"You will see when the time comes, Captain. That is all I know and all I can tell you."

Mykel could sense that she fully believed what she said and truly did not know more.

"Good day, Captain."

He inclined his head. "Good day, Rachyla."

He walked to the door and rapped on it for the guard to let him out.

He still had to write up two requisitions and work with Bhoral and the squad leaders to organize the supplies for the coming campaign of attack and harassment.

But... he wished he knew what Rachyla had really meant and why an intelligent woman could believe something so impossible.

86.

As on every flight from Elcien to Dramur, both Sexdi and Septi were long, and Dainyl's legs and back were already aching as he rode behind Falyna across the channel from Coras to the northern tip of Dramur. A glass later, after descending carefully through breaks in the clouds, the two pteridons reached clear air at less than five hundred yards above the ocean. Dainyl could see the northeastern shore of Dramur less than five vingts away.

Three glasses later, the fliers were on approach to the Cadmian compound at Dramuria. Falyna swept in toward the compound just before twilight, swinging to the west north of Dramuria and making a final descent toward the courtyard from the west.

In the last few moments aloft, just before landing, Dainyl studied the ground around the compound. The rebels had clearly attacked, but severaldays earlier. That was obvious from the state of the ground, the lack of bodies near the compound and those remaining farther west and short of the casaran orchards, and the ongoing repairs to the west gate. There were also two large circular and overlapping patches of scorched ground, one immediately in front of the west gate, and one perhaps fifty yards farther west.

The pteridon crossed the walls and flared to a stop just to the right of the closest pteridon square. Dainyl waited only until Falyna had dismounted before he eased himself out of the harness. His legs almost buckled when he first stood on the stones of the courtyard, but he stretched one leg, then the other before turning to Falyna.

"Thank you," he told Falyna. "That was a very smooth flight. If you'll excuse me, there's been some heavy fighting here, and I need to find out what happened."

"Yes, sir." She smiled. "We'll be ready first thing in the morning if you need us."

"I just might." With that, he turned and hurried toward the headquarters building, hoping that either Majer Herryf or Overcaptain Dohark-or both-were still there.

Overcaptain Dohark was waiting outside the study that Dainyl had been using. He'd obviously been alerted to the Myrmidons' return.

The submarshal motioned for Dohark to follow him inside. Dohark shut the door.

"I thought we might have Majer Herryf join us," Dainyl said.

"He was killed on Quattri night, Colonel... I mean, Submarshal.

Congratulations, sir."

Although the desk was clear, as Dainyl had left it, his Talent indicated that the overcaptain had been using it, but there was little point in saying anything about that. Because the last thing Dainyl wanted to do was sit, he leaned against the side of the desk, his eyes on the overcaptain. "You'd best tell me what happened."

"What was bound to happen with an understrength battalion,Submarshal, and no Myrmidon support. The blue-coats and greencoats attacked on Quinti-"

"Bluecoats? Greencoats? Remember, Overcaptain, I have been out of touch."

"Yes, sir. All the troopers of the western seltyrs wear blue. The troops of the eastern seltyrs wear green. The bluecoats moved more than ten companies across the mountains..."

As the overcaptain explained, Dainyl listened, intently. The poisoning confirmed his beliefs that the local seltyrs had decided to use any weapon at hand before the marshal's-or the High Alector's-support was withdrawn. It also confirmed Lystrana's view that the marshal had never intended the revolt to be successful, and that the marshal-or some high alector-had to be behind the revolt, because the majority of seltyrs had cooperated in sharing, at least to some degree, the contraband weapons.

Without some hint of alector power, the majority of weapons would have gone to the handful of stronger and wealthier seltyrs. Dainyl would have to avoid that aspect in his final report, as well as emphasize the more barbaric aspects of the seltyr tactics.

"... the wagon-ram was about to splinter the gates, but we poured cooking oil on it and set it afire. A cask of oil was dropped on the fire, and it exploded. That scattered some of the rebels and disorganized them. The Cadmians managed to shoot a number because they were packed in. Then, and because they were taking heavy fire, the rest of the rebels began to fall back. Captain Mykel pursued them with Fifteenth Company and killed a number of the stragglers and sent the others off."

"How many seltyr casualties?"

"We've buried over four hundred. How many died away from here or deserted, that's something we can't tell."

"I noted what seemed to be explosions..."

"As I mentioned, we used cooking oil to burn the ram. Some of it exploded."

"Whose idea was that?" Dainyl added quickly, "Please don't tell me it was yours.""No, sir, but it was my responsibility. I authorized the use of the cooking oil."

