“Take these things to Ortog,” said Otto, bundling them. “Let them serve as witness to the truth of what I say. Too, tell him that his sister looks better without them, as I have seen her several times,
kneeling at my feet.”
“Dog!” cried Hendrix.
Otto cast the bundle of jewelry and clothing, wadded, and soiled, into the arms of Hendrix.
“Convey the challenge!” said Otto.
“It will be conveyed!” cried Hendrix.
“And convey as well my greetings to the princess Gerune,” said Otto. “And tell her that I did not think her body would be entirely displeasing as that of a slave, and that I may one day have her as such at my feet.”
“Dog! Dog!” wept Gundlicht.
He took a step forward, but Wolfungs interposed themselves.
“Come, Gundlicht,” said Hendrix. “Insults such as these are best answered in the ancient way, with steel.”
They then turned on their heels, and left.
“Have you not forgotten your tribute?” called a man after them, from outside.
“It is done,” said Astubux.
“Are you a dog?” smiled Axel.
“Once,” said Otto, “but I am now Otto, chieftain of the Wolfungs.”
“They can destroy the world,” said Astubux.
“That would not avenge the insult,” said Otto.
“No,” said Axel. “That would be insufficient to avenge the insult.”
CHAPTER 22
“The forests are quite beautiful,” said Julian.
He, the chieftain, Astubux and Axel, and four slaves, who had been brought to carry food and drink, had climbed to the top of the high, wide rock whence, several days ago, the chieftain, then a mere fighter, a gladiator, and a slave, Janina, and Astubux and Axel, and certain others of the Wolfungs, had watched the sign of the Ortungs being burned into the forest. One could still see the tracks of the ravaging of the forest, where it bore, still, like a brand, the mark of the Ortungs.
Otto, the chieftain, looked up, into the blue sky, filled with clouds.
“We have heard nothing for several days,” he said.
“No,” said Astubux.
“I wonder if your signal was heard,” said Otto to Julian.
“It was transmitted, I am certain,” said Julian. “One does not know.”
“It was quiet,” said Astubux. “I did not hear it.”
“The hearing of the imperial fleet, and of the Drisriaks, may be keener,” said Julian.
Astubux shrugged.
“Leave us,” said Otto.
He and Julian then remained on the summit of the rock.
“Should the imperial fleet arrive,” said Otto to Julian, “you are free, of course, to go.”
Julian nodded.
“The slaves, of course, will remain,” said Otto.
“Of course,” said Julian. “They are slaves. We know the law.”
“The empire is wondrous,” said Otto. “I stand in awe of it.”
“It extends over galaxies,” said Julian. “It is the most magnificent invention of all time.”
Otto was silent.
“It must not be lost,” said Julian.
“It is eternal,” said Otto. “It has always been, and will always be.”
“There was a time before the empire,” said Julian. “My family was there, long ago, at the beginning.”
“You love the empire,” said Otto.
“It is threatened,” said Julian.
“The empire is invincible,” said Otto.
“It must be defended.”
“Surely it is in no danger,” said Otto.
“Men must be found, fearless men, true men,” said Julian, “to defend it.”
“It needs no defense,” said Otto.”
“Barbarians are outside, threatening her,” said Julian. “The men of the empire accept her privileges, her luxuries, but decline their responsibilities, their duties.”
“Men will be found to defend her,” said Otto.
“There must be men capable of facing barbarians, of standing up to them,” said Julian, “men as ruthless, as terrible, as implacable as the foe itself.”
“Barbarians to fight barbarians?” asked Otto.
“Who will fight for the empire, not against it,” said Julian.
“You would bring in wolves to protect sheep?” asked Otto.
“It is a gamble,” said Julian. “I see no other way. The sheep cannot protect themselves.”
“Why are you speaking to me in this fashion?” asked Otto.
“Ortog thought you an Otung, on the Alaria,” said Julian.
“Yes,” said the Chieftain.
“I am curious to know who you are,” said Julian. “Surely you are curious, as well.”
“Yes,” said Otto.
“Otungs, of the Vandals, over a generation ago,” said Julian, “were defeated, for the third time, in the eighteenth imperial war, during the reign of Halban. Most were destroyed in the war. The remnants, captured, were disarmed and scattered about galaxies. The survivors of the fiercest and most dangerous of the Otung clans, the Elbi, were settled on a remote, perilous world.”
“For what purpose?”
“To raise crops for the empire,” said Julian. “Is it not amusing, that the hands of warriors, hands that knew the spear and sword, would now be set to the hoe and plow, to raise food for the worlds of their conquerors?”
“No,” said Otto.
“But I have reason to believe that these people, if they have survived, and certainly the other remnants, as well, have maintained an oral tradition, in which they sing their history, and the deeds of their heroes.”
“They have not forgotten themselves?”
“No,” said Julian.
“Interesting,” said Otto.
“I wonder if we will emerge from this alive,” said Julian, studying the sky.
“I do not know,” said Otto.
“The Alemanni are numerous,” said Julian. “The empire fears them.”
“The empire need fear no one,” said Otto.
“Do you know what the Alemanni are called within the empire?” asked Julian.
“No,” said Otto.
“The Aatii,” he said.
“I did not know that,” said Otto.
“On the Alaria,” said Julian, “you defeated Ortog, a Drisriak, of the Aatii, the Alemanni.”
“He will not fight again,” said Otto. “He will select a champion. The champion will choose weapons with which I am not familiar.”
“But you defeated Ortog, in personal combat, with steel,” said Julian. “That is the sort of thing barbarians understand, and respect. It means more to them than watching screens and fighting at distances of thousands of miles apart.”
Otto shrugged. What the citizen of the empire had observed was undoubtedly true.
“From where do you come?” asked Julian.
“From a small festung village, that of Sim Giadini, on the heights of Barrionuevo,” said Otto.
“On what world?” asked Julian.
“Tangara,” said Otto.
“That is the world,” said Julian, “to which the remnants of the fiercest and most dangerous of the Otungs, the Elbi, were exiled.”
“Interesting,” said Otto.
“Indeed,” said Julian, “it was to that world that the very king of the Otungs himself was exiled, who was of the Elbi.”
“Interesting,” said Otto.
“If we should survive what is to come, I would like to go there with you,” said Julian, “to learn who you are.”
“Why?” asked Otto.
“The empire may have need of men such as you,” said Julian.
“But what if I should be an Otung, a Vandal?” asked Otto.
“It is my hope that that is what you are.”
“Brother Benjamin, of the festung of Sim Giadini,” said Otto, slowly, “may know something of my origins.”