Part 12 (1/2)
”Have you ever met anybody else as big and smelly, old friend?” He stepped up to Voros and gripped him by both shoulders. ”How's the work here, Voros? Got enough to give me some?”
”You can stay?”
”If you'll have me.”
”Will I have you? Does rain fall down, or smoke rise? Come and have a beer. It's the Tribal brew, I'm afraid, but-”
”Won't need to drink that tonight, Voros. I came with a barrel of my own from Bekror's.”
”Even better.”
The two big men walked off side by side. Shangbari wondered who the new man, Ezarn, was. Obviously a City warrior, and he looked like a good one who would make the attack on the Doimari much stronger. He'd also greeted Voros as though they were sworn brothers or at least old battle-mates.
Then why did Voros look and speak as though he did not understand Ezarn's coming, or even feared it?
Outside the hut it was dark. Blade piled more wood on the fire and rolled the empty beer barrel out of the way. Sparra was already asleep under the furs in the corner. Cheeky was curling up in the crook of her arm, not only asleep but snoring.
”So, old friend,” said Blade. ”What really brought you out here-besides Bekror's lifter, that is?”
Ezarn had either drunk enough to slow his thoughts, which weren't too fast to begin with, or else he was, picking his words with care. ”When I got back from leave, they asked me to come out here. Well, they really asked me if I'd go out to Bekror's, to help train his men. I'd get regular pay, and maybe more than that from Bekror.”
”Who asked?”
”The High Commander Sidas.”
”He asked, not ordered?”
”Couldn't say. But then, you know him. Could you tell if he was being nice or giving an order?” Ezarn had a point there. So why was Blade thinking that ”couldn't say” might have a double meaning?
”I couldn't refuse,” Ezarn went on. He hiccupped. ”So I came out, and Bekror tells me about you and the friendly Tribesmen. Are their women friendly, too? You've got your own, I see,” he said with a wave at Sparra.
”If you're a friend of Voros and observe their customs-yes, the women are friendly enough.”
”Good. Real good.” Ezarn c.o.c.ked his head on one side, as if he was thinking hard. His head stayed at that angle, then Blade heard a long rumbling snore. The beer had finally got to him.
Blade got up and arranged Ezarn so he could sleep comfortably in the chair. Then he barred the hut door, pulled off his clothes and crawled in under the furs beside Sparra. She murmured contentedly as she felt him beside her, and pressed one firm breast against his arm. Cheeky went right on sleeping-but then, he could sleep through an earthquake if he wanted to.
Blade's feeling that somebody he didn't know was taking a hand in the game was stronger than ever. Or maybe several somebodies? It was no worse than usual in the secret-operations business, but that didn't mean he had to like it!
Ezarn's coming out here was a good sign, though. n.o.body who knew much about the big soldier would send him on any mission dangerous to ”Voros.” Anybody, who didn't knew Ezarn's loyalty was too stupid to be very dangerous, whatever they wanted.
Chapter 22.
Baliza wondered why High Commander Sidas had invited her and Geyrna to his house outside Kaldak. Didn't he trust the people in his office anymore? At least it got her and her aunt a good dinner-Sidas's cook was famous all over Kaldak.
In his private chamber afterward, Sidas served sweet wine and dismissed the servants. Then he locked the door after them. When he turned back to his guests, his face was suddenly much harder. Baliza was now almost certain that he disapproved of their plan-which they had told him about earlier at his headquarters-to send Doimari lifters to Voros. Sidas probably invited them to his house to tell them so. He probably also had some other things to discuss, and Baliza feared it had something to do with Voros.
Then Sidas sat down on the corner of the great wooden table by the wall, one booted leg crossed over the other. ”So you want me to send Voros two or three of our Doimari lifters, do you? Why?”
His sharp tone stung Baliza. ”We've already explained why.”
”Tell me again.”
”Very well, then. The three Doimari lifters can take twice as many men and guns as Bekror's two. Voros will have a stronger force, and he can fly it right into the base. With surprise on his side, he'll do more damage, then get more of his men out again.”
”Maybe. You have a lot of faith in Voros.”
”Yes. Don't you?”
