Under the bombardment from the citadel, it took hours to organize another attack. Barnevelt saw that the men of the leading group were furnished with big wicker shields like those't>f the ski troops. These latter had secured a footing here and there around the settlement. More than that Barnevelt could not find out, as communication between them and the ships from which they had come could only be effected by a runner plodding over the terpahla on skis.
The second attack got under way shortly after noon. The men with the big shields got into the small galley on the other side of the raft and almost drove the pirates out of it before a counter-attack sent them running.
The long Krishnan day wore on. Barnevelt got out all the rowboats in the fleet and ordered a combined attack, the longboats to row around the citadel and disembark their men at various points.
This time the attackers did secure a foothold on the small galley nearest to the channel, which they still held when the sun went down and the longboats, those still afloat, rowed back down the channel. But then another counterattack in the fading light drove the allied troops out of the ship they had occupied, and everything was as it had been at the start.
At the evening conference, the Dasht of Darya reported that the ski troops had occupied most of the outlying ships. Queen Alvandi said, "O Ferrian, why don't your brave fliers land their .kites in the middle of the citadel, thus taking our foes in the only rear they present to us?"
" 'Twould serve no good purpose. Coming down singly, and mayhap smashing their craft and having to crawl by degrees from the wreckage, they'd be butchered like unhas at a country fair."
"Or do they fear the handplay, preferring to do their fighting at a safe distance? A mort of my brave girls lie dead out yonder because your delicate heroes'U fight only when they can drop things on the heads…"
"Enough, hag!" shouted Ferrian. "Who put the Duro fleet to rout? I'll match my fliers against your pseudo-warriors…"
"No warrior you, but a contriving calculator…"
By banging on the table and shouting, Barnevelt restored order. Nevertheless, the admirals were quarrelsome over their failures and snarled at each other and at Barnevelt for hours without getting anywhere. Barnevelt realized that his ski-troop idea, while bright, had not been quite good enough to carry that strong defense with one push, at least not with the number of men he had available.
He stood up with the air of one who has listened long enough. "Tomorrow we attack again, using everything at once. Prince Ferrian, load up your gliders with darts and fireworks, and get more jars of fondaqa to drop. My lord Dasht, make your ski troops move forward from their present positions if you have to poke 'em in the rump. Post ski archers around the inner edges of the terpahla to throw more covering fire into the citadel. Queen Alvandi…"
After the admirals had returned to their ships, Barnevelt strolled out upon the deck of the Sunqar. He looked at the wan stars and thought of Zei. The few days since he had seen her last had done nothing to abate the fires within him; on the contrary. Fantastic thoughts ran through his mind, of swooping down on Ghulinde with some personal followers, snatching up Zei, and bearing her off to Earth. Silly, of course…
Sounds in the darkness indicated that men were fetching back dead and wounded from the Saqqand and the adjacent raft, the live ones to be tended and the dead to be stripped of usable equipment before being consigned to the fondaqa. Sounds of carpentry came from the pirate citadel of ships.
"Have a cigar?" said Tangaloa's musical voice.
"Thanks. If I could get away with it I'd call this off."
"Why? You are doing fine—a bosker hero and all that rot."
"We've got Igor, and our film, and that money the queen gave us…"
"You mean you've got it! It belongs to you, not the firm."
"A nice idea," said Barnevelt. "Whether Panagopoulos would agree is something else."
. "Don't tell him. Speaking of money, do you suppose we could claim that reward we offered for the capture of Igor, since we did the capturing? It would have been charged to the company if somebody else had caught the bloke."
"I'm sure Panagopoulos wouldn't allow that! But, as I was saying, it's not our fight any more. All we're doing is to help these poor benighted Krishnans to kill each other, and maybe stop a stray arrow ourselves. Why don't we load Igor into a boat and silently steal away?"
Tangaloa said, "I should like to get some proper pictures inside the settlement. Those you took are half pie articles."
"What about those you've been taking?"
"Inadequate. Cosmic wouldn't accept them. Besides, anything like that would rouse the suspicions of the admirals, and with gliders to scout for them they'd easily catch us. Some of them are violently anti-Terran, and I hate to think what would happen if we were dragged back and—ah—unmasked."
