Monster Of The Maze

Chapter 9

The Izmir was entombed and Richard Blade was married. He kept away from the first ceremony and, though it was permitted in Zirnian law to marry by proxy, attended the second. He moved into the Izmir's palace and spent his wedding night there. It was not a great success. Blade sensed that he did not content Hirga, though she said nothing, and within a week they agreed to separate chambers. Blade came to understand the arrangement and, apart from a wound to his vanity, was not displeasured. Hirga was his wife and always willing to couple with him, but her first and chief duty was to provide liaison with Casta.

The High Priest remained in his cavern and made no visit to the palace-city that Blade knew of. He sent no word other than that Blade get on with the invasion of the Hitts.

Blade sent for Valli on several occasions and bedded her and listened to her reports. He learned little of value. Rumors and rumors of rumors. The black priests were making themselves scarce in the palace-city but were converging on the Plain of Pyramids in great numbers. Work continued at a great pace on the Izmir's monument and it was to be finished in a few weeks. The black priests, coming from all over Zir, were set to work alongside the slaves. Blade pondered all this and made no great sense of it other than the obvious-Casta was grouping his man-power, collecting his forces against the time he might need them.

Blade had his own manpower troubles. The Zirnian army was in a sad state. Morale was poor, the pay low and the common soldiers lazy and inefficient. Blade began to change all that. He organized a general staff and appointed Ogier as chief. Thane was made head of logistics and engineering and began to build a pontoon over the narrow water. To do this, Blade had to introduce labor conscription. This, Valli told him during one of her visits, was the cause of much discontent among the ordinary people of Zir.

All in all, Blade made good progress and was content. There was one incident, though, that occurred on the night before he was to ride to the coast with Thane and Ogier. It disturbed and upset him because he could not understand it and he feared things he could not understand, especially in his present ambiance where he thought of himself as superior-with the possible exception of Casta-and it was maddening to know that certain matters were beyond his ken.

He chanced to visit Hirga's chambers unannounced-she lived in another part of the palace and had her own retinue-and he found her half asleep and with the rosy and contented look of a woman satiated. She made no effort to rise but greeted him courteously enough, though with a certain soft-voiced scorn. She had trouble keeping her eyes open and there was languor and fulfillment in the sprawl of her lovely body on the huge bed. Blade, who cared nothing for her, was nonetheless rankled. And did not at first notice the odor.

Blade stood at the foot of her bed, hand on sword, and surveyed his Princess wife, «You do not miss me, Hirga? You have taken a lover.»

Her mouth was puffy and her lip salve smeared. She still breathed hard. She could hardly open her eves as she answered. «Why do you say that, Blade? How can you know such a thing?»

«By the look of you, woman. I am neither a child nor a fool. You have just been filled, stuffed, and not long ago. It must have been greatly to your liking, by the look of you.»

Hirga gave him an enigmatic smile and wiggled a finger. «I do not admit it. Or deny it. It is a pity that you cannot do so for me.»

Blade glared, knowing he was a fool, but there is a time when the child in every man will surface.

«Would you care to tell me who it is? I promise I will take no revenge, for I do not care that much, but if it is one of my Captains I should know. For it bespeaks lack of loyalty to me- I will retire him and you shall have him as a companion.»

The truth being, he told himself, that he longed to see this man who was a better cocksman than himself.

Hirga opened her eyes wider and laughed at him. «Do not concern yourself, Blade. It is none of your Captains, none in this palace or in the city, and none of your affair.»

Blade began to anger. She sought to make a fool of him. «How can that be?» he snapped. «I came by the single corridor that leads to these chambers and I met no one. The place swarms with guards. You die swooning, a woman who has just left off making love, and yet you tell me the man is not near! Mind yourself, Hirga. I know that we play games, you and I and Casta, for mutual benefit, but do not push me too far. I care not a damn whom you bed with, you slut, but I will have you preserve the amenities and be secret about it. I have a task to accomplish in Zir and if I am laughed at it will be the harder done.»

