Blade pointed to the vast body of Mok. "Wedge him into one of the windows. Quickly. All that blubber will barricade it as well as an iron shutter."
And so poor Mok, and his bloated body, did some service as he was thrust head first through a rear window and wedged tightly there by men who groaned and sweated as they lifted the great bulk.
Blade glanced through the remaining rear windows and saw a line of Api coming up the back slope. They were fifty yards distant, some twenty of them, and squealing with battle glee as they swung their long, pointed swords over their heads.
Only two of his men had lances. The remaining guard, he who had been wounded, had only his short iron sword, as had Blade. Blade posted the men with lances at two of the remaining three windows, one facing to the rear, the other forward, and he himself took the door and the window nearest it. He posted the wounded man in the center of the room as a reserve and indicated the body of Mok where it served as a stopper.
"Keep an eye on him," Blade commanded. "If they dislodge the body, or cut it up or pull it out, then you must guard the window. Otherwise you will be alert for a call to aid any of us that needs it."
He advised the men with lances: "Make your thrusts short and fast. In and out, quickly. Do not let them seize the lances or break them off. If any of them succeed in getting halfway through a window do not kill them until they are well wedged in and blocking the way to others. You understand why I say this?"
One of the guards, younger than the others, laughed and pounded his companion on the back. "We understand, Sire. Do not fear but that we will do our duty. If we must die here we will make it a dear victory for the Api."
Blade smiled. "Good man. I do not ask for more. Now take your posts and make ready, for the fight is here."
As he stalked to the door he heard the other lanceman mutter, "I have heard that he is the avatar, now I begin to believe it. I do not think fear has yet been coined for him, and I am a Jedd who does not believe in much."
Blade grinned. He stood in the open door, hands akimbo, and watched the Api storming toward them. They had been bunched into two files, each of ten men, and Blade made a sound of derision. This was not the way to do it, not at all, but who was he to tell them? They were twenty-five yards distant. Fifteen yards. Ten yards. Five yards.
Blade leaped from the door with a bull-like roar, a shout that sounded up and down the smoky valley like a horn calling men to battle. A fine tremor beset his nerves and b.l.o.o.d.y mists moved in his brain. He knew the signs, knew that the battle madness was upon him and he welcomed it.
His great hoa.r.s.e voice sounded over the clash and the screaming. "Come, Api! Come to me. Come to Blade. Come to my sword, my thirsty sword that l.u.s.ts for Api blood! Come and die, Api."
For a split second, the shock of his voice halted them in confusion. The forward files milled in confusion. Blade leaped at the nearest goon and swung his sword in a glinting arc, slashing off a hairy arm. He lunged and put his iron into a ma.s.sive chest, through armor and bone, and kicked swiftly with his foot to disengage. Then, before they could recover and move in on him, he was back in the doorway, brandishing the b.l.o.o.d.y sword and screaming defiance.
For a moment the Api seemed on the verge of breaking and running. So terrible a foe as this was new to them, though by now they had all heard the tale of how Blade had bunded Porrex. But this was different. Now it was they who must face this mad creature, this warrior whom their quasimasters, the Jedds, and all Api despised Jedds , whom the Jedds called avatar and obeyed as some sort of G.o.d.
Blade had a moment of surcease. He made a brief glance of inspection. Mok"s corpse was holding up well and both lancemen had bloodied points. There were no Api snouts at the rear windows. Blade nodded and turned back to his own affairs.
The Api officers, a senior and a junior, were flailing at their troops with the flats of their swords, trying to drive them on. Near the door was an Api corpse, and the beast that had lost its arm was lying nearby watching itself bleed to death.
Over the squealing and screaming and cursing, Blade heard the Api commanding officer shouting threats and promises.
"Forward! On! Are Api warriors to be halted by four men? You had the woman, all of you, and now payment is due. On! And think, you all heard the promises made in the name of the Wise One. Power in Jedd and women, women for all. Think, power and women and food and easy duty for the rest of your lives. Now forward and kill them!"
Even besotted as he was by battle l.u.s.t, Blade heard and understood. This was Nizra"s great ploy. How carefully he must have planned it all in advance. First to discredit Blade as avatar by information tortured from Ooma; this failing, to trap and kill Blade and then loose the fierce Api on the Jedds. Blade cursed himself again, grimly It was by his orders that Crofta had pulled out all the Jedd troops and taken them to the north of the city, thus leaving the southern approaches wide open to the Api.
