Blade was puzzled for the moment. «What magic?»
Bloodax slapped his hand on an enormous thigh in impatience. «Make babes into men in so short a while! I need warriors. I have babes beyond counting and few men who can wield an axe or sword. You have bled me of men, Prince Blade, and I think you owe me this magic to restore my armies.»
So that was it. Blade knew that this was a ticklish moment. He must go cautiously, and yet he must seize the opportunity.
«I can do that,» he said, «but it will take a little time to prepare. And I will need your help-I will also need many of the shining stones. I am told that you Hitts have mountains of them?»
Loth Bloodax was excited now, eager. He clapped his hands and stared hard at Blade. «You swear you can do this?»
«I swear it. If I am not interfered with and am given leave to go my own way freely. First I must be taken to the place of the shining stones.»
Bloodax frowned. «You keep speaking of shining stones. I do not wholly understand this. Do you mean-«
One of the counselors came forward. «I think he means this, Loth. See-I use it to sharpen my dagger.»
In his hand was a diamond as large as a baseball in HD. Blade was not an avaricious man and so did not have to cloak it, but nonetheless he hooded his eyes. And reached for the stone. Bloodax nodded and the counselor handed it to Blade. He hefted it. Not half the weight of the stone Casta had shown him, but a fine gem just the same. Blade handed it back.
«That is what I mean. But I must have larger stones, much larger. For if I am to make warriors out of babes, I must first make an image-and it must be life-size.»
Silence came down like a pall. Bloodax stared at Blade, his pale eyes hard and unblinking. Galligantus could contain himself no longer. He leaped to his feet and pointed a trembling finger at Blade, shouting.
«This is not magic, Loth. This is witchery. How else could he know of our sacred place, of the place of Kings and Queens? And how could he know that the images are made of the shining rock-such matters are never spoken of. I say kill him now. At once! If he is a god he is an evil one.»
The girl Sariah had been sitting quietly, head down, not looking at Blade. Now she spoke. «He is not evil. I do not know if he is a god or not, but he is not evil. He was kind to me and kept his word. He guarded me while I slept, so I was not raped or slain. I am a Hitt and am married to a Hitt, but still I must say this.»
Galligantus turned on her with a snarl. He struck her across the face. «Keep your tongue, wife! Women do not speak up in the councils of men.»
Loth Bloodax laughed. He patted his belly and roared and pointed at Galligantus. «You would marry her, Galligantus. Now you see what you have taken into your bed. You will live to rue it, but this is your worry and not mine.»
Lisma had been keeping silent, half smiling at Blade and occasionally nodding encouragement to him. She also spoke now. And glared at Galligantus.
«I have never liked you, man, and I like you less with each hour that passes. You defy my father too much. You interfere. You are fortunate that I am not yet queen.»
She turned to her father. «You are king, father, you are Loth Bloodax. I beg you do as the Prince Blade asks-for you would have soldiers and I would have him.» She rose and went to her father and whispered, twirling her fingers in his hair as she did so, smiling and cozening. Blade heard the last of her words.
«I already feel his seed stirring in me, I tell you. Soon you will have a god as grandson. Do this thing for me, father. I will see that all is well. I promise. And you can have him well guarded, to put your mind at ease.»
Bloodax drew her into his lap and kissed her and ruffled her hair. He grinned. «I can deny you nothing, child. It shall be so. Galligantus, you will take an escort of warriors and show Prince Blade the sacred place of Kings and Queens. And I charge you this-he must return safely or your head will join that of the man Thane on a pole.»
2
Leather-men glided over the line of march occasionally, flitting from peak to peak. Galligantus did not bind Blade, but kept him well guarded. He had fifty men, all heavily armed, the last of the royal guard. The others had died on the beach.
Galligantus went a little out of his way so that Blade would have to view Thane's head on its pole. It had been set into the rock near a valley entrance. The eyes were gone and most of the flesh, and Thane's last grin was ivory and terrible.
Galligantus, sneering, called a halt and pointed to the head. «One smell of treachery, Prince, and you will join your friend. You would be with him now were I not obedient and loyal to Loth Bloodax.» He lowered his voice. «Though he can be a great fool at times and lets his daughter Lisma coax him into anything.»
Blade ignored him. He forced himself to look at the head. Poor Thane. No more wine. No more huge laughter and crude jokes. No more battles or building.
After a time he said, «I have seen and I have heard. Shall we march?»
Galligantus glared at him, then gave the order. They left that valley and entered another. And another and another. Their march was a succession of valleys. Blade noted what landmarks he could and tried to keep himself oriented. They were heading to the southeast and in that direction must lie the channel, the narrow water.
The last valley ended in an open plain. Not unlike the Plain of Pyramids back in Zir. In the center of the plain a mountain stood alone. The sun was dying in the west, but a last ray struck over the mountains and cliffs and valleys and caressed one black flank of the mountain on the plain. In that moment it came alive, sequined, glowing and sparking and flashing. Blade stood awe-stricken. Here was literally a mountain of diamonds. Stones that by some X-Dimension chemistry did not need to be polished but were thrown up already glittering. He made himself think as Richard Blade of Home Dimension-such a treasure would be worth countless billions, if the market could be controlled, for industrial use alone here was a fortune- If, if, if. Blade went back to thinking in terms of Dimension X.
Galligantus and his men were not impressed. Indeed, the troops were bored and weary. Galligantus gave the order to move on.
As they grew near the diamond mountain Blade saw that it was in reality a volcano-long dead, for no wisp of smoke floated from the deep-scarred crater. They made camp near a mine entrance, a shaft leading into the side of the mountain, and Galligantus sought out Blade. He was in a sarcastic mood now.
«If you are not too weary, Prince God, we will go in this very night. The men will complain, but I wish to have done with it. You will see and you will tell me what you need and it shall be done. Are you ready?»
Blade was glad he had no weapon. His temper was uncertain and he did foolish things these days. He nodded. «I am ready.»
Galligantus selected ten of his best men and they entered the shaft. One man went ahead with a flaring torch. They made their way through a burrow of narrow passages with width for only one man. At times they crawled on hands and knees.
They broke out into a chamber and Blade was nigh blinded by the reflections of the torches in the diamond face. It was a hall of mirrors, deep beyond knowing, a billion facets catching light and distorting it. Blade gazed and had trouble with his breath. The far side of the chamber was fifty feet high and some hundred across. Solid diamond. Like a coal face to be chipped away and loaded and hauled out, only this was crystallized carbon. Diamond. Formulae floated through his dazed brain. H10-specific gravity 3.52. Teleport it back to Home Dimension and you were the richest nation in the world-if you could keep the politicians and the merchants, the grabbers, from muddling things. Ah, well, that was not his worry.