that you made a mistake and did not appreciate the position you were placing us in.'
The renegade understood the khan's insidious plan. It had been Yamun, not Batu, who had sent the scouts into the pass. Nevertheless, Chanar was blaming the Shou, hoping to provide the khahan with a convenient scapegoat for what appeared to be a disastrous decision. In addition, he had constructed his arguments in such a way that Batu either looked like a traitor for sending the patrol into an ambush, or an idiot for not realizing that there might be one. At the same time, the Tuigan general had neatly sidestepped the central issue, which was that he and his men were the ones who were supposed to be searching out the ambushes.
Batu suspected that Yamun was as aware of Chanar's tactic as he himself. Nevertheless, bearing in mind the khahan's earlier comments about Chanar's rivalry, the renegade decided to turn the tables on the haggard khan. 'General Chanar, you are a liar.'
'How dare you!' Chanar responded. He turned to the khahan. 'Must I continually endure this dog's abuse in your yurt?'
The khahan silenced the angry general with a gesture, then turned to Batu. 'It is a terrible insult to call a man a liar to his face,' he said. 'Perhaps you wish to rethink your words?'
'No,' Batu responded, staring straight at Chanar. 'I can prove what I say, if you will ask Chanar to empty his pockets.'
Chanar frowned. His hand drifted toward the left pocket of his del and he seemed worried. Batu knew he had caught his rival off-guard. The Tuigan had clearly not expected to be searched.
'Will you do this, Chanar?' the Mighty One asked.
Although the khahan phrased the request as a question, Chanar had no choice except to comply. Biting his lip, he reached into his pocket. He withdraw a handful of gold coins and a four-spoked golden wheel beset with rare gems-the crest of some religious or military order. Even from several yards away, Batu could see that the thing was worth a fortune.
'I brought these for you, Great Khahan,' Chanar said, thinking on his feet. 'They are but small samples of the wealth beyond the mountains.'
'How did you come by them?' Yamun demanded, motioning Chanar forward.
'I took them off an enemy,' the haggard man responded, giving his commander the golden wheel.
'Only a fool would take something so heavy and of such value into battle,' Batu declared.
Hefting the wheel, the khahan said, 'So it would seem.'
'You took it while looting,' Batu continued, his eyes fixed on Chanar's snarling form. 'No doubt, that is when you were really ambushed.'
Chanar turned back to the khahan. 'Nobody calls me a liar. I demand the right to avenge this insult!'
'Gladly,' Batu responded, rising.
The khahan flung the golden wheel aside. 'No!' he stormed. 'I will not be dishonored by such behavior!' The Tuigan ruler stood. 'We have been sitting too long. Our tempers have grown short with boredom, and we all long to feel the wind in our hair. It is clear that a strong enemy lies in our path, for five thousand Tuigan do not die easily, whether they are ambushed or not.'
Yamun looked from Chanar to Batu, scowling at each man in turn. 'Chanar is a Tuigan khan and a cunning leader. Batu has earned my respect on the battlefield, something no enemy has ever done. You are both my honored generals, yet you are more concerned with fighting each other than our enemies.'
The khahan shook his head and walked away from the pair. 'How should I choose between you?'
'I know,' Batu said.
'How?' demanded Chanar.
Smiling confidently, Batu said, 'I will take five minghans, the same number of troops as Chanar had, and blaze a trail through the mountains. If I and my five thousand troops fail, I will be Chanar's quiverbearer, honor- bound to follow his orders even though it means death.'
'And if you succeed?' the khahan asked, turning around to face his quarreling subordinates.
'I will be Batu's quiverbearer,' Chanar said, grinning confidently, 'honor-bound to serve him even though it means death.'
'Good,' the khahan said. 'I bear witness to your challenge and the wagers placed on it. Let all who question you know that this is done by the word of the khahan.'
19
A tremendous crack sounded from the mountainside, and a bright light flared to Batu's right. Kicking free of his stirrups, he leaped out of the saddle just as a blinding flash struck the horse. A shock-wave jolted the renegade so hard that his teeth snapped together. As he slammed to the ground, the breath fled his lungs and a deafening boom set the earth itself to trembling. The discordant smells of ozone and scorched horse-hide filled the air, then his mount's carcass collapsed across his lower body.
At first Batu thought that his legs had been crushed, then that he was blind, and finally that he was deaf. For several moments, he lay motionless and isolated, his only connection to the world the cold mud beneath his face and the dead weight of his horse across his thighs. Finally, the pressure on his legs eased, his ears started to ring, and the white before his eyes faded to shades of gray. A pair of hands grasped his shoulders and dragged him to his feet.
'Commander! Are you hurt?'
Though it seemed muffled and distant, Batu recognized the voice. It belonged to Jochibi, the grisled veteran whom Yamun had assigned to him as second-in-command. Jochibi's true task, the renegade knew, was to act as the khahan's spy and insure that Batu did not betray his Tuigan master. Fortunately, the task did not conflict with serving as an advisor and adjutant, and the two men had developed a respect for each other.
As Batu regained his feet, he said, 'Nothing feels broken.' His vision had returned to normal, and he could see his subordinate's face. Jochibi's braids were streaked with gray. On the Tuigan's cheeks were parallel, self- inflicted scars that prevented his beard from growing.
'Another near miss,' Jochibi observed.
'Yes,' the Shou replied. A hundred yards away, fifty of his bodyguard had already reached the base of the mountain and dismounted. They were alternately firing arrows and clambering up the steep slope in pursuit of Batu's attacker, one of the enemy's red-robed wizards.
The wizard was supported by a dozen of the huge dog-men that the prisoners called gnolls. Easily eight feet tall, the furry brutes stood on their hind legs and used their hands as men did. However, they had the ferocious faces of huge, heavy-snouted dogs, complete with wet black noses, pointed ears, and long, vicious teeth.
As Batu watched, the red-clad wizard left his hiding place and fled along the mountainside, leaving the gnolls to cover his retreat.
'I wish I knew how they were picking me out,' Batu said. Though he was dressed exactly the same as his subordinates, it was the fifth time an enemy wizard had appeared behind the lines and tried to assassinate him.
'Magic,' Jochibi responded. He grabbed a handful of earth, then kissed it in a superstitious attempt to neutralize the effects of the unnatural art. 'The enemy has too much of it. It scares the men and makes them fight like women.'
'They may be afraid of magic, but they're hardly fighting like women,' Batu replied, pointing at the guards charging up the mountainside. The gnolls were raining arrows down on them, using bows so long and powerful that a normal man could not draw one. The deadly shower did not slow the Tuigan at all.
Jochibi observed the charge for a moment, then spat on the ground. 'Tuigan can run faster.'
'Perhaps,' Batu responded, admiring his subordinate's spirit. 'Get me another horse. I want to be at the front of the column when we break out of this deathtrap.'
Jochibi bit his lip. 'The khahan's orders were to bring you back alive.'
'My orders are to get a horse!' Batu snapped.
