Bleak Seasons (25 page)

My people went on the alert, established in strong positions, long before
nightfall. Likewise the Nyueng Bao, who had no immediate trouble. We ambushed
one mob. A shower of missiles from front, sides, and above swiftly changed their
minds.

Mogaba’s men had more problems. They were not ready. Worse, they were scattered,

often in isolated work parties and patrols.

For a while everybody joked and cracked wise and speculated on Mogaba’s first
words after the fighting ended and he found his cellars plundered.

I ran into Bucket my second trip back. “Beans,” I told him, dropping a huge
sack. “The change of diet will do us good.”

“It’s real bloody out there this time, Murgen. Mogaba has asked for support
twice. We told him we couldn’t find you.”

“Well, keep on not being able. Unless it looks like we would end up worse off if
we didn’t help.”

“That’s not likely. He has most of the weapons. His men have been throwing
people off the wall by the hundreds, just anybody, whether or not they’re
rebelling, men, women and children.”

“That’s Mogaba’s way. What about those fires?” There were a few. Whenever there
is disorder somebody starts burning things down.

“They’re burning themselves out.”

“Everything is going fine, then. But keep an eye out.”

I went back to my looting happy as the proverbial clam. This might be the end of
Mogaba as a royal pain in the ass.

Uncle Doj caught me in the storage chamber later. “Some Taglian soldiers are
abandoning their posts for the safety of the citadel. If we continue this
raiding we will get caught.”

“Yeah. If we don’t get spotted Mogaba will blame it on natives who knew about
the passageways.” This raid was going to cost us our opportunity to spy on any
more staff meetings.

It was worth it.

Would I feel the same way tomorrow, when Mogaba began looking for his stores?

When I had a full belly?

“There is a small problem, Standardbearer,” Uncle Doj said a while later. Each
of us staggered under a last sack of rice. We were the last brigands out.

“What’s that?”

“News of our success is sure to leak.”

“Why? Only a few people know. It’s in all their interests to stay clammed.”

“Someone talked about what I showed you earlier.”

“Huh?”

“The dark ceremonies. Someone talked. The rumors sparked tonight’s riots.”

“I don’t believe that. They were too organized.”

“There was an organized cadre, naturally, but this uprising was more widespread.

It is also out of control.”

“Whatever you say.” He had spent his evening with me. He had had no chance to
observe any riots.

Before he could respond Thai Dei popped out of the darkness. He gobbled away,

becoming too animated for the space. If he killed my candle I was going to choke
him. As soon as I found him. “What’s happening?”

“The black men are trying to break open the north gate and flood the city.”

“They’re what?” That would take care of the riots, all right. But not even
Mogaba would go that far. Would he?

Uncle Doj and I did our best to run carrying sacks of rice. I bet we looked
silly.

“Otto. Hagop. One-Eye. Goblin. Geek. Freak. Bucket and Candles. You guys come
with me. The al-Khul company will help us. Wheezer went to get them. We’ll go
straight along the battlements. If the Nar get in the way we trample them. If
they fight us, we kill them. That understood?”

Not even Goblin or One-Eye tried to lawyer. We were some of the people Mogaba
meant to drown.

The Taglians arrived. They were Vehdna by religion and the best Taglians
attached to the Company. They were reliable and almost friendly. Of six hundred
who had come south from Taglios months ago only about sixty were left.

I explained what was happening, what I wanted to do about it and how they could
help. They would overrun anyone trying to open the gate after Goblin and One-Eye
softened them up. “Don’t hurt anybody unless they just plain force you.”

“Why not?” Candles demanded. “They’re trying to hurt us,”

“Mogaba is. These guys are just following orders. I’ll bet you we don’t find any
Nar there when we get there. And I’ll bet you that if they open the gate they
get hurt as bad as anybody else. Mogaba doesn’t need them anymore.”

“Let’s just do it,” Goblin groused. “Or go back and catch a few beers.”

I moved them out.

Maybe my blackouts gave me the gift of prophecy. There were no Nar at the North
Gate. The fighting was so brief and desultory it almost did not take place. The
Taglians working there fled. Damn! Mogaba would find out who foiled his latest
nastiness. I told One-Eye, “This will mean no more pretending we’re buddies.”