Dainyl paused, thinking. The overcaptain might not have come up with the idea, but he was trying to protect his officers. Dainyl suspected he already knew whose idea it had been.

"How did Captain Mykel come up with that idea, Over-captain?"

"Sir?"

Despite Dohark's evasions, it was more than clear that it had to have been Captain Mykel. None of the other officers had enough creativity and initiative to carry out anything involving cooking oil and whatever else the captain had used. "Where is Captain Mykel?"

"He took Fifteenth Company out early this morning. He's pursuing some of the seltyr forces. He's the only one with enough able men to do that."

"You thought it was necessary?"

"Mykel pointed out that they were disorganized, but that they wouldn't stay that way. He also said that we didn't know when you and the other Myrmidons might return."

What Dohark said rang true, and it also suggested that Captain Mykel either knew or suspected far more than was wise for a junior officer. The captain's abilities were likely to create as much of a problem for Dainyl as the lack of ability of his former superior had.

"Do you know his plans?"

"Not in detail, sir. One or two companies had headed northeast, and Captain Mykel had thought he would attack them before they could rejoin the main body of rebels."

"You allowed the only fully functioning company to leave the compound?"

"Sir, with all deference, I believe Captain Mykel was correct. The best strategy was to attack before they could regroup and attack again. Whilethe massed forces of the rebels could not stand against the sky lances of your Myrmidons, we had no word as to when you would be able to return.

It seemed imprudent to assume that you would return so soon. We could have been badly outnumbered in a second attack, and we would not have been able to mount as successful a defense as we did the first time."

Dainyl nodded slowly. "I would have done the same under the circumstances." He smiled. "At the very least, we may be able to use the pteridons to make the captain's tasks much easier." Because he could sense Dohark's combined sense of relief and apprehension, he smiled. "We cannot begin that until tomorrow, and not with full support until Novdi, but I have complete authority to use the Myrmidons in any way necessary to put a stop to this rebel foolishness and to return the mine to normal operations."

"Yes, sir."

"We'll talk in the morning after muster, Overcaptain." Dainyl stepped away from the desk, but let the captain leave the study first.

As Dainyl walked to the officer's mess-where he was scarcely looking forward to dining on Cadmian rations-he just hoped that he could end the revolt without too many complications, including those posed by the potentially Talented and enterprising Captain Mykel.

87.

For Fifteenth Company, following the trail of the withdrawing rebels had not been that difficult, either on Septi or Octdi. They had made no effort to conceal their tracks, and while, after the first few vingts, they had carried their dead with them, they had left clear signs of their passage, from discarded garments, bloody bandages, empty cartridge belts, and one mount that had broken its leg and been shot on the side of the road.

Mykel and his men had followed at a measured pace, not pressing, but not slacking. While they had ridden through a few showers, those had been brief and light.

At twilight, they had made an encampment on a grower's lands south and east of Enstyla. Mykel had simply ridden in with the company and taken over the outbuildings and the stables. He also slaughtered enough of the livestock to feed his men. After all that he had seen in Dramur andmore than a week of stale field rations, Mykel was feeling far less charitable. The family had remained in the main dwelling, and had been left to themselves. The handful of retainers had vanished.

On Octdi morning, they had ridden out, carrying some additional food.

Only a thin high haze remained of the previous day's clouds, and by midmorning, Mykel was uncomfortably warm. He had to remind himself that while it was early in spring, he was in Dramur, not Elcien.

Less than a glass before noon, Jasakyt came riding back down the road toward Mykel.

"Fifteenth Company! Halt!" Mykel rode ahead to meet the scout. Bhoral followed his captain.

Jasakyt reined up a yard away from Mykel. "Sir... there's almost two companies up ahead. Don't know whether it's a seltyr's place or just a big grower's. Not many sentries, just by the main entrance. They're sort of scattered. They look pretty beat."

"How far?"

"No more 'n vingt and a half. Sort of sits on a long gentle ridge. Doesn't hardly drop off at all, but the highest point is between the big house and the casaran orchard."

"Did they see you?"

"No, sir. Pretty sure they didn't. Dhozynt went around back, circled the woodlot, and an orchard."

"What sort of encampment?"

"Doesn't look like much. They just stopped and sat down, almost..."

Mykel continued to ask questions until he saw another scout returning.

Within moments, Dhozynt had joined them.

"You circled to the back side?" asked Mykel.

"Yes, sir. They don't have any sentries there, not a one, and there's a back cart path off the side lane. We could ride the whole way withoutanyone seeing us-till we got to the last part of the casaran trees, anyway."

