'And the other that night did not report that the first was sleeping?'
Sos clapped his palm to his forehead. For a man who fancied his brain, he had blundered ridiculously. Two had been guilty, not one.
In the end Tyl had another job with the sticks, while Sos and Sol retired for a private consultation. Sos described in detail the events of the past five weeks, and this time Sol's attention never wandered. He had little patience with history or biology, but the practical matters of empire building were of prime interest to him. Sos wondered whether the man had also had some intervening experience with the problems of discipline. It seemed likely.
'And you can form these new men into a group that will conquer other tribes?' Sol inquired, wanting the reassurance.
'I think I can, in six months, now that we have plenty of men and good grounds. Provided they will obey me implicitly.'
'They obey Tyl.'
Sos looked at him, disturbed. He had expected to have Sol's direct backing for this longer haul. 'Aren't you going to stay here?'
'I go out tomorrow to recruit more men. I leave their training to you.'
'But sixty-five warriors! There is bound to be trouble.'
'With Tyl, you mean? Does he want to be the leader?' Sol was perceptive enough, where his empire was concerned.
'He has never said so, and he has stood by me steadily,' Sos admitted, wanting to be fair. 'But he would not be human if he did not think in such terms.'
'What is your advice?'
Now it was in his own lap again. At times Sol's faith in him was awkward. He could not demand that the master stay with his tribe; Sol evidently liked recruiting. He could ask him to take Tyl with him-but that would only require his replacement as disciplinary leader, and the next man would present much the same problem. 'I have no evidence that Tyl lacks honor,' he said. 'I think it would be best to give him good reason to stay with your tribe. That is, show him that he stands to profit more by remaining with you than by striking out on his own, with or without any of the present group.'
'He stands to profit the loss of his head, if he moves against me!'
'Still-you could designate him first warrior, in your absence, and put him in charge of his own group. Give him a title to sport, so to speak.'
'But I want you to train my men.'
'Put him over me and give him the orders. It will amount to the same thing.'
Sol thought it over. 'All right,' he said. 'And what must I give you?'
'Me?' Sos was taken aback. 'I agreed to serve you one year, to earn my name. There is nothing else you need to give me.' But he saw Sol's point. If Tyl's loyalty required buttressing, what about his own? Sol was well aware that the training was, in the long run, more important-than the discipline of the moment, and ho had less hold on Sos than on the others. Theoretically Sos could renounce the name and leave at any time.
'I like your bird,' Sol said surprisingly. 'Will you give him to me?'
Sos peeked sidewise at the little fellow snoozing on his shoulder. The bird had become so much a part of his life that he hardly thought about the matter any more. 'No one owns Stupid. Certainly you have as much claim on him as I do-you were the one who cut down the hawk and saved him. The bird just happened to fix on me, for some reason nobody understands, even though I did nothing for him and tried to shoo him away. I can't give him to you.'
'I lost my bracelet in a similar fashion,' Sal said, touching his bare wrist.
Sos looked away uncomfortably.
'Yet if I borrowed your bird, and he mated and fathered an egg, I would return that egg to you,' Sol murmured.
Sos stomped away, too angry to speak.
