Soarers Choice (32 page)

Chastyl
gave Dainyl a sympathetic smile, but said nothing.

Dainyl
made his way out through the foyer and down the corridor. There, he opened
Zelyert’s door without knocking, knowing the High Alector was alone.

The
Highest looked up, his face twisted in annoyance. “What took you so long?”

Dainyl
took the seat across the table from Zelyert and settled into it. He was tired
and ached all over, and he would have liked to have seen Zelyert do what he’d
done. “I sent a message by sandox on Quinti, but it might have been delayed. We
ran into a blizzard that was too heavy to fly through and too big to fly
around. We had to wait it out overnight in Harmony.”

“I
suppose you couldn’t help that.” The High Alector’s tone reflected a
combination of grudging acceptance and frustration.

“That
kind of weather isn’t something I could do anything about.” Dainyl paused.
“Blackstear is in our hands, and all of the invaders are dead.”

“That’s
one problem taken care of, but I’d hoped you’d be quicker.”

“I
take it that there’s more trouble.”

“The
same thing has happened in-Soupat. Another group of Myrmidons from Ifryn.
Nomyelt was killed when he tried to shut down the Table. His assistant
translated to Ludar. We got word late yesterday. The Table’s still on the grid,
and it’s beginning to get increasing numbers of long translations. The Duarches
are extremely worried.”

Dainyl
couldn’t say he was surprised. “If it had to happen anywhere else, that would
be the most likely.” Before Zelyert could say more, Dainyl asked, “What is the
situation at Hyalt?”

“The
Duarch Samist has indicated that Hyalt is heavily guarded and that matters are
under control there. It’s not a problem. Nor is Tempre. What do you intend to
do about Soupat?”

Dainyl
bristled inside at the quick assignment of responsibility to him. Table
security hadn’t ever been a primary Myrmidon duty. In fact, usually the only
Myrmidons who ever even saw a Table were the marshal and submarshal. He kept
his voice pleasant as he replied, “Whatever is necessary. I asked Alcyna to
draw up a plan for what to do if we had to handle another situation like
Blackstear. The Cadmian Sixth Battalion, Mounted Rifles, has been operating
there for the past two seasons, but they’ve already suffered heavy casualties,
and I assume you’d rather not get them involved unless it’s absolutely necessary.”

“An
astute observation, Marshal.”

“I’ll
go back to headquarters and see what else we have available.”

“What
you have available?” Zelyert raised his eyebrows.

“Unless
you want me or Delari to inactivate Blackstear again, First Company will have
to guard it until we can get more guards there, one way or another. Guarding it
day and night will take almost all the Myrmidons from First Company. So they
can’t be used to fly guards up there, and the harbor is already frozen in. That
means using Myrmidons from somewhere else, like Second Company in Ludar.” For
most tasks Dainyl wouldn’t have considered Second Company, but even Samist and
Brekylt had a clear interest in keeping too many refugees from Ifryn from
arriving on Acorus. Still... he’d rather not rely too heavily on Second
Company.

Zelyert
was silent for a moment, clearly taken aback. Then, he said, “I’ll have to talk
to Delari.”

“I’ll
see what we can do.” Dainyl turned and left, without asking Zelyert’s leave. He
did close the door behind him ... and quietly.

He
found Delari in Adya’s study, seated on one side of the small writing desk.
Adya was not there.

Delari
stood and turned. “Dainyl... Chastyl told me that Blackstear’s back on the
grid. I was getting together some things before I returned.”

“You’d
better wait until Zelyert talks to you. He’s not happy.”

“You
don’t sound very encouraging.” Her voice was cool.

“You’ll
pardon me if I’m not, Delari. The only people alive in the Table building in
Blackstear are my Myrmidons. The intruders killed everyone else, and we ended
up having to kill all of the intruders. That’s not exactly encouraging.” He
cleared his throat. “I have one question. Then I have to get back to work on
what to do about Soupat. When the Table is powered up, it’s almost impervious, isn’t
it? Except to a direct Talent thrust, I mean. You could drop a timber or
something on it, and nothing would happen — unless the timber were
Talent-guided?”

The
tall recorder frowned, then nodded. “That’s supposedly so. I wouldn’t want to
try it. Do you have something in mind?”