“Yeah. Show me how to sneak into the citadel. I’ll put a sleep spell on him,

then leave pieces of him all over his crazy temple.”

That did not sound like a bad idea.

We had no opportunity to implement it.

Somebody yelled up at me. I peered down into the gloom. It was Uncle Doj. I had
not included any Nyueng Bao in this. I had not seen any need to put them onto
Mogaba’s bad side, too.

“What?”

He shouted, “This was a diversion! The real flooding will start at . . . ”

“Oh, shit! Yeah.” Mogaba did know me well enough to anticipate that I might
interfere. “Come on!” I snapped. “Everyone!” I hustled down to the street.

“Where?” I demanded of Doj.

“East Gate.”

Would Mogaba also anticipate me crossing town to spoil his game, amidst the
Jaicuri uprising?

He might. He might hope my crew would get trapped and overrun, or badly cut up.

There was no guessing what he thought anymore. He was crazy.

One-Eye and Goblin eased us past bands of both Jaicuri and Taglians. We
skirmished with the Jaicuri twice, our numbers and sorcery telling quickly. The
light of scattered fires set scary shadows dancing everywhere.

What a time for the Shadowmaster to send his monsters out to play.

We encountered barricades erected to protect the soldiers trying to open the
gate. This time we faced Nar as well as Taglians. A lot of shouting went back
and forth. Some of their Gunni Taglians tried to run away when our Vehdna
Taglians convinced them that Mogaba was trying to drown everybody. The Nar cut
down several would be deserters. I told Goblin and One-Eye, “You break up
whatever they’re doing to open the gate. The rest of you, let’s chase them off.

Go for the Nar first.” An instant later an arrow found the eye of a Nar named
Endibo. Another of the Nar speared the Geek, an incredibly handsome youngster
who joined the Company while we were crossing the savannah north of Gea-Xle,

several years earlier. One-Eye hung the uncomplimentary name on him. He wore it
with pride, refusing to be called anything else.

For the first time in its history, insofar as I was aware, Company brother slew
sworn brother in willful combat.

Geek’s blood brother Freak slew the Nar responsible for Geek’s death but I never
learned the Nar’s name so I cannot remember him here.

Most of the First Legion Taglians took off then. Many of the al-Khul soldiers
did not want to fight, either, although those other Taglians were Gunni. Still,

quickly, a genuine small battle had friend hacking at supposed friend.

I happened to glance back and notice that armed Jaicuri had begun to gather to
watch. Uncle Doj faced them alone, poised in an odd but apparently relaxed ready
stance, long sword vertical.

“Oh, shit!” Goblin shrieked. “Gods damn it! Look out!”

“What?”

“We’re too late. It’s going to go.”

Something began to grind and groan like the hinges of the world breaking loose.

The masonry blocking the gateway bulged inward.

The fighting stopped fast. Everybody faced the gate.

A sudden spear of water shot through the bulge.

Every man there took off, Nar and Black Company, Gunni and Vehdna Taglian,

Jaicuri and lone Nyueng Bao running side by side, splitting up, heading whatever
direction felt safest but everybody always getting away from that gate.

The masonry gave one final, mighty groan. The water roared triumphantly and
charged inside.

The water thundered through the gate but there was no evidence of it yet where I
stood. I was in a good mood, considering. While passing the citadel I saw the
Nar trying to shuffle their own kind inside without admitting any Taglians. I
chuckled. Mogaba was going to bust a vein when he found the water coming in
through his cellars.

I now understood why those soldiers had been bricking up. The flood was no spur
of the moment plan. Mogaba must have nurtured the idea from the moment that
Shadowspinner had used water to isolate Dejagore.

As we parted I told Uncle Doj, “Swim over and see me sometime.” Fifteen minutes
later I was discussing waterproofing. Our measures had begun the day we started
our warrens but not in anticipation of anything like this. Enemies employing
smoke and fire had been our real concern.

“Longo, you guys explored every part of those catacombs? They aren’t open
anywhere?” I was surprised that Stormshadow had not broken into them when she
was building the citadel. Maybe she got her location advice from knowledgeable
locals.

