for the same reason, I'd have done it, Joss. Don't think otherwise. I wonder: what if Captain Anji is right? Maybe the Hundred needed the cloaks a long time ago. But I've felt their power, I've had my heart laid open, and I'll never trust them now, even if they claim to be holy Guardians.'
The stars bloomed like an echo of the campfires and lamps strewn around the encampment. The past was as unreachable as the stars, something we can gaze on but never touch.
'You're wrong about the Guardians,' he said. 'That some became corrupt doesn't mean all must. That some turned against justice doesn't mean all will. We're all susceptible in so many ways, but we don't all succumb. That Anji says so, doesn't make it true. Especially when it serves him to get rid of them.'
'I'm thinking about it,' she murmured. 'I haven't made up my mind. Meanwhile, I have a plan. A strong swimmer can make it across the river. It'll be a steep climb up the western bank, but at dawn you can call your eagle. Fly me to Olossi, so I can give my report to the Hieros and warn Kesh, get him away to where Anji and his soldiers can't ever reach him.'
'I thought you disliked her.'
'She is Hieros. She serves Ushara faithfully. Anyhow, I'm bound to report to her.'
'That current is cursed powerful. It would be crazy enough to try to swim across in daylight. At night, it's a death trap. Better you wait out the night with me here and I'll take you away in the morning on Scar. Anji can scarcely attack my reeves, can he? He's not fool enough to kill me in front of the entire army. I'll whistle Scar in at dawn, and we'll be out before he knows we're gone. Of course I'll fly you to Olossi. Why not? I've always wondered what two people could manage while harnessed up in the air. Wouldn't you like to try?'
She laughed. 'No one can see us here,' she whispered. 'Now.'
She flung wide the blanket and they rolled onto it, kissing and caressing as she worked him out of his leathers and he unfastened her thin vest, untied her kilt, and loosed her hair so it tumbled over her shoulders. Skin to skin, he thought he was likely to be obliterated out of sheer pleasure, the earth their bed, the river their song, the wind and stars their coverlet, desire blazing.
And they'd barely gotten started. He knew how to take his time. She knew how to make things last.
But there is an end. Afterward the cooling ardor had its own
glories: the simple animal sense of satisfaction, a tincture of smugness as she nestles against you well pleased, the easing of your heartbeat as you're overtaken by smiling lassitude.
He sighed contentedly as he grinned. 'If my murderer intends to take me off my guard, now would be the time.'
She sat up and tied back her hair. 'Best we go,' she said in a brisk voice that might not have been moaning moments before in that terribly arousing and aroused way. 'We shouldn't have, but — Aui! — I've been waiting to do that for a cursed long time.' Yet she briskly untangled her clothes from his and shoved his leathers onto his chest, then dressed so quickly it was obvious she'd trained to have facility at these tasks in the dark. 'We must go. He'll strike when you least expect it. Joss-'
'It's beyond reckless to try crossing that river at night.' He sought and found a hip, his hand urging her closer. 'We'll go back to camp, wait it out among the reeves. And then tomorrow
— or again tonight, if you insist-'
She twisted out of his grasp and rose. 'I'm going now. Come with me.'
'You'll get to Olossi faster if you go with me at dawn. I admit, I have doubts about Anji, about the way he's taken control of so many aspects of this campaign. But we must take this discussion in front of the councils. Indeed, I have to. For if I seem to have run, bolted under cover of night, I'll lose what little authority I've worked to build. They'll call me a coward. I can't — I won't
— do that to the reeve halls.'
'You're a gods-rotted fool, Joss. Come with me now.'
'Not until morning-'
She loped into the night so abruptly he didn't fancy leaping up and chasing stark naked after her. The hells! Yet she was a hierodule. An assassin. She wouldn't have warned him unless there was smoke signifying fire. Not unless there was a deeper plot afoot by the Hieros to set Joss against Anji for the temple's gain. What did Ushara's temple gain out of an alliance with Anji? The same things Anji gained: order, and control.
