laughed. 'Come-you must see Vit now!'
A group of men continued to stand around the vacated circle, murmuring as Sos left. They had never witnessed such a performance.
'I'm glad you're back,' Mok confided as they came to the tent. 'Things aren't the same around here since-' he broke off as they approached the guard.
This time there was no trouble about entry. Mok ushered him into the leader's presence.
'Yes?' Vit was a tall slender, dour man of middle years who looked familiar. The name, also, jogged an image. Then Sos placed him: the sworder that Dal the Dagger had humiliated, back in the first full-fledged tribal encounter. Times had certainly changed!
'I am Sos the Rope. I have come to talk to Sol.'
'By what right?'
Mok started to explain, but Sos had had enough. He knew Vit recognized him and was simply placing difficulties in his way. 'By the right of my weapon! Challenge me in the circle before you attempt to balk me!' It was good to be able to assume this posture again; the weapon made all the difference. Sos realized that he was being less than reasonable, and enjoyed the feeling.
Vit merely looked at him. 'Are you that rope who dinarmed Bog the club, five weeks ago in the east?'
'I am.' Sos was beginning to appreciate why Vit had risen to such a position of power so rapidly: he had complete command of his temper and knew his business.
Apparently supremacy in the circle was no longer a requirement for leadership.
'Sol will see you tomorrow.'
'Tomorrow!'
'He is absent on business today. Accept our hospitality tonight.'
Sol away on business? He did not like the smell of that. Sol should have no reason to recruit warriors alone, any more-not with ten tribes to manage, the nucleus of his empire. He could not be inspecting any of those tribes, either; the nearest was at least a week away.
A woman emerged from a compartment and walked slowly toward them. She was dressed in a breathtakingly snug sarong and wore very long, very black hair.
It was Sola.
Sos started toward her, only to be blocked by Vit. 'Eyes off that Woman! She belongs to the master!'
Sola looked up and recognized him. 'Sos!' she cried then checked herself. 'I know this man,' she said formally to Vit. 'I will speak to him.'
'You 'Will not speak to him.' Vit stood firmly between them.
Sos gripped his rope, furious, but Sola backed away and retreated into her compartment. Mok tugged his arm, and he controlled himself and wheeled about. Something was certainly wrong, but this was not the moment for action It would not be wise to betray his former intimacy with Sola.
'All the old stalwarts are gone,' Mok said sadly as the emerged. 'Tyl, Tor, Say, Tun-hardly any of the ones we built the badlands camp with are here today.'
'What happened to them?' He knew already, but wanted more information. The more he saw of this tribe, the less he liked it. Was Sol still in control, or had he become a figurehead? Had there been some private treachery to incapacitate him?
'They command the other tribes. Sol trusts no one you did not train. We need you again, Sos. I wish we were back in the badlands, the way it was before.'
'Sol seems to trust Vit.'
'Not to command. This is Sol's own tribe, and he runs it himself, with advisors. Vit just handles the details.'
'Such as keeping Sola penned up?'
'Sol makes him do it. She is allowed to see no one while he is away. Sol would kill Vit if-but I told you, everything is different.'
