“The other two groups?”
“The two gun emplacements, on the towers at the corners of the town furthest from the river. These will be knocked out. Then we fire our signal into the air, and the clannsmen will ride at full speed from the hills. There will be no laser rifles available to be brought to bear on them before they have reached the walls. They will be up and over and in the streets with carbine, claidheammor and skean before the cursed Sidonians know what is about.”
John of the Hawks took another deep breath. “And then what, Don of the Clarks?”
“Why, then we will slay them. We will loot the city of nil that is worthy of looting. The women and children we will take to serve as clannless ones in our towns.”
“And the Caledonians here?”
They are slinks and traitors. They will share the fate ol the men from Beyond. This the supreme muster of the three united confederations has decided.”
“And then?” John pursued. “New Sidon is but one of the cities the men from Beyond have built.”
Don was scowling at him. “Why, then we’ll go on to the next. Probably to Berkeley. And we’ll sack it, in turn.”
John was shaking his head. “No. Once, we might succeed, though many will go down to black death in the attempt These from Beyond are not slinks Don of the Clarks. Many of their ways are not ours, but they are not slinks. They will fight and fight hard for their women and children, Their property and their lives. And the word will go out to their other cities, and once warned, they will not be cozened again.”
“You sound strange, John of the Hawks. This was basically your plan. It was you who devised the elaborate playacting in which you were supposedly stripped of your kilts, so that you could enter this city and spy upon the Sidonians. It was you who called for the union of confederations and the attack.”
“I have learned much in the past few days, Don. If we are successful, and admittedly, we have excellent chance, they will mount further, stronger reprisals against our phyla. Their skimmers will seek out the smallest hamlet and flame it down, as Aberdeen was flamed down. It is a battle that we cannot win, no matter how brave the clannsmen, no matter how staunchly our womenfolk back our efforts. It is a battle that cannot be won, for we are simple herdsmen and farmers, and they are advanced and as numerous as the blades of grass on the heath. In this League of theirs they have more planets than we have towns on all California.”
The lips of Don of the Clarks drew back over his teeth. “What has happened to you, John of the Hawks?”
“Perhaps I have grown a bit wiser.”
“You will not aid us in the coming battle?”
“There will be no coming battle, Don.”
The clannsman’s eyes narrowed. “The plan can and will go through without you, John.”
John shook his head. “No. It all depends upon surprise and your advance raiders coming through the sewers. If warned, the Sidonians would easily repulse you.”
“If warned!”
“Return to the clannsmen, Don of the Clarks, and tell them that I, once Supreme Raid Cacique of the Loch Confederation, have joined with the men from Beyond and will soon enter the government of the city. Say that I urge that all the clanns that have thus far taken to the hills and fought the new ways make their peace with the men of the League.”
He looked away, as though seeing into a far distance. “In the long run, though perhaps you and I will not live to see it, that is the shortest path to Caledonia’s regaining of her liberty.”
There was suddenly a skean in Don of the Clarks’ right hand. “You will not betray us, John! You who were my blood brother but have now turned slink and discarded your own kilts!”
John took a quick step back and went into a fighter’s crouch, his hands slightly forward. “I am unarmed, Don of the Clarks.”
Don came in slowly, alertly. No one knew better than he the fighting qualities of John of the Hawks.
John tensed, his eyes narrow, his hands extended a bit further out.
And Don of the Clarks came to a halt, stood erect and tossed the dagger aside.
“I cannot do it,” he said simply. “You are my blood brother and have saved my life an untold number of times. How would the town criers shout this, were I to kill you?”
John put his hand out and grasped the other’s shoulder. “I do what I must do, Don of the Clarks.”
“I know. I do not understand, but I trust you.” He looked down at his feet in disgust. “It would have been the greatest raid of all times. The bards…”
“The bards would have sung themselves hoarse,” John said sourly.
He reached into a coverall pocket and fetched forth a small box. “When you return, Don of the Clarks, give this to Alice of the Thompsons. Be sure she takes it. On your honor as my blood brother, be sure she takes it.”
Don frowned down at the packet.
“And tell her,” John said, “that somehow, someday, I will come to pay the brideright to the Clann Thompson and honorably steal her for my bride.”