“How many men is General Romero bringing with him?” asked StarWind.
“We do not know,” answered Temiker. “Captain Gachiral probably knows. He was the leader of the ambush. His real purpose in coming here was to inform General Manitow to close the city to Sakovans. He is part of General Romero’s army.”
“I won’t be able to interrogate him,” frowned StarWind. “There is no plausible reason for a female to talk to him.”
LifeTender and FalconEye walked out of the office and joined the group.
“You are looking much better,” Temiker smiled broadly at FalconEye. “How do you feel?”
“Like a new man,” FalconEye replied to Temiker as he bowed low to Lyra. “I have failed you, Star. I am sorry.”
“You have failed no one,” Lyra said as she gently placed her hand on FalconEye. “It was I who sent you into danger. Your strength allowed our people to return home. You have done well.”
“We are talking about the people of Alamar and their feelings towards Sakovans,” interjected StarWind. “You can tell us much about that.”
“The people of Alamar are a good people,” declared FalconEye. “I was skeptical at first, but they greeted us more warmly each time we came. They practically worshiped SpringThaw. At first I thought it was only because of the food that we were bringing them, but I learned that I was wrong. Citizens hung around when all of the food was gone. They stayed to talk to SpringThaw mostly, but they were friendly towards all of us. Many of them invited us into their homes to share their meager rations.”
“That is not the mindset of a people who only seek what others have to give,” stated Lyra. “It sounds like we have developed a lasting friendship with the people here. We cannot allow that to die.”
“How can you sustain it?” asked Temiker. “If the Katana has declared war on the Sakovans, this friendship that you speak of is over.”
“Is it?” retorted the Star of Sakova. “It will only be over if we walk away from these people. I will not do that.”
“This city is not worth losing the Sakova for,” countered Temiker. “Ukaro and I are close to solving the problem of the disease. If we are successful, the starvation here will pass. Why risk losing StarCity and thousands of Sakovans over it?”
“Omungan armies are already entering the Sakova near Okata,” StarWind informed Temiker. “StarCity is already at risk.”
“And why not make the Omungans concentrate on their own soil, instead of ours?” proposed Lyra. “Are you well enough to travel, FalconEye?”
“He should rest more,” interrupted LifeTender. “He looks better than he really is. Healing takes time. I have just accelerated the process.”
“I am ready to serve my Star,” declared FalconEye. “What would you have me do?”
“Go to the marketplace,” instructed Lyra. “Find a table and stand upon it. Tell the people that the Sakovans have a message for all to hear. Ask them to gather. I will come within the hour.”
“As you command,” grinned FalconEye. “The citizens of Alamar will come to listen.”
“Go with him StarWind,” instructed Lyra. “Remain invisible, but be prepared to intervene if the Imperial Guards try to interfere. I do not want FalconEye harmed.”
StarWind hesitated, and Lyra smiled at her.
“I will travel with my uncle,” declared the Star of Sakova. “I will be safe. Go and take LifeTender with you.”
* * *
Mayor Reaker hurried into General Manitow’s office. The general looked up and waved the mayor to a seat, but Reaker declined.
“We have trouble,” declared the mayor. “The Sakovan is in the marketplace calling for the citizens to assemble to hear from the Sakovans.”
“I heard that there was a commotion there,” shrugged the general. “I have sent troops to quell any disturbances. If the citizens want to talk, I have no qualms against that, as long they remain peaceful. What Sakovan do you speak of?”
“The one who escaped the ambush,” answered the mayor. “I thought he would die.”
“FalconEye?” frowned the general. “Those wizards must have more skill than I imagined. I also thought he would die. He was practically dead when he arrived. Still, he is not much of a speaker. Were it SpringThaw calling upon the people I would be more concerned. She had the gift of arousing the people.”
“That’s it?” scowled the mayor. “You are just going to wave off this arousing of the citizenry?”
“I said that I sent troops,” retorted the general. “What do you want me to do? If some people want to gather together and share their woe, there is little I can do to stop it. I can chase them out of the marketplace, and they will just move to an inn.”
“Thousands of people are going to meet in an inn?” snapped Mayor Reaker.
“Thousands?” echoed the general as he looked up with a frown. “What do you mean thousands?”
“You haven’t been listening,” replied the mayor. “They have been gathering for almost an hour. Just about everyone is trying to crowd into the marketplace.”
The general leaped to his feet and stormed out the door of his office. He stood in the corridor and started shouting orders. Soldiers began running, and the general returned to his office.
“I am sending more men to the marketplace,” he declared, “but I must be cautious. This could just be a ruse to lessen the guards here. The people want Captain Gachiral and his soldiers to hang. I will not leave this building unguarded.”
“Perhaps we should go to the marketplace,” suggested Mayor Reaker. “It would be better if we were at hand to give the correct orders. We do not want a repeat of the angry mob that tried to take the prisoners.”
“Right,” agreed the general. “I still think that is their goal. That FalconEye always was a quiet one. I cannot imagine him really addressing thousands of people. He must be a diversion.”
General Manitow strode out of his office and into the large entry foyer. Mayor Reaker followed closely and listened as the general bellowed orders to everyone in hearing range. He ordered sleeping guards to be awakened to bolster the defenses of the headquarters. He commanded that the doors to the headquarters be closed and locked after he left.
The general and the mayor left the building and headed towards the marketplace. The general saw the huge crowd from blocks away. His mood darkened as he ordered some Imperial Guards to create a path for him. The soldiers drove a wedge into the crowd so that the general and the mayor could reach the front row surrounding the table that the Sakovan stood on.
* * *
“I have never seen so many Omungans in the Sakova,” frowned SkyDancer as she peered out through the bushes. “We must sound the alarm immediately.”
“There are probably a thousand in this group,” replied HawkShadow. “There will be more later. It is not the number that disturbs me, but rather the speed at which they are traveling. This area of the Sakova has been invaded many times. It is so close to Okata that the armies choose it every time they threaten to invade.”
“So you are not going to issue an alarm?” questioned SkyDancer.
“Not just yet,” answered the Sakovan assassin. “What we need to do now is to slow them down. We must prove to them that they are at great risk. Their caution will slow their progress.”
“How are you going to slow them down?” asked SkyDancer. “Lyra said not to kill them.”
“No, she didn’t,” grinned HawkShadow. “She said that they were not to have any bodies to show the Omungans. I think we can follow those orders and still have some fun.”
“You are going to make their corpses disappear?” SkyDancer asked with skepticism.
“No,” chuckled HawkShadow. “You are going to make the bodies disappear. They appear to have three outriders on each flank. We will attack one flank starting from the rear. I will take out an outrider, and you will dispose of the body. Take the body, the horse, and anything else that will point to that man ever existing. I want you to take it far enough away that if they decide to search, they will find nothing.”