out for them. Haskeer was sampling the wine. Wheam was being made a fuss over by his fellow tyros, and not a few veterans.
'We've got to make this quick,' Stryke informed them briskly. 'You been told what's going on?' Just about everybody shook his head. 'Story is Jennesta's about to run for the coast. Might have started by now.'
'What are the rebels doing about it?' Coilla wanted to know.
'It's down to us. If we want the mission.'
'Do we fuck,' Haskeer thundered. 'Let's go after the bitch.'
There was a general murmur of agreement.
'Anybody see why we shouldn't?' Stryke said.
No one did.
'So what's the plan?' Pepperdyne asked.
'Wait a minute,' Haskeer objected. 'Who said you were coming along?'
'I'm not wasting time arguing about these two,' Stryke declared, waving a hand at Pepperdyne and Standeven. 'Choice is between leaving them here or taking them with us. I reckon it's better to take 'em.'
'Why?'
'They have a grievance against Jennesta too,' Coilla reminded him. 'Don't you, Jode?'
'Er… yes.' He knew this was no time to deviate from the cover story he and Standeven had concocted.
'And we know Jode's more than handy in a scrap,' Coilla added.
'Maybe,' Haskeer granted. 'But why do we need this other one? He's no use in a fight.'
'Talk about me like I'm not here, why don't you,' Standeven protested.
'Yeah, we will,' Stryke assured him. 'I reckon I'd rather have you where I can see you, 'specially given how the rebels feel about that thing with the intruder. Or whatever he was.'
'How many more times,' Standeven responded, 'do I have to explain — '
'We're not going through it again. You two are coming. And like I said, we're not debating this. All of you: get yourselves ready, on the double. We leave as soon as I've seen Brelan and Chillder.'
'I'll come with you,' Coilla decided.
They left the band collecting their gear.
The first thing Chillder said when they found her was, 'You're going?'
Stryke nodded.
'I have a feeling we won't be seeing you again.'
'Who knows?' Strangely, he had a similar feeling.
'I hope we will,' Brelan offered.
'Way things are going,' Coilla reckoned, 'you two are probably going to be too busy running the country.'
'Thanks in part to you. And we're grateful.'
'Yeah, well,' Stryke told them, 'let's not get sloppy. We could lose Jennesta and be back tomorrow.'
'Perhaps.'
'I'd like to have a minute with the Vixens,' Coilla requested.
'Most of them are outside,' Brelan said.
'That all right, Stryke? I'll be quick.'
'Go.'
She wished the twins good luck and went out.
Chillder smiled. 'Whatever your true goal is Stryke, we hope you reach it.' As he was leaving she added, 'That bit in the prophecy about a legendary band.'
'What of it?'
'Maybe it was true.'
12
There was only one main road leading to the southern coast. Or more accurately only one that was likely to be suitable for the small army accompanying Jennesta. The Wolverines took it.
Before they left, they learned a little more from the rebels' spies. General Hacher, it seemed, had mysteriously disappeared. Having promoted some aide or other to fill the gap, Jennesta had promptly abandoned the successor to his fate. Of more interest to the band was that she had insisted on being transported from the city by carriage, and that supply wagons had been taken along. The Wolverines, on the other hand, travelled light.
After a quarter day's hard riding they got a first glimpse of the sea. Their approach was on high ground, and they could look down on the bay and its tiny harbour.
'No ship,' Coilla said.
'And no Jennesta,' Stryke replied.
'Could she have got away?'
'Doubt it. There's not been time. You'd at least expect to see a sail on the horizon. I reckon the ship she's summoned hasn't got here yet.'
'So where is she?'
'Dunno. Send out scouts.' He had an idea. 'No, wait. Jup! Over here! '
The dwarf galloped to him. 'Chief?'
'There's no sign of her.'
'So I see.'
'Think your farsight could help? Might be quicker than searching.'
'I'll give it a try.'
He climbed down from his horse, not without difficulty given his size, watched by an amused Haskeer. Jup flashed him an offensive gesture. Then he walked a little way from the others, knelt down and began worming his fingers into the sandy earth. The tyros and the two humans, unused to Jup's gift, watched with interest.
'What if she has gone, Stryke?' Coilla said. 'Maybe she did catch a ship. What then?'
He sighed and gave it some thought. 'Maybe the rebels could help us find out where she's gone, and maybe we could — '
'Follow her to this Peczan empire? A fucking empire, Stryke. Want to fight one of those?'
'Or we could go back and carry on with the resistance.'
'We've done about as much for them as we can, and you know it. And what do we do when the revolution's over? Go home, knowing we only coped with half the mission?'
'If she's really got away, we might have to.'
'Shit on that,' Coilla hissed.
Jup shouted and beckoned them over. Stryke gave the order to dismount, and the band went to him.
'Any luck?' Coilla wondered.
Jup nodded. He still had his hand half buried in the ground.
'Where?' Stryke said.
'A little inland and to the west.'
'Sure it's them?'
'Well, farsight isn't like seeing a picture somebody's painted or a page from a book. It… it's hard to explain. Just say that what I'm getting is like a spread of gems on a black cloth. There's lots of 'em. That means a sizeable number of living things. Not animals either; they flare differently. And right in the middle of all that there's a big, blood-red diamond, pulsing like… well, I don't want to think like what.'
'That's Jennesta?'
'I'd bet a year's pay on it. If we got paid. It has to be them, Stryke. But…' He looked troubled.
'What?'
'There's something else. Back the way we came, and further off, but even stronger despite the distance.'
Heads turned in the direction he'd indicated.
