shark, which becomes particularly aggressive early in the morning and toward dusk, its common feeding times. Sickness and infections, too, were rampant. Hunger, exposure, sunstroke, and dysentery were common. There were many desertions. Perhaps some of the deserters might find their way from the delta. One did not know. And always it seemed the rencers were about, like sleen prowling the flanks of a herd.
'Cursed rencers!' I heard a man scream. 'Cursed rencers!'
'Stay down!' someone called to him. 'Do not stand so!'
'You will unsettle the craft,' said another.
'Cursed rencers!' he screamed again. Then I heard a cry of pain.
'It came from there!' cried a man.
'I saw nothing!' cried a man.
I heard a body fall into the water.
'From there!' cried the fellow, again.
'Hurry!' cried a man.
I heard metal unsheathed. I heard men wading to the right.
'Fulvius! Fulvius!' cried a fellow.
'He is dead,' said a voice.
I heard a cry of anguish.
I had stopped, and the column, too, I think, as a whole, had stopped. I did not, at least, hear men moving in the water.
There was not much noise, only the cry of a marsh gant.
We waited.
In few moments I heard some men approaching. 'We found nothing,' one said.
'Lines!' I heard. 'Lines!'
'I will avenge you, Fulvius!' I heard a man cry. I heard, too, metal drawn.
'Come back!' I heard. 'Come back!'
'Lines!' I heard. 'Lines!'
'Let him go,' said a man, wearily.
'Shields right!' I heard. Normally the shield, of course, is carried on the left arm, most warriors being right handed. The shields were now to be shifted to the right arm, for that was the direction from which had come the arrow. There might be rencers, too, of course, on the left. But they knew that they were on the right.
I heard the whip snap again behind me. I then, and I gather, too, the rest of the column, began again to move forward.
'Keep the lines!' I heard. 'Keep the lines!'
We did hear, an Ehn or so later, a long, single wailing cry from the marsh. It came from behind us, from the right.
16 It is Quiet
'Cos may not be in the delta,' said the officer.
'I do not think she is,' I said.
No fires were lit. There was little noise.
'I have tortured myself,' said the officer, 'particularly of late, considering whether or not the things you have spoken to me might be true.'
'I am pleased you have considered them,' I said.
'It has been difficult of late not to consider them,' he said.
'I would suppose so,' I said.
'Even though they be the utterances of a squirming spy,' he said, bitterly.
'Even if the motivations for the thoughts which I have confided to you were purely self-regarding,' I said, 'which, under the circumstances, I think, would be understandable, it was nonetheless appropriate that you consider their plausibility.'
'Would you teach me duty?' he asked.
'No,' I said. 'I think you are much concerned with it.'
'The men are weary, and sick,' he said. 'I, too, am weary and sick.'
He sat near me. Few men in this camp now assumed an upright position. Even in moving about they usually did so in a crouching position. The crouching figure makes a smaller target. I sat up, my neck-rope lengthened to permit me this lenience. My ankles were tethered to a mooring stake. We spoke softly. There was little sound in the camp. My hands were now, again, as it was night, manacled behind me. My captors, I thought, however, were growing careless. I thought I now knew who, for this day, had carried the key to the manacles. In the morning, after I had been again gagged and hooded, my hands would be again manacled before me, and fastened there with a strap, that my back might be more available for blows. If I listened carefully, my captors perhaps being less careful than before, given my hooding, I might be able to determine to whom the key was delivered. A word, a careless sound, might be sufficient.
'Some think we should try to withdraw from the delta,' he said.
'It is perhaps too late,' I said.
'What do you mean?' he asked.
'I think it unlikely that a single column can withdraw successfully from the delta.'
'What of several columns?' he asked.
'That would seem to be possible,' I said, 'though difficult.'
'Why difficult?' he asked.
'The movements of so large a force will be easily determined,' I said. 'Cos, if nothing else, even disregarding the rencers, controls the skies. She has tarn scouts. And the forces of Cos, moving swiftly on open ground, well informed, adequately supplied, in good health, can be marshaled to a given point far more rapidly than can be the men of Ar, struggling in the marsh.'
'Nothing can stand against Ar,' he said.
'Do not underestimate the Cosians,' I said.
'Mercenaries,' said he scornfully.
'There are Cosian regulars, as well,' I said. 'Too, your columns will be exhausted and ill. Too, your columns must reach the edge of the delta. Do not forget the rencers.'
'Seven columns, four to the south, three to the north, are intent on breaking out, even now,' he said.
'How do you know these things?' I asked.
'From stragglers,' he said, 'from fellows found in the swamp, from men separated by rencer attacks from their units.'
'What of the left flank?' I asked.
'It is intact, as far as I know,' he said.
'I would guess that the columns to the north have the best chance of success.'
'It is unwise to go north,' he said. 'It is farther from Ar, from our allies. There is much Cosian sympathy in the north. It is enemy country. Port Cos lies in that direction. Then, even if successful in escaping from the delta, the columns would have to manage the crossing of the Vosk to return to Holmesk, or Ar.'
'It is for such reasons,' I said, 'that I expect there will be fewer Cosians in the north.'
'You expect more in the south?'
'Of course,' I said. 'They will expect you to take just that course, to avoid the crossing of the Vosk.'
'I do not know,' he said. 'I do not know.'
'Too, it is convenient for them,' I said. 'They can be supplied from Brundisium. They can even bring up men from Torcadino, if they wish.'
'I still think it possible that Cos is in the delta,' he said.
'Apparently many of the other commanders do not agree,' I said.
'Or now fear the pursuit is too costly,' he said.
