"Definitely a stroke," he said as he came over to the high commanders. "And a bad one. I've made him as comfortable as I can, but there's nothing I can do. It would be a mercy if he didn't regain consciousness; there's extensive brain damage, I suspect."
Prince Kashtiliash's face was like one of the carvings of protective genii outside the palace as he went to bend over his father, but there was gentleness in the touch of his hand on the grizzled black hair.
"The king is fallen," he said grimly to the generals and courtiers gathered around him when he returned. "I rule in his place, until he awakens-and if he does not, I am the king. Does any doubt it?"
A few glanced at each other, but nobody spoke. Instead, one by one, they went to their knees and then to their bellies; there was a rustle of stiff embroidered fabric, clinking from the officers in their scale corselets. One by one they muttered, "La sanan, sa mahira la isu! The king who has no rival!"
When they rose, he nodded and went on, "We must put down this rebellion, and we must do it swiftly."
"Indeed, O Prince." That was Kidin-Ninurta, his diplomat face carefully blank. "Cannot our friends, our new allies, assist in this?"
Kenneth Hollard nodded. "We will give what aid our ally requests."
"I will request as little as I may," Kashtiliash said. Kathryn caught the slight relaxation from several of the nobles and military men. "I would not have it said that my reign rests on foreign blades, no matter how close and friendly the alliance. Yet to bring troops into this city is to risk their lives from the disease."
Servants came in carrying a large table, a map unrolled upon it. Kashtiliash grunted as he recognized the view, drawn from above the city.
A general stepped forward. "The west bank is mostly quiet. The main trouble is in the older parts of the city-here, here, here. Around the temples of Enna and Nergal particularly." He hesitated.
"Speak. I do not blame the bearer for the news," Kashtiliash said.
"Lord Prince, we have found many bodies dead of the new plague as we push forward in those areas. The men… they are brave men, Lord Prince, in the face of spear and sword."
"But they fear the plague demons-as would any men with sense."
He walked to the edge of the rooftop and rested his hands on the balcony. "Cordon off those areas," he said. "Barricade the streets; tear down buildings where necessary, to create gaps." There were substantial areas of Babylon where you could go from roof to roof almost as easily as walking at ground level.
"Use the troops who have been through the inoculation. Let no one into these areas. Women, children, and men surrendering may come out-provided they submit to the inoculation themselves. Send them then to the quarantine camps. Shout these terms over the barricades."
He used a good many English terms in those sentences, but they were ones most people in the palace had picked up perforce over the last week.
"And there shall be no more foolishness in the rest of the city. All the troops shall be inoculated, one company at a time. While they wait, the others shall cordon off the city so"-his finger slashed across the map, dividing the mass of Babylon into segments.
"We shall take one area at a time, and in that area the soldiers shall go from house to house. Any sick shall be sent at once to the hospital. All others shall be inoculated… that word is too cumbersome. We shall call it the 'scratch of safeguard.' Yes. All shall receive the scratch of safety and be isolated after. So the Throne commands!"
"We obey," the nobles and high priests of the temples not in rebellion murmured. "La sanan, sa mahira la isu!"
Kenneth Hollard drew himself to attention and snapped a salute. Kathryn did likewise, and from Kashtiliash's nod, from something about his eyes, she thought he sensed the difference in the gesture.
"Lord Prince," the elder Hollard said. "The troops you have to cordon off the rebel areas are very few and will remain so until more are inoculated… have received the scratch of safeguarding."
Kashtiliash nodded. "That, my ally, is where you and your men- your troops-shall assist." He paused. "And if you would, your boats of steam could also be of help. We will need the blackwater, a great deal of it."
Colonel Hollard inclined his head. "Of course, Lord Prince… but why?"
Kasthiliash turned to Lieutenant Clemens. "You say that the bodies of the dead are dangerous?"
"Very, Lord Prince."
"Then we will need the blackwater oil for funeral pyres. A great many."
Ian Arnstein whistled as the Marine commander finished. "Well, you're right, I did need to hear that," he said.
"Your orders, sir?" Hollard said.
"Orders?"
"Do you want the Emancipator to turn back? Our base here is in… well, considerable danger."
"Do you need the airship to control Babylon?"
"Ah… no, sir. Bombing from the air is sort of a blunt instrument for crowd control."
"Then we'll continue to Hattusas."
"Sir… the plan was to have a secure base in Babylonia and overland supply lines. As it is, I have to divert virtually all our forces to helping Prince Kashtiliash reestablish order here."
"Colonel Hollard, Walker isn't going to wait, so we'll just have to do the best we can with what we have. I'll lay the groundwork with the Hittites, and you work on getting things back on track down south there."
A pause. "Yes, sir, Councilor."
Arnstein nodded, then cleared his throat as he remembered that the other man couldn't see him. "Looks like Prince Kashtiliash is taking charge decisively."
"Damn right, Councilor. I knew he was capable, but this is the first time we've seen him out of his father's shadow… and to tell you the truth, he's starting to look better as a possible brother-in-law."
"God forfend, Ken. The Meeting's sort of sensitive about citizens of the Republic as monarchs abroad, you know."
"I do know, oh, yes, indeed. I'd better let you get some sleep, then. I've got a busy night ahead of me."
"Take care; I can't spare you."
"That's mutual, Councilor. Good night to you and Doreen, then."
Arnstein clicked off and removed the headset, yawning again. "Not really much point in going back to sleep," he said. His mouth quirked as he looked at his wife. "Sorry, darling. Looks like I've gotten us out onto the end of a long limb, here."
"Do you think Ken was serious about the prince and his sister?"
"I have a horrible suspicion he was. After all, Kashtiliash is going to be king, now."
"Great King, King of Sumer and Akkad, King of the Four Corners of the World, King Who Does As He Damned Well Pleases."
"Unless he PO's so many important people that they kill him," Ian agreed. "But he's already getting the rebellion, and we're helping him put it down. So he's going to be in a very strong position indeed."
"Gevalt."
"Truer words were never spoken," Ian said. "Okay, we might as well go over this speech in Hittite. Thank God they've got a lot of Akkadian-speaking scribes up there!"
"Strange to see him so helpless," Kashtiliash murmured, so softly that only the woman by his side could hear him. "He always seemed a tower, or a mountain himself, eternal and strong-a wall of safety for me."
Kathryn nodded. "Perhaps you should stay here," she said. "You could be close by if he awakens and still direct the operations- messengers will find you more easily than if you're moving about."