He looked from his wife to me. “By the time I reached the fortress everyone was gone. But then I talked with Newton on the radio machine. Word of your battle to the east had reached them, and he passed it on to me. It was a great victory, my lady. I should have been there for you.”
Again he looked down at the litter, and I touched him. “No...”
“I should have been with you!” he said angrily. “I went out confident into battle, and lost my army. Lost...”
I looked down at his wife. “Will she be all right?”
“She will die,” he said. “And it is all my fault.”
“Nothing is your fault,” I replied.
He stared down at the litter, and then slowly bent to pick up the poles and dragged it into camp.
The next morning the sun peeked over the caldera and quickly melted the dusting of snow that had reached up to us. The mountainside was blanketed in clouds below us. The air smelled fresh and cold.
By midday the clouds to the north were gone, giving us a good view of Burroughs. It was a sprawling city, larger than Sagan and Shklovkii put together. There were tall municipal buildings which reminded me of those in Wells. Mining had given it its wealth. Beyond it, at the northern horizon, was the edge of the polar cap like a jagged white line of teeth.
“It’s magnificent!” I said.
“And dangerous,” General Xarr, beside me, added. He looked much the worse for wear. He had spent much of the night with Kerl, getting no sleep. I had not been invited to this particular party; had, with as much politeness as Xarr could muster, been excluded from it.
“I apologize for last night, my lady,” Xarr said to me now, by way of explanation. “But Kerl was in need of the company of old military friends, and their rum. I hope you understand.”
“Of course.”
“I do not know much of things other than military,” he said, “but I would imagine he will be in need of other company soon.”
I regarded the city below.
“What do we need to know about approach?” I asked.
“Well,” he began slowly, “to begin with, it is not such a magnificent city as you think. From here, it is pretty and shiny, but it as corrupt as any other hell. It was built on the blood of men like my ancestors, who came here to get rich and stayed to die poor. A few so-called great men made the city what it is today. The rest were no better than if the F’rar had ruled then.”
He paused and stared down at his homeland.
“Today,” he went on, “the F’rar are camped to the north. They were driven, so my scouts tell me, out of the city by the initial uprising, but have not left the area. They are about to be joined by a great F’rar army from the west, who began by running like kits but now are organized and on the march again.”
“That is the one Newton told me of, with a F’rar named Ceres at its head.”
Xarr harrumphed. “I know this Ceres. He is as ruthless as Frane.”
Jamie joined us. His haggard look had not abated in the days since I had first seen him again. He looked an old man in a young body.
“Kerl wishes to see you, my lady.”
Jamie stayed behind as I took my leave.
There was a tent set up away from the others which Kerl had taken for the ministrations of his mate. When I walked in I found Kerl alone, standing over the cushions on which she had been carefully laid. A veil covered her face. She was breathing with difficulty.
“She wants to speak with you,” Kerl said as I joined him.
“Is there–”
“There is no hope, and she knows it.”
Piesha had turned her head towards us. I could tell she was in great pain. She tried to lift the veil, but her paw could only weakly wave at it.
Gently, Kerl turned the cloth back.
Her face was even more ravaged than it had looked the night before, nearly hairless and horribly scraped, as if claws had dug at her.
“My...Queen...” she said, more weakly than a whisper.
I bent down to her, and took her paw in my own. It was lighter than a feather.
“Piesha, don’t speak. Save your strength.”
“For what?” she asked. “I know I am to die. I have served my clan, my husband and my Queen well....But there is something I must say...”
Her head made a motion, and I knelt now to bring my ear close to her lips. “What is it, Piesha?”
“Take...care of him...” she said. Her grip tightened on my paw. “You must...vow...”
The words stuck in my throat. “I...”
“You must vow!” Her voice suddenly strengthened, and she brought her face up to mine. “Please, my Queen...”
Tears had filled my eyes. “I make that vow to you...”
“Thank you...”
She lay back on the pillow, and her breath became very ragged again.
As I stood up beside Kerl, the ragged breathing stopped. He bent down to cover her face again.
“She is gone,” he said.
“Did you hear...?”
“Yes, I heard,” he said. His words were so hard-edged that I said nothing.
“Can I spend time with her alone, my Queen?” he asked. It was almost a cry of despair.
“Of course.”
I left him there, staring down at her, his paws clenched at his sides.
There was a burial ceremony near midday (I thought of the Mighty and his ceremonies) for Piesha and for one of the others who had come in with Kerl during the night, who had also died. It was quick and simple.
Our scouts reported that there was much movement to the west, where Ceres’s army had camped a mere twenty kilometers from Burroughs. Unaccountably, the F’rar reinforcements to the north had not moved to join them.
“Perhaps they plan a two pronged attack on the city, from the north and west?” I asked.
Xarr cleared his throat and replied, “Why even bother with Burroughs? At this point it is of no strategic value. I would have thought Ceres would circumvent it and head south to Wells.”
“He hasn’t,” Kerl nearly spat, “and that is our problem.” He had been more surly than grief-stricken the entire day.
A thought occurred to me: “Ceres has Talon with him.”
