Blade knew he had to close in to live. He drew his short sword and the commando knife. Then he charged again.
Kul-Nam drove Blade back three times, scraping the point of his sword across Blade's armor twice, slashing his cheek the third time. Then Kul-Nam's own lust to kill overcame him at last, and he tried to close.
His sword flashed in from Blade's left, and Blade's short sword met it. The two weapons came together with a terrible clang and Kul-Nam's sword bit halfway through Blade's. For a moment the Emperor's weapon was locked and immobilized.
Blade didn't dare move his sword. That would have risked snapping it off and freeing Kul-Nam's sword. Instead he held his left arm steady and pivoted on his left foot. His booted right foot crashed into Kul-Nam's face. The Emperor's brute strength kept him on his feet, but he was not seeing too clearly. Blade let go of his short sword and pivoted again. His left hand closed on the Emperor's pigtail where it hung out from under his helmet and jerked hard. Then Blade's right hand struck, thrusting the commando knife up under Kul-Nam's jaw into the Emperor's brain. Kul-Nam died on his feet, his eyes staring into Blade's as the life went out of them.
Blade pulled his knife free and let Kul-Nam's body fall to the deck with a thud. Then he turned. Prince Durouman was leaning against the foremast, his face twisted as he slowly worked the spear out of his shoulder. Finally it came free. He threw it to the deck and his eyes shifted to Blade-and to Kul-Nam sprawled at Blade's feet. His breath went out of him in a great sigh. For a moment it seemed that he would fall to the deck.
Somehow Prince Durouman found the strength to stay on his feet. It was Blade who went down onto the deck-down on one knee, the commando knife raised, wanting to shout with triumph. Instead he was silent as he gave Prince Durouman the salute due the Emperor of Saram.
Chapter 27
Kul-Nam was not the last man in the two fleets to die. It took a while to hoist Prince Durouman's standard to the flagship's masthead. It took a while after that for every one to see it and realize what it meant. It took an even longer time to convince everyone aboard the ships of Saram that they could surrender safely. Most expected to have their throats cut or be pitched overboard the moment they laid down their arms.
No one gave such promises to the Corps of Eunuchs. It would have been a waste of breath, and anyone who even suggested it would probably have been heaved overboard, along with most of the corps. Like Avenger's former slavemasters, they were no great loss. They had been Kul-Nam's personal terror weapon, and now that Kul-Nam was dead there was nothing for them to do except follow their master.
There was another man whom Blade and Prince Durouman would cheerfully have dealt with in the same way-the treacherous commandant of Parine. He had not only told Kul-Nam of the princess's moves against him, thus provoking the attack. He had also revealed all the secrets and weaknesses of Parine's fortifications, thus helping to make the attack a success.
Emass was frank about what should be done with the commandant. «We should take him back to Parine and there torture him to death the same way Princess Tarassa died.»
Blade shook his head. «As much as I want his blood, I don't want it that way. There should be no more torture or painful executions under Prince-ah, Emperor-Durouman rule. That will make a great and welcome contrast with Kul-Nam.» They would not have understood his suggesting that torture was wrong-it was that sort of Dimension.
In any case, the question turned out to be meaningless. They discovered that the commandant had fallen in the attack on Parine, along with nearly five thousand more of Kul-Nam's men. He had made the attack on Parine a success, but he had not made it easy, nor had he lived to collect his hoped-for reward of becoming Prince of Parine. Along with the five thousand men had gone twenty galleys, five sailing ships, and nearly half of Kul-Nam's store of ammunition.
Two large groups of men who had spent most of the day trying to kill each other did not become sworn comrades overnight. But everyone was too exhausted and too relieved that Kul-Nam was dead to bear anyone any ill will. By morning everyone had slept enough to realize that a new and perhaps better time for all of them was dawning with the new day. The battered fleets set sail for Garis with everyone in much better spirits.
The voyage to Garis took three days. The arrival of the combined fleets and the news they brought first stunned the people, then set off wild rejoicing. Word spread rapidly through Saram, and the rejoicing steadily mounted. By the time Emperor Durouman rode inland toward his capital, his progress had the air of a triumphal procession. Blade rode with him, hailed as the mightiest of the mighty and the champion of champions, a savior to all, second only to the new Emperor himself.
The only thing that marred the procession was the number of bodies that littered the streets and road-Kul-Nam's informers or officials, his police or merely those who had supported him too loudly in the past and hadn't turned their colors fast enough. Durouman didn't much care for the sight.
Emass was delighted. «Your Magnificence,» he kept saying, «this is a great stroke of good fortune. These people are your enemies, whom you would have had to destroy sooner or later. Here they are, dying by the thousands without you having to lift a finger or take the smallest portion of the blame.»
Blade shook his head. «Some of them may be your enemies,» he said. «But I suspect that a great many personal feuds are also being settled. You would be wise to bring the killing to a halt as quickly as possible.»
Durouman threw back his head and roared with laughter. «Blade, Emass-what am I going to do if you two stay around and keep giving me advice? You always make exactly opposite suggestions.»
«I do not know about Emass,» said Blade, «but you will not have to worry about me much longer. I have carried out the mission my king gave me-«
«And done a good deal more besides,» put in Durouman.
«True. But I have no more business here in Saram. I will be gathering a company of stout fighters before long, then riding south.»
«Are you sure you would not rather wait until we have fought the Steppemen?» said Durouman. «I would be glad of your sword beside mine again. Also, your journey will be safer when the Steppemen are broken.»
«I would be happy to join you,» said Blade. «But I was sent on this journey with strict orders from my king. He is not Kul-Nam. He will not have my head or title or estates if I do not return swiftly. He will merely not think me wise, and in England, to be thought unwise is to be thought dishonorable.»
«I will say no more,» said Durouman. «Is there anything I may do to speed you on your way?»
«There are things that will ease my mind,» said Blade. «First, there is-«
«Avenger's crew,» put in Durouman.
«Yes.»
«If it were possible, I would make every one of them a nobleman,» said Durouman earnestly. «That cannot be. I can swear solemnly that no man who fought under you aboard your ship will go hungry or homeless as long as he lives and I and my sons rule in Saram.»
Blade smiled. «Very good. Second, there is-«
«Haleen?» said Durouman.
Blade laughed loudly. «Has the Eagle crown given you the power to read other men's thoughts, my friend?»
«No. It is merely that you obviously care for her, and she for you. Why should you not therefore wish her in good hands?»