Rolak was overcome. Matt mounted the steps beside him, grinning for the first time that day. The sound was overwhelming and it only seemed to build as more and more Aryaalans rushed from other parts of the city. The crowd surged, but the Marines kept them at bay. A phalanx of armed Aryaalans — not palace guards but still a well-turned-out force — made its way through the crowd until it reached the Marines’ shield wall. Shinya rushed to the point of contact with Chack by his side and after several moments of hand gestures and shouting, a single figure was let through the wall. Chack hurried to Matt and Rolak, with the individual puffing and almost running to keep up. His flowing embroidered robe threatened to trip him.
«Lord Koratin,» Rolak of restrained greeting when the pair drew near. Chack automatically translated for Captain Reddy.
«Lord Rolak,» Koratin replied, and bowed.
«I understand you are chief advisor to that murdering coward who has stolen the throne,» Rolak said. «We were never friends, but I expected better of you.»
«It is true, that was my position, my lord. And that is what I tried to do. But my advice wasn’t heeded, or even tolerated. The king is quite mad.»
«The attempt to sink the iron ship?»
Koratin nodded. «I told him it was madness when I learned his scheme. I even sent three trusted servants to warn you, but they were caught and killed. The palace guard came for me then, but my retainers held them off.» He smiled crookedly. «If not for your timely arrival and the chaos that ensued, I would be dead. How delightfully ironic!»
Rolak barked a laugh. «You always were amazingly skilled at survival, Koratin!»
Koratin bowed. «As you can see, it’s a useful skill.» His face turned grim. «Is it true? The Grik will return?»
«It is true.»
«I feared as much. I feared for my younglings — for all the younglings of our people — but the king would not listen. He does not believe the old stories» — he nodded respectfully at Chack" that for our salvation the sea folk have preserved!»
«Fear still, Koratin. The danger is greater than you imagine. We must all leave this place and become beggars in the north. The sea folk will succor us, but they need our arms more than our bellies, so all who go must be willing to fight, and provocations won’t occur.»
Koratin was stunned. «But what of our walls? Can we not hold here if the sea folk come to our aid?»
«No.» Rolak nodded toward Matt, who stood listening. «Cap-i-taan Reddy has told me how it must be and I believe him.»
Koratin turned to look at Matt for the first time. His stare was an appraising one. «So that is the great tail-less leader of the sea folk,» he said. «I suspected as much.» He bowed low to the captain.
«Where’s Rasik?» Matt demanded, eyes flashing.
«In his palace, lord. Yonder.» Koratin pointed at the imposing structure beyond the plaza. «He has almost four hundred guards. Quite fanatical, I’m afraid. It will be difficult and costly to storm.»
For a long while, Matt said nothing while those nearby waited for his decision. His expression seemed almost yearning as his eyes bored into the palace walls.
«No, it won’t,» he said at last. Rolak cocked his head and looked at Matt with a questioning blink. «We’re not going to storm it. Oh, don’t get me wrong — there’s nothing I’d rather do than bring the guns in and blow it down around him, and that’s what we’d do if we had the time. We’d take our time!» he snarled. Calming, he clasped his hands behind his back. «But we don’t have the luxury of time, and I’m not going to waste lives getting the little bastard the old-fashioned way. Chack and his Marines will see that no one gets out while you begin evacuating the city.»
Chack was confused and surprised. He was first and foremost a destroyerman, after all, and Donaghey was one of his clan. Surely the captain wouldn’t leave his death un-avenged — not after he had been willing to break the alliance that morning to take the city. «But what about the king, Captain?» he prodded. «What are we going to do about hime to ive liberators, bent on saving the people of this world from the depredations of a remorseless foe. They were leaving as destroyers, causing more harm than the Grik had yet managed.
With a surprised thankfulness that he couldn’t express, he felt Sandra’s hand find his in the darkness and he squeezed it gently before letting go. She’d been more reserved toward him that day than their «agreement» required and he still wondered why. Then he looked at Mallory. The young aviator’s face glowed grimly in the reflected light. He’d spoken little since he arrived, only confirming with a nod that the dispatch was entirely accurate. There was no mistake. He stood there now, holding Revenge’s log in both hands like a sacred treasure. Matt would read it later, when his attention could be spared from the decisions at hand. Right now it would just be too much. He would share it with Keje when the two of them could quietly mourn their dead alone. He cleared his throat. «So, are they Japs, Mr. Mallory? Did you get close enough to see?»
«I guess they probably are. We saw the flags for sure.» He grunted. «And then they started shooting at us. The first air burst we saw, we got the hell out.»
Matt nodded, deciding not to chastise the flier for the risk he’d taken. «Lucky they didn’t let you get closer before they opened fire. Sounds like they got anxious.»
«Yes, sir. They must’ve been pretty surprised to see us too.»
Matt rubbed his forehead. «Maybe not. We’ve been transmitting in the clear all this time. Maybe they’ve been reading our mail. Any transmission at all would’ve warned them we were here. If they’ve been listening in, they may even know where Baalkpan is,» he added darkly. «And if that’s the case, we won’t know until they’re almost here whether they’re all coming here or they mean to dispatch forces to both places.» He ground his teeth. «Damn.»
«I’d think Amagi would go wherever she thought Walker was, Captain,» Mallory speculated.
«Maybe. If they know where we are. I wonder if they do?» He paused for a moment and then answered his own question. «Probably. The lizards certainly know we’re here.» He scratched the stubble on his chin. «But they may not know there are two of us. Anyway, that answers my question. We have to assume the Japs know, and the last I heard, they don’t like us very much. If they figure we’re evacuating for Baalkpan they might try to get between us. Make us come to them.» He shook his head. «It’ll be tough to do at eight knots. I wonder why they’re so slow? Amagi used to make over thirty.»
«Only as fast as the slowest ship?» Bradford opined.
«Yeah, but the lizards are faster than that. unless maybe Amagi is the slowest ship! You’re sure it was coal smoke you saw?»
«Positive.»
«That may be why we haven’t seen her till now — they’ve been converting her boilers. Coal’s a lot more efficient than wood, but not as good as oil. Shorter range and a fair cut in speed. Still.»
«Damage,» Sandra said suddenly. «We’ve all been thinking of Amagi only in terms of firepower. That’s a pretty one-sided comparison. But remember, as bad as she roughed us up, Walker and Mahan got in some pretty good licks. Maybe enough that she nearly did sink!»