«Gath — hear me. Take the Api alive, if you can. Alive, I say! I have use for them. And do not kill Sesi! That is an order, Gath. Do not kill the cornet! I also have use for him. Do you heed me, Gath?»
The captain Gath, his armor slightly bloodied, fought his way through the thinning Api ranks to where Blade stood. He saluted with his sword and panted, «I hear you, Sire. I obey.»
He turned and shouted orders to his officers, who in turn passed them on to their men. The Api began to throw down their weapons and surrender and were herded into groups.
Blade turned to find Kaven trying to get to his feet. He was clutching his right arm and trying to stanch the blood. He gave Blade a grin of joy and utter weariness. «It is good to live, Sire. And the better so because it is such a surprise. Unless I dream and we are dead.»
Blade set about bandaging the man's hurt. It was deep and long, the slash, but in time would heal and leave an honorable scar. «You do not dream,» Blade told him. «Nor is this a dream — you are now a captain. You will serve me as second in command only to Gath.»
Kaven shook his head in wonder. «Another miracle, Sire. I live — and I am a captain. Are you sure I do not dream?»
Blade laughed and turned away to meet Gath. The captain was angry and spared Blade nothing. His blue eyes shot cold sparks as he said, «I had not thought to serve a fool, Sire, when I gave you my sword and heart. But it seems I do, for only a fool would have fallen into this trap. Only a fool would have been lured to this place with but six men to protect him. Why, Sire? In the name of all that is sacred to the Jedds, and that is not much, tell me why!»
Even bloody, nearly naked, hurt and near collapse, Blade could use his charm. A sheepish charm now, because he knew he deserved the rebuke and did not fault Gath for giving it.
His white teeth flashed as he smiled and said, «Because I am a fool, Gath. I admit it. But it was your trusted man who led me here.» And Blade pointed to where Sesi stood, bound and guarded by a few of Gath's men.
Gath flushed and looked downcast in his turn. «I am sorry for that, Sire. But how was I to know that he had sold himself to Nizra? In every brook there is one fish that stinks. But Sesi will pay — how he will pay.»
The fight was over. The Api, disarmed and sullen, were being rounded up and heavily guarded. Blade, watching this for a moment, gave brief orders concerning them and Gath passed it on. Then Gath was informed of Kaven's new rank and the newest captain was led off to receive medical attention. Blade and Gath walked a little apart from the soldiers.
Blade looked at Gath. «There will be no torture. I speak of Sesi now. I will question him myself, when I am ready, and I will learn all I need of Nizra's plotting. When I have done this, you will kill Sesi. Quickly and cleanly. You will cut off his head.»
«But, Sire! This is not the way to handle it. Sesi's treachery was great, as much to me as to you, for it was I who sponsored him from the ranks as cornet. He must take a long time dying, be tortured as no Jedd was ever tortured before. It will serve as an example and—»
Blade gave Gath a cold look, then reached to touch his shoulder. «Do it my way, Captain Gath. I know what I do.
No torture. This is understood?»
And Gath, still grumbling, said that it was understood. He also said, half under his breath, that he did not now, nor ever would, understand the Sire Blade.
Blade grinned and said, «Then you will not understand this, either. I want Nizra taken unharmed. Where is the Wise One now?»
Gath, still sulking a bit, would not look at him. He watched the last of the Api being led away.
«Nizra is in his house, Sire. I doubled the guard and gave orders that he was not to leave. I know that in this I contravened your orders, but I was worried and fearful and I did what I thought best.»
«You did well,» Blade admitted. «I am glad that we are not both fools and that you have Nizra safe. I still have use for him. For one thing, he controls the Api, all that are still free. I would have them all rounded up and disarmed. You will have Crofta's men build a cage for them, as large as is needed, and assemble them on the northern plains.»
Gath shook his head doubtfully. «They will serve only Nizra, those stupid beasts. When they learn that he is out of power they will desert and scatter into the forests to the south. You will not catch many of the Api.»
«Nevertheless we will try. Now, Gath, one last question before I leave you, because I have a task that I must do alone. How came you to know of my danger? What brought you to me?»
Gath gave him a sly look. «Chance, in part. I spoke to the lady-in-waiting of Mitgu and she told me of Sesi and his message. The lady must have been listening at the door. And then I knew all Jedd troops had been ordered out of this region, and where there are no troops the Api like to pillage and rape. So I knew it was not safe for you to wander here with so small a guard.» Gath stopped and shrugged his shoulders. «And I had a feeling in my stomach that all was not well.»
He would not meet Blade's eyes. Blade touched his shoulder and said, «And the rest of it, Captain? Tell me.»
Gath looked directly at him and the skin about his blue eyes crinkled. «I have my own spies, Sire. And they have brought me reports about Sesi. For long now I have thought he was Nizra's man, but I had no proof and so gave him leave to hang himself. So, on hearing all I heard, I myself went to call upon Nizra.»
Blade felt sudden shock. He frowned. «You did not kill him?»
Gath tried to look innocent, failed at it and broke into laughter. «Not I. He is well and secure a prisoner. The thing is — he may have a few cuts and bruises. Nothing that will not heal in time.»
«That is good. I thank you, Gath. You saved me this day and it will not be forgotten. But there is one thing—»
Gath, on the point of turning away to attend to business, halted and looked back. «And that is, Sire?»
Blade grinned. «Next time do not leave it so long. I thought you would never get here.»
Blade made his way down the hill alone, oblivious of the stares of Gath's men and the defiant snarls of the Api prisoners. He went to the smoking charnel pit and looked into it, near to gagging on the sulfurous fumes and sick at his stomach. Row and criss-crossed row they stretched away, the lines of fire-blackened bodies. Blade leaped into the pit and began to search along the paths left by the corpseburners.
It was half an hour before he found the ravaged little body of Ooma with the marks of savage torture everywhere on that once smooth and tender flesh. She had not been burnt and for this much he was grateful. He picked up the frail body and carried it out of the pit and, avoiding the hill, skirted around it and walked until he came to a melon tree growing out of the ruined pavement of a long-forgotten temple.
Blade put her body down and stood gazing at it for a moment. One of her crude wooden combs was still caught in the dark tangle of hair. His face flamed, he choked, and was not ashamed of the hot tears crowding behind his eyes. For a moment he was blinded by the moisture, and the old temple, the courtyard and the single melon tree, disappeared in a scalding haze. Blade gulped, cursed himself softly and began to work.
He knelt and tore out the ancient stones with his hands. He scooped a grave in the soft earth below and placed Ooma in it. He arranged the small, twisted limbs as best he could and covered her face with a bit of his tunic. Then, for a minute or so, he stood looking down at her.
At last he took a double handful of the earth and let it spray through his fingers onto her body. He did not speak aloud, but in his mind he said, «Goodbye, Ooma.»
He filled in the grave, replaced the stones atop h, and left it unmarked. He would never come this way again.