“Another dust storm machine?” Xarr asked, his eyes widening.
“Or perhaps worse,” I answered.
“The only thing to do is to go down into Burroughs and reconnoiter,” Kerl said. “Jeffrey of the Science Guild is down there waiting for us with armaments, and I can also draw the rebel forces there into our army. With that added strength, we can destroy the northern forces before they can join Ceres. Then we can sweep east and south, picking up even more forces on the way, and meet Ceres in equal strength before he gets to Wells.”
There were no objections to this plan.
“It is late in the day,” Xarr commented. I will instruct my spies to prepare your arrival early tomorrow. The rebel forces will be mobilized in Burroughs for you by then.”
“Good,” Kerl said, banging his paw on the table and then turning angrily to leave.
I caught up with him at the door to the tent. “Talk with me. Let us have a meal.”
“I’m not hungry, my Queen.”
“Then let us walk.”
He took a deep breath, but then nodded suddenly. “All right,” he said.
There was a bluff overlooking the city far below, which had burst out in night lights as dusk dropped toward night. It looked like a scattering of stars on the ground. The faraway fires of the mining plants shimmered and danced.
“It is almost beautiful,” I said.
“Almost.”
I lowered my voice. “Kerl. Look at me.”
He did so, though his features were still hard.
“Why are you so angry?”
He looked back at the view, and then burst out: “Because I do not grieve for her! I did the same to her that you did to my brother!”
“No one could force you to love her. You know that.
She knew that, too.”
“But it is still shameful!”
“Yes, it is,” I said, awash in my own memories and shame.
The two of us regarded the scene below. A burst of faraway flame from the foundry sent sparks into the sky. I could almost hear them crackle.
“Let me tell you something, Kerl,” I said. “A long time ago, when I was betrothed to Kalen, I locked my heart away. It was as if there was nothing in my chest but an empty place, a hole. And Kalen knew this. He knew it from the very first time he touched me. And what made it worse was that his own heart was open and unlocked for me. And so the two of us lived with one heart, and it was not enough for love. I was very angry at those who had made me do this to this good man. I think he was angry, too.
“But later, after Kaylan was murdered, I came to understand that for those of us born to duty, there are things more important than our hearts. It is the price we pay to rule. And it is a dear one, as those who do not rule don’t always understand.
“And we must pay it, or many thousands, perhaps millions, suffer. It is the sacrifice we make, and, we are judged by it. We are, in fact, judged by our actions, not our hearts.
“I think Kaylan, beyond his own pain, knew this too. I think Piesha knew it. It was the price they paid for duty. And they paid it well.”
There were tears in his eyes, as he stared straight ahead at the scene below.
“And now...” I began.
He suddenly took me in his arms. “And now we can have our hearts and our duty,” he said.
“Yes,” I answered, in a bare whisper. “We are very lucky. And Kaylan and Piesha, I believe, would bless us–”
He kissed me – a kiss I had dreamed about since I was barely older than a kit, and had first seen him laughing with his brother in the grounds outside the palace. They had been playing tag, along with Frane, who kept chasing Kerl. Though Kerl was smaller and younger than his brother he was quicker and faster. They were both laughing very loud, and then Kerl stopped and looked at me, and our eyes met–
The kiss went on, and on...
“I do wed thee,” he whispered in my ear, somewhere in the middle of the night.
“And I thee,” I whispered in return, in release...
The next morning, early, Kerl and four good soldiers, including my friend Masie, made ready to go down to Burroughs. It was first light. They were each outfitted with good horses, but little in the way of provisions.
“We will be back by nightfall, with your friend Jeffrey and with an army!” Kerl announced.
Xarr concurred. “Good. We have many plans to make on your return.”
“Yes,” Kerl said, smiling. He turned to me, and said for everyone to hear, “And a betrothal ceremony among them.”
“What’s this?” Xarr said in surprise.
“My Queen and I are one,” Kerl said, grinning. “Last night we made our vows to one another. Tonight we will have the party. Make sure you wear your best tunic, and that the wine steward brings only his best. I will bring more wine and provisions for a party from Burroughs.” He shook a money bag tied to his saddle. “Only the best.” He shouted, “Your Queen is married!”
There was a cheer from all those awake and nearby.
Kerl locked eyes with me. “Till this evening, my Queen.”
“Till then,” I answered.
“You glow,” he said, in a lower voice.
I nodded. “I will wait for you to return.”
“And I shall hurry!”
He turned his mount, and the four horses began to long steep climb down the winding switchback trail to the waking city below.
When they had left I turned to see Xarr’s eyes on me, as well as Jamie’s. Jamie looked stunned, and the old general had a raffish look on his face.
“So...” Xarr said.
“Yes,” I answered, and then I laughed.
Xarr turned away. “It’s about damned time, my Queen.”
