the base of that hill, there’s another pile of rocks blocking the way.”
Orodes realized he’d asked a stupid question. Of course there would be more blockages. If the way south were easily cleared, someone would have done so years ago. Well, one obstacle at a time.
“Let’s get back down.” Orodes glanced below at the crowd of soldiers and horses beneath him, all taking their ease and staring up at him, mouths gaping open. The descent, of course, was always more dangerous than the ascent. Still he intended to get down without a fall. “You go first, and make sure I reach the trail in one piece.”
With a grin, Luka led the way, sometimes clinging to the stones with one hand while offering his other to assist Orodes. Luka’s arms, Orodes noticed, appeared almost as hard and well-muscled as any of the famed Akkadian bowmen. Despite the slinger’s help, Orodes found himself again out of breath when he slid down the last few paces.
Daro waited for them. Orodes saw that the rest of the men had already unpacked the sacks from the supply animals.
“Can we get through?” Daro stared upward at the jumble of rocks.
“Yes, of course.” Orodes tried to keep the superiority out of his voice. No sense antagonizing one of Eskkar’s favorite commanders. Daro had also fought against the Alur Meriki, and in the Battle of Isin as well. “It will take a few days to clear the path. I’ll send the first crew up now. We’ve still got plenty of daylight left. Meanwhile, the second crew can get busy expanding the trail behind us. No sense having them stand about idle.”
Some of the soldiers had once worked in quarries or mines. Before the expedition left Akkad, Orodes had satisfied himself that most of them did indeed know how to handle a hammer and chisel, and even how to split a rock. In addition, he’d brought with him five of his finest rock masons, all men skilled in mining and working with stone. Each would direct a team of eight soldiers.
In a way, the soldiers would make better workers than the usual slaves laboring in the mines. These men were stronger and disciplined, and Orodes didn’t have to waste time or manpower worrying about them running away or pretending to be ill. And with a regular supply of food promised from Akkad, none of these men would starve to death, a common fate of slaves laboring in the mines. He turned to Luka.
“Next time we climb up like that, you’ll go first and string a rope. We don’t want anyone falling down and injuring themselves before they reach the top.”
By ‘anyone,’ of course, Orodes meant himself. If another man fell and broke his neck, he could be replaced. Orodes didn’t intend to take any more chances with his own skin.
Time to get to work. He gathered his five masons and gave them their orders. They broke out their tools — finely crafted bronze hammers and chisels, thick pry bars, stout wooden pegs to help split the rocks, ropes, and sturdy shovels. With their usual efficiency, Trella’s minions had ensured that only the finest equipment, and plenty of it, traveled with the special expedition.
Standing well back, Orodes watched Luka ascend the landslide once again, this time carrying a hammer, chisels, and a length of rope. After Luka had fastened the climbing rope, Orodes instructed the men about his first rule of climbing. Once the way to the top was secured, Orodes would always be the first one up, so he could fall on something soft, like the man behind him, and Orodes would be the last one down, so that no one could fall on him.
At the top, Orodes showed his men where to start, what to do, and what not to do.
“It will take a few days to clear this mess, so work with care. Get rid of all the loose shale first.”
The men broke into teams and started. In moments, the crash of stones landing fifty paces below echoed through the hills. The most senior mason took his eight soldiers and began cracking the larger pieces of rock. First they wedged the stone in place, to hold it steady. Then a few blows from the hammer often sufficed to split the rock. For the harder stones, the men employed a chisel. In moments, dust and rock chips were flying through the air.
The hot sun, reflected off the cliff walls, soon had every man sweating. With no trees and precious little shade, the work would be even more difficult. Water, too, would be in short supply, packed in on horseback from the last stream. But Daro had assured Orodes that livery men would be arriving with fresh water every day.
Orodes supervised every activity. He’d have to do that, until he learned which men he could trust, and the extent of their abilities. Still, unlike the usual lot of sullen slaves who worked in the Nuzi mine, these soldiers were willing enough. They realized that Orodes knew what he was doing.
By mid afternoon, the men tired. Orodes ordered them down, and the next work crew sent up. Once again he instructed them on what to do, watched them work, and studied their skills. The second crew lasted until the afternoon shadows began to lengthen. He ordered a halt. No sense risking an injury by working in the fading light. As soon as the last man started down, Orodes followed, using the rope all the way.
Once again Daro waited at the bottom. “How long to clear this pile?”
Orodes knew the question wasn’t really about this obstacle. “Two or three days. Assuming the rest of the men are as competent as the first two crews who worked today. But whether we can get to the Great Sea in the next seventy days, who knows? Luka claims there are forty-four rock piles that need to be cleared.”
“Luka should know. He made the trip all the way to the sea.”
Orodes still had his doubts about that, but decided now wasn’t the time to bring them up. “Luka did it last year, Daro. New landslides may have blocked other parts of the trail, or made existing ones larger. We’re likely to bring down a few ourselves.”
“What causes these rock slides?”
Orodes lifted his hands and let them drop. “Wind, rain, snow, heat, cold, who knows? Perhaps all of those things. Or it could just be some angry demon living in the mountains, turning over in his sleep and shaking the rocks loose.” Orodes didn’t really believe in demons, but he’d seen enough strange things happen beneath the earth to not discount anything.
“It doesn’t look like you made much progress today.”
“Don’t worry about it, Daro. We’ll get as far south as we can.”
No sense trying to explain quarry work to a soldier. Orodes walked away, searching for the pack horse that held his personal baggage. He still had some bread and honey in his pouch, and he wanted to find a comfortable place to spread his blanket and enjoy his supper alone. Then he intended to get a good night’s sleep.