A Cat Of Silvery Hue by Robert Adams Read Free Book Online Page B

command, by right!”
    Prehsvootehros
Staisee Ehlyuht, overhearing, could not have been more in agreement. He had served, in his time, at the court in Kehnooryos Atheenahs, as a guards officer. He had met and mingled with the northern noblemen and had found them, with damned few exceptions, to be peacock-proud, supercilious, overbearing and cruel. This arrogant young bastard of a
thoheeks
looked, despite his lineage, to be out of the northern mold, and the last thing Staisee wished to see was his own fine troopers under such command.
    His tone mildly reproving, Milo answered, “However the right may lie, Bili, it is my wish that you should command, presently, not only your own, but the Confederation force. I do have my reasons, and you shall hear of them anon.”
    And so, when they again took to horse, Staisee and his lancers—whose usual functions were those of point riding and flank guarding—found themselves to have become the main body, formed in a column of fours and taking the road at a brisk trot while eating the dust of the knot of heavily armed nobility who rode the van. Chief Hwahltuh and his clansmen had been given the job they did best; they rode in a wide-spreading arc, well ahead of the column. A dozen Freefighters secured either flank, while the remainder guarded the rear.
    But the precautions proved needless, for isolated stragglers—all quickly dispatched by the Sanderz clansmen—and a couple of foundered horses were the only living creatures they chanced across before the walls of Morguhnpolis loomed before them.
    With Bili and Milo in the lead, the van closed up behind the knot of Sanderz men, just out of bowshot of the west gate and its flanking tower. As the city had been built upon hilly ground, some few portions of the streets were visible over the walls, but these all appeared as strangely lifeless as the empty walls themselves.
    Old
Komees
Hari kneed his charger up beside Bili, growling, “Son, something stinks here. It needs no tracker to tell that some fair-sized bodies of men were on this road ahead of us. Why aren’t the buggers on the walls?”
    The Confederation commander walked his mount into the group, saying, “Perhaps the rebels’ leader realized that such old-fashioned walls and towers couldn’t be held.”
    Vahrohnos
Spiros Morguhn shook his head. “Not that damned Myros. He’d hold Morguhnpolis as long as life remained in his wretched carcass! He’s always felt that it, rather than Deskati, should be his rightful patrimony. We warned Hwahruhn it was a mistake to make him city governor of the capital. More than likely he’s trying to make the city look deserted so we’ll be tricked inside to be butchered at his leisure.”
    “No,
vahrohnos
,” the High Lord disagreed. “Were such the case, that gate would be open.” He turned to Bili. “Have you tried fargathering?”
    “Yes, my lord.”
    “And?”
    “Nothing, my lord, which could mean something or nothing. I tried fargathering during the siege of Behreezburk and got the same results.”
    Milo shrugged. “Well, gentlemen, we accomplish damn-all in sitting here and speculating.
Prehsvootehros
, some of your more agile men should be able to top that wall. Then, if things
are
as they seem, they can open the gate to the rest of us.”
    With the gate tower strongly manned, well-armed patrols trickled out through the empty streets, the lancers guided by Raikuh’s Freefighters, most of whom had formerly been Morguhnpolis city guards and knew well each alley and byway. All rode warily, visors down and beavers up, steel bared or lances presented, archers’ bows strung with one arrow nocked and one or two more ready in the fingers of the bowhand.
    Thoheeks
Bili and the High Lord, with
Vahrohnos
Spires,
Komees
Hari, Master Ahlee, Chief Hwahltuh Sanderz and Clanbard Gil Sanderz, the hulking Komos Morguhn and one Khlai Ehsmith, a lieutenant of the Confederation lancers, were trailed by Geros, three or four Sanderz clansmen and