‘I stay,’ he said, and was then not sure whether the words had truly passed his lips. ‘I stay!’ he repeated, this time loud enough that the first half-dozen ranks heard him clearly, and the cheer they raised as good as told the rest what he had decided.
Major Oski had been making ready to creep out of the Second Army camp – because fabricating an excuse to visit the capital had suddenly become more difficult following Tynan’s recent decision – when the man he had been going to see simply walked into the tent that the Second’s Engineers were using as their headquarters.
Oski stared at him, nodding at the visitor’s salute.
‘Captain-Auxillian Ernain reporting for duty,’ the Bee-kinden said, expressionless.
‘Right, right.’ Oski nodded, glancing sidelong at the handful of other artificers who were there. ‘You’ve been out there a while, Captain. Let’s find us somewhere, and you can report.’
‘Of course, sir.’
Oski retreated to stores and ousted the quartermaster lieutenant who had been quietly dozing there, citing a pressing need to count the snapbow ammunition. ‘You should knock off that “sir” and “reporting for duty” malarkey right off. From you it sounds more suspicious than outright insubordination.’
Ernain grinned a little. ‘I forget how comfortable I became here with the Second.’
Oski flitted back and forth about the storage tent, then did a quick circling flight of the exterior, low to the ground, looking out for eavesdroppers. He was still casting nervous looks around as he dropped back in. ‘Well, report then,’ he told the Bee-kinden. ‘So is it happening? I’ve heard nothing here. Ignorant as a Commonwealer, me.’
Ernain nodded soberly. ‘No more than I’m ignorant about what the pits you’ve been doing. You lost Collegium?’
‘You would not pissing believe how that turned out,’ Oski spat. ‘Seriously, don’t get me started. Only good part of it is that Red Watch bastard didn’t make it out. Tynan killed the sod himself, if you can believe it.’
‘About time,’ Ernain acknowledged.
‘After that it’s been a pissing forced march all the way. Never knew a man so glad to go to his own execution . . . except suddenly that’s on the back burner.’ He eyed Ernain cautiously. ‘So how does that fit with your plans, eh?’
Ernain looked away, studying the tent’s shadowy interior. ‘What’s your opinion of General Tynan, Oski?’
The Fly-kinden shuffled a little. ‘Honestly? A good man. Gives sensible orders, cares for his men. Is that a problem?’
‘No. When the time comes, I’d rather confront Tynan than someone I didn’t have a feel for. Certainly I’d rather go up against Tynan than Brugan of the Rekef, or herself.
Oski shuddered. ‘You’ve got that right,’ he agreed. ‘So . . . soon?’
‘The Lowlanders are on their way,’ Ernain said softly.
‘Oh, you do not have to tell me that.’ Oski glanced up sharply. ‘There’s been . . . contact? Only there was some word about Auxillian desertions already. I wasn’t sure that . . .’
‘There’s been word come to us, yes. Their Tactician Milus has a good mind and good agents.’
The Fly’s eyes went wide. ‘He knows about you?’
‘No, but he’s guessed that someone will be doing what I’m doing with the Auxillians, the Empire’s slave cities. He makes a lot of promises.’
Oski made a doubtful noise. ‘I’m not sure an empire of the Ants will be any kinder to live in than a Wasp one – a whole extra barrier between them and us. But of course he promises that’s not what he wants, no doubt.’
‘Of course.’ Ernain smiled slightly. ‘It’s going to be soon, Oski, yes. And as it’s Tynan, I’ll be relying on you to get me to him.’
‘Ah, right,’ the major muttered. Well, I reckon I knew that one was coming.’ He waited for Ernain to say more, but the Bee just regarded him steadily until he had to hold up his hands to ward off that scrutiny. ‘All right, yes.’
‘Say now if I can’t rely on you.’
‘You ask me that?’ Oski demanded, aggrieved. ‘Look, I like Tynan, yes. I’ve served under worse officers, believe me. And I’m no Auxillian, it’s true. Citizen of the Empire, me. But yes, what you need done, I’ll do.’
Ernain laid a hand on his shoulder. ‘You’ll hear soon. Just remember how much work and planning has gone into this; how many people will be doing their part, great or small, to bring our new world about. And how many people will be executed if this fails.’
‘I know, I know,’ Oski told him. ‘Come on, how long’ve you been away, that now you don’t trust me?’
For a long moment Ernain’s expression was unreadable, but then the smile came back, a little sheepishly. ‘I’m sorry. You’re right, we’re in this together, just as we always were.’
‘Don’t you forget it.’ Oski took a deep breath. ‘Now you get yourself over to the mess and eat, and do all the stuff soldiers do when they get back to camp from a long journey, and make sure you’ve got a good story, too. They’ll ask.’
Marent’s command tent was close to full when Tynan entered it, the crowd there a strangely disparate group, and he thought: So these are who the Empire must rely on. Even taking himself and Marent into account, it was an uncomfortable thought, a symptom of the cracks that were beginning to show in the Imperial hierarchy. Where were the generals? Where was the painstaking chain of command that would answer all questions and absolve all guilt? Where was the Rekef, even? Tynan had never thought he would miss the secret service, but its absence here was like a missing tooth. Unless someone here is a Rekef man, and just hasn’t bothered to mention it.
He and Marent were the two highest-ranking officers, nominally sharing command, and he could only be thankful that the two of them just about saw eye to eye. The moment they met some problem that made them pull in opposite directions, this entire venture would fall apart.
Over from Capitas was the aviation artificer, Varsec. Apparently General Lien himself was not willing to be seen meeting with rumoured traitor generals, but at the same time had not been able to countenance being kept in the dark. Dapper goateed Varsec was already enough of a maverick that no doubt Lien could disavow him should the need arise. The man’s somewhat haunted expression suggested that he was well aware of that fact.
The Consortium colonel sitting next to Varsec was Nessen, former governor of Helleron for a fairly brief space of time, now performing a role for his corps similar to the one Varsec had for the Engineers. Tynan regarded him narrowly, remembering the difficulties the man had given Captain Bergild when she came to warn him of the Lowlander advance. Yet another man who would not bear the weight of too much trust, he guessed.
There were two others he did not know: a major in the uniform of the Slave Corps and a handsome Wasp woman sitting demurely by herself and wearing clothes that looked southern and Spider styled. The distance between her and the others was notable, and Tynan was surprised to examine his own reaction and realize that it was that gap, rather than her presence, that struck him as wrong. He had stood beside a female co-commander for too long, it seemed, and fallen prey to non-Imperial ways of thinking.