No more time for thought. The Api had been whipped into line again and charged forward. Blade slipped out of the door and lilted one of the goons, suffering a slight gash in his thigh, then as fast as a heartbeat he was back and defending the door. The Api were hindered by their very numbers. The door was narrow and Blade could only thrust, not swing, his sword, but he did fearful execution. The short iron sword was a live thing in his hand, slashing and hacking, in and out with serpent speed. A long wooden sword slammed down across his helmet and broke in two. Blade killed the Api who had wielded it, had trouble extricating the weapon from the goon"s leather harness, daggered another Api who charged him from the flank, and finally got his sword free and darted back into the doorway. Just in time.
One of the smaller Api was trying to get through the near window and take Blade from behind. He had his head and shoulders through and was being shoved by two of his comrades. The Api could not use his weapons, but snarled and lunged at Blade"s throat with his fangs as the man brought his sword around and up and down in a terrible stroke. The goon"s head fell into the room and bounded across the floor. His headless trunk twitched and writhed and remained stuck in the window.
Now two of the goons were trying to get through the door at the same time. Blade found foot room and thrust them both through, hacked their awkward swords from the hairy paws and cut their throats with backhand strokes. Blood sprayed him. He let the bodies settle in the doorway as a barrier.
The junior Api officer snarled and thrust at Blade. Blade barely turned the point in time, let his short sword slide up the other weapon and slashed the young officer across the eyes. The Api fell back with a high scream. At this sight, the remaining Api in front of the house began to fall back to rally around their remaining officer. Blade, his head roaring with blood frenzy, drenched with sweat and the blood of Api mixed with his own, had a moment of respite.
It was just as well. The Api attacked the rear of the house with no liaison with those in front and did not know the battle was going against them. They were attacking with zeal, in waves of ten, and just as Blade turned he saw the corpse of Mok, hacked to bits, being pulled out of the window. He shouted at the guardsman in reserve, the wounded man, who had already seen the danger and was running to the window. As he reached it a spear was hurled squarely through the window and took the guard in the chest, piercing his armor and standing a foot out behind his backbone. The man fell to the floor with a dreadful scream and began to thrash about.
There was no time for mercy or compunction. Blade needed the spear. And the man was as good as dead. Blade turned him over, seized the shaft just below the point, and drew it on through the dying man"s body. The shaft was slimy with blood and gut tissue and he wiped it on his tunic. An Api face appeared at the window and Blade thrust hard with the spear into the beast"s braincase. The Api fell back with a shrill death cry.
Blade spun around. The door was still empty of the enemy. They were disorganized on this side. The headless goon blocked the near window. The guardsman at the other front window was resting, reeking with blood, and gave Blade a dull and uncomprehending look of battle fatigue. Blade went to the remaining rear window, walking sideways to keep an eye on the door. Judging from the Api sounds out there, they were some thirty yards down the slope. He was sure they would attack again. The remaining officer would harangue and beat them into it.
The guard at the other rear window was engaged in a tug-of-war. One of the Api had thrust a spear through the window and the guard had seized the shaft and was now trying to wrench it from the holder and bring it inside. But the brute Api was the stronger and was winning.
"Hold on," Blade shouted. He leaped forward and severed the shaft with a downward stroke of his sword. His man now had two-thirds of a spear and the working end. Blade grinned through the mask of blood caking on his face. He slapped the Jedd on the shoulder and shouted, "You do well. Half a spear is better than none, and you have the point. But be not selfish, share it with them when they come again."
The man managed a feeble smile and nodded. Blade turned back to the door to await the new onslaught. With misgivings. They were only three now and the Api must have near thirty left. This time, if the enemy pressed hard enough, they must win by sheer weight of numbers. Blade thought this, speculated for a moment, then forgot it. It was not in his nature to wish that Lord Leighton might find him with the computer at that perilous moment.
The frontal attack did not come. The Api to the rear fell back down the slope. Blade peered and frowned. What now? This he did not like. He would almost as lief have them come on in strength, for he had a plan forming. If he could sally out and kill the remaining Api officer he and his two Jedds might yet win the day. But now there was only silence.
Blade waited, his uneasiness growing with each moment. He knew what he would have done in the Api commander"s place and now he was afraid that the goon leader would think of it. The two guards left their posts and joined them. Both were wounded, weary to the bone and frightened, and he knew they could not fight much longer.
