V
The Meycans fought doggedly, street by street and house by house, but after a couple of hours their surviving soldiers had all been driven into the northeast corner of Sв AntOn. They themselves hardly knew that, but a Sky chief had a view from above:
one rover was now tethered to the cathedral, with a rope ladder for men to go up and down, and the other vessel, skeleton-crewed, brought their news to it.
гGood enough,д said Loklann. гWeвll keep them boxed in with a quarter of our force. I donвt think theyвll sally! Meanwhile the rest of us can get things organized; letвs not give these creatures too much time to hide themselves and their silver. In the afternoon, when weвre rested, we can land parachuters behind the city troops, drive them out into our lines and destroy them.д
He ordered the Buffalo grounded, that he might load the most precious loot at once. The men, by and large, were too rough, good lads, but apt to damage a robe or a cup or a jeweled cross in their haste; and sometimes those Meycan things were too beautiful even to give away, let alone sell.
The flagship descended as much as possible. It still hung at a thousand feet, for hand pumps and aluminum-alloy tanks did not allow much hydrogen compression. In colder, denser air it would have been suspended even higher. But ropes snaked from it to a quickly assembled ground crew. At home there were ratcheted capstans outside every lodge, so that as little as four women could bring down a rover. One hated the emergency procedure of bleeding gas, for the Keepers could barely meet demand, in spite of a new sunpower unit added to their hydroelectric station, and charged accordingly. (Or so the Keepers said, but perhaps they were only taking advantage of being inviolable, beyond all kings, to jack up prices. Some chiefs, including Loklann, had begun to experiment with hydrogen production for themselves, but it was a slow thing to puzzle out an art that even the Keepers only half understood.)
Here, enough strong men replaced machinery. The Buffalo was soon pegged down in the cathedral plaza, which it almost filled. Loklann inspected each rope himself. His wounded leg ached, but not too much to walk on. More annoying was his right arm, which hurt worse from stitches than from the original cut. The medic had warned him to go easy with it. That meant fighting lefthanded, for it should never be told that Loklann sunna Holber stayed out of combat. But he would only be half himself.
He touched the knife which had spiked him. At least heвd gotten a fine steel blade for his pains. And. . . hadnвt the owner said they would meet again, to settle who kept it? There were omens in such words. It could be a pleasure to reincarnate that Ruori.
гSkipper. Skipper, sir.д
Loklann glanced about. Yuw Red-Ax and Aalan sunna Rickar, men of his own lodge, had hailed him. They grasped the arms of a young woman in black velvet and silver. The beweaponed crowd,
moiling about, was focusing itself on her; raw whoops lifted over the babble.
гWhat is it?д said Loklann brusquely. He had much to do. гThis wench, sir. A looker, isnвt she? We picked her up down near the waterfront.д
гWell, shove her into the temple with the rest tillч Oh.д Loklann rocked back on his heels, narrowing his eyes to meet a steady green glare. She was certainly a looker.
гShe kept hollering the same words over and over. Shef, rey, oinbro granч I finally wondered if it didnвt mean Оchief,вд said Yuw, гand then when she yelled khan I was pretty sure she wanted to see you. So we didnвt use her at all ourselves,д he finished virtuously.
гAba tu Spaflol?д said the girl.
Loklann grinned. гYes,д he replied in the same language, his words heavily accented but sufficient. гWell enough to know you are calling me Оthou.в г Her pleasantly formed mouth drew into a thin line. гWhich means you think I am your inferiorчor your god, or your beloved.д
She flushed, threw back her head (sunlight ran along crowвswing hair) and answered: гYou might tell these oafs to release me.д
Loklann said the order in Angliz. Yuw and Aalan let go. The marks of their fingers were bruised into her arms. Loklann stroked his beard. гDid you want to see me?д he asked.
гIf you are the leader, yes,д she said. гI am the caldeвs daughter, Doflita Tresa Carab‡n.д Briefly, her voice wavered. гThat is my fatherвs chain of office you are wearing. I came on behalf of his people, to ask for terms.д
гWhat?д Loklann blinked. Someone in the warrior crowd laughed.
