abandoned, as we first thought. We’ve found six humans, sir. Females. They were hiding in the cellar. They call themselves Sisters of Paladine, sir. The subcomman-der wants to know what to do with them.”
Kang groaned. Just one damn problem on top of another. Clerics of Paladine! All he needed. He hoped to the gods that weren’t anymore that they had lost their magical holy powers, just as he had lost his. If not. .
“Did they attack?” he asked grimly.
“They tried, sir.” The draconian grinned. “One of them-a real old and wrinkled-up one-shouted out the name of her cursed god and waved some sort of medallion at us. Nothing happened. The subcommander took the medallion away and told her to sit down and shut up. Her screeching was giving him a headache.”
“Where are they?”
“Still in the cellar, sir.”
“Sir!” Another soldier entered the room. “First and Second Squadron are inside the temple grounds, sir.”
“What about the enemy?”
“Taking up positions outside the temple, sir. Looks as if they’re preparing to attack.”
“Man the walls. I know goblins. Their first attack will come too fast, before they’re organized. Should be no trouble holding them off the first time. The second time’ll be more difficult. Officers report to me in ten minutes.”
“Yes, sir.” The runner dashed off.
“The female humans, sir?” said the soldier.
“The babies, sir?” said Dremon.
Kang put his hand to his forehead. Females and babies? Females and babies. .
“Females and babies!” he cried, triumphant. “That’s it! Don’t you get it?”
The two soldiers shook their heads.
“Females adore babies,” Kang explained. “It’s. . it’s born into them. Instinct.” He strode rapidly across the room. The soldiers ran along behind.
“Even draconian babies, sir?” Dremon asked, dubious.
“All babies,” Kang said firmly. “Baby lions, baby wolf cubs. Baby birds. Baby dragons. According to the bards, females-particularly human females-are always taking in baby animals and raising them. They can’t help themselves.”
“I hope the bards are right, sir!” Dremon said fervently.
So do I, Kang said to himself. So do I. All he said aloud was, “Bring the babies down to the cellar.”
After a hasty meeting with his officers, he left them to their work and hurried through the main temple building. It was empty except for an altar with the image of the god carved in marble. The god was portrayed as a platinum dragon, fearsome, wise, and benevolent. At least that’s how it must have appeared in the not-too-distant past. Now the statue of the dragon looked forlorn and slightly foolish. Or maybe bewildered, baffled. Kang gazed at it, experienced a moment of empathy. He knew how the beast felt. He himself was forlorn, bewildered, baffled. So much had happened in such a little space of time, so much had changed.
Kang patted the statue on the snout as he went by, not so much out of bravado, although the gesture would show his men that he wasn’t afraid of it, as out of a feeling of brotherhood. They’d both been abandoned, he and the statue.
The soldiers led him through the temple proper to a large outbuilding located behind the main building. Here were more living quarters and an enormous kitchen. Behind the kitchen, a large double door built into the ground stood open. They could hear voices coming from below the ground level. Kang clomped down the cellar stairs. The cellar was warm and dry and filled with food smells. The smells were ghosts, however. The cellar was, for the most part, empty. A single sack of flour remained, along with some wizened apples, a sack of potatoes.
By the sunlight streaming down through the cellar door, Kang could see Slith standing in the center of the room. He held no weapons, did not look particularly threatening. Six human females were gathered at the far end of the subterranean chamber, as far from Slith as they could manage. One of the human females, the eldest-a tall, stringy female with hair the color of Kang’s sword and a face so sharp it put his blade to shame-stood glaring defiantly at the draconian. The other females had gathered behind the elderly woman, whom Kang took to be their leader. She shifted her glare to Kang when he entered.
The females wore robes that had once been white but were now covered with dust from the cellar. Each wore around her neck a silver medallion, with the exception of the leader. Kang saw that Slith held her medallion in his hand.
Kang was nonplussed. He’d never had much dealing with human females before. He didn’t find them all that attractive, as did some of his kind. The only female he’d ever really come to know had been a Knight of Takhisis, a soldier, like himself. He had been able to talk to her. He had no idea what to say to a female cleric.
Technically the females were his prisoners, but he needed their help, and he would not gain that help by reminding them of the fact. Nor would he be likely to gain their aid by threats and coercion. He may not know human females, but he could size up a fellow officer, and he could tell by the old female’s proud and upright stance, her fearless gaze and defiant air, that this was not a commander who would be easily intimidated.
Outside he could hear his officers ordering their men to take up positions along the wall. That gave him an idea.
Kang marched forward. Removing his helmet, he held it under his arm and stood to attention.
“I am Commander Kang, ma’am, of the First Dragonarmy Field Engineers. What is your name and rank, ma’am?”
“What does it matter to you, Fiend?” the elderly woman said. “Kill us, and get it over with!”
“We have no intention of killing you, ma’am,” Kang returned. “Your name and rank, ma’am.”
The woman hesitated, then said grudgingly, “I am Hana, one of the blessed sisters of Paladine. I am head of our order. What’s left of our order,” she muttered.
“Sister Hana,” said Kang with a brief bow, “you and the rest of the females may consider yourselves as being under our protection.”
“As being your prisoners is what you mean!” countered Sister Hana.
“No, ma’am,” said Kang, and he turned slowly and deliberately to face sideways, leaving a clear path to the cellar door. “You and the others are free to go, if you choose to do so.”
The females appeared startled, distrustful.
“This is some kind of trick!” said Sister Hana.
“No, ma’am.” Kang gestured. “Slith, the rest of you troops, stand aside.”
Slith and the others shuffled sideways.
“I should warn you, ma’am,” Kang continued, just as the females were starting to make a hesitant move, “that a large goblin army has this temple surrounded. It is possible that you and the rest might be able to slip through their lines and escape. You should know that goblins don’t kill their prisoners. They enslave them.”
One of the younger females gasped.
“Quiet, Sister Marsel!” the older female snapped. “I knew it!” She glared at Kang. “It is a trick. You let us go and then your allies capture us!”
“You are wrong, ma’am,” Kang said quietly. “You have only to go outside and look to see that the goblins are not our allies. They are attacking us. We are outnumbered. We came here to use this temple to defend ourselves.”
The sounds of battle could be heard clearly. Above the clamor of arms and the harsh shouts and cries of the dra-conians sounded a long, thin, high-pitched, spine-tingling wail. The elderly woman paled and, for the first time, her defiance wilted slightly.
“A goblin battle cry, ma’am,” said Slith, standing at attention. “I take it you’ve heard that before.”
“I was in the War of the Lance,” Sister Hana said, more to herself than to them.
“As were we, ma’am,” said Kang, adding politely, “on opposite sides, I believe.”
She cast him a grim and dour glance. “The side of evil!”
“No, ma’am,” said Kang. “It was you who were on the side of evil.”
She drew herself up straight. “I fought in the name of Paladine!”
“And we fought in the name of our goddess. It all depends on your vantage point, doesn’t it, ma’am?” Kang said. The yelling outside had increased, so had the clash of steel against steel. “I would enjoy discussing the issue
