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they were put down savagely.
You think they used this ... lightcannon?
I don t know, but it would explain a lot.
What do we do about it? asked Lyzetta. We ve already lost one pteridon and
flier to it, and you lost one to the smaller weapon. That lightcannon will
destroy anything it hits. The only advantage we have is that they don t seem
to be able to use it often.
From where they have it, they can t fire it too low, not unless they move it,
and that would allow us to use the strategy we d already planned. He smiled
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grimly. I have an idea.
48
Sometime before muster on Octdi morning, Mykel managed to get himself propped
up in the quarters bed, although it took him some time because each movement
of his upper body sent waves of agony through him so great that he felt
light-headed. He moved slowly, not because of the pain, but because he
couldn t see the point in fainting and falling on the floor. That wouldn t
help his healing in the slightest. He supposed he should have slept longer,
but the intermittent burning in his shoulder had made that more than a little
difficult.
He couldn t see his shoulder, but he did use his Talent-senses for a moment to
study the wound, not that he understood what they showed him. He had to stop
almost immediately because he could feel himself getting weaker, ? even with
that minimal effort. He did try to wiggle the fin-; gers on his right hand,
and they did move. That was somewhat encouraging.
There was a perfunctory knock on the quarters door before a ranker appeared
with a tray. Sir... you hungry?
I think I could manage something, thank you.
Here you go, sir. The ranker Mykel finally recalled his name, Einsyl eased
the tray down in front of Mykel.
Mykel was surprised by the egg toast, perfectly golden brown, the fried
apples, and particularly by the small pitcher of berry syrup, accompanied by
two mugs, one of cider and one of ale. He doubted he d ever had a more
appetizing breakfast prepared by Cadmian cooks. Thank you,
Einsyl... and thank the cooks for me. It might be a day or two before I can do
it personally.
Yes, sir. I will, sir. Einsyl inclined his head, then backed out of the
quarters.
Eating left-handed, balancing a tray on his lap, was awkward, but Mykel had to
admit he felt better after he finished. He drank both the cider and the ale.
The liquids, especially, seemed to help the light-headedness.
Outside the window, he could hear morning muster, and what he did hear
convinced him that the entire battalion, less scouts or a few others, remained
in Iron Stem.
Shortly afterward, Rhystan entered the quarters. You look better this
morning, Majer. He smiled wryly. You re only as pale as an alector, rather
than a corpse.
You re cheerful this morning. Have the Squawts and Reillies picked their new
battleleader and left the hills to wreak vengeance on me and all Cadmians?
No word on that. Rhystan bent down and took the breakfast tray, setting it
on the small writing desk, then sat on the stool beside the bed. They re
still having their big meeting. We have another problem.
That didn t surprise Mykel. He only wondered what the new problem might be.
What is it?
I think it s your absence.
That did surprise Mykel. My absence?
In the last day or so, the attacks by sandwolves and the other predators have
been increasing around Iron Stem. It s almost as if they know you re not
there. The head of the out-holders was here last night...
Croyalt? asked Mykel.
Right. He said not to lose men fighting them and let the inholders take their
losses. The big danger was the Reillies.
That s easy for him to say, Mykel replied. As he recalled, Croyalt hadn t
said anything about the Reillies. He d told Mykel to leave well enough alone,
and to depart from Iron Stem, if he could. Did he say any more about the
Reillies?
He said that they knew how to call the sanders ... but he didn t say who
these sanders were.
Mykel realized, belatedly, how that tied to the Reillies.
They re the other predators, the ones that look like little stone men.
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They re very hard to kill. The Reillies probably called them up when Hersiod
took on the miners.
Why is it that the more I hear about Iron Stem the less I want to be here?
Because you re a sensible Cadmian, and nothing sensible is going on here,
Mykel replied. None of it makes sense. The outholders want the inholders to
lose their livestock. The inholders hate the outholders. The people in the
town hate the ironworks, but want every coin they can get from it. No one
likes the dreamdust, but they don t seem to do anything about it. Hersiod s
sent here to protect people, and he immediately kills hundreds. The alectors
want more iron and coal, yet they seem to be going out of their way to
antagonize everyone who might help them produce it. At the time they need it
most, for whatever reason, the weather turns bad, and the rivers run high and
flood out the loading piers in Dekhron. Mykel took a slow deep breath.
There s probably more that I don t know.
That s enough.
What about the ironworks and the mines? Any new problems there?
No problems there at the moment, not that anyone s brought to my attention.
On the patrols where the sandwolves and sanders show up ... concentrated fire
is the answer, and they shouldn t corner the sanders the small sandy figures.
Makes sense. Anything else? asked Rhystan.
If I think of anything, I ll let you know.
Take it easy, Majer. You need to rest and let that shoulder heal.
Mykel remembered what he d wanted to ask. Did the healer ever say what was on
that bolt?
No, sir. Rhystan offered a wry smile. She did say that no one ever lived
after they d been wounded with one with grooves like that on it.
Good fortune. There s always a first time.
Yes, sir. Rhystan s tone, was polite, but barely short of openly
disbelieving.
Mykel laughed. He couldn t help it, and the pain from the laughing didn t stop
him just shortened how long he laughed.
I ll tell the men you re doing much better.
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