It must not be in her to beg mercy, he thought; her tone remained brittle: гConsidering your sure losses if you fight to a finish, and the chance of provoking a counterattack on your homeland, will you not accept a money ransom and a safe-conduct, releasing your captives and ceasing your destruction?д
гBy Oktai,д murmured Loklann. гOnly a woman could imagine weчд He stopped. гDid you say you came back?д
She nodded. гOn the peopleвs behalf. I know I have no legal authority to make terms, but in practiceчд
гForget that!д he rapped. гWhere did you come back from?д
She faltered. гThat has nothing to do withчд
There were too many eyes around. Loklann bawled orders to start systematic plundering. Then he turned to the girl. гCome aboard the airship with me,д he said. гI want to discuss this further.д
Her eyes closed, for just a moment, and her lips moved. Then she looked at him, he thought of a cougar he had once trapped, and said in a flat voice: гYes. I do have other arguments.д
гAny woman does,д he laughed, гbut you more than most!д
гNot that!д she flared. гI meantч No. Marl, pray for me.д As he pushed a way through his men, she followed him.
They went past furled sails, to a ladder let down from the gallery. A hatch stood open to the lower hull, showing storage space and leather fetters for slaves. A few guards were posted on the gallery deck. They leaned on their weapons, sweating from beneath helmets, swapping jokes; when Loklann led the girl by, they yelled good-humored envy.
He opened a door. гHave you ever seen one of our vessels?д he asked. The upper gondola contained a long room, bare except for bunk frames on which sleeping bags were laid. Then a series of partitions defined cabinets, a sort of galley, and at last, in the very bow, a room with maps, tables, navigation instruments, speaking tubes. Its walls slanted so far outward that the glazed windows would give a spacious view when the ship was aloft. On a shelf, beneath racked weapons, sat a small idol, tusked and four-armed. A pallet was rolled on the floor.
гThe bridge,д said Loklann. гAlso the captainвs cabin.д He gestured at one of four wicker chairs, lashed into place. гBe seated, Doflita. Would you like something to drink?д
She sat down but did not reply. Her fists were clenched on her lap. Loklann poured himself a glass of whiskey and tossed off
half at a gulp. гAhhh! Later we will get some of your own wine for you. It is a shame you have nq art of distilling here.д
Desperate eyes lifted to him, where he stood over her. гSвflor,д she said, гI beg of you, in Cantoвs nameчwell, in your motherвs thenчspare my people.д
гMy mother would laugh herself ill to hear that,д he said. Then, leaning forward: гSee here, let us not spill words. You were escaping, but you came back. Where were you escaping to?д
гIч Does that matter?д
Good, he thought, she was starting to crack. He hammered: гIt does. I know you were at the palace this dawn. I know you fled with the dark foreigners. I know their ship departed an hour ago. You must have been on it, but left again. Not so?д
гYes.д She began to tremble.
He sipped molten fire and asked reasonably: гNow tell me, Doflita, what you have to bargain with? You cannot have expected we would give up the best part of our booty and a great many valuable slaves, for a mere safe-conduct. All the Sky kingdoms would disown us. Come now, you must have more to offer, if you hope to buy us off.д
гNo . . . not reallyчд
His hand exploded against her cheek, so her head jerked from the blow. She huddled back, touching the red mark, as he growled:
гI have no time for games. Tell me! Tell me this instant, what thought drove you back here from safety, or down in the hold you go. Youвd fetch a good price when the traders next visit Canyon. There are many homes waiting for you: a woods runnerвs cabin in Oregon, a Mong khanвs yurt in Tekkas, a brothel as far east as Chai Ka-Go. Tell me now, truly, what you know, and you will be spared that much.д
She looked downward and said raggedly: гThe foreign ship is loaded with the caldeвs gold. My father had long wanted to remove his personal treasure to a safer place than this, but dared not risk a wagon train across country. There are still many outlaws between here and Fortlez dв Sв Ern‡n; so much loot would tempt the military escort itself to turn bandit. Captain Lohannaso agreed
to carry the gold by sea to Port Wanawato, which is near Fortlez. He could be trusted because his government is anxious for trade with us, he came here officially. The treasure had already been loaded. Of course, when your raid came, the ship also took those women who had been at the palace. But can you not spare them? There is more loot in the foreign ship than your whole fleet can lift.д
гBy Oktai!д whispered Loklann.
He turned from her, paced up and down, finally stopped and stared out the window. He could almost hear the gears turn in his head. It made sense! The palace had been disappointing. . . oh, yes, a lot of damask and silverware and whatnot, but nothing like the cathedral. Either the calde was less rich than powerful, or he concealed his hoard. Loklann had planned to torture a few servants and find out which. Now he realized there was a third possibility.
