advance that project further and better than defeating a major Vanbert army for the first time in history-with Grayhills and other routed Jotties huddling for shelter under Reedbottom protection.
'So be it,' commanded Prelotta. He reached out both his arms and gave his hands a little forward flip, commanding his chieftains. 'See to the thing! I want this column there by nightfall.'
They obeyed instantly. Strange he might be to his subordinates, in many ways, but Prelotta was a charismatic leader. Even Helga would admit as much, his stench notwithstanding.
When the chieftains were gone, the stench came nearer. A minute later, as the column lurched back into motion, Prelotta was riding next to Helga.
Instead of Adrian. That was surprising. Prelotta was always polite to her, even pleasant, but he normally didn't pay much attention to her. As a rule, even among the chiefly class, the Southron tribesmen were easier going in their treatment of women than Vanberts-leaving aside the horrid practice of female circumcision-much less Emeralds or Islanders. But they still didn't include women in their political or military councils, even if they weren't kept secluded in their private homes the way noblewomen in civilized lands usually were.
'So tell me, Helga, what's your opinion?' He had a sly little smile on his face. Helga thought it looked even more hideous than the grin. 'Should I adopt the Vanbert or Emerald custom, when it comes to public bathing?'
Jesting, is it? She gave Adrian a sly smile of her own.
'Ha!' she barked. 'You savages parade around in public all but naked anyway. So why in the name of the gods would you want to saddle yourself with that Emerald silliness? Separate the sexes in the baths? That means twice the number of baths-and twice the work.' With a sneer: 'Only the damn Emeralds, who confuse simple arithmetic with 'Mystic Number,' would come up with such foolishness.'
Helga glanced at Adrian to see if she was getting a rise out of him.
Nope. Hard to do, that. Harder than with any man I've ever known.
Adrian was smiling also. 'I agree, Prelotta. And the gods know I'd rather look at naked women than naked men. I've been in both, and Vanbert baths are just plain more interesting. '
Prelotta nodded, as solemnly as if they were discussing the fate of the world. Which, in a weird and twisted way, Helga realized, they might be.
'Done, then. I shall so instruct my people.' The solemnity was fleeting; the sly little smile was back. 'And no doubt that will do much to reconcile my Vanbert subjects to their new status.'
Helga tried to picture a Vanbert public bath, men and women mixed together casually, crowded with virtuous matrons and…
Dammit, I'm going to giggle again.
Chapter 24
Two days later, Helga had no trouble at all to keep from giggling.
'The gods save us,' she muttered. From the top of the wagon where she was perched, she had a perfect view of the Confederate army. Tomsien might not have had her father's flair for war, but he was an experienced and capable field commander. Even with a force as gigantic as this one, his Vanbert regulars were spreading out in the valley and taking up their positions smoothly and easily. It was more like watching a machine than men.
She turned her head toward Jessep, standing next to her. The ex-soldier looked as tight-faced as she suspected she did.
'Never seen it from this vantage point before,' said Yunkers softly. 'Been in the middle of it, of course. Which, I can tell you, always gives a soldier a solid sort of feeling.'
Grimly, he watched the Confederate army continue its evolution. 'From this perspective, though, it's downright scary. If your man's scheme doesn't work the way he thinks it will…'
He left the rest unsaid. Confederate armies were almost always harsh toward defeated opponents, even civilized ones like the Emeralds. Toward barbarians-especially ones who had plundered the southern provinces as savagely as these had just done-they would be utterly merciless.
Granted, the infantry itself wouldn't be able to butcher those who managed to flee the immediate area of the battle before being swept up. Confederate regulars would maintain their disciplined formations at all times, and, in the nature of things, a single man-especially if he's mounted-can outrun a hundred moving together.
But that was one of the principal reasons the Confederacy employed auxiliary troops. Cavalry, mostly, the bulk of them from the Southron tribes themselves. Vanbert military tradition didn't consider cavalry of much use in an actual battle. Confederate generals used their cavalry for scouting, skirmishing-and to pursue and butcher a routed foe. Which task their auxiliaries handled splendidly, and the fact that they would be butchering other Southron barbarians wouldn't bother them in the least.
Helga started to make some sour comment about savages and their innate disloyalty, but her own innate honesty kept the words from being spoken. If push came to shove after all, Jessep and his own men were quite prepared to kill other Confederates in this battle.
She eyed him sidelong, for a moment. Then, abruptly: 'Does it bother you? Being on this side, I mean.'
He shrugged. 'Can't say it pleases me any. But… 'bothers' me? No, lass.'
He turned away from the sight of the coming army and faced her squarely. Jessep's face seemed blockier than usual.
'There isn't much of 'loyalty' left, in a man who's served twenty-five years in the regiments. Except, maybe, loyalty to such men as led you well, in battle, and saw to your retirement if you survived. Like your father, first and foremost.'
Yunkers waved his hand toward the cluster of wagons at the very center of the laager, where Adrian and Prelotta had set up the compound which served as their field headquarters. From the center of it rose a twenty- foot-tall watchtower, hastily but solidly built from lashed-together logs. 'I don't work for your boyfriend, girl, or his half-tame savages. I work for your father. Same's true for my boys. Verice Demansk sent us down here, and told us to do whatever you wanted. For them, as me, that's good enough.'
He glanced back at Tomsien's huge force, which was now beginning its march across the valley. 'Little the Confederacy ever did for me and mine, when all is said and done.'
Helga couldn't keep from smiling. 'Whatever I wanted, is it? Then why-'
Jessep snorted. 'He was quite precise on that matter, girl, however loose he may have been otherwise. 'Just make sure you keep the hoyden out of any fighting herself.' Speaking of which-'
He looked down into the laager. Helga's personal bodyguard Lortz was standing not far away, staring up at Jessep and his charge perched on the wagon.
'Speaking of which, Lortz is looking none too happy. They'll be within javelin range before much longer, and the field artillery will start up even sooner. It's time you got down from here, girl, and went back to your Adrian. And stay in the center compound, dammit.'
'As if I'll have much choice,' she grumbled. 'You and the hundred will be there right alongside me. The biggest-and certainly the grumpiest-governess I ever had.'
But it was just a token protest. Helga took one last look at the endless files and neat formations of the coming Confederacy, and discovered that she really wasn't at all keen to meet them personally. Those locked shields looked impenetrable, and the assegais, sharp. She scrambled off the wagon in quite a sprightly manner, truth be told.
Once on the ground, though, she took the time to peek into the interior of the wagon through one of the gunports on the inner side. She could see into it quite easily, since the gunport was being unused. The Reedbottom warriors within the wagon were all clustered on the other side, facing the enemy.
She could see all fourteen of them. Two were at each of the five gunports, one of them with an arquebus already poking through and his partner with two more ready. Toward Helga's side of the wagon, the remaining four men of the crew had still more guns loaded and were ready to begin cleaning and reloading the used ones.
It was an impressive bit of organization in its own right, Helga had to admit. The more so since she knew this same scene would be repeated over and again, identically, in every one of the four hundred or so wagons which