The hells. Joss wrestled with his thoughts as he fumbled with his leathers. His hands were clumsy, as if that bout of devouring had eaten his coordination. He shook out the blanket and stumbled back to the reeve camp, where Peddonon, asleep on the blanket he'd stolen from Joss, cracked an eye for long enough to squint at him in the light of the single sentry lantern, and mum-
ble, 'So does that bewildered expression mean you've just had the best sex of your life, or the worst?'
'My head hurts,' said Joss, and Peddonon laughed, and they settled companionably down side by side. Joss fell so hard into the pit of sleep that he was startled when the sun's light flashed him to wakefulness. He was lying on his side, facing east, the sun a glare on his eyelids.
He sat up, rubbing his mess of hair. Most of the reeves were awake. The camp was moving, shrugging the sleep off its shoulders. He got up and dusted grass off his leathers, spotted Peddonon off in the distance laughing with some soldiers, found a place to take a piss. Shook out and rolled up her blanket. Aui! That had been something. Just to think of it — never mind. He fought down the intense physical memory that washed him, and gave serious consideration to running over to the river and plunging into the shallows just to cool down.
Had she really attempted a night crossing? Could she possibly have survived?
No use walking down trails that led nowhere. The army was getting ready to move out. It was time to act like the commander of the reeve halls. He set his bone whistle to his lips, blew Scar's signal, then waved to Peddonon and set off for the awning that sheltered the command unit. The guards let him through. Anji was awake, of course, hair in its neat topknot, tabard brushed clean, and holding his sleepy son as he conferred with his chiefs and captains.
He looked around, noting Joss's approach; there wasn't a cursed hint of surprise or consternation, nothing but a pleasant smile.
'Joss. Greetings of the dawn to you. We're just discussing the day's march. We've had a day to rest and resupply. Now we've got to begin a pursuit and patrol of the countryside and road between here arid Toskala. I'll need the reeves to-'
'Commander Anji. I know you need the reeves. But as commander of the reeve halls, I need to be called in at the start of any council that concerns my reeves. Especially in the current situation, when so many reeves are dealing with eagles who have been pushed to their limit. Naturally, we've got to work together in order to deal with the remaining cohorts, but my reeves and eagles are stretched thin and now is not the time to break them.'
Anji's gesture turned into a wave toward aides waiting to one side. 'Bring cordial. Or juice if you'd prefer.'
'Either is fine. My thanks.'
'I wasn't aware,' Anji continued reasonably, 'that Copper Hall or Gold Hall had recognized you as commander of the reeve halls, even in a ceremonial position. I've received Copper Hall's sanction to deploy them as I see fit. But no matter. You're right to feel concern on behalf of the eagles. They're more valuable than men, are they not? Isn't it true that if a reeve dies, his eagle will simply choose a new reeve, but if an eagle dies, his reeve dies with him? Ah, here's the cordial. Will you be needing nai porridge? Rice? We've already eaten.'
Joss was aware how he must look, having slept on the ground and done much else besides although surely none of these men could suspect. Captain Arras, looking Joss over, had a frown on his face that caused Joss to brush his stubbled jaw to make sure some telltale mark hadn't been left, but there was only a stray wisp of grass. '
With his free hand, Anji poured from a ceramic pot into cups, took one for himself, and let the rest be passed around. Joss drank with the others. The baby dozed, his head on his father's shoulder. Anji wasn't wearing the Qin armor today but only a thick quilted coat under his tabard. Dark circles beneath his eyes made him look drained of life and spirit, but how could he not be? Just last night he'd heard that his beloved wife had been murdered.
Aui! Could it be the news had driven him insane enough to threaten Zubaidit? Was it likely a man in the first shock of grief could even conceive of such a convoluted plan? Had Zubaidit misunderstood Anji? Could she have made it up? But that made no sense either.
Anji was dangerous. Like fire, he had to be contained. But at the same time, he'd done more to save the Hundred than any other person except perhaps Mai. Wasn't she the person who had persuaded him to fight in the
