"No, but it gains us a little more time.You are a warrior of the Hairy Ones." "Not the same sort of-"

He was stopped by a feline glare. "Whose side are you on, Bobcat-by-the-spring?" "Yours, lord." Lynx had known for a long time what his answer must be when this question came. "The other side would kill me on 289.

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sight. Many on your side would too, if you sheathed your claws. But while you guard me, my heart beats for El Dorado and I will do all I can against the Hairy Ones." His real motive, of course, was that only thus could he be of any use at all to his ward. A dead Blade was no protection. He could never return to Chivial in his new shape, so he would not allow Celeste to do so either. Fortunately she had not real-ized this yet.

"Pretend for a moment you are the enemy. How would you attack this city?"

Blades were not military strategists, but one-legged Jorge had been a mercenary back in Eurania. Did Basket-fox not know that, or did his dignity not allow him to seek advice from a slave? Lynx was a slave in fact, but not by agreed pretense, and perhaps that made a difference in the old man's contorted thinking.

What had Jorge told him? That street fighting was the most vicious sort of battle possible and El Dorado was far larger than any city in Eu-rania. To take it house-by-house against determined resistance would cost thousands of lives; Jorge even doubted that it would be possible. Eastward the lake was wide and unobstructed. South, north, and west, three great causeways, straight as arrows, connected it to the mainland. Each causeway was broken at intervals by removable bridges, specifically to block an assault.

But Basket-fox was not after the obvious answers. What did he want?

"Have the Hairy Ones reached the lake yet, terror of the woods?"

"There!" Basket-fox aimed a paw at the far distance."Seven Reeds, a town of cowards, a nest of traitor Tephuamotziner lackeys."

"Are the Hairy Ones building boats there, by any chance?"

The cat eyes shone brighter thanRatter's pommel. "So my Eagle friends tell me. Many of my brothers feel that we have enough canoes to counter anything they can make."

Now Lynx saw where the conversation was headed. "No, lord." He made some wild guesses as to what would be possible for the Distliards' shipwrights."You could fight them with fire arrows and grappling irons, but otherwise it will be horses all over again. Their boats will be faster 290.

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and far more agile than your canoes, and much less likely to tip over. Their boats will ride the wind, but not only in the direction the wind goes.They can move across or even toward the wind, also."

Basket-fox bared his fangs in what usually implied a smile. "Their knights bless them thus?"

"No blessing needed. Even I could do it, after a fashion. I am not skilled, but give me some workers of wood and I will show you roughly how it works." Lynx's life at sea had been brief, but he had seen how Pa-pillonsailed into the wind, and Jorge could assist him.

"It shall be so."The big cat head nodded. A furry paw patted Lynx's shoulder."It is strange! I trust you more than my own sons, for you have no friend but me. Even Night-fisher believes in you only because I told him to."

"I owe you my life, lord. I will serve as I can." "Go and do so," Basket-fox growled."Quickly, before the ritual be-gins. Order whatever you require.You speak with my voice."

Relieved that he would not have to watch the slaughter, Lynx ran to the top of the long staircase and started down. Night-fisher would be surprised to see him coming on his own two paws instead of rolling down as dead meat. Maybe next time.

Meanwhile, he must find Jorge. Put a sail on a dugout canoe and it would tip over in a twinkling. So tie two of them together for stability? Add a mast ...a rudder and perhaps a keel board?

2.The workers in wood were probably slaves-Lynx did not ask, and it was an unimportant distinction in El Dorado. They tended to collapse and bury their faces in the dirt at the sight of a jaguar knight, but he cured them of that by threatening to kill them if they didn't behave. What else could he do? If he smiled, half of them fainted.

After some hours and several unexpected swims, he managed a suc- 291.

Dave Duncan P cessful maiden voyage on his ungainly craft, which he privately namedCeleste.He strengthened the rudder, had his workers attach splash boards along the gunwales, and tried again.The moon was full, so he sent Jorge and the carpenters home at sunset and worked on through the night with a fresh team.

Getting the sails right was the hardest part, and find-ing a satisfactory way of attaching the boom was almost as bad, but just before dawn he sent word to Basket-fox that he was ready to demon-strate sailing.

They had hardly left the dock before the old knight yowled with delight and insisted on taking the tiller.

He learned the knack of steer-ing in an astonishingly short time, as if he had an instinctive feel for the way the catamaran would respond. Soon he was running before the wind, tacking back, chasing down terrified paddlers in canoes, even de-liberately ramming them just to watch them tip over. In high spirits he returned to his palace and summoned friends. Jaguars began arriving at the dock in canoes or palanquins or just appearing, sometimes accom-panied by Eagles and sometimes with dusty feet, as if they had actually walked the streets. Seeing thatCelestewas becoming dangerously over-loaded, Lynx made his excuses and left them to it.

That night he was summoned. As he trotted through the grounds with Night-fisher at his heels, Basket-fox appeared ahead of him in what had been an empty patch of moonlight. That was not surprising. What was surprising was that he hailed Lynx with a formal greeting due a brother knight.