“Not
yet,” Dainyl temporized. “I wanted to know because we may have to use more
force in Soupat.”

“You
can’t do what you did in Blackstear?”

“I
think it’s unlikely. They’re already getting more translations, and the weather
and geography won’t limit them to the Table building. But we’ll have to see.”
He managed a smile and a nod before taking his leave.

An
icy rain was falling across Elcien when Dainyl left the Hall of Justice looking
for a hacker. Because it took a while to find one, he was glad for the
cold-weather gear he was still wearing.

From
the outside, through the cold rain, headquarters looked deserted when Dainyl
got out of the coach and walked through the gates and then into the entry
foyer.

Squad
leader Doselt was handling the duty desk, one of his extra responsibilities
when all of First Company was gone, and he looked up as Dainyl entered
headquarters. “Sir? The rest of the company?”

“They’re
still in Blackstear. I came back by Table. Is Seventh Company here?”

“Two
squads, sir. Undercaptain Asyrk is in charge.”

“Good.
I’ll want to see him later. Is the submarshal in?”

“Yes,
sir.”

“Good.
Thank you.”

Dainyl
walked down the corridor to Alcyna’s study, stepping through the open door and
taking the chair at the corner of her table desk, motioning her to keep her
seat.

“You
look tired, Marshal. How did it go?”

“We
hold Blackstear. The insurgents, refugees ... whatever you want to call them,
they killed everyone at Blackstear. We stormed the building, killed all of
them, and First Company is now guarding the Table there.”

“You
were successful.” Her voice was level.

“For
the moment. As soon as I returned by Table, less than a glass ago, the Highest
informed me that another group of Myrmidons from Ifryn has taken over the Table
at Soupat. He doesn’t want the Cadmians there involved. They wouldn’t do well
if the intruders in Soupat are as well armed as the ones in Blackstear were.”

“How
did you know that was going to happen?” asked Alcyna.

“I
didn’t. It seemed logical that attacks would be made where we couldn’t respond
quickly, except through the Table, and there aren’t that many alectors here on
Acorus who are Table-trained. Certainly not enough to mount that kind of a
counterattack.”

“They
must have counted on that.”

“I’m
certain that they did. Have you got a plan for dealing with Soupat?”

“I
have three options. None are that good. Seventh Company is already
understrength. Majer Keheryl insists that Samist wants two squads of Second
Company in Ludar at all times...”

“So
we’re looking at two squads from Seventh Company and three from Fifth Company?”

“So
long as First Company is tied up with Blackstear, that’s the best option.”

“What
about tactics?”

“What
else is there but using skylances and going in the way you did in Blackstear?”

“Aerial
bombardment,” suggested Dainyl. “Drop as many large boulders as necessary on
the Table building to seal it enough so that even if the Table remains working
no one can get out of the Table chamber. That way, it remains on the grid, but
we don’t have to guard it. Then we patrol the area from the air and flame down
anyone who doesn’t belong.”

“That’s
drastic.”

“It’s
realistic,” he countered. “And it risks fewer Myrmidons and pteridons.”

A
knock on the door broke the momentary silence.

“Marshal,
sir,” said Doselt, “the High Alector sent his carriage and a request that you
return to the Hall of Justice immediately.”

“I’ll
be there in a moment.” Dainyl looked at Alcyna. “It’s getting late, but you
need to remain here until I know what else has gone wrong and what we’ll have
to do. Make sure Asyrk stays, too.” He rose from the chair.

“I
had that feeling.” Alcyna stood. “The best of luck with the Highest.”

Dainyl
nodded.

As
he left Alcyna’s study and walked back down the corridor toward the entry
foyer, he realized that he’d been in El-cien for over two glasses and that he
was still wearing the cold-weather flying jacket and had the heavy gloves
tucked in his belt.

He
did not speak to the driver of the Highest’s coach on the return to the Hall of
Justice, thinking instead about possible adaptations of the tactics he had
ordered to bring down Hyalt. He also had to wonder why Samist had garrisoned
Hyalt immediately upon the return of its Table to active status, yet the
Duarches had done little to preclude a takeover at Soupat.

