Kavass said next, and was about to turn away when he realized that they were all waiting for him to reply. He remained silent, but looked steadily at Kavass as though expecting him to say something more. Kavass seemed confused.
'Well, I only meant, sir – and no disrespect, I'm sure – when he came ashore that morning, when you was with him, whether he told you he'd appear again, like – that he'd be there to make sure we won the battle,' said Kavass.
Ta-Kominion continued to stare at him, guessing at his meaning. The men became uneasy.
'Nothing to do with us,' muttered one. 'I said as 'twas nothing to do with us.'
'Well, only it's like this, sir,' pursued Kavass. 'I was one of the first beside you that morning, and when Lord Shardik went over the water, you told us he knew Ortelga was as good as taken and he was off to Bekla – to show us the way, like. And what the lads was wondering, sir, was whether he's going to be there to win for us when we come to fight?'
'We're bound to win, aren't we, sir?' said another of the men. 'It's the will of Shardik – the will of God.'
'How do you know?' said a fourth, a surly, sceptical-looking fellow with blackened teeth. He spat on the ground. 'D'you think a bear talks, eh? 'Think a bear talks?'
'Not to you,' replied Kavass contemptuously. 'Of course he don't talk to the likes of you – or me either, for the matter of that. What I told you was that Lord Shardik had said we was to march on Bekla and that he was going there himself. So it stands to reason he's going to appear when we fight the battle. If you don't place no reliance on Lord Shardik, why are you here?'
'Well, it's all according, ain't it?' said the man with the blackened teeth. 'He might be there and then again he might not. All I said was, Bekla's a strong place. There's soldiers -'
'Be quiet!' cried Ta-Kominion. He walked across to the man as steadily as he was able, took his chin in his hand and lifted his head as he tried to focus his eyes on his face. 'You blasphemous fool! Lord Shardik can hear you now – and see you as well! But you will not see him until the appointed time, for he means to test your faith.'
The man, twenty years older than Ta-Kominion at least, stared back at him sullenly without a word.
'You can be sure of this,' said Ta-Kominion, in a voice that could be heard by everyone near by. 'Lord Shardik intends to fight for those that trust him. And he will appear when they fight – he will appear to those that deserve it! But not to those who deserve a wood-louse for a God.'
As he stumbled away he wondered yet again how long Kelderek would need to overtake them. If all went well it might be possible, while the army encamped that night, to discuss with Kelderek how best they could make use of Shardik. Whatever might be disclosed afterwards by Baltis and the other men who were now with Kelderek, Shardik must appear to the enemy in awe-inspiring power – he must not be displayed insensible and drugged. Also, it would be better to keep him away from the men altogether until he was revealed at the proper time, which would presumably be immediately before the battle. Yet Ta-Kominion knew that he himself would not be able to retrace even a mile of the road tonight. If Kelderek did not reach the army he would have to send Zelda back to find him and speak with him. As for himself, he could not go on much longer without a rest. He must lie down and sleep. But if he did so, would he be able to get up again?
The march was resumed, the army following the road through the wood and down the hillside beyond. Ta- Kominion took up a place in the middle of the column, knowing that if he remained in the rear he would not be able to keep up. For a time he leaned on Numiss's arm until, perceiving that the wretched man was exhausted, he sent for Kavass to take his place.
They went on through the darkening, sultry afternoon. Ta-Kominion tried to estimate how far ahead the vanguard might be. The distance down to the plain could not now be more than a few miles. He had better send a runner to tell them to halt when they reached it. Just as he was about to call the nearest man he slipped, jolted his arm and almost fell down with the pain. Kavass helped him to the side of the track. 'I'll never get there, Kavass;' he whispered.
