"The amulet that he claims his angel gave him? I thought that was all made up."
"It happened. Apparently he's decided to use it again. I'd guess our walls will be his next target."
"El Murid is out there?"
"He is."
"Then Father ought to sortie. If we killed him... "
"Nothing would please them more than to have him try."
"But—"
"I discussed this with your father and General Hawkwind. They've decided to let el Aswad take its punishment. Let them break the wall. The amulet will be useless in close fighting."
Haroun did not like the strategy. It depended too much on the enemy doing the expected, too much on his not receiving reinforcements. But he protested no more. He had a glimmering of a scheme, and did not want to make Megelin suspicious.
"Did you ask Father about those Guildsmen?"
"I mentioned it. He'll do something when he gets time."
Haroun was pleased. Bragi and Haaken had saved his life. They deserved a reward. "Thank you."
"Have you completed those geometry exercises?" Radetic had no mercy. There was no break in the studies, even for convalescence.
"I've been busy... "
"Busy malingering. Go to your quarters. Don't come out till you have solutions you're prepared to defend."
"There's the old guy," Haaken said.
Bragi turned, watched Megelin Radetic make his way along the battlements. Radetic paused to talk to each soldier. "He remind you a little of Grandfather?"
"Keep an eye on those fools out there," Haaken said. "Or Sanguinet will eat you alive."
Little had been said about the recruit company's failure in battle. No fatigues or punishments had been enforced. Rumor said Hawkwind believed the recruits had done well, considering the terrain and concentrated resistance they had faced.
The veterans were less understanding. Their General's record had been sullied. Hundreds of comrades were dead. They didn't care that the briny water had been thigh deep, nor that the recruits had borne the brunt of the fury of El Murid's army. They saw more recruits surviving than members of any other company, and they were not pleased.
Radetic reached the youths. He paused between them, leaned on a merlon. Below, el Nadim's men were hard at work. "Confident as ants, aren't they?"
"Maybe they got reasons," Haaken grumbled.
Bragi did not respond. He did not know how to take the older man. Radetic was important here, yet seldom acted it. He did ask, "How's Haroun?"
"Mending. The Wahlig sends his regards. He'll thank you personally when he has a free moment."
"Okay."
"So enthusiastic! He's a generous man. Haroun is his favorite son."
"The only thing I could get enthusiastic about is getting out of here."
Radetic made a thoughtful "Hmm?" sound.
"It's hot and dry and there's nothing out there but miles and miles of nothing."
"My patrimony for a decent tree. I feel the same sometimes." Radetic patted Bragi's shoulder. "Homesick, lad?"
Bragi blustered—then poured out his story. Radetic looked interested, and encouraged him whenever he faltered.
He was homesick. Much as he pretended otherwise, he was just a boy forced into a man's role. He missed his people.
Bragi related his feelings about the defeat. Radetic patted his shoulder again. "No need to feel shame there. The General was surprised you held up so well. If there's any blame due, it belongs to him and the Wahlig. They got cocky. And you soldiers paid the price. I'd better move along."
Bragi did not understand what the old scholar had done, but he did feel better. And Haaken didn't look half as glum.
Sergeant Trubacik arrived moments later. "The Lieutenant wants you, Ragnarson. Get your butt down there."
"But—"
"Go."
Bragi went. He shivered all the way, though the day was a scorcher. Now it begins, he thought. Now the repercussions set in.
Sanguinet was set up in a storeroom off the stables. It was a dark, musty room, badly lighted by a single lantern. Bragi knocked on the doorframe. "Ragnarson, sir."
"Come in. Close the door."
Bragi did as he was told, wishing he were elsewhere. He could tell himself it didn't matter what these people thought, that he knew he had done his best, but it did matter. It mattered very much.
Sanguinet stared for fifteen seconds. Then, "Birdsong died this morning."
"I'm sorry, sir."
"So am I. He was a good man. Not much imagination, but he could hold a squad together."
"Yes sir."
"I'm preparing the report. You were there. Tell me how it happened."
"We was slogging through that salt water. A stone knicked his elbow. He dropped his shield. Before he got it up again a javelin hit right at the edge of his breastplate. Went in under his arm and got his lung, I guess."
"You took over?"
"Yes sir. The guys were kind of used to me telling them what to do. From training."
"You had only one other casualty?"
"Kildragon, sir." Reskird had gotten excited, broken formation to get at a particular enemy, and had paid the price of indiscipline.
"Corporal Stone commanded the squad on your left. He says you held your ground."
"I tried... We tried, sir. But we couldn't stand fast when everybody else was pulling back."
"No. You couldn't. All right, Ragnarson. You may have the makings. I'm entering the promotion in the record. Pay and a half from the day Birdsong was wounded."
"Sir?" He thought he had missed something.
"You're taking over. Permanent promotion. Subject to the General's approval. Go back to your men, Corporal."
For half a minute Bragi stood there, dazed, wanting to argue, to protest, or something. This was not what he had expected.
"I said you're dismissed, Ragnarson."
"Yes sir." He bumbled out, returned to his post.
"Congratulations," Trubacik said, and hobbled off.
"What was that?" Haaken asked.
Bragi tried to explain, but did not understand. He just could not see himself as deserving.
Each afternoon el Nadim drew his men up in formation, offering battle. Each afternoon the defenders of el As wad refused his challenge. This afternoon started no differently. El Nadim advanced to within extreme bowshot. He sent a herald to demand the surrender of el Aswad. The Wahlig sent him back empty-handed.
The besiegers then customarily withdrew a few hundred yards. Once a lack of response was assured they resumed their labors.
Not this time. El Nadim did not back down. He and the Disciple came to the van. The Disciple raised a fist to the sky. His amulet waxed brighter, till he seemed only a shadow of a man caught in the heart of eye-searing fire.
The lightning struck. Ten thousand boulders from the barren countryside leapt into the air and poured down on the Eastern Fortress. The lightning struck again, lashing the satellite guarding the approach and the curtain walls connecting it with the main fortress. The defenders launched flights of arrows, none of which reached their marks. The pillar of light remained rooted. The doors of heaven remained open, pouring out the fury of a dozen storms.
A section of wall collapsed, some stones bounding away down the slope, plowing furrows through the enemy ranks.
The Invincibles sent up a mighty war cry and surged forward. They scrambled up the mounds of rubble, pelted by missiles from the battlements. The going was slow. The rubble was piled high and was treacherous underfoot.
The Wahlig formed a force inside the break, and called for Hawkwind, who was more familiar with this sort of fighting.
The Disciple and most of el Nadim's army began moving across the slope, toward the fortress's western face.