Part 10 (1/2)

I tapped the wristband on my left arm. ”I carry a message from the High King of the Hatti to the High King of the Achaians, a message of peace and friends.h.i.+p.”

Arza glanced at Lukka, then focused his deep brown eyes back on me. ”The High King of the Hatti, eh? Well, your message isn't worth the clay it was written on. There is no High King of the Hatti. Not anymore. Old Hattusilis is dead. The great fortress of Hattusas was in flames the last time I saw it.”

Poletes gasped. ”The Hatti have fallen?”

”The great n.o.bles of Hattusas fight among themselves,” said Arza. ”Hattusilis's son may be dead, we've heard rumors to that effect.”

”Then what are you doing here?” I asked.

He snorted. ”Surviving, herald. As best we can. Living off the land and fighting off other bands of soldiers and marauders who try to take what we have.”

I looked around the village. Dirty black smoke stained the clear sky. Dead bodies lying on the bare ground drew clouds of flies.

”You're nothing but a band of marauders yourselves,” I said.

Arza's eyes narrowed. ”Harsh words from a herald herald.” He sneered at the last word.

But my mind was racing ahead. ”Would you care to join the service of the Achaian High King?” I asked.

He laughed. ”I'll serve no barbarian king or anyone else. Arza's band serves itself! We go where we want to go and take what we want to take.”

”Mighty warriors,” I replied scornfully. ”You burn villages and rape helpless women who have no soldiers to protect them. Very brave of you.”

From the comer of my eye I saw Lukka pale and take half a step away from me. I sensed Poletes backing off too.

Arza wrapped his hand around the ivory-inlaid hilt of his sword. ”You look like a soldier,” he snarled. ”Do you want to protect what's left of this village? Against me?”

Lukka said, ”Sir, I should warn you-this man is a fighter such as I've never seen before. He serves Athene and...”

”The b.i.t.c.h G.o.ddess?” Arza laughed. ”The one they claim to be a virgin? My My G.o.d is Taru, the G.o.d of storm and lightning, and he'll conquer your dainty little virgin G.o.ddess every time! She won't be a virgin for long if she fights against Taru!” G.o.d is Taru, the G.o.d of storm and lightning, and he'll conquer your dainty little virgin G.o.ddess every time! She won't be a virgin for long if she fights against Taru!”

He was trying to goad me into a fight. I shook my head and turned to walk away.

”Lukka,” he commanded loudly. ”Slit his cowardly throat.”

Before the agonized Lukka could reply, I wheeled back to face Arza and said, ”Do it yourself, mighty attacker of women.”

He broke into a wide grin as he pulled his sword from its well-worn scabbard. ”With pleasure, herald,” he said.

I took out my sword, and Arza laughed again. ”Bronze! You poor fool, I'll slice that toy in half with my iron.”

As he advanced toward me, holding his sword in front of him, my senses went into overdrive again. Everything slowed to a dreamlike pace. I could see the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed, the trickle of a bead of perspiration forming on his brow and starting down his cheek. Lukka was standing like a statue, unable to decide whether he should try to stop his commander or join his attack against me. Poletes was wide-eyed, his mouth slightly open, his hands clutching the air at his sides.

Arza advanced a few steps, then retreated back to his chariot and, without taking his eyes from me, reached back and took up his s.h.i.+eld with his left hand. I stayed where I was and let him fix the s.h.i.+eld on his arm. He grinned at me again and, seeing I was not moving to attack him, he grabbed his iron helmet and pulled it on. It was polished to a brilliant gleam, and its flaps protected the sides of his face. I could see that his scar ran exactly along the edge of the iron flap.

He was a professional soldier and he would take any advantage I allowed him. For my part, I had no real desire to kill him. But if the only way to gain his respect was to best him in a fight, I was more than ready to do that.

He advanced on me confidently, crouching slightly, peering at me through the narrow gap between the rim of his helmet and the top of his s.h.i.+eld. It bore a lightning flash symbol crudely painted on its stretched hide. I waited for him, watching. The s.h.i.+eld covered most of his body when he crouched, making it difficult to see which way he intended to move. Still, I waited.

He feinted with the s.h.i.+eld, jabbing it toward my face and simultaneously starting a sword cut at my midsection.

I parried his swing with my bronze blade, then slashed backhand and cracked the metal frame of his s.h.i.+eld. But the blow snapped my sword in half.

With an exultant cry Arza flung his broken s.h.i.+eld away and leaped at me. I could have spitted him easily on the jagged stump of my blade, but instead I stepped into him, grabbed his sword wrist in my left hand, and rapped him sharply on the head with the pommel of my broken sword.

He went to his knees, rolled over, and shook his head. I saw a nice dent in his polished helmet.

Arza got to his feet and lunged at me again. I dropped my sword, took his arm in both my hands, and twisted the weapon out of his hand.

With a snarl of rage he yanked his dagger from his belt and came at me again.

I backed away, open-handed. ”I have no desire to kill you,” I told him.

He bent down and scooped his sword from the dusty ground. By now more than a dozen of his troops had gathered around us, gaping.

”I'll kill you, herald, despite your tricks,” he growled.

He came at me again, sword and dagger, slas.h.i.+ng and cursing at me, spittle flying from his mouth. I danced away lightly, wondering how long this game could last.

”Stand and fight!” he screamed.

”Without a weapon?” I smiled as I said it.

He charged again and, instead of running, I ducked under and tripped him. He fell heavily.

But got to his feet, snarling, ”I'll kill you!”

”You can't,” I said.

”I will! You men-hold him fast!”

The soldiers hesitated just a moment, long enough for me to decide that if I did not kill this maddened animal, he would have me killed.

Before they could lay hands on me, I picked up the shattered stump of my bronze sword and advanced toward Arza. He grinned wickedly at me and lunged with his sword, ready to counter with the dagger once I tried to parry the sword thrust. Instead of parrying, I sidestepped his lunge and drove the jagged end of my blade into his chest just below the armpit.

Arza looked very surprised. His mouth dropped open, then filled with blood. For a moment I carried all his weight on my extended sword arm. I let go of the weapon and he dropped to the dusty ground, his hands still clutching his useless sword and dagger.

I looked toward Lukka. He gazed down at his fallen commander, then up to me. A word from him and the entire squad of soldiers would be on me.

Before he could speak, I shouted to the soldiers, ”This man led you to little victories over farmers' villages. How would you like to join in the loot of a great city, filled with gold? Who will follow me to help conquer Troy?”

They raised their hands and cheered. All of them.

Chapter 14.

THERE were forty-two men in the Hatti band, and I led them back across the Scamander and down toward the beach where the Achaians were camped-if they had not been wiped out in the meantime by Hector and his Trojans.