One of them, peering past Blade to where the Api were conferring with the traitor Sesi, shook his head tiredly and said, "I like this not, Sire. The Api are no thinkers, but Sesi is a Jedd and has some brains. See how he gives orders to the Api captain!"
Blade kept a confident smile on his gory features, but his heart sank. Sesi was pointing down the hill toward the smoking charnel pit and arguing with the Api chief. Blade nodded to himself. Yes. Sesi had thought of it. He watched as two of the Api goons broke away from the main body and went running down the hill.
Blade and his two Jedd guardsmen waited. They were near to perishing of thirst, but there was no water in the house. Blade tried to keep up the spirits of the other two as best he could.
He watched the group of Api on the front slope. They were gathering dry f.a.ggots and, using vines for cord, were binding them into compact bundles. Blade said nothing. He knew that the Api behind the house would be doing the same.
The two Api came back up the hill carrying torches, flaming red and yellow and giving off streamers of black smoke. Fire from the charnel pit.
One of the guards looked at Blade in fear. "They are going to burn the cottage, Sire. Drive us out into the open."
Blade could only nod. "Yes. I was afraid they would think of it."
The other Jedd dropped his sword and began to weep. "I have fought well, Sire, but I cannot face the fire." He went to his knees and rocked back and forth, his features contorted and tears streaming through the blood on his face. Blade fought against turning away in disgust. The man had fought well and every man had his breaking point.
The weeping man clutched at Blade"s knees. "Surrender, Sire. Surrender now and it may be they will spare us, at least ask for a parley."
Blade laughed harshly. "No parley. And if you think they will spare us you are as big a fool as I for walking into this trap. No! We must see it through."
It happened so fast that he could not have stopped the man even had he tried. The guard leaped up and ran out the door, his hands flung high, and screaming at the top of his voice: "Mercy, mercy. I surrender to you, Api, and beg for mercy. Sesi, you are a cornet and a Jedd and I beg you to save me. Mercy, mercy, "
All the Api stared at the running man. Blade felt a sickness grow in him. The guard reached the Api group and they parted to let him through. He flung himself to the ground before Sesi. The young sublieutenant made a motion with his right hand and one of the Api raised his long sword and, using both hands and great force, impaled the guard and pinned him to the earth. As he was still thrashing and screaming in his death throes they cut off his head and mounted it on a spear and waved it up the slope at Blade.
The remaining Jedd stared at Blade and said, "He was a fool. I am not. Better to die here with you, Sire, in honor."
Torches were being applied to the f.a.ggot bundles now Half a dozen of the Api, each carrying a flaming sheaf of f.a.ggots, ran up the slope. There was nothing Blade could do. If they ventured out to fight they would be cut down in minutes. He strode to a rear window in time to see more Api creeping up with flaming bundles. Blade cursed and chewed on his parched nether lips. Not much of a choice Go out and fight to the death, or stay and burn to death.
But it was, at least, an easy enough choice to make.
The Api cast their fiercely-burning flambeaus and sped away. Smoke began to seep into the house and tongues of flame were already licking up the walls and devouring the dry wood. Masonry began to crumble as the wood support was eaten away. The Jedd began to cough and swipe at his eyes. He peered at Blade through the dirty gray swirls of smoke.
"Why do we wait, Sire? I do not intend to burn, nor do I think you will so choose. Let us go now and die like men."
Blade did not answer for a moment. He was peering intently out a window, shielding his eyes from the smoke and hoping they did not deceive him. It was cruel to hope and be disappointed, and yet had he not seen the glint of sunlight on metal? Behind the Api, near the charnel pit, was not the sun reflecting itself in highly furbished iron?
He said nothing of this to the Jedd, but put an arm about his shoulders and asked, "How are you called? Your birth name?"
The Jedd stared back with bloodshot eyes "I am Kaven and I have served Gath since I was hardly more than a weanling. And my father served Gath"s father."
Blade squeezed his shoulder. "Now, Kaven, make ready. For you are right. We will not stay to burn." He said nothing of what he had seen. No point to raising hopes on what might be only an illusion. Blade shrugged his ma.s.sive shoulders and picked up the lance he had captured. What was to be, would be.
The floor was red-hot now. Walls were aflame and ready to crumple. The smoke would kill them quickly if they stayed. Blade led the way to the door.
A high shrill of triumph came from the Api as they were seen. A score of the creatures, led by the officer, charged up the hill at them.
Blade found a level spot and spat out a final command. "Back to back, Kaven. Fight as long as you can."
