haven’t abandoned them, have you?”
The response consisted of nervous yak about being concerned. He was in the presence of a stranger, with no help close by. And it was not that long since he had proven that he was not arrow-proof.
Hecht stifled rising anger. It was unreasonable anger. These men should not be crushed for listening to their consciences. However much he found their concern inconvenient. “That will be all, then. Back to your posts. The enemy is coming. Terens, tell Mr. Rhuk and Mr. Prosek to attend me as quickly as possible.” This time he did have something new to say to those two.
“Quiet. I need to talk fast.” Prosek and Rhuk had fewer problems with his ways than did most of the others. Rhuk grunted. Hecht continued, “They’re coming. They’re not sure where we are. They expect us to be farther back than this but they don’t really care. Let’s make it a nasty surprise. Everyone wait till I light the candle. Everyone. Understood?”
Rhuk told Prosek, “I do believe the boss wants us to note an important point.”
“Yeah.”
“Can the smart-ass stuff. There won’t be any parley. Their orders are to swamp us and finish us. All. No exceptions. We’ll get through this only if nobody panics and everybody does his job. Pass that word and keep reminding them.”
“Yes sir.”
“Thank you. Go. I hear company coming now.”
There were no drums, no horns, no pipes, only the clang, clatter, and chatter of a mob of rowdy drunks.
Could that be?
Commanders in some armies did get their soldiers drunk before an attack. In the days of war elephants they got the beasts drunk, too.
Hecht jogged a couple hundred yards back, uphill, to the eminence whence he meant to observe and hoped to be seen by the attackers and thought to be a picket.
Seconds after he was in place the Ninth Unknown turned into being behind him. “They’re coming.”
“I hear them. Are they drunk?”
“Some may be. I did work a little mischief with that last night. Any of them who did any drinking will be sluggish and miserable by now.”
“How many are coming?”
“You don’t have enough fingers and toes to count them. Not all of you put together. But you do have an advantage. You didn’t have to hustle uphill for three miles with a hangover to get here.”
Most of the mist on the meadow had burned away. From this vantage the standing water was more obvious. There was more of that than Hecht had thought. But it was still seeping down off the surrounding slopes.
Shapes appeared in the mist beyond the meadow. In moments it was clear that Serenity’s force lacked all discipline. But they made a big crowd.
The Empress materialized as suddenly as had Cloven Februaren. Hecht started and looked around. The Ninth Unknown just stood there wearing a goofy half-wit look. Katrin brought Captain Ephrian and four lifeguards with her. Hecht could not help barking, “What are you doing here?”
“The same as you, Commander. Being seen by those who serve me.”
“That isn’t what I’m doing, Your Grace. I’m pretending to be a picket so the men coming up the hill think they have to trudge on a while yet before they make contact.”
“Then I apologize for destroying that illusion. Nevertheless, I insist on a more respectful attitude.”
He was set to explode. He did not need vultures perched on his shoulders, muttering in his ears. But, out of Katrin’s view, Captain Ephrian shook his head desperately, warning him not to make a scene. Hecht took a deep breath, said, “As you will, Your Grace.”
“Yes. Always. Do not forget that. Who is this man in brown? I don’t recall having seen him before.”
“An agent. I’ve known him for several years. He’s reliable.”
Februaren chuckled. And would not keep his mouth shut. “An agent of the Night. Piper. Pay attention. It’s time.”
Correct. The men would be getting nervous. “Hand me that slow match there.”
Februaren did so, then took a step backward. Then took another. And a third at the moment when Hecht applied the match to the firework Kait Rhuk had fashioned.
A dozen balls of fire leapt fifty feet into the air over a meadow filled with floundering men cursing water and mud.
One hundred forty-six hidden firepowder weapons-including every last piece taken from Krulik and Sneigon- spoke during the next dozen seconds, each hurling six or more pounds of loam and stones.
Everything out front vanished in the smoke. There was no telling the effect of the salvo. It did have one. The mob did not emerge from the smoke.
That, initially dense enough to harm lungs, drifted westward, off the meadow and down the slope of the Shades.
Now Hecht needed his men to execute their orders without flaw. The men had to form crews at previously designated weapons while the enemy was stunned. They had to reload those and fire at the biggest enemy group they saw. No defense other than the falcons would be deployed.
The auxiliaries from Vis Corcula were supposed to drag any idled weapons to positions farther back.
The smoke thinned, unveiling the nearer meadow.
Hecht was horrified.
No sounds came from down there… He heard nothing because of the violence done his ears by all those explosions. There had to be a lot of screaming out there.
The smoke continued to drift and disperse.
Serenity’s men had stopped moving.
Hecht heard the dull ghost of a falcon’s bark. Somebody thought he saw something worth a shot.
Hecht said, “This is where the smoke could be a huge problem.” He got no response. Cloven Februaren had disappeared. He wished that Katrin had done the same.
The enemy resumed his advance.
A falcon bellowed. Another followed. Then another. Then one blew up. Hecht could make out the screams that followed.
The wind picked up and shifted as much as the terrain allowed, a couple points to the north. That pushed the smoke out of the way a little faster.
Soon the people down the hill stopped slogging listlessly into the kill zone.
The smoke cleared entirely, betraying the full horror. Using Katrin’s lifeguards as messengers, Hecht nagged his officers to get the falcons repositioned, reloaded, and retrained. As many as time allowed.
The Empress said nothing and did not overrule his use of her companions. Captain Ephrian was not pleased but kept his peace.
Katrin spoke only after full use of her hearing returned. She did not say a lot, though, and Hecht ignored her as much as he dared. He hoped none of the enemy recognized her. But, so long as she insisted on being on the battlefield, he hoped her presence stiffened the resolve of the Righteous.
The work of the falcons was gut-wrenching awful but no victory had been won. The attackers, if not overawed and intimidated early, would realize the weapons took a long time to recharge. And only few could be kept in action after the initial salvo.
On reflection, though, he decided the enemy would have to know as much about firepowder weapons as he did to understand how vulnerable he really was.
Silence again. The only smoke visible was way off down the slope, nearing the plain. Hecht looked for signs of Sedlakova’s presence down there, saw nothing.
“How many casualties out there?” Katrin asked. “A thousand?”
“Or more.” Most not yet dead. The least badly hurt trying to help other survivors. The standing water now red. And Hecht suspecting that many of the dead might have drowned.
Signals and messengers informed him as each battery came ready for action.
Downhill, out of range, men roamed about helping the injured, peering and pointing, often obviously arguing.