“I didn’t see anything. There were plastered good way back when because they
were below the level of the plain. But if you put seventy feet of water out
there and thirty in the streets sooner or later it will find a way in. The best
we can do really is fight a holding action.”

“How about just sealing them off?”

“We could try. But I wouldn’t bother until flooding became a threat. We close
them off, spring a leak up here, we got no place for the water to drain.”

I shrugged. “Is everything that could be damaged up high?” The guys started
preparing for the worst back when the plain started flooding. We were not
weighed down with a lot of possessions.

“We’re all right. We can hold out for a long time yet. We might want to beef up
our fortifications a little, though.”

“Do what you can.” Longo and his brothers always saw a little more that could be
done.

Mogaba counterattacked while the water was still just ankle deep and the rest of
the city was just starting to panic. He used all his Taglians and encouraged
cruel behavior. The slaughter was terrible.

I may never discover the truth about the attack on the Nyueng Bao. It has been
said that the Taglian tribune Pal Subhir misunderstood his orders. Others, like
me, believe Mogaba was responsible, maybe because he suspected the Nyueng Bao of
looting his stores.

I know he knew some had been plundered. He found out right away because he sent
soldiers down to see if any water was getting inside. By questioning a few
Jaicuri prisoners he discovered that no locals were crowing about snatching a
ton of food. Too, somebody in my outfit might have shot off his mouth again.

Whatever, Pal Subhir’s cohort, with transfer replacements to bring it to full
strength, attacked the Nyueng Bao. The tribune cannot testify. He died early. In
fact, a lot of Taglians died during the attack. But reinforcements kept turning
up, which is why I believe Mogaba engineered the massacre.

I knew nothing about it at first. I had located no listening posts outside our
perimeter. I had no way of making sure my people would be secure out there. And
where we bordered the Nyueng Bao community there was no reason to doubt that we
would receive ample warning.

Thai Dei was, as always, nearby. I had gone to the top of an enfilading tower to
stare at the nighted hills and brood. Would help ever come? Lately no news at
all came in from outside.

Plenty of people wanted to leave. I could hear some of them out there now,

willing to take their chances with the Shadowmaster. Fickle folk. A little
hunger and stress and they forgot all about liberty.

“What is that?” Thai Dei astonished me by asking a whole question. I was amazed.

I looked where he pointed.

“Looks like a fire.”

“That is near grandfather’s house. I must go.”

More curious than suspicious, I said, “I’ll go with you.”

He started to argue, shrugged, told me. “Do not suffer any spells. I cannot care
for you.”

So the Nyueng Bao knew about my blackouts. And apparently suspected they were
epileptic. Interesting.

Thai Dei surely learned plenty just standing around with his ears flapping and
his jaw tight shut. My guys hardly noticed him anymore.

Nowhere was the water yet deeper than halfway to my knees. But it grabbed my
feet when I tried to run. And Thai Dei was in a hurry. He was sure something was
wrong. And he was correct.

We ran through that alley where I had stumbled before and had plunged into hell.

For a second I thought I had run from Dejagore into another nightmare.

Taglian soldiers were dragging Nyueng Bao women and children and old people out
of the buildings and throwing them to soldiers in the street. Those soldiers
hacked and slashed. Their faces were distorted with the horror of their actions
but they were out of control, far past the point where they could stop. The
flicker of firelight made everything seem more hellish and surreal.

I had seen this before. I had seen my own brothers this way, a few times, back
in the north. The blood smell takes control and kills the mind and deadens the
soul and there is nothing human left.

Thai Dei howled a tortured cry and flung himself toward the building the Ky
family occupied, sword wheeling overhead. The place showed no obvious signs of
having been invaded. I followed him, my own blade bare, unsure why, though I
thought fleetingly of the woman Sahra. Probably my actions were as thoughtless
as those of the Taglians.

Taglians got in our way. Thai Dei engaged in some sort of bobbing, weaving
dance. Two soldiers fell, their throats spurting. I beat another around with my
sword, leaving him a collection of bruises and a lesson about dueling a guy a
foot taller and fifty pounds heavier.