Twilight at the Well of Souls

will push into Koorz and try and fight the decisive battle in Yaxa. Lamotien would be almost an impossible position for them, what with the terrible storms and earth movements as well as the Lamotien themselves. They have also avoided fights in high-tech hexes, even going out of their way to do so.”

“But they could go to Bahaoid,” the Dahbi pointed out. “And thence to Verion. There’s almost no force in Bahaoid, and despite its being a high-tech hex, the Bahaoidans are neither very mobile nor very dangerous.”

The field commander, a Yaxa, shook her insect’s head. “No, I’d be shocked if they tried it, and not a little pleased. Verion looks easy only on a map. It is a tremendously mountainous region, extremely difficult to cross with any force at all, and leaving a small force highly vulnerable to native attack. The Verionites are, shall we say, more savage than we are used to, but they are wormlike creatures that eat rock and can pop up any place and strangle and devour you. We’re pretty confident of their strategy, since any change favors us even more.”

Gunit Sangh nodded, wishing he felt as certain about things as the field commander. “And the Awbrian force?”

“Moving slowly and deliberately towards Ellerbanta and Verion,” another reported. “We feel this is mostly a diversion to keep General Khutir’s forces pinned down in Quilst.”

“You may be right,” Sangh responded, “but what’s to stop the main force from turning and linking, say, in Quilst, with the others for a drive there?”

“Too much distance,” the field commander assured him. “It would take a week to do it. We’d have enough warning to be able to take countermeasures. I might say, though, that Quilst is making a lot of fuss about throwing Khutir out of there. The army has, shall we say, been indelicate, and the Quilst see themselves now as the battleground for a fight between the Awbrians and Khutir.”

“They may have a point,” the Dahbi noted. “In that case, we’d be in a poor position if the Quilst themselves should turn tables and join with the Awbrians. Order General Khutir to move south to engage the Awbrian force as quickly as possible, preferably out of Quilst. Let Quilst stand guard over the entrance to the enemy and see if we can get some Ellerbantan coverage of their side of the border as a hedge against the unlikely. In the meantime, prepare your own troops to move against the main force while it is still consolidating in Bache. Better a semitech hex friendly to us than a nontech of little or no use. We’ve been on the damned defensive the whole way here and we’ve gotten creamed, played for fools and worse. Let’s end this matter, ourselves, with our own forces in a place of our own choosing!”

“It will be done,” the others said, a great deal of excitement and anticipation in their voices. Like Sangh, they, too, were sick and tired of the situation and wanted action.

On the way out Sangh asked one of the field commanders to ask the Dahbi’s chief aide and fellow creature to step in. This was done, and in another couple of minutes the two Dahbi were alone.

“Your Holiness?” The aide bowed respectfully.

“Sagrah, that matter of which we spoke so long ago back in our beloved homeland now demands attention,” he said cryptically.

“Holiness?”

“We must face reality, Sagrah. We have been outclassed by an enemy who understood us better than we ourselves. We must face the fact that, in all probability, Brazil will reach the Well.”

Sagrah wasn’t that convinced. “But, Holiness, if the other was a diversion, then the real one must be with their army. If we smash their army we have him, or have him on the run in our territory.”

“And if he is not the real Brazil?” Sangh shot back. “No, we must do as you say, engage them, fight this out. It can not be helped. But in our own interests —Dahbi’s interest, Sagrah, since I am the one who led the opposition to him—we must have a hold on him. Go yourself to Zone. Tell our people there to activate our insurance plan—just that. Got it?”

The aide bowed. “Yes, Holiness. ‘Activate our insurance plan.’ ”

“And, Sagrah,” the Dahbi leader added, “tell our people to make certain that the Brazil with the main force does not move. I want no sudden disappearances, no funny business. I want that man where one of us can see him at all times. Understand?”

“I hear, Holiness, but I’m not sure I follow all this.”

“You don’t have to,” Gunit Sangh retorted. “But, if you must think on such things, answer this question: why, if you have a duplicate Brazil, go to all the trouble of keeping his existence hidden and secret? Why sneak him in so elaborately and so expensively when he’s just a diversion? So much so we trapped him mostly by luck? It makes sense only in one way, Sagrah.”

The other Dahbi considered the point. “As a diversion, he’d have to allow discovery sooner or later,” he mused. “That means he was supposed to be discovered sneaking in at a predetermined place and time.”

“Very good,” Sangh approved. “And since he was discovered early? You see? You make sure of both things, Sagrah. You make sure that the other Brazil remains with the main army, and you activate our insurance plan. We can win this yet, Sagrah. Win it one of two ways. Now, go!”

The aide went, leaving Gunit Sangh to ponder the position maps still on the table in front of him. Something had gone wrong with the enemy’s intricate plans, of that he felt certain. It was a gut feeling, unsubstantiated by facts, yet it was an absolute conviction with him. Something had gone wrong when that patrol had discovered and unmasked the false Brazil when it did.

The more complex and intricate the planning, the more chances there are for something to go wrong, he reflected. If only he could capitalize on this, he might come out on top yet.

If that was the real Brazil with the main force, he was a long, long way from walking up an Avenue and into the Well. A long way.

Maybe forever.

Bache

It had been an eerie trip through Dahir, a land that looked at once peaceful and deadly dangerous. The quiet landscape of gentle green forests and large ranch-style farms contrasted with the inhabitants, who looked inscrutable, formidable, and dangerous. They had sat there, atop great horned creatures, not like occasional onlookers or curious parade-watchers, but in highly disciplined ranks, staring with eyes that told nothing of the thoughts behind them.

They were tall and insectival, although not quite insects. Humanoid in shape, they had long, broad feet that ended in sharp claws. On smooth legs leading up to a metallic-looking torso, their slender, exoskel-etons were so polished that the creatures looked somewhat like robots in a stylized and idealized picture of such things. They had oval heads, with multiple orifices and mandibles set below oval eyes of faceted gold and above which rose long, quivering tendrils. Their bodies were of many colors, all with a metallic sheen—blues, greens, gold, reds and silver, among others. But their hands looked like mail fists. The seething anger and tension in them was immediately discernible. They didn’t like being ordered to stand aside.

Their mounts were mammals, and looked at first glance like classical unicorns, curved horns like conch shells rising out of the center of their horselike heads. But their rear legs were much larger and their hind feet broad and flat, like their rider’s. They could sit erect, looking almost like kangaroos, or use their double-jointed hind legs to lope about on all fours, and on close inspection their snouts were narrower, their heads smaller than a horse’s.

Of their reputed magic powers nothing could be seen, but the menace of it could almost be felt by the passing forces. They were glad to get through there. It had been decided to use a wide river valley in Bache to regroup and reorganize after the march. Now, so close to their goal and to the major opposition forces, all had to be perfect.

It was late afternoon, but the command tents were already up. Brazil left his own little corner of the field and walked to the main tent shared by Asam and Mavra; Marquoz left his own position to join them. This was to be the last staff meeting of the group, although only Brazil, who had called it, was aware of that fact.

They ate quietly, mostly discussing the eerieness of the Dahir and the tiredness they were feeling, forgetting the rwst for a while. Brazil even seemed to become a bit nostalgic.

“You know,” he said, “out there, among the stars, trillions of people are going about their normal daily