'There's no call for you to chip in on this,' Spurral said, fixing him with a look of flint.
'Gods forbid I should take the piss out of somebody called Pinchpot,' Haskeer mocked.
'Lay off,' Jup warned, 'I'm not in the mood.'
'Fuck you.'
'In your dreams.'
Seeing the heat building, Stryke stepped in. ' You,' he said, pointing at Haskeer, 'rest that jaw or I'll break it.' He turned to Jup. 'And you stop taking the bait. Any more bullshit and I'll be cracking skulls. Got it? '
They nodded, sullenly.
'All of us are wound up,' Stryke continued, his tone mollified. 'But there's a rebellion coming and we've gotta be united.' The band's grunts, lounging at a distance, were listening attentively. He looked at Jup. 'Way things are going, you'll be out in the thick of it soon enough.'
'You keep telling me that.'
'It'll happen. That thing in the sky, the prophecy, the rallying call Sylandya's going to make: it'll all rouse the orcs in these parts. We've got to get behind 'em. That's the main thing for us.'
'Is it?' Coilla ventured.
'What do you mean?'
'I have to say it, Stryke. Doesn't getting the stars back come first?'
He sighed. 'I admit I fouled up over that, but — '
She raised a hand to still him. 'I'm not knocking you. I was as much to blame over the one you trusted me with. 'Course we're pledged to helping the rebels. But knowing we can get home's more important, isn't it?'
'On my oath, we'll have the stars back.'
Silence descended. It was the younger of the two humans, Jode Pepperdyne, who broke it. 'What can we — ' He glanced at his companion, Micalor Standeven. 'What can I do to help?'
Stryke's reply was a cautious, drawn out, 'Well…'
'We're stuck here too, you know,' Standeven protested.
'We have to keep plans close to our chests,' Stryke explained. 'For security.'
'You mean you don't trust us,' Pepperdyne said.
'Nobody's saying that,' Coilla assured him.
He scanned the room, taking in their wary eyes. 'What folk say and what they think aren't always the same.'
'Not with me,' Haskeer told him. 'I don't mind saying I reckon too many outsiders know about this band's business.'
Coilla glared at him. ' Haskeer,' she hissed through clenched teeth.
'And when too many know,' he ploughed on regardless, 'we get treachery.'
'I don't have to take these… insinuations,' Standeven announced, puffing up his fleshy chest.
'Whatever they are,' Haskeer said.
'You're questioning my honour.'
'Well ain't that a shame. If you don't like it, you can fuck off.'
'That's enough,' Stryke warned.
'I know when I'm not wanted!' Standeven responded, summoning up what passed for his dignity. He gestured at Pepperdyne, as though signalling to an obedient cur. 'We're leaving!'
Pepperdyne hesitated, catching Coilla's eye for a moment, then followed his departing master.
'Jode!' she called out.
They slammed the door behind them.
Coilla turned on Haskeer. 'You fucking… moron! You oaf! We're beholden to Jode. I owe him my life.'
'Yeah, him,' Haskeer replied. 'What about the other one?'
'I… I don't know about Standeven.'
'We can't trust either of 'em; they're humans. And you're getting too chummy with the younger one.'
Before Coilla could hit back, Stryke took a hand. 'Seems we're forgetting something.' His expression grew dark. 'This is supposed to be a disciplined band,' he told them all. 'Only some of you are acting like it's not. But there's just one way we're gonna get through this, and that's in good order. That means respecting the chain of command, and obeying orders without bellyaching. And it means an end to this bickering! '
Wheam, along with a couple of the other tyros, visibly winced.
'We're gonna see more discipline in this band,' Stryke went on, 'and less backbiting. I'm not asking, I'm telling. And if anybody here thinks they can do a better job than me, now's the time to say it.' No one broke the hush that had fallen, and few met his eyes. 'Right. So no more bullshit. Clear? '
There was a general murmur of agreement.
'What can we do about the stars, Captain?' Dallog asked.
'Hold your horses. Noskaa! ' The grunt sprang to his feet. 'Check that we're not overheard.'
Noskaa went to the door, looked outside and gave a thumbs-up. Then he stood watch there.
'Whether any of you like it or not,' Stryke continued, taking a brief look at Coilla, 'there could be a traitor, in the resistance or nearer home. So any plan about Jennesta's best kept to us for now.'
Dallog said, 'This might seem stupid — '
Haskeer cleared his throat, making a noise that implied ridicule but stayed just short of insubordination.
Dallog shot him a glare and tried again. 'It could be a dumb question, chief, but how do we know Jennesta has all the stars? Including the one Coilla had, I mean.'
'We don't. But it's a good bet she has.'
'You mentioned a plan,' Jup chipped in. 'If it involves getting into the fortress… well, that didn't turn out too brilliant last time, did it?'
'There could be another way.'
'Such as?' Coilla wanted to know, her irritability about Pepperdyne still apparent in her tone.
Stryke chose not to pull her up about it. 'Something I heard from the resistance might be useful. Seems Jennesta's been making regular trips to some kind of sacred place on the edge of the city. A stone circle.'
'What for?'
He shrugged. 'Who knows? Something rank, I expect.'
'Anyway, what about it?'
'She goes in a carriage, in convoy. It's one time when she might be exposed.'
'Why not go for her at the circle?'
'Too well guarded there, and the ground's too open.'
'What makes you think she'd have the stars on her?' Haskeer asked.
'Wouldn't you?' Stryke replied. 'After all she's been through to get 'em?'
'Even on the road she'd have a heavy guard,' Coilla reckoned. ' ' Specially on the road.'
'Course. But the escort peels off for their barracks just before the fortress. That could be our chance.'
'Sounds tight.'
'I didn't say it'd be easy.'
'Brelan and Chillder aren't going to wear another assassination attempt,' Jup decided.
'I'm not saying we should try killing her. Though if we got the chance…'
'Whether we try to kill her or not, Stryke, the resistance won't want to be involved,' Coilla said.
'That's another reason we're keeping this to ourselves. We do it without them knowing.'
'How?'
'We'd need a cover story. And if we do this right it'd only take about half the band.'
'We had a small team last time, and look how that turned out.'
'This is different. It's an ambush. We've done plenty of those in the past.'
'Never against somebody like Jennesta.'
'If you've got a better idea, Coilla…'
'No, I haven't. But I still think we should let Pepperdyne in on this.' Haskeer let out a loud groan. Coilla ignored him. 'He's an asset. He could help us.'
'And he'd keep it a secret from Standeven?' Stryke said.
'I don't think that'd be hard for him.'