"I could say I'm feeling poorly and turn the command over to Ferrian, since he thinks he can do anything better than anybody else."
"You forget—Igor is still under Osirian pseudo-hypnosis. I don't know whether it wears off…"
"It does," said Barnevelt, "but I understand it leaves you full of neuroses unless you get another Osirian to break the spell."
"Precisely! Therefore we must get Sheafase alive and force him to restore the Old Man's mind."
"I don't know. There are other Osirians, and I've drunk delight of battle with my peers enough to last me for some time."
"Look here, battler, while I don't like to throw my weight, I fear we must go on with this. Even if you are admiralissimo of the fleet, don't forget I'm your boss in Igor Shtain Limited."
Barnevelt was astonished to see the easy-going Tangaloa, for the first time, pull rank. George must take his xenological investigations—if nothing else—seriously.
"Oh, tamates! I've taken most of the responsibility and you know it. If it comes to a fight I know worse fates than not working for Igor."
"Then let's not fight, by all means," said Tangaloa pacifically. "If you can arrange one sunny day in the citadel for me, I'm easy as far as the war is concerned."
"Okay. I'll watch for a chance to effect such an agreement."
"Good-o. And now if you will excuse me, I have a date."
"You what?"
"A date. With one of Queen Alvandi's lady troopers, for some xenological work. I find them really quite feminine, in our sense of the term, under the warlike getup. Which— ahem—merely proves what I said the other day about the stability of basic cultural attitudes. Cheerio!"
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Next morning a heavy overcast, a high fog that barely cleared the mastheads, confined Ferrian's fliers to their ship and reduced the effectiveness of long-range missile fire. By the leaden light it was seen that the besieged had erected bulwarks of timber, slotted for archery, around the outer rails of the ships forming the citadel. They had also rigged boarding nets and had fixed numbers of pikes with their points projecting outward, to aggravate the hazards facing the attackers.
After the usual delays, the trumpets sounded. Again the men advanced. Bows twanged, catapults thumped, swords clanged, and wounded men screamed.
By evening the allied forces had cleared the Sunqaruma out of all the outlying positions and had secured a precarious lodgment in the citadel itself. But again the cost had been heavy, and the Sunqaruma could by no means be deemed beaten.
The admirals, a couple of them nursing injuries, gathered for the post-mortem in a worse mood than ever, snapping at each other like crabs in a bucket. "Why supported you not my men when I signalled for help?"
"My lord Ferrian, what good are your damned idlers lounging on the Kumanisht while better men and women die among the spears?"
"Madam, should I use a scalpel to split kindling? One of my fliers is worth six common soldiers…"
"Where's the genius of the great General Snyol?"
"We should cease these vain assaults and starve the dastards out!"
"A cowardly counsel!"
"Who's a coward
? I'll have your liver…"
Barnevelt was trying without much success to establish order when the sentry announced, "A boat from the Sun-qaruma, my lords, seeking a parley."
"Send them in," said Barnevelt, glad of the interruption. If the enemy were softening up to the point of asking terms, the battle should soon be over.
Steps sounded outside. The sentry announced: "Gizil bad-Bashti, High Admiral of the Morya Sunqaruma!"
"Gizil the Saddler!" shrieked Queen Alvandi. "Recreant treacher! Just wait till I…"
"Vizqash!" said Barnevelt, for the small scar-faced fellow in the doorway was the Krishnan he had known off and on as Vizqash bad-Murani.
The man, wearing his lordly hidalgo manner, took off his helmet and made a mock bow. "Gizil bad-Bashti, otherwise Gizil the Saddler, otherwise Vizqash the Haberdasher, at your service," he rasped. "I greet my old acquaintance Snyol of Pleshch, otherwise Gozzan the Express-Courier, otherwise…"
He trailed off and sent a knowing grin at Barnevelt, who introduced him round and said, "Since when have you been chief of the Sunqaruma, Gizil?"
