The Books of the South: Tales of the Black Company by Glen Cook

Author:Glen Cook [Cook, Glen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Fantasy
Publisher: Tor Books
Published: 2008-06-09T22:00:00+00:00

31

It was a gorgeous day. A few clouds above to break up the sky, a gentle breeze, the air unseasonably cool. If you stayed in the shade you could remain sweat-free. It was midafternoon. Work on the camp had begun at dawn. Four thousand men made progress obvious.

First we would provide shelter, mess halls, stables, storage. I had planned ambitiously, for a garrison of ten thousand. Even Narayan was worried that I wanted to grab too much too soon.

I had spent the morning administering oaths to the soldiers in small groups, by cult, having them pledge everything in the sacred defense of Taglios. Wormed into the oath was a line about unquestioning obedience to commanders.

Narayan’s cleverer cronies weeded out the priests and religious fanatics beforehand. The dross we isolated in what was supposed to be a special unit. There were about three hundred such men. They were on the field below the hill, being given “accelerated” training. As soon as I found a good one I would send them off on a bold and dramatic mission somewhere far away. I sat in the shade of an old tree observing and directing. Ram hovered.

I spied Narayan approaching. I had left him in the city. I rose, asked, “Well?”

“It’s done. The last one was found an hour before I left.”

“Good.” Tal had been easy but his companions had been hard to trace. Narayan’s friends had disposed of them. “That’s good. Has it caused excitement?”

“Hard to tell yet, though a Gunni emissary did show up just before I left.”

“Oh?”

“He wanted to arrange the release of the men from the grove.”

“And?”

“I told him they’d been released. He’ll figure it out.”

“Excellent. Any word on the Shadowmasters’ spies?”

“No. But people have seen the wrinkled little brown men you mentioned. So they must be here.”

“They’re here. I’d give a couple of teeth to know what they’re up to. Anything else?”

“Not yet. Except a rumor that the Prahbrindrah Drah called in the big men in the wall project and told them they have to build you a fortress instead. I’ve located a friend who works in the palace occasionally, when their normal resources are taxed. Our prince doesn’t maintain a household in keeping with his station. He won’t get much if the prince doesn’t entertain, and probably not much then.”

“Look into the possibility of arranging for your friend to become employed full time. Have there been many more volunteers?”

“Only a few. It’s still too early. People want to see how you manage with the powers that be.”

“Understandable. Nobody wants to sign on with a loser.”

Be interesting to know what they said about me at that meeting. A pity I did not command the resources I once had.

I was not going to get them back loafing. “I’ll ride back with you. I have things to do.” I had recalled one thing my husband had done to secure his rule. A version here just might make everyone forget politics for a while.

I would need a suitable theater. I had to start looking.

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