”Not that much. I would believe the Sky Master Blade could do something like this. Not Voros, a man from nowhere. He's a good soldier, I'll admit. Maybe one of our best, and I don't really doubt his loyalty, even if he did desert after the rape charge. But I don't think he's good enough to do this, and with Tribesmen.”
Sidas's eyes were like stones now as he lit a cigar and offered them to the women. Geyrna took one. Baliza refused. She was afraid her hands would shake if she reached for it. Sidas puffed quietly for a minute or so, then stabbed at Baliza with the cigar.
”I'll give Voros the lifters, under one condition. You tell me the truth. Who do you think he really is?”
For a moment Baliza thought she was going to be sick. Then the nausea pa.s.sed and relief took its place. The question she'd feared for so long had been asked, and she was still alive.
”I think Voros is my father, the Sky Master Blade, returned to Kaldak. I do not know how he did this, but I think he has.”
”Never mind how he got back here-at least for now,” Sidas added. ”Tell me how you decided he was-who he is.” Baliza was glad to notice the hesitation in Sidas's voice. The idea of the Sky Master Blade among them again had slightly shaken even the iron-nerved High Commander.
So Baliza told Sidas and Geyrna everything she'd learned or thought about the man who called himself Voros. She kept her voice clear and steady, even through the tale of the night she'd tried to seduce him, although she felt her face turning red. Sidas was obviously trying not to laugh, but only said, ”I always thought that warm blood of yours would get you into trouble one of these days. Well, better to be the way you are and your mother was, then cold and alone.” Then he was silent until she'd finished, when he handed her another gla.s.s of wine. She emptied it quickly.
Sidas sat with his hands folded in his lap, his cigar burning itself out unnoticed, until she was finished. Then: ”I'm glad you told the truth,” he said. ”I wouldn't have held back the lifters, no matter what. In fact, I've already decided to send the lifters. You see, Bekror sent me a serum formula given him by Voros. I had the formula studied by a few of our own people. They say Voros is telling the truth: it is indeed an antidote to the deadly germs Detcharn plans to let loose on Kaldak. So Veros has gotten all the help I can give him, no matter who he is.”
”You won't send people from-oh, the City Regiment? Wouldn't they do the job better than raw Tribesmen?”
”With the best weapons and Voros-Blade to lead them, those 'raw Tribesmen' will be good enough. Also, City people wouldn't follow Voros unless he was pardoned for his desertion. That would raise a lot of questions better left lying. If it is Blade come back, he's probably got good reasons for not wanting everybody knowing it. For the time being, I'll respect those reasons, though I did decide to send one man from the City Regiment to help Voros train his men.”
Sidas lit another cigar, and this time Baliza joined him, although she put hers down after a few puffs. She was afraid she would be sick all over again. ”No, what I'd have done if you'd lied wouldn't hurt Voros. I'd simply have ordered you to sit in Kaldak during this fight. Under arrest, if necessary.” She could tell he wasn't joking.
”Then-I can join my-Voros-in the raid on the rocket base?” She hadn't realized until now just how badly she wanted to do this, and she still didn't know exactly why.
Sidas shook his head. ”He's too likely to recognize you, and spend time worrying about keeping you out of danger. That's not a worry to give a man leading a raid like that. I know,” he said with a sigh. ”Your mother, as much as I loved her, would never stop giving me that worry.”
”But if he's not my father-”
”Even if he really is just a man named Voros, it's still not a good idea. Do you think he'll want to be remembered as the man who led the Sky Master Blade's daughter to her death?”
Baliza had no answer to that question, then decided there wasn't any. ”Very well. You're right. But-the Laws abandon me if I'm just going to sit on my bottom in Kaldak while this is happening! You will have to put me under arrest to make me do it, I warn you!”
”I don't expect you to do anything of the sort!” said the High Commander. ”In fact, we've got work for you every bit as important as the raid. You're going to enter Doimar and bring out Feragga.”
Baliza must have looked as confused as she felt, because Sidas explained himself very carefully. Baliza was to enter Doimar, find out where Feragga lived, go there, and bring her to Kaldak. Since Feragga was crippled, this would mean stealing a lifter as well.