The Stolen Throne by Harry Turtledove

Author:Harry Turtledove [Turtledove, Harry]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fantasy, Science Fiction
ISBN: 9780345380470
Google: ZR3ysHqt5jkC
Amazon: 0345380479
Barnesnoble: 0345380479
Goodreads: 101615
Publisher: Del Rey
Published: 1995-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

“The only thing left for us is to go on as best we can,” Roshnani said. “Come to think of it, that’s what we’d be doing even if we knew just what all the prophecies meant.”

“So it is.” Abivard looked at her sidelong. “The best way to go on after finding out you’ve a child in your belly that I can think of is—”

Roshnani might have had the same thought at the same time. The date wine made Abivard’s fingers a little clumsy as he unfastened the wooden toggles at the back of her dress, but after that everything went fine.

*

Smerdis’ men did their best to delay and misdirect Sharbaraz’s army and his Videssian allies by opening canals between the Tib and the Tutub, but their best was not good enough, not when the Videssian engineers could repair holes in the canal banks and plank roads as fast as the enemy damaged them.

“When we cross the Tib, they’re ours,” Sharbaraz said.

“Aye, Majesty,” Abivard answered, though he could not help thinking that Sharbaraz had shown the same confidence the summer before, only to have it prove to be overconfidence.

But perhaps Smerdis came to the same conclusion as his rival. As Sharbaraz’s men neared the Tib, their foes drew up in battle array to try to stop them from crossing a major canal. Prominent in the ranks of Smerdis’ men were the dismounted archers who had brought such grief to Sharbaraz’s forces as they had advanced from the south against Mashiz the previous year.

The elder Maniakes looked down his formidable nose at the bowmen. “If we ever close with them, their souls will be falling down to Skotos’ ice quick enough after that,” he said.

“Oh, indeed,” Sharbaraz answered. “The same holds true for my lancers. But I don’t relish trying to force a crossing in the face of all the archery they can bring to bear on us.”

He’s learning, Abivard thought with something approaching joy. The summer before, Sharbaraz would have chosen the most straightforward way to cross the canal and get at his foes, and would have worried about casualties later, if at all.

“Your Majesty, may I make a suggestion?” the elder Maniakes asked.

“I wish you would,” Sharbaraz said. The Videssian commander spoke for several minutes. When he was through, Sharbaraz whistled softly. “You must have a demon lurking in you, to come up with a scheme like that. No wonder Makuran seldom profits as much as it should in its wars against Videssos.”

“You’re too kind to an old man,” the elder Maniakes said, considerably exaggerating his decrepitude. “You would have seen it yourself in a moment, had you but noticed the little hill that town there rests on.”

“You’ll want us to sit tight through the night and start the attack in the morning, then, won’t you, eminent sir?” Abivard said.

“We’ll have better hope for success that way, surely,” the Videssian general answered. He beamed at Abivard. “You do see what needs doing, eminent sir, and that’s a fact. Can’t complain about that, and I wouldn’t think of trying.

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