'Don't worry, sir,' replied Kavass. 'After what you told the lads, they'd fight just as well, even if you did have to sit it out, like. That's got round, you know, sir, what you said back there. Most of them never actually saw Lord Shardik when he came ashore on Ortelga, you see, and they're keen to fight just to be there when he shows up again. They know he's coming. So even if you was to have to lay down for a bit-'
Suddenly there reached Ta-Kominion's cars a confused, distant clamour, echoing up from the steep woods below; the familiar, gutteral cries of the Ortelgans and, clearly distinguishable at rhythmic intervals, a higher, lighter sound of other voices, shouting together. Underneath all was the thudding, trampling noise of a tumultuous crowd.
Ta-Kominion knew now that he must be delirious, for evidently he could-no longer tell reality from hallucination. Yet Kavass seemed to be listening too. 'Can you hear it, Kavass?' he asked.
'Yes, sir. Sounds like trouble. Part of that noise isn't our lads, sir.'
Commotion was working back along the column like flood water flowing up a creek from the main river. Men were running past them down the hill, looking back to point and shout to those behind. Ta-Kominion tried to call out to them but none regarded him. Kavass flung himself at a running man, stopped him by main force, held him as he gabbled and pointed, flung him aside and returned to Ta-Kominion.
' 'Can't make it out altogether, sir, but there's some sort of fighting down there, or at least that's what he said.'
'Fighting?' repeated Ta-Kominion. For a few moments he could not remember what the word meant. His vision had blurred and with this came the curious sensation that his eyes had melted and were running down his face, while still retaining, though in a splintered manner, the power of sight. He raised his hand to wipe away the streaming liquid. Sure enough, he could no longer see. Kavass was shouting beside him. 'The rain, sir, the rain!'
It was indeed rain that was covering liis hands, blurring his eyes and filling the woods with a leafy sibilance that he had supposed to be coming from inside his own head. He stepped into the middle of the track and tried to make out for himself what was going on at the foot of the hill. 'Help me to get down there, Kavass!' he cried.
'Steady, sir, steady,' replied the fletcher, taking his arm once more.
'Steady be damned!' shouted Ta-Kominion. 'Those are Beklans down there – Beklans – and our fools are fighting them piecemeal, before they've even deployed! Where's Kelderek? The rains – it's that bitch of a priestess – she's cursed us, damn her! – help me down there!'
'Steady, sir,' repeated the man, holding him up. Hobbling, hopping, stumbling, Ta-Kominion plunged down the steep track, the clamour growing louder in his ears until he could plainly discern the clashing of arms and distinguish the cries of warriors and the screams of the wounded. The woodland, he saw, ended at the foot of the hill and the fighting, which he still could not make out clearly, had been joined in the open, beyond. Men with drawn weapons were running back among the trees. He saw a great, fair-haired fellow pitch to the ground, blood oozing from a wound in his back.
Suddenly Zelda appeared through the leaves, calling to the men about him and pointing back into the open with his sword. Ta-Kominion shouted and tried to run towards him. As he did so he felt a sharp, clutching sensation pass through his body, followed by a cold rushing, a crumbling and inward flow. He blundered into a tree-trunk and fell his length in the road. As he rolled over he knew that he could not get up – that he would never get up again. The flood-gates of his body had broken and very soon the flood would cover hearing, sight and tongue for ever.
Zelda's face appeared above him, looking down, dripping rain on his own. 'What's happened?' asked Ta- Kominion.
'Beklans,' answered Zelda. 'Fewer than we, but they're taking no chances. The ground's in their favour and they're simply standing and blocking the road.'
'The bastards – how did they get up here? Listen – everyone must attack at the same time,' whispered Ta- Kominion.
'If only they would! There's no order – they're going for them all anyhow, just as they happen to come up. There's some have had enough already, but others are still out there. It'll be dark in less than an hour – and now the rain -'
'Get them – all back – under the trees – re-form – attack again,' gasped Ta-Kominion, contriving to utter the words with an enormous effort. His mind was drifting into a mist. It did not surprise him to find that Zelda had gone and that he was once more facing the Tuginda on the road to Gelt. She said nothing, only standing submissively, her wrists tied together with a soaked and filthy bandage. Her eyes were gazing past him at the hills and at first he