"Since the fourth hour today, when our former chief, Sheafase the Osirian, expired of an arrow wound received yesterday."
"Sheafase dead!" said Barnevelt, and exchanged a look of consternation with Tangaloa. If the Osirian chief no longer lived to cure Shtain of his affliction, there would have to be a radical alteration in their plans.
"Yes," continued Gizil-Vizqash. "Promotion has been swift, for grievous has been the loss among our chiefs. Gavao did perish in our raid on Ghulinde. Qorf and 'Urgan the mighty Snyol did slay when he snatched the princess from our grasp.
And even the Earthman, Igor Eshtain, who'd risen swiftly after his late enrollment in our company, was missing after the first day's battle. So—here am I, High Admiral.
"And speaking of the raid of Snyol upon our stronghold: In going through one of our provision ships in preparation for this siege, we found a youth asleep upon a sack of tunesta, clad as an expressman. Questioning revealed that he was the companion of your General Snyol, the suppositious Gozzan, on their foray. Becoming separated from his comrades, he'd hidden in this ship since then, subsisting on our stores. He says he's Zakkomir bad-Gurshmani, a ward of Qirib's throne. Be that the truth, Queen Alvandi?"
"It could be. What have you done with the boy?"
"Nought as yet. His safety answers for my own, in case you should by reasoning sophistical convince yourselves that faith need not be kept with such as we."
Barnevelt said dryly, "Interesting, but that's not why you came here. Are you surrendering?"
"Surrender?" Gizil's antennae rose. "A horrid word. I speak, rather, of honorable terms whereby this bloody conflict may be terminated."
"A pox upon this chaffering!" cried the Suruskando admiral. "Let's terminate him with a length of rope and press the attack with pitiless ferocity. They must be low on men or muniment, to offer terms."
"Wait," said Queen Alvandi. "You do forget, sir, they hold my sweet ward Zakkomir."
"What, you turning soft?" cried Ferrian. "You speaking for prudence and moderation, old battle-ax?"
Barnevelt broke in, "Say your say, Master Gizil."
"Let's consider our positions," resumed the pirate admiral unruffled. "By the grace of Da'vi you did rout our rescuers, the fleet of Dur. But it follows not they'll scamper all the distance to their stormy home. Rather is it likely that their admiral will think him of the loss of rank or head awaiting him at home and turn again for one more blow.
"Now, one need not be able to see through a plank of qong wood to know that you've had grievous losses in the last three days of combat, perhaps a quarter of your total force dead or disabled. Therefore I now expect, even if you set out at once on your return, you'd find many ships with oars but partly manned. Another day of this contention will find you in a parlous plight indeed.
"Then as to our situation. 'Tis true we are surrounded and, supposing Dur does not return, we must depend upon our own resources, while you can replenish and reinforce. It is also true that we've expended men and weapons. 'Tis even true that we've been driven from our outposts by that brainsome scheme of sending men across the weed with boards upon their feet. Who thought of that must be a very Qarar reincarnate.
"Still, by making use of cover, we have kept our losses small. As for weapons and missiles, we'd taken the precaution, in setting up our floating citadel, to include within it all supplies of such contrivances, and also ample food and water.
"Let us assume, to make your case most favorable, that you can in the long run overcome us. What then? Remember that your troops confront despairing men with nought to lose, and who will therefore fight to death—whilst yours, however brave, are not inflamed by such a desperate animus. This, combined with the advantage of a strong defensive stand, means that you will lose a pair or trio for every one of us you slay. You'll be lucky if such slaughter, in addition to bleeding your realms of their most stalwart battlers, do not to blank dissent and open mutiny incite them ere the siege be over.
"Then, what seek ye here? Queen Alvandi, we surmise, covets the Sunqar itself, and also her ward Zakkomir un-perforate. You others seek our treasury and fleet, and also wish to rid yourselves of the menace of our jolly rovers on the seas. Speak I not sooth? So if you can center the shai-han's eye without further bloodletting, were't not shear perversity and madness to refuse?"
"What are your terms?" asked Barnevelt.