He added, "Your dancing canoe was a magnificent feat, Plumed-pillar!"

"It was a trivial trick, silent killer. I am happy to have amused you."

"A valuable amusement." The old monster chuckled deep in his throat. "I have given some thought to your entourage. A single stripling is not enough." He nodded at a nearby tree; a fully fledged warrior be-came visible in the shadows, complete with spear and shield, labret, and plumed headdress."You remember Corn-fang, now a taker of one cap-tive? A most promising warrior who has seen the shame of following 292.

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the imposter Flintknife and will be overjoyed to serve the real Plumed-pillar again."

Who had been bribed, in other words.Astonished, Lynx thanked his mentor for this further generosity and spoke a suitable greeting for a knight acknowledging a taker-of-one-captive follower. Corn-fang came forward to touch the ground before his new-or-restored lord. By Tlix-ilian standards he was an impressive sight in his finery, although he would have driven whole armies hysterical back in Eurania.

Unless Basket-fox was being exceptionally devious, even for him, he would not donate followers to a man he intended to kill very soon.

Another knight materialized-an Eagle, his great hunched shape towering over them all, feathers shining in the moonlight. This time there were no flowery greetings. Ignoring warriors and Jaguar-imposter, the newcomer spoke directly to Basket-fox.

"We see few guards posted. None is blessed."

"No knights?"

"Not one."

The Jaguar bared his fangs in what looked like an enormous yawn, but probably was not. "Then we shall have sport!" He turned to Lynx. "Plumed-pillar, we go to Seven Reeds to find the Hairy Ones' boats and knock holes in them! The mighty Frowning-whisper, here, will carry us on the Spirit Wind-four Jaguars and three twenties of warriors. You wish to accompany us?"

Lynx dutifully said, "I shall die of shame if you forbid me."

The cat-man grunted. Moonlight shone on his eyes. "But you will come only to observe, not to fight.

You will instruct Corn-fang and Night-fisher that they are to guard you closely, and are not to seek out captives, nor attack anyone who is not threatening you."

That seemed entirely reasonable to Lynx, who was already wonder-ing what he was letting himself in for, but honor required a protest, so he protested.

Basket-fox cut him off with a snarl."Jaguars' weapons are sleep and madness and mindless terror. When a knight chooses to close in battle and gather captives with his own hands, he must go unseen or the enemy will roll over him like an avalanche.You would be a stain on the 293.

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grass before they even noticed you were a fake. You will come along only to observe, so that you can copy the Hairy Ones' work for us."

Oops!Lynx should have seen how the wind blew.And the Tlixilians were still thinking of dugout canoes, not planks. "Lord, knocking holes in the boats will do little harm.You should go prepared to burn them or steal them."

Growl! "Is it so?"

"Also, may I suggest that capturing the men who do the work would be advantageous? We could use their skills."

Any great lord might glare when contradicted, but few as effectively as Basket-fox. "Star skimmer, do you see where the workers sleep?"

The eagle knight clicked his beak a few times, whatever that meant. "There are shelters nearby. We can bring back captives on the usual terms."

"And tools!" Lynx said. "Anything made of metal, all or part." He knew no words for nails or spikes.

"No!"The Eagle's beak shut with a noise like an ax. The knights were divided between Traditionalists and Progressives, and most Eagles were Traditionalists.

Lost in a jungle of tangled values, Lynx saw he might as well push on as try to turn back. If he must risk his neck on some madcap sabo-tage raid, then he would prefer that it made sense. "To take the Hairy Ones' tools would be the hardest blow you could strike."

"Tools are not a matter of honor!" the Eagle declared.

"But let us hear how warriors of the Hairy Ones think," Basket-fox said. "Continue, Plumed-pillar."

Blades were not soldiers, but one thing Ironhall taught was the value of reconnaissance, and it sounded as if the Eldoradoans had not done theirs yet. "I don't know what we are assaulting, lord. If it were me, I would have the noble Eagle send a scout across tonight and leave the ac-tual attack for another evening."

Basket-fox's talons flashed in the moonlight."You dare?"

Frowning-whisper uttered a shriek that might denote either fury or amusement.

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groveling."I mean no disrespect to my lord! I know not how I have of-fended the most terrible one!"

Basket-fox snarled dangerously. "Stupid, ignorant foreigner! I will forgive your ignorance just this once.

Rise." He retracted his claws with what seemed like an effort. "Your suggestion has merit, though, and I will allow you to accompany me.You will oblige us, terror of the dark?"

Frowning-whisper said, "I am humbled by your trust."

"Tarry a moment!" The old knight spoke to empty air. "Raging-stone, stand down the Furious and the Flesh Eaters."

