"No, no,” said Flavion. “We must not despair. The future is unclear. The only thing clear is that we must surrender our cause, and place ourselves at the mercy of Agamemnon."
"When,” asked Lord Grendel, “were the mariners to gather in the theater?"
"Yesterday,” said Flavion.
"Then,” said Cabot, “the thing is already resolved."
"But how?” asked a Kur.
"Does it matter?” asked another.
"Poor Mitonicus,” said Cabot. “Loyal to the Kur paths despite to what horror or madness they might lead."
"We have other things to think of,” said Flavion.
"True,” said a Kur.
"Weapons will not be permitted,” said Flavion. “We must put them aside. I will lead you to the habitats. Doubtless anyone, Kur or human, found hereafter, unaccounted for, in the forests, will be outlawed, hunted down, and destroyed."
"Much in the Kur way is foolish, perhaps insane,” said Cabot.
"No more so than much in some human ways,” said Statius.
"You do not understand Kur,” said Lord Grendel.
"Surely you do not approve,” said Cabot, angrily.
"As Kur I understand it,” said Lord Grendel. “Kur ways, such as striking first, retaliating instantly, seeking vengeance, annihilating an enemy, eliminating weakness, punishing failure, improving the folk, pledging loyalty, and keeping it, unquestioning obedience to command, ruthlessness, breeding for Kur virtues, power and energy, savagery, if you like, are hard ways, but they have brought us to a supremacy amongst species. They have made us Kur."
"They are our ways,” said Statius.
"If we surrender the ways,” said Lord Grendel, “we cease to be Kur."
"At the arsenal, dear Grendel, you spared two agents of Agamemnon, allowing them to return to their base with weapons, in the Vale of Destruction you permitted a tending of enemy wounded, after the battle you freed four hundred prisoners."
"I was weak,” said Lord Grendel.
"No,” said Cabot. “You were human."
"Yes, weak,” said Lord Grendel.
"Yet,” said Cabot, “I think few are as Kur as you."
"What is Kur?” said Lord Grendel.
"Let us cast down our weapons, emerge from the forests, and place ourselves before great Agamemnon,” said Flavion.
"As surrendered, helpless penitents?” asked Lord Grendel.
"Sadly, needfully,” said Flavion.
"Someone comes, someone comes to the gate!” cried Archon.
There was a pounding at the gate.
Weapons were leveled at the gate, cover sought, defensive positions occupied.
"Who is there?” called Lord Grendel.
"Word, word from Mitonicus!” cried a voice, gasping.
"Open the gate!” said Lord Grendel. Two Kurii hurried forward, and opened the gate a yard, and assisted a Kur within. He was gasping, and was scarcely able to stand. He was held by the two who had opened the gate and was brought before Lord Grendel.
"It is a runner,” said Statius.
"How did you find us?” asked a Kur.
"I was searching for you,” he gasped. “I could not find you. I was lost. And then I was driven here, brought here, by a giant sleen."
"One lame!” cried Cabot.
"Yes,” gasped the runner.
"He was not attacked,” said Statius.
"Speak, speak!” cried Lord Grendel.
"I bring word from Mitonicus,” said the Kur.
"Speak,” said Lord Grendel.
"Victory!” he gasped. “We brought concealed weapons to the theater of death, and when they readied their weapons, to fire upon us, it was we who first fired, and attacked. We slew hundreds!"
"How would you dare to do this?” cried Flavion.
"In vengeance for the slaughter of the amnesty!” he gasped. “And we were joined by others, some four hundred, and others, as well."
"Four hundred!” said Archon.
"So what is the situation now?” pressed Lord Grendel.
"Agamemnon has withdrawn to the habitats, and the palace!” said the runner, who then collapsed, shuddering, into the arms of the two Kurii who supported him.
"Tend him,” said Lord Grendel.
"What do we do now?” said Cabot.
"We march on the palace,” said Lord Grendel.
Chapter, the Sixty-First:
A STABILITY OF POSITIONS;
THE REPORT OF FLAVION;
THE ACCOSTING OF THE LADY BINA;
A REFERENCE TO OMENS
"There,” said Lord Grendel, pointing, “off there, in the valley, to the right, see the dome? That is the palace."
"I see,” said Cabot.
With Lord Grendel and his human ally, Tarl Cabot, were several others, Kur and human.
The habitats lay muchly below them, some pasang or so away.
The revolutionaries controlled most of the world's territory, but this was primarily forested area, even wilderness, the remoter villages, and such.
The industrial cylinder and the two agricultural cylinders were largely automated; the pleasure cylinder, with its sealed locks and ports, was effectively emptied; and the sport cylinder, commonly used in less troubled times for the hunting pleasure of Kurii, was now depopulated of its human game, though continuing rich with other forms of animal life.
The outcome of the conflict betwixt Agamemnon and his adversaries would be decided in the world.
"They have excellent defensive positions,” said Lord Grendel. “We have probed them. It would be madness, at this time, to undertake a frontal assault. Beyond this, consider the habitats themselves. Who would risk a door-to-door, habitat-to-habitat, war?"
"Agamemnon, if he were in your position, and had the forces,” said Cabot.
"I suppose so,” said Lord Grendel. “One would expect him to be lavish in expending his resources, but he is no longer in a position where he can spend so freely."
"It is a stalemate,” said Cabot.
"A siege, at least,” said Lord Grendel.
"On Gor,” said Cabot, “a fortress, a city, might be starved into submission."
"Not so here,” said Lord Grendel, “the habitats are, in their way, a land, a territory, at least, for most practical purposes, a world in itself. Supplies, too, have been stored there against investments of the world itself. It would take a century to reduce the habitats to surrender with the resources at our command."
"So a stalemate,” said Cabot. “Or a mad rush to certain death, either on our part or on that of Agamemnon."
"Agamemnon will not order such a charge,” said Lord Grendel, “as he, in his wisdom, would well understand not only its futility, but its implicit fatality, the doom to which it would subject his own cause."
"I recall a war, on another world,” said Cabot, “in which leaders flung their forces repeatedly, meaninglessly, for months, into the muzzles of one another's weapons."
"They were insane,” said Lord Grendel.
"They themselves were of course far removed from the fighting, secure in positions of safety, and thus had little to fear personally. Also, they had abundant resources, it seemed, which they did not mind squandering, doubtless in the hope that each would prove to have more to squander than the other."
"This war of which you speak was between humans?” said Lord Grendel.
"Yes,” said Cabot.
"Of course,” said Lord Grendel. “And was this matter resolved?"
"Through the employment of machines, unusual for the times,” said Cabot.
"There are machines here,” said Lord Grendel, “primarily in the habitats, but none I think which will prove effective here, for none could resist the direct discharge of a power weapon."
"Stalemate,” said Cabot, glumly.
"Agamemnon is impatient,” said Lord Grendel. “He will not submit to your stalemate."
"What will he do?” asked Cabot.
"I do not know,” said Lord Grendel. “I know only that he will act."