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the southern provinces, assembled outside Dejagore. And a third gathered
outside Taglios itself. There seemed no reason to suspect that the force at
Dejagore should have any trouble denying that city to a force such as that the
Black Company was bringing up. Mogaba expected his enemies to swing west once
they descended from the highlands, possibly marching as far as the Naghir
River, which they could follow north, then swing eastward again and try to get
over the Main at one of the lesser downriver crossings. He intended to let
them march and march and wear themselves down. He intended to let them do
whatever they wanted till he slammed the door shut behind them. Once he had
them north of the Main he could build a ring around them and slowly squeeze.
The Great General was feeling quite positive. Taglios was restive but not
rebellious. Even the most remote garrison commanders were bringing their
soldiers to the assembly points with their units at near strength even though
some harvesting would commence in the far south before the end of the month.
Harvest season inevitably precipitated higher desertion rates.
Best of all, the Protector was staying away. Her tinkering and interference
always made his task more difficult. And, of course, it was always his fault
when a bastardized plan fell apart.
The Great General gathered his senior staff and inner circle, which included a
dozen generals as well as Ghopal and Aridatha Singh. He told them, "The plan
appears to be coming together perfectly. With a couple of nudges and timed
withdrawals I think we can lead them to the ford at Vehdna-Bota. I still wish
we had better communications with the Protector. But she can't find enough
crows anymore. Some plague is wiping them out. I seldom hear from her more
than once a day. And then, often as not, she'll waste time on weather news or
a flu epidemic in Prehbehlbed." Nor were there any shadows about, nor any of
the Protector's lesser spies. Mogaba did not mention that. Taglians were
dedicated conspirators. Let them continue to think that there might be eyes in
the corners, watching.
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Only his own conspiracy need go forward.
The Great General had more to preoccupy him than how to isolate and destroy
his enemy. He suspected there was a definite question about the identity of
Taglios' most dangerous foe.
Something about this incarnation of the Black Company had Soulcatcher so
concerned that she insisted on focusing all her attention there. Something
about this incarnation of the Black Company had touched almost everyone of
substance within the Taglian empire, though news of their return had barely
had time to spread and there were no eyewitness reports available at all. All
customary enmity and internal friction seemed to be dwindling at a time when,
normally, factionalism should be exploding as old antagonists tried to use the
situation to their advantage.
And Mogaba had found that he was thinking less and less about the
practicalities of eliminating the Protector, more and more obsessively about
destroying the Black Company. Not just defeating them but obliterating them.
To the last man, woman, child, horse, mule, flea and louse.
After decades of unhappy fortune Mogaba was naturally wary of
everything--including his own emotional state.
He had begun keeping a personal journal the day he had made the decision to
betray Soulcatcher, to track his thoughts and emotions during the subsequent,
stressful days. It was a journal he opened only in brilliant sunlight. It was
a journal he would destroy before actually taking action against the Protector
because there were names in it he did not want betrayed if he failed--and was
lucky enough to die before she captured him.
Lately he had noticed an evolution in his thinking about the Company. An
accelerating evolution. A frightening evolution.
He had become suspicious of his own reason.
Following a general meeting to consider policy for the empire the Great
General met with the men responsible for the capital city.
"Kina is active again," Mogaba murmured. Ghopal and Aridatha listened
politely. He was referencing events from before their time, that they knew
only by repute. "She's doing that thing where she gradually shapes everyone's
prejudices."
They offered him blank looks.
"Not history buffs, eh?" Mogaba explained. "The strangest part was, nobody
ever wondered why they were terrified. They just didn't remember that three
years earlier they'd never heard of the Black Company."
Ghopal said, "What you're saying is, the Strangler Goddess has a particular [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]