When
Dainyl made his way from the coach back down to the lower level at the Hall of
Justice, he found the door to Zelyert’s private study was open. Zelyert did not
rise from behind the table, but gestured for him to enter.

“You
requested my return?”

“You’ll
translate back to Blackstear. So will Delari. Detail four Myrmidons to remain
there. She’ll inactivate the Table and only activate it periodically to receive
translations and -messages on a schedule. It’s far from ideal, but it’s the best
we can do.” Zelyert cleared his throat. “Now that you’ve had a chance to
consider our other problem, what do you suggest for Soupat?”

“Take
out the refugees and make sure that no more of them arrive.”

“Do
you have a plan for that?”

“Yes,
sir. I’ll translate back from Blackstear once I brief the Myrmidons there, and
I’ll translate to Tempre early tomorrow morning and take the half of Seventh
Company that’s there to Soupat. Submarshal Alcyna will follow with the three
squads of First Company once they return here. If we need more support, we’ll
pull two squads from Fifth Company in Dereka.”

“You
aren’t tasking Second Company at all?”

“Majer
Keheryl has informed us that Duarch Samist requires.a minimum of two squads in
Ludar at all times. If what we’ve planned is insufficient, we’ll request two
additional squads from Ludar.”

“You
handled Blackstear with one company. That’s four squads. You’re suggesting
close to two companies — and before, you were reluctant to send any away from
Elcien. What changed your mind?”

“The
location, the weather, and the timing all favored us in Blackstear. None of
those will favor us in Soupat, and there are already more armed refugees there.
I was reserving Myrmidon companies for contingencies — such as these.”

“You
don’t plan to inactivate the Table yourself?”

“It
was touch and go last time, sir. The alectors in Blackstear didn’t know about
inactivation. The ones in Soupat do. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have killed
Nomyelt. It also suggests that they might well be able to reactivate the Table
as well. I don’t see any point in taking that kind of risk for something that
won’t be effective for more than a glass or so, if that.”

“That
makes some sense.” Zelyert’s tone suggested Dainyl had other ulterior motives.

Dainyl
did. He knew he would be close to exhaustion before the day was over and that
his ability to raise full Talent shields was compromised, and probably would be
for several days.

“Who
will be here in Elcien — Myrmidons, that is?”

“The
assistant operations director — that’s Captain Zernylta — and two squads of
Seventh Company commanded by Undercaptain Asyrk.”

“I’m
glad to see you do not have the Myrmidons totally abandoning Elcien.” Zelyert’s
deep voice verged on the sardonic.

“We
do the best we can, sir, but eight companies does not constitute a great force
for an entire world, especially when three of them may be loyal to others. That
is one reason why I’ve also had to rely on the Cadmians, but I doubt that they
would be effective in Soupat.”

“You’d
best find Delari and return to Blackstear.”

Dainyl
inclined his head at the dismissal, then turned and departed. At times, Zelyert
still remained more than a little enigmatic, but at the moment, Dainyl was
scarcely in the mood for conversation. After he translated to Blackstear and then
back to Elcien, he would still need to go back to Myrmidon headquarters and
finish working out the details with Zernylta, Alcyna, and Asyrk.

Then
he needed some sleep, and sleeping alone in the big bed at the house, he knew
he would miss Lystrana.

Third
Battalion had reached Wesrigg late on ISepti. The hill town was little more
than a hamlet, except for the chandlery, some shops, and two inns catering to
travelers. Most of the shops on the short stretch of the high road that served
as Wesrigg’s main street had been shuttered, a clear sign that the townspeople
had been aware of trouble.

Mykel
and the company officers shared rooms at the Red Ox and the Yellow Jug, with
Mykel and Rhystan at the Ox. The men had slept in storerooms, stables, and
haylofts, out of the elements, but with little comfort. Mykel hadn’t been able
to do more than that, but he had made sure they all were fed and dry.

After
an early breakfast, provided by an innkeeper fuming behind his polite demeanor,
Mykel and the other officers gathered in the front parlor, such as it was, to
receive the reports from the scouts.

Most
had found little, but the Fourteenth Company scout, one of the last to return,
reported, “There’s a company of Reillies on the ridge south of the road, just
east of Wesrigg. Leastwise, it looks like a company. They’re mostly in the
trees, but you can see a few.”