'I would be obliged if you would see to the chest, and the slave.'
I suppose the young woman within the chest could hear our conversation. I would have supposed that she would then have pounded and wept, and scratched at the inside of the chest, begging mercy, but she did not. Slaves, those fit by nature for this elegant disposition, and whose minds and bodies crave it profoundly, and will not be happy without it, pretending that they are actually free women, commonly do such things. They are often among the most express in their protestive behaviors, the most demonstrative in their lamentations, and such, believing such things are expected of them, fearing only that they will be taken seriously. But this girl was actually very quiet, lying like a caressable, silken little urt in the chest. Indeed, for a moment, I feared there might be insufficient air in the chest and that she might have fainted, or otherwise lost consciousness. But then I noted that the chest was well ventilated, as made sense, considering it had probably been prepared to conceal her days ago, if not months ago. She had doubtless not, however, expected to have its lid nailed shut, and to find herself helplessly, nakedly, at the mercy of strong men, imprisoned within it, and perhaps timidly, fearfully, trying to understand her feelings.
'My fellow and I,' I said, 'if you wish, will see to the chest, and the girl.'
'The slave,' he said.
'Yes,' I said, 'the slave.'
'I wish you well,' said the captain.
'I wish you well,' I said.
He then, and his men, took their leave.
'Why did you not wish the bodies placed outside the shop?' Marcus asked of me, when the officer with his small squad had departed.
I motioned him to one side, that the girl in the chest might not overhear our conversation.
'Surely it would have been better if the bodies had been put outside,' said Marcus, 'that the strength of the Delta Brigade, as it is spoken of, and the effectiveness of its work, might seem displayed.'
I spoke softly. 'No, dear friend,' I said. 'Better that the carnage wrought within the shop should seem that those of Cos feared it to be known, that they were concerned to conceal it from the public.'
'Ah!' said Marcus.
'But, too,' I said, 'do not fear that it is not known. The shop is muchly open. The door was ajar. I am confident men have spied within and see what lies strewn upon its tiles. And even if they had not, the bodies will presumably be removed and be seen then. And, too, if not this either, surely we may depend upon the tradesman to speak of such things.'
'That the bodies were not put outside,' said Marcus, 'makes it seem as though Cos feared the Delta Brigade, and did not wish that the effectiveness of its work be known, and that is much more to the advantage of the Brigade.'
'Yes,' I said. 'I think so.'
'Accordingly,' said Marcus, 'its work is known, or likely to be known, but it is also made to seem that Cos fears the making broadcast of such intelligence.'
'Precisely,' I said.
'Thusly increasing the reputation of the Delta Brigade,' he said.
'Yes,' I said.
'It is a form of Kaissa, is it not?' he asked.
'Of course,' I said.
'Well played,' he said.
'Perhaps,' I said. 'But it is difficult to foresee the continuations.'
'I do not like such games,' he said.
'You prefer a fellow at sword point, in an open field, at noon?' I asked. 'Of course,' he said.
I was sympathetic with his view. The board had a thousand sides, and surfaces and dimensions, the pieces were of unknown number, and nature and value, the rules were uncertain, often you did not know whom you played, or where they were, often the moves must be made in darkness, in ignorance of your opponent's position, his pieces, his strengths, his skills, his moves.
'Perhaps, I too,' I mused. Yet I had known men who enjoyed such Kaissa, the games of politics and men. My friend, Samos, of Port Kar, was one such.
'You enjoy such things,' said Marcus.
'Perhaps,' I said. 'I am not sure.' It is often easier to know others than ourselves. Perhaps that is because there is less need to tell lies about them. Few of us recognize the stranger in the shadows, who is ourself.
'I am a simple warrior,' said Marcus. 'Set me a formation, or a field, or a city. I think I know how to solve them, or set about the matter. Let things be clear and plain. Let me see my foe, let me meet him face to face.'
'Subtlety and deception are not new weapons in the arsenal of war,' I said. 'They are undoubtedly as ancient as the club, the stone, the sharpened stick.' Marcus regarded me, angrily.
'Study the campaigns of Dietrich of Tarnburg,' I said.
Marcus shrugged, angrily.
'He has sowed silver and harvested cities,' I said.
'More gates are opened with gold than iron,' he said.
'You pretend to simplicity,' I said. 'Yet you quote from the Diaries.' These were the field diaries attributed by many to Carl Commenius of Argentum. The reference would be clear to Marcus, a trained warrior.
'That I do not care for such games,' said Marcus, 'does not mean I cannot play them.'
'How many are in the Delta Brigade? I asked him.
'Two,' he smiled. 'We are the Delta Brigade.'
'No,' I said, 'there are more.'
He looked at me, puzzled.
'This morning,' I said, 'four soldiers, doubtless Cosians, were found slain in the vicinity of the Avenue of Turia. The delka was found there.'
Marcus was silent.
'We have allies,' I said. 'Too, I have learned that the delka appears elsewhere in Ar, presumably mostly in poorer districts.'
'I do not welcome unknown allies,' he said.
'At least we cannot betray them under torture, nor they us.'
'Am I to derive comfort from that thought?' he asked.
'Why not?' I asked.
'We cannot control them,' he said.
'Nor they us,' I said.
'We began this,' said Marcus. 'But I do not know where it will end.'
'Cos will be forced to unsheath her claws.'
'And then?' he asked.
'And then we do not know where it will end,' I said.
'What of the Home Stone of Ar's Station?' he asked.
'Is that your only concern?' I asked.
'For all I care, traitorous Ar may be burned to the ground,' he said.
'It will be again publicly displayed,' I said.
'That is part of your Kaissa?' he asked.
'Yes,' I said.
'You see far ahead,' he said.
'No,' I said. 'It is a forced continuation.'
'I do not understand,' he said.
'Ar will have no choice,' I said.
'And if the Home Stone of Ar's Station is again displayed, what then?' he asked. 'It was displayed before.'
'I know a fellow who can obtain it for you,' I said.