The man did not answer and in the next moment the horde of slavering Api was upon them.
Blade shortened his grip on the spear and fought with it in his left hand while his right wielded the iron sword with terrible execution. His rage flamed hotter than the blazing cottage. He was in and out, thrusting and backing and cutting, standing astride the Api corpses as they piled up. Kaven too was doing his share of killing. Their backs joined, their sweat and blood mingling, they fought for life.
Blade lost his spear. An Api died with it through his guts and, in falling, tore it from Blade"s hand. Blade bellowed in rage and swung his sword with two hands. He heard Kaven scream as he took a wound. Blade chanced a look and saw the Jedd on one knee, still fighting with his lance, his sword arm spurting blood and useless at his side.
The Api leader, forgetting his weapons, leaped in to grapple with Blade, seeking to tear out his throat with the long baboon fangs. Blade drew back in time, shortened his thrust and put it into the leader"s chest up to the hilt. The beast screamed a final defiance and tried to close in, his fangs cutting and slashing at Blade"s flesh. Blade lost his sword. It would not disengage. He smashed at the long-snouted face with his right fist, a terrible blow that sent the Api spinning away with Blade"s sword still embedded in his chest. Blade stood alone, feet outspread, his big hands curved into talons, a gigantic b.l.o.o.d.y figure now fighting with only his bare hands.
A horn blew in the melon trees. It was a short blast, raucous and bra.s.sy and lacking any tone, but the sweetest music Blade had ever heard. Gath"s men charged up the hill, an entire troop, some two hundred Jedd warriors. It was over.
Even now he could not spare himself or rest. His plans must go forward. He took a moment to catch his breath, then standing astride a high pile of Api corpses, he cupped his hands and bellowed harshly over the clangor of battle.
"Gath, hear me. Take the Api alive, if you can. Alive, I say! I have use for them. And do not kill Sesi! That is an order, Gath. Do not kill the cornet! I also have use for him. Do you heed me, Gath?"
The captain Gath, his armor slightly bloodied, fought his way through the thinning Api ranks to where Blade stood. He saluted with his sword and panted, "I hear you, Sire. I obey."
He turned and shouted orders to his officers, who in turn pa.s.sed them on to their men. The Api began to throw down their weapons and surrender and were herded into groups.
Blade turned to find Kaven trying to get to his feet. He was clutching his right arm and trying to stanch the blood. He gave Blade a grin of joy and utter weariness. "It is good to live, Sire. And the better so because it is such a surprise. Unless I dream and we are dead."
Blade set about bandaging the man"s hurt. It was deep and long, the slash, but in time would heal and leave an honorable scar. "You do not dream," Blade told him. "Nor is this a dream, you are now a captain. You will serve me as second in command only to Gath."
Kaven shook his head in wonder. "Another miracle, Sire. I live, and I am a captain. Are you sure I do not dream?"
Blade laughed and turned away to meet Gath. The captain was angry and spared Blade nothing. His blue eyes shot cold sparks as he said, "I had not thought to serve a fool, Sire, when I gave you my sword and heart. But it seems I do, for only a fool would have fallen into this trap. Only a fool would have been lured to this place with but six men to protect him. Why, Sire? In the name of all that is sacred to the Jedds, and that is not much, tell me why!"
Even b.l.o.o.d.y, nearly naked, hurt and near collapse, Blade could use his charm. A sheepish charm now, because he knew he deserved the rebuke and did not fault Gath for giving it.
His white teeth flashed as he smiled and said, "Because I am a fool, Gath. I admit it. But it was your trusted man who led me here." And Blade pointed to where Sesi stood, bound and guarded by a few of Gath"s men.
Gath flushed and looked downcast in his turn. "I am sorry for that, Sire. But how was I to know that he had sold himself to Nizra? In every brook there is one fish that stinks. But Sesi will pay, how he will pay."
The fight was over. The Api, disarmed and sullen, were being rounded up and heavily guarded. Blade, watching this for a moment, gave brief orders concerning them and Gath pa.s.sed it on. Then Gath was informed of Kaven"s new rank and the newest captain was led off to receive medical attention. Blade and Gath walked a little apart from the soldiers.
Blade looked at Gath. "There will be no torture. I speak of Sesi now. I will question him myself, when I am ready, and I will learn all I need of Nizra"s plotting. When I have done this, you will kill Sesi. Quickly and cleanly. You will cut off his head."