For the first time in months that seemed like years, my heart was as light as those around me. The early scouts reported no movement in either F’rar army, so the day was given over to preparations for my wedding ceremony. I did not believe so much festive bunting could be produced by a traveling army. As if by magic, Brenda and her cohorts produced hunted game ready to be spiced and cooked, and wine long hidden for a special occasion. Though (no surprise!) Beth was also an excellent seamstress, in her stead Bertie, Brenda’s husband, did nearly as well. In fact, it was said after he had produced a wedding gown from one of the gaudier tent flaps, that he may even have outdone his rival this time. Though it was stiff and smelled of canvas and harsh weather, it felt like silk and lace to the wearing.
Musicians were produced from among the ranks, and an orchestra of sorts, which started out sounding like sick kits but were more than serviceable by the end of the morning, was assembled and made ready.
I looked forward to this evening as I had never looked forward to any day in my life.
By mid afternoon my anticipation had grown to the point where I began to bother Xarr like a child.
At first he laughed, reporting that a rider had reported that an army nearly five thousand strong was now on the march and that Kerl was staying behind to round up even more – but, late in the day, he had troubling news to impart.
“I don’t know what to make of this, my lady,” he said. My scouts report that the army to the north is pulling far away from the city at great speed.
A bolt of ice went through me. “And Ceres’s army?”
“They hold to the west of Burroughs at twenty kilometers. They have been active with their air machines, but only near their camp in maneuvers.”
Ten minutes later he came to me with an even deeper frown. “No movements in troops, but our radio machine near Ceres’s camp reports from our spy within the F’rar camp that a single airship is headed for Burroughs as of a half hour ago. Perhaps a peace emissary–”
“Get them out!” I shouted, suddenly, intuitively, knowing what was about to happen. “Get Kerl and his troops out of the city now!”
Xarr looked at me with confusion. “They are nearly assembled. They should be on their way in an hour or so–”
I found myself crying, which only confused him more. “Get them out now!”
“It is imposs–”
It was then I heard the whine of the airship, and ran to the bluff in my wedding gown now streaking with tears.
The first soldiers of our new army were just making their way into camp, and behind them was a mass of men climbing up the hillside.
At a distant sound, they stopped as one to look at the sky.
“Kerl!” I screamed as I saw the tiny dark distant blip approached the city below at a great height. I could imagine my love looking up at it in either comprehension or confusion. “Oh my husband–!”
It was then that a flash of light made the day go away. I closed my eyes as the concussion made the ground shake and then roared up the mountainside to hit me with a blast of heated air that knocked me to the ground. At first I could not see and thought I was blind. But I was not. My sight came back though now I cursed it.
There were cries of alarm around me; the blast of hot wind had torn the party bunting. Now a blast of dust roared up the mountainside, knocking down soldiers like flower petals bent by the wind and then a cloud engulfed us all...
I awoke choking on dust. I was covered head to foot in fine red particles. There was a strange smell in the air, like dried, smoked meat. Around me others were getting to their feet, coughing. Someone was crying. I heard someone hoarsely call my name.
I stood, and brushed myself up as I walked through the settling cloud. I bumped into someone hunched over, retching. It was a soldier, and he looked up at me uncomprehending.
“What happened–?”
“I don’t know,” I answered.
The day became brighter as the dust cloud settled: the sun, a dim yellow coin, grew brighter and now the sky came back. There were high
clouds.
I walked to the edge of the bluff and looked down.
I swore: “My creator.”
The cloud was settling down the mountainside toward Burroughs, which was still swaddled in dust. As the dust retreated it revealed an army of men struggling to their feet. They began to trudge sluggishly up the mountainside.
The cloud settled, settled...
I waited for Burroughs to reappear. The dust moved in lessening eddies, clearing away...
There was nothing but a dust-filled crater where the city had been.
“Kerl...” I whispered, and knew that he was gone, annihilated, along with Masie and Jeffrey and the many thousands of others who had lived there.
Xarr joined me, wiping his eyes.
“Where...?”
“It’s gone. And with it my husband. This was Talon’s doing.”
A runner covered in dust approached Xarr. “General, the F’rar army to the west is moving. So are the remnants to the north. They are both heading this way, sir.”
Xarr stared at him in disbelief.
“Sir...?” the runner said, waiting.
I spoke up. “Keep track of their movements. Report any change. I’ll need reports on the half hour. Do they have another weapon like the one that was dropped on Burroughs?”
“Our spy in their camp says that was the only one. But they have a tent with parts, possibly for another.”
“Very well. Do as I told you.”
He stared at me for a moment, and then bowed. “Yes, my Queen.”
He moved off, and I turned to Xarr. There was bitterness and anger in my voice.
“Get the new soldiers organized as fast as you can.” I looked out at the place where my husband had died. “Outfit them and organize them. We will destroy Ceres’s army before he gets here.”
Twenty One
I remember very little more about that day, except for the coppery smell of blood in my nostrils.
We had gained more than four thousand soldiers, and we used them to good effect. Their thirst for blood was as great as mine. They had seen their homes and families wiped from the face of Mars, and they fought with appropriate vigor. Xarr organized them well. But when our charge down the mountainside toward Ceres’s approaching army began, each man and woman heard not the cries of battle in his ears but the singing of bloodlust and vengeance. I am ashamed to admit I heard the same.
Haydn of Mars Page 18