"That all surviving Morya Sunqaruma, unharmed, be set ashore upon the mainland, each man to be allowed to take family and personal possessions, including cash and weapons."
Gizil looked narrowly at Barnevelt and chose his words with care. "Snyol of Pleshch is widely known as a man of most meticulous honor, a quality sadly lacking in these degenerate days. For that reason alone do we propose to place ourselves upon your mercy, for if the veritable Snyol avers he will protect us, we know he will."
Again that knowing look. Barnevelt realized Gizil was saying: Carry out your end of the bargain, as the real Snyol would, and I won't spill the beans about having known you at Novorecife as an Earthman. Smart gloop, Gizil-alias-Vizqash.
"Will you step out, sir?" said Barnevelt. "We'll discuss your offer."
When Gizil had withdrawn the admirals sounded off: " 'Twere a shame to let slip the prize when 'tis almost in our grasp…"
"Nay, the fellow has reason…"
"That stipulation about personal moneys will never do. What's to hinder them, when Gizil goes back, from dividing the entire treasury amongst 'em?"
"The same with their weapons…"
"They must be nearly spent. One good push…"
"We should at least demand the leaders' heads…"
After an hour's argument Barnevelt called for a vote, which proved a tie. The queen was now for peace, since the Sun-qaruma held Zakkomir.
"I say peace," said Barnevelt. "As for details…"
When Gizil was readmitted, Barnevelt told him they would take the terms with two exceptions: the Morya Sunqaruma might not take their money and weapons, and those originally from Qirib should be set ashore as far as possible from that land—say on the southeast shore of the Banjao. This last was at Alvandi's behest, as she did not want them to drift back to Qirib to make trouble.
Gizil grinned. "Her Altitude seems to think that, having once escaped her yoke, we wish to return thereunder. How-somever, I'll take your word to my council. Shall we prolong this truce until the matter be decided?"
So it was agreed, and out he went.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Next day the opposing forces lay in uneasy silence, both of them repairing damages and strengthening their positions. Shortly after noon Gizil came out again, and a flutter of flag hoists called the admirals to the Junsar.
Gizil said, "My lords, your counterterms are hard—too hard to be endured by warlike men with weapons in their fists. Therefore do I present to you an amended offer, thus: That our men take with them mo
ney to the sum of one gold kard apiece, that they shall not starve while seeking honest work, and weapons to the extent of one knife or dagger each, that they shall not be utterly defenseless. And that only able-bodied ex-Qiribuma like myself be sent to those distant shores whereof Alvandi speaks, wounded ones being set ashore nearer home in civilized regions."
"We accept," said Barnevelt quickly before the admirals had time to speak. Some of them looked blackly at him, the queen especially assuming the appearance of a snapping turtle. But with peace so nearly in his grasp, he did not intend to let it slip. If they didn't like it, well—George and he would soon be going, and it mattered little to him if future Krishnan history books denounced him.
"Do you give your solemn promise, O Snyol of Pleshch?" said Gizil.
"I do."
"Will you come with me aboard my ship and repeat your promise to my chiefs?"
"Sure."
"Ohe!" said Prince Ferrian. "Art not thrusting your head into the yeki's mouth? Trust you the rascal so far?"
"I think so. He knows what they'd have to expect if they tried any monkey business at this stage. If I don't come back, you're boss."
Barnevelt went with Gizil to the citadel and climbed through the pikes and outer defenses to the big galleys forming the keep of this floating fortress. He saw signs of much damage, and dead and wounded pirates; withal, there were lots of live ones left. Gizil had not stretched the truth too far.
Introduced around the circle of officers, he repeated his promises. "Of course your men must submit to search," he said.
They drew up a written agreement covering the terms of capitulation, signed it, and took it back to the Sunqar for the admirals to sign too. This was all a tedious and time-consuming business.
Zakkomir, perky as ever but with the pussycat roundness gone from his face, was released. Barnevelt got him aside, saying, "Want to do me a favor?"
"My life is yours to command, Lord Snyol."
"Then forget that the pirates were interested in getting hold of Tagde and me. Get it?"
The Hand of Zei Page 9