Lynx was still shaking, hard put to keep his fangs from chattering. That had been a very, very narrow escape! He would never volunteer to go alone into an enemy camp, but his imperfect Tlixilian had been understood as an insult to Basket-fox's courage or judgment or some-thing. Of course the mission would not be certain suicide if the enemy truly had no eagle knights at Seven Reeds, as Frowning-whisper claimed, but it still felt like going into battle armed only with fingernails.

The Jaguar turned to stare fixedly at him, and he felt a strange sen-sation that the moon was growing brighter, like a strange colorless sun-light. The bats and crickets and the frogs in the lake sounded louder.

How long had the air born this rich medley of scents? Even its touch on his skin felt suddenly meaningful.

He was being blessed.

"We are ready now, friend of stars," Basket-fox said. If the old cat felt scared out of his whiskers, as Lynx did, he was not showing it.

The moon lurched a third of the way around the sky. The air chilled, changing scents and sounds; the frogs' chorus barked louder and nearer.Yet Lynx experienced none of the giddiness he had felt the first time he rode the Spirit Wind. Sheer terror yes, dizziness no. He glanced around quickly, registering a sawpit and stacks of tree trunks and cut planks.The Eagle had set them down in a secluded spot . . .them ? There was no sign of Basket-fox. Panic surged until Lynx realized that he had no shadow, so the moon was shining through him. Old Kitty-cat would be somewhere close.

With his heart still thumping like a drum, Lynx padded toward the nearest gap, moving as quietly as he could, although his steps on the dry 295.

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clay sounded abominably loud. When an invisible paw touched his chest, he barely suppressed a shriek of terror.

Whiskers tickled his ear. "Mud!" said an anonymous whisper.

Lynx nodded. He was still shivering as he edged around the puddle.

In the next few minutes-which felt like weeks-he established that the Distliards were constructing a fleet ashore, but close to a canal leading into the lake.The boats were larger than he expected, capable of carrying forty or fifty men. Several were near completion and would burn nicely. Best of all, he found a well-built shed with a massive iron lock on the door, a device that must have come from Eurania. He paced out the building's dimensions, remembering that his stride was longer than human.

Then he set off to explore the rest of the site, occasionally being warned off some particular course by a touch of his unseen compan-ion's paw. He found pickets, crouching around small fires that seemed painfully bright, like fragments of the sun itself, but the men were re-laxed, and might just be keeping watch for thieves. He inspected the rough shelters where the workers slept, peering inside a few to estimate how many there were.

What next? He had a sudden hysterical mental image of his enor-mous, near-naked feline self dining at high table in Ironhall, expound-ing on his military exploits in the Hence Lands to the horrified candidates.

Join the Blades and see the world.. . .

A paw detained him. He waited. It did not move. He began to feel alarmed. Another touched his other shoulder, turning him to look left-ward. Still, for a moment, he remained puzzled. Then he saw a move-ment . . . another . . . and yet another. He almost cried out in terror as shadows transformed into misty outlines of warriors, a gang of them drifting silently through the shrubbery, crossing his path not ten paces ahead. The paws urged him farther around and he saw another squad. The whole camp was filling up with armed men.

The moon jumped again and he was back in El Dorado, right where he had started, with the old scoundrel Basket-fox himself and an Eagle. About a hundred armed warriors were kneeling around the area-naturalesdid not line up in rows like Euranian soldiers.To Lynx's 296.

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shame, his front paws began to shake violently as realization of his nar-row escape sank in.

"We are in your debt, star gatherer," Basket-fox said cheerily, look-ing up at the monster beak. "You will see that Frowning-whisper is properly reprimanded?"

"He will not live long enough to repent his shame."The eagle ap-parition vanished just as Lynx realized that it had not been Frowning-whisper.

"Return the men to the barracks, Taker of Seven Captives," the Jaguar said. "Tonight is not auspicious.Tomorrow, perhaps, they will get a chance to show their mettle." He thumped Lynx's shoulders with both paws, in a sort of half hug. "That was very well done, Plumed-pillar! I applaud your warrior courage!"

"I don't understand!"

"No?" Basket-fox rumbled a deep purr of amusement."Your danc-ing boat upset the Traditionalists today. I knew the Tephuamotziners had at least four knights at Seven Reeds yesterday, so I was sure that Frowning-whisper was lying and would betray me, but without your daring offer I might have lost many men proving that. Fortunately I had the mighty Star-feather watching over us. What was that house you found so interesting?"

Lynx gulped and pulled his wits together. "My lord's words warm the world.That house must be where they keep their tools, lord. Steal-ing those, or at the least destroying them, will do more to slow them than even burning the boats themselves. They probably have sails and ropes in there, too, and those must also be stolen or burned."

"We shall discuss it later. Come, tonight we shall feast."

The attack was launched the following night. No less than six Jaguars and two Eagles had listened attentively as the imposter knight told them what should be done to inflict maximum hurt on the enemy. A flotilla of canoes set off just after sunset; another army rode the Spirit Wind after them when the moon was high.

Lynx was left behind. He protested both loudly and sincerely, be- 297.

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