"But, Sire! This is not the way to handle it. Sesi"s treachery was great, as much to me as to you, for it was I who sponsored him from the ranks as cornet. He must take a long time dying, be tortured as no Jedd was ever tortured before. It will serve as an example and, "
Blade gave Gath a cold look, then reached to touch his shoulder. "Do it my way, Captain Gath. I know what I do.
No torture. This is understood?"
And Gath, still grumbling, said that it was understood. He also said, half under his breath, that he did not now, nor ever would, understand the Sire Blade.
Blade grinned and said, "Then you will not understand this, either. I want Nizra taken unharmed. Where is the Wise One now?"
Gath, still sulking a bit, would not look at him. He watched the last of the Api being led away.
"Nizra is in his house, Sire. I doubled the guard and gave orders that he was not to leave. I know that in this I contravened your orders, but I was worried and fearful and I did what I thought best."
"You did well," Blade admitted. "I am glad that we are not both fools and that you have Nizra safe. I still have use for him. For one thing, he controls the Api, all that are still free. I would have them all rounded up and disarmed. You will have Crofta"s men build a cage for them, as large as is needed, and a.s.semble them on the northern plains."
Gath shook his head doubtfully. "They will serve only Nizra, those stupid beasts. When they learn that he is out of power they will desert and scatter into the forests to the south. You will not catch many of the Api."
"Nevertheless we will try. Now, Gath, one last question before I leave you, because I have a task that I must do alone. How came you to know of my danger? What brought you to me?"
Gath gave him a sly look. "Chance, in part. I spoke to the lady-in-waiting of Mitgu and she told me of Sesi and his message. The lady must have been listening at the door. And then I knew all Jedd troops had been ordered out of this region, and where there are no troops the Api like to pillage and rape. So I knew it was not safe for you to wander here with so small a guard." Gath stopped and shrugged his shoulders. "And I had a feeling in my stomach that all was not well."
He would not meet Blade"s eyes. Blade touched his shoulder and said, "And the rest of it, Captain? Tell me."
Gath looked directly at him and the skin about his blue eyes crinkled. "I have my own spies, Sire. And they have brought me reports about Sesi. For long now I have thought he was Nizra"s man, but I had no proof and so gave him leave to hang himself. So, on hearing all I heard, I myself went to call upon Nizra."
Blade felt sudden shock. He frowned. "You did not kill him?"
Gath tried to look innocent, failed at it and broke into laughter. "Not I. He is well and secure a prisoner. The thing is, he may have a few cuts and bruises. Nothing that will not heal in time."
"That is good. I thank you, Gath. You saved me this day and it will not be forgotten. But there is one thing, "
Gath, on the point of turning away to attend to business, halted and looked back. "And that is, Sire?"
Blade grinned. "Next time do not leave it so long. I thought you would never get here."
Blade made his way down the hill alone, oblivious of the stares of Gath"s men and the defiant snarls of the Api prisoners. He went to the smoking charnel pit and looked into it, near to gagging on the sulfurous fumes and sick at his stomach. Row and criss-crossed row they stretched away, the lines of fire-blackened bodies. Blade leaped into the pit and began to search along the paths left by the corpseburners.
It was half an hour before he found the ravaged little body of Ooma with the marks of savage torture everywhere on that once smooth and tender flesh. She had not been burnt and for this much he was grateful. He picked up the frail body and carried it out of the pit and, avoiding the hill, skirted around it and walked until he came to a melon tree growing out of the ruined pavement of a long-forgotten temple.
Blade put her body down and stood gazing at it for a moment. One of her crude wooden combs was still caught in the dark tangle of hair. His face flamed, he choked, and was not ashamed of the hot tears crowding behind his eyes. For a moment he was blinded by the moisture, and the old temple, the courtyard and the single melon tree, disappeared in a scalding haze. Blade gulped, cursed himself softly and began to work.
He knelt and tore out the ancient stones with his hands. He scooped a grave in the soft earth below and placed Ooma in it. He arranged the small, twisted limbs as best he could and covered her face with a bit of his tunic. Then, for a minute or so, he stood looking down at her.
At last he took a double handful of the earth and let it spray through his fingers onto her body. He did not speak aloud, but in his mind he said, "Goodbye, Ooma."
He filled in the grave, replaced the stones atop h, and left it unmarked. He would never come this way again.
Then Richard Blade trod wearily back up the bill to where Gath and his men were waiting to march.