Maia полностью

"Everyone saw it, and of course everyone wondered what on earth could have happened. A moment later we closed with the enemy and there was some pretty nasty fighting for a bit and I got this, incidentally" (he touched his leg), "but the real sting had gone out of our attack because the men were completely bewildered-no one knew, now, what the hell was supposed to be going on. Kapparah was cutting his way in towards us and he actually got through and joined up with us, but by that time our attack had just fizzled out for want of leadership. Erketlis had lost quite a few men-especially on the left-but so had we; and of course the trouble was that he was still there, where he'd been to begin with, blocking the road. We hadn't shifted him.

"The officers all wanted to go in again, but once an attack like that's failed, you know, it's very dificult to get the men to renew it. And it couldn't have been more conspicuous, you see, what Elvair'd done. You couldn't disguise it, you couldn't gloss it over. We went back about a quarter of a mile and hung about and argued. The enemy never moved: I reckon they must have been too tired for Erketlis to risk a counter-attack. Kapparah was crazy to have another go, but Elvair'd got nothing to say to it and there was no one else who had any recognized authority or standing, you see. And then the Tonildans started muttering and saying it was only forty miles to Thettit and what were they waiting for-oh, Maia, to tell you the truth I'd rather not go on! In the end we just sort of drifted off the field. And that was the most shameful thing I've ever seen."

"Well, all I can say is-" began Maia; but Shend-Lador had not done.

"We retreated a few miles and camped for the night. They didn't pursue us. Erketlis had got what he wanted; Ikat; because we hadn't stopped him. And yet we'd had him as good as beat! He'd taken a risk and it wouldn't have come off, if only-" Shend-Lador drove his fist into his palm.

"The captains met next day and deposed Elvair. There'd have been no holding the men otherwise. I said I'd go back to Bekla with him-I was no use with this leg anyway, you see. The army fell back into Lapan and Kapparah took

over the command. He'll have handed over to Kembri by now."

He helped himself to a lump of thrilsa. After a moment, nibbling, he smiled and winked at Maia. "Never mind; they say Lespa dreams it all, don't they? Poor girl must be just about tossing and turning in her sleep by now, I should think. I wish she'd wake up for a piss: I've had about enough of this particular dream, and that's a fact."

"Oh, quiet, Shenda!" cried Maia, who was supersti-tiously frightened by impiety-especially where Lespa was concerned. "But I don't understand! I was told as Ran-dronoth was supposed to be going to join to you with every man he had. When did you and Elvair leave? Didn't you see Randronoth at all?"

"Well, that's the mysterious thing," replied Shend-La-dor. "No one's seen hide nor hair of Randronoth or any of his men, either. When I left with Elvair, they'd already sent two messengers to ask where the hell he was and what he meant to do."

"So it'll be all right now, will it?" asked Maia. "I mean, that ought to be enough to keep Erketlis from getting anywhere near Bekla?"

"I wish I felt sure of that," said Shend-Lador. "Kembri's a good general, but what he's got there is a demoralized army to which I gather they've just added a bunch of untrained, reluctant conscripts. As for Randronoth, if I were Kembri I'd believe him when I saw him."

"Why, where d'you reckon he's got to, then?" asked Maia.

"Well, I think he's like the rest of them-hanging back and waiting to see how things turn out. The provinces have all got enough troubles of their own, you know, Maia. There are half-a-dozen heldro scraps going on in as many different provinces, and no governor's got men to spare. I heard that most of the men they sent up to Bekla for Kembri were just about the bottom of the barrel: they'd even let 'em out of the jails, some of them."

"Ah!" said Maia, "That just accounts for something as I saw t'other day, down the Market. I'd say you were just about right."

"Well, I might find myself catching it in the neck yet, I suppose," said Shend-Lador, rather in the tone of voice in which he might have said he was expecting to be badgered by creditors. Looking down at the gold Leopard em-

blem round his neck, he pretended to tug at it. "It won't come off, you see. But you'll be all right, Maia. You're going to be Sacred Queen, aren't you? That'll mean-"

"No!" she cried, stamping her foot. "No! I'm not, and I'm sick and tired of bein' told as I am! I-"

"Well, that's only what everybody's saying," he answered. "But whether or not, no one's going to be in a hurry to chop up a lass like you. It isn't even as if you'd been a Leopards' shearna or any particular Leopard's girl, is it? I think you've handled things very cleverly from that point of view."