"Jesus," Emilio breathed, scrolling through the images. "Do you have an estimate of the size of that force?"
"I make it something over thirty thousand in the main body," Joseba told him. Any picture in Joseba’s mind of the stately, deliberative life of the Runa had been swept away by the time-date stamps on the images, as he confronted the reality of an army that had conquered the known world of Rakhat as quickly, and more thoroughly, than Alexander had conquered his.
"This looks like light infantry in the vanguard," Danny said, reaching over Sandoz’s shoulder to point at the screen, "backed by armor, maybe two day’s march behind them. And that’s an image from about four days ago. Can you see how much brighter it looks? We’re picking up the glare off the metal."
"There’s infrared showing another large group behind them," Joseba said. "Look at the next one."
Sandoz stared at the image and then looked up at worried faces.
"Artillery," Sean confirmed, "and they’re headed right for us."
"But we came in above the cloud cover, and John stayed below the sound barrier!" Emilio said. "How could they have tracked us?"
It was Danny who answered. "Can’t say for sure, ace, but I could give it a guess."
Emilio thought, and then closed his eyes for a moment. "Carlo sold us out. He gave them the coordinates."
"Looks that way."
Nico stood just outside the door. "So the signora doesn’t have to wait for us to bring Isaac to her," he said. "She’s coming to get him."
"She doesn’t need an army t’do that," Sean pointed out sourly, hunkering down next to Joseba.
"Sandoz, there’s something else you should know," said Danny Iron Horse. "When you three first went missing, Sofia Mendes swore she would ’track those djanada bastards to their lair and finish this, once and for all.’»
"Yes. You can see the appeal," said Sandoz. A lasting peace, secure borders, an unblighted future for the Runa…. He rubbed his face against his arms, and they all got to their feet. For an instant—in a small stone room, surrounded by huge bodies—he felt reality shift, but pulled himself back to the present, which was bad enough. "We have to warn the VaN’Jarri;" he said. "They should probably evacuate. Pull back to that Athaansi’s settlement, yes? Concentrate in one valley and set up a defense?"
Danny shook his head. "Fish in a barrel, once the artillery gets here."
"Small, scattered groups might have a better chance of escaping detection," said Joseba, "but they may also starve to death, or die of exposure."
"Six of one, half a dozen of the other," John said. "Either way, they’re in a real bad place."
"It’s not our decision, now, is it?" said Sean. "We give ’em the facts and let the VaN’Jarri make the move." And when the others shrugged their agreement, he moved to the doorway, jerking his head at Joseba. "Come on, lad. Let us go forth and spread the good news."
"I wonder what Carlo got for us?" John mused as Sean and Joseba stepped past Nico and strode off.
"An excuse to quit before he failed," said Emilio, working through the images Frans had sent. "Look at this one. They’re taking on cargo. Carlo’s going to load up and go home. The drone has been down to Agardi, what? Three times already." He stopped, and then said, "Oh, my God."
"What?" John asked, frightened now. "What’s in Agardi? Munitions factories? Is he—"
"No. Nothing like that. Distilleries," said Sandoz softly, looking up at Danny and John.
"Distilleries?" John echoed, confused. "Then he’s loading—"
"Yasapa brandy," said Danny. Sandoz nodded, and Danny sighed, shaking his head.
"So that’s it, then?" John cried, throwing his hands in the air. "Carlo sells us out, stocks up on Rakhati brandy and goes home richer than Gates!" Furious, he slumped down the wall opposite the door and sat, legs out straight, back against the stones.
"And yet," Emilio remarked mildly, "there does seem to be some justice in the universe after all." He was standing in the doorway, and the light behind him lit up his hair, obscuring his expression. "You see," Emilio said, "I never had a chance to tell Carlo, but yasapa brandy is—"
Danny’s eyes widened. Mouth open, he paused, barely breathing. "Awful?" he suggested hopefully.
"Say yes," John urged, scrambling to his feet and moving to Danny’s side. "Please, Emilio, say it’s awful! Lie if you have to, but tell me it’s the worst liquor you ever drank in your whole life."
Face haggard, eyes seraphic, Sandoz spoke. "It tastes," he said, "just… like… soap."
HAD ANYONE ASKED, EMILIO SANDOZ COULD HAVE EXPLAINED THE KIND of half-hysterical laughter that can overcome grief and fear and desperation, but no one was listening to the Jesuits in Ha’anala’s hut. By the time Emilio went outside, the evacuation of the N’Jarr valley was under way— parents gathering children, bundling possessions, arguing and shouting, making snap decisions, having second thoughts, trying not to panic. There was an island of calm in the midst of all this, and he pushed toward it, knowing somehow that Suukmel Chirot u Vaadai would be at its center, where Ha’anala’s pyre was still smoking.
He dropped to his knees at her side. "We have brought trouble on you," he said. "I am sorry for it."
"You meant well," she said. "And there is a life because of you."
"You’re not packing," he observed.
"As you see," she said serenely, ignoring the tumult around them.
"My lady Suukmel, hear me: you are not safe here anymore."
"Safety, I find, is a relative term." She lifted her hand, as though to draw a veil over her head, but stopped, midgesture. "I am staying," she said in a tone that invited no argument. "I have decided that if this foreigner Sofia comes to the N’Jarr, I shall have a talk with her. We have some things in common." Her lips curled slightly, and her eyes seemed to him amused. "And what are your plans?" she asked.
"Much like your own," he told her. "I’m going south, to have a talk with Sofia."
38
On the Road to Inbrokar
November 2078, Earth-Relative
HE DIDN ’T DARE USE THE LANDER, PREFERRING TO RESERVE ITS REMAINING fuel for emergencies, so he and Nico went south on foot. The priests stayed in the N’Jarr to help in whatever ways they could, but Nico would not hear of being separated from him and Emilio did not protest. It was unlikely that what they’d face in twelve days’ time would yield to a handgun and a resolute attitude, but Nico had repeatedly proved his worth and Emilio was glad of his company. Tiyat and Kajpin came along as well, to lead the way through the mountain passes and twisted ravines and foothills. The plan was to walk back to the ruins of Inbrokar, and then go on a bit farther south, where they would wait on the road for Sofia and the Runa army to come upon them.
By second sunset, Emilio and Nico were both bleeding from the knees, and Emilio was beginning to reconsider the definition of "emergency." The Gamu mountain strata were thin and fragile, tipped nearly verticaclass="underline" an evil surface to hike, exhausting and treacherous underfoot. The Runa had three limbs to call upon but even for them, the climb was difficult. "Are you all right, Nico?" Emilio asked, as Tiyat and Kajpin helped the big man up a fifth time. "Perhaps we should go back for the lander after all—"
He stopped, hearing the scrabbling sound of sliding rocks behind him, and turned with Nico to watch a tall, naked human striding down the incline on dirty, storklike legs, a tattered blue parasol held high over his head.