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there. You might want to hang back a few steps."
"One thing before you go get mauled by the undead. Just my
personal curiosity. Why are you out here, openly directing Devedian forces?
Grade Drocker knows your name. Why show your hand here, now? How did you know
there'd be an outbreak from the Realm of Night?"
"That's several things, Colonel." Stewpo gestured at his men to deploy. "But
it's all gone so well, I feel like crowing. My God is the True God."
"Excuse me?"
"An Angel of the Lord came to me at night many times, to tell me that Hell
would open its mouth here. I choose to be seen exactly because the sorcerer
will remember my name ? from Sonsa. If he presses my people, they can honestly
blame everything on me. And I've told them that the original information about
firepowder weapons came from the Dreangerean provocateur who died during me
uprising in Sonsa."
Did a deeply veiled threat he behind Stewpo's words?
"I don't expect Drocker to last much longer. He doesn't have the strength to
give you much trouble. And no one else cares."
"You aren't Devedian, Colonel. You don't see things as all being part of the
river of time. You barely see beyond yesterday, today, and tomorrow."
Else disagreed but kept his opinion to himself. Though the dwarf might
honestly believe that he had been visited by an angel, not a rogue Chooser of
the Slain arranging a cruel ambush for a father who had ripped out her heart.
Stewpo asked, "Is that it? I do have your clumsy associate to salvage."
"Go. Save." Else clambered up a rock outcrop. The hillside » fell away from
the wall steeply. The slope below was littered with dead and wounded men,
along with bits and pieces of northern heroes. Seventy yards away a dozen
Braunsknechts swayed in a clump around Elspeth Ege. Else felt that same thrill
he had experienced in Plemenza. The girl seemed angry and fearless.
Ghort and his crew had failed to break through. They were surrounded
themselves. Neither party had much resistance left to offer.
"Do your stuff, dwarf," Else muttered.
There was no thinking going on amongst the heroes. The
Devedian fire teams fired their first volley from ten feet away. There were no
misses. By the time the heroes realized that there was a threat the Deves had
fired again. Heroes hit went down. And stayed down. It took only minutes to
exterminate mem.
"You took your sweet time," Ghort gasped. He was pale, his expression
strained. 'Ten more minutes and there wouldn't have had been nobody to
rescue." "You're bitching so I'm guessing I got here soon enough." "Oh, yes.
I'm going to make your life miserable for a long time to come. Ow! Easy there,
hairboy." A Dainshau physician had begun to examine Ghort.
Else told the Dainshau, "Those others need you more than
this one. Let the vitriol leak out before you patch him up."
Chuckling, Else headed for the Imperial survivors. Most had
collapsed once the need to defend themselves ceased. Only the
Emperor's daughter remained upright, beside her fallen
mount, with a light sword in one hand and her father's standard
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in the other, taken over from her fallen standard-bearer. She
wore some sort of toy mail, a light breastplate, and no helmet
Her dark hair streamed in the wind.
Else inclined his head. "Princess." I I
"I remember you. But not your name." I
"Piper Hecht, Princess. Of the Brothen city regiment"
"Your circumstances have improved." She flashed a melting
smile.
"Indeed. While yours appear to have deteriorated somewhat."
"We had them right where we wanted them."
Else could not help grinning. "What can I do to help?"
"You could give me my brother back."
"I'd love to. But I'm in no position to do that I'm a soldier.
He's already in the hands of men more interested in politics."
"Members of the Collegium."
"Yes." I
"Is he all right?" I
"I don't know. I haven't seen him. But I think so." Else's gaze remained
locked with that of the young woman^ Clearly, she felt the electricity, too.
"What will you do?" "We are the children of Hansel Blackboots." "I wish you
luck, Princess. The best possible. I wouldn't want to face what you do, now."
She flashed another melting smile. "I told you. were tne children of
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