Mykel went over what Dhozynt had seen as carefully as he could. Then he turned to Bhoral. "If you'd have the squad leaders join us?"

"Yes, sir."

While he waited for the squad leaders to gather, Mykel strapped an extra cartridge belt across his chest, considering how he wanted to attack the bluecoats, although there didn't seem to be a need for much strategy-just a quiet hidden approach, a wide field of fire, and a restraint of any pursuit, until and unless it was clear that Fifteenth Company had total control. He had the feeling that if matters went as he planned, he wouldn't care for the results. But if they didn't, he'd like it even less.

Gendsyr and Alendyr were the first to rein up on the road next to Mykel, but only moments later Bhoral and the other three joined them.

Mykel looked at the squad leaders. "There are two companies up ahead.

They don't expect us. We'll be taking the back road to this estate where they've set up camp. There aren't any guards, and few sentries. We'll ride in the last quarter vingt hard and set up by squad into firing lines across the front of their encampment-at less than twenty yards. I'll set first squad on the north end, and you'll take intervals on us. We'll shoot everything that moves. No pursuit unless and until I give the order-or Bhoral does. Is that clear?"

Nods and muttered replies of "Yes, sir" came back.

"Now... this isn't going to be easy on the men." Mykel went on. "Some of the rebels will fight hard. Others will have trouble fighting back. Some are killers, and some are tired and discouraged. It doesn't matter who your men are facing. They need to shoot and shoot well. I don't want this attack ruined by pity. Make it simple. Tell your men these were the same rebels who gunned down almost all of Seventeenth Company in an ambush.

They're the same people who poisoned Third Battalion. If we don't take out as many as we can now, they'll do the same things to us again in half a season or less. They still outnumber us overall, and we've got to change that while we can. Tell them one other thing. The seltyrs like to shoot prisoners who escape. They'd rather do that than fight an armed foe." He paused. "These aren't the poor folk of Jyoha. These are the men who will be trained as killers for the seltyrs if we don't stop them now." Afteranother pause, he added. "I'm counting on you to get the message to your men."

"Yes, sir."

"Dismissed to your squads. We'll ride once you pass the vord."

Once the squad leaders had left, and the scouts had noved back forward to lead the way, Bhoral looked at vlykel. "You think this will be a slaughter, sir?"

"Like I said, Bhoral, there will be some who fight and ;ome who will look at us as they're shot down. We have to cill either kind, because if we don't, they'll be trying to kill is next week or the week after... and I'm getting frigging ired of losing men who shouldn't be here in the first place." 'ts he finished the last phrase, Mykel wished he hadn't gone quite so far.

"Yes, sir. You don't think the Myrmidons will be back soon, then?"

"I don't know what to think about that," Mykel admitted. "I only know that these people don't think the same way anyone else I've ever met does.

The only thing they respect are either golds or force, preferably both."

"Seems that way, sir."

Mykel could tell that Bhoral had his doubts, but he didn't care to discuss it further. The seltyrs, as Rachyla had told him, believed it was their right to rule as they saw fit, and that the alectors and their Myrmidons-even the Cadmians-would vanish. A Cadmian captain couldn't reason against that attitude, and Mykel wasn't particularly happy being in a position where the only practical solution was greater firepower. He looked at the empty road ahead, then shook his head.

In less than a quarter glass, Fifteenth Company was again moving northward, with orders to ride silently. Within another quarter glass, Mykel had dropped the wagons behind, close enough to be reached quickly, if necessary, with a four-man guard, two of whom had been stung by night-wasps the evening before.

Finally, Fifteenth Company reached the back of the casaran orchards to the east of the bluecoat encampment. Ahead, there was the slightest slopeup through the orchards.

Mykel blinked. For a moment, he thought he'd sensed something like a road beneath the dirt, a faint black trail running along the barely perceptible high point of the gentle rise that split the orchard. He looked again, but saw nothing.

"Now," he ordered quietly. "Forward." He urged the chestnut into a fast trot down the lane between the nut trees.

As he rode past the last of the casaran trees and turned right, toward the north end of the bluecoat encampment, Mykel took in the bluecoats he saw. Several had started to run. Only one had a rifle immediately at hand, and he seemed frozen.

After a moment, a single cry rang out. "Cadmians! Cadmians!"

Mykel and first squad reined up in a firing line at the north end of the encampment, taking the highest ground, even if it was but a yard or so higher than that to the east.

"First squad! Rifles ready! Fire!"