«I am secret about it,» said Hirga. Her smile mocked him. «I am very secret about it, Blade. You may believe me in this-nobody sees my lover come and go.» And suddenly she buried her face in the pillow and went off into wild laughter.

Blade was puzzled, baffled, and it made him the angrier. It was then he noticed the odor, the foul smell he had noted in the cubicle in the cavern. It was fainter now, barely evident, but it was there. He frowned and wrinkled his nose.

Remembering, he stalked about the bed and the room and searched the floor. He found three of the silvery scales and picked them up and sniffed. The smell. He flung them away from him and looked at Hirga, She had turned and was watching him through fingers spread over her face. Still laughing at him.

Blade was beaten and knew it. There was a mystery here he could not guess at, and she would never tell. He flung the insult as he left.

«I was wrong, mayhap. You have no lover-other than your fingers. I think you do it yourself and call it lover. It is why I can never content you, for no man could. It is said that such women can never find satisfaction of a man, but must always turn to self-love. I wish you joy of it, Hirga.»

She screamed something at him as he stalked out, but he made no sense of it. Something about a little man with nothing between his legs who pretended godship. Blade slammed the door and made a vow-as soon as this thing between Casta and himself was resolved he would see that something was done about Hirga. For now it must bide as it was.

As he made his way back to his own quarters he realized how far he had adapted to Zir, to this present Dimension X. Blade of Home Dimension had faded. He retained the crystal in his brain and full memory of HD, and he still had his sense of mission, but he was now a Zirnian.

The crystal still was not working.

The next morning Blade, with Ogier and Thane, and a large bodyguard, rode to the coast. It was his first glimpse of the narrow water.

It was near a day's ride, and as they went Ogier and Thane answered Blade's questions. Thane wore new armor, which he had forged himself, and a helmet with bronze horns on it. «It will confuse the Hitts,» he joked. «For they wear the same themselves. If we ever get across the water and if we can bring Loth Bloodax and Galligantus to battle, I may get close enough to his head to take it. I am a Hitt, after all, and they might mistake me for friend.»

Ogier laughed. «I think you have been at the wine again.»

«No.» Thane reached beneath his chest armor to scratch. «But it is an idea. Tonight-«

«Tonight you will stay sober,» Blade said. «No man drinks until we have accomplished our task. After that, Thane, you can roll in the gutter, for all of me.»

They came to the narrow water as first dusk was falling. Fires blazed on high cliffs across the channel, as Blade immediately thought of it. He judged it half a mile wide at this point, where the first pontoon was being built, and it was inevitable that he be reminded of the English Channel. The air was light this night and the water calm and on the Zirnian side the beaches were wide and long and gently sloping.

Torches and fires blazed on the leach near the jutting pontoon, for Thane had sent a division of engineers, guarded by foot soldiers, to begin the work. Blade, accompanied by his two Captains, walked briskly through the encampment. He spoke to wren and inquired of their health and the quality of the food, made a joke here and there and let himself be seen by as many as possible. When they retired to his tent for tree evening meal, Blade said, «They seem in good enough spirits. How does the work go, Thane?»

The big Hitt, soured at being denied wine, was in a grumbling mood, although this was not unusual in him.

«Slowly» he said, «for I must use the dregs for this first bridge. They are slow and clumsy and must be whipped to their work. There is no help for it-I must save my best men to work at night and build the secret pontoon under water. Even I will not ask a man to work both day and night.»

Blade gnawed the last meat from a bone and cast it to one of the great Zirnian hounds favored by Ogier. «Where do you build this secret pontoon, and how soon?»

Thane unrolled a map on the table and pointed with a finger. «Here. Half a mile to the east of this place. The water is as narrow there as here, and there is a large cove just opposite, a break in the cliffs, with meadows leading inland. There is perhaps a mile of this easy ground before the mountains begin-not much, but it will give us a foothold if we ever get across.»

«Aye,» said Ogier. «A big if.»

«You two are skeptics,» grinned Blade, «and believe in nothing. We will get across. I mean to feint at this first pontoon, the one we build above water, but I will feint in strength. Everything must seem as if we actually mean to attack across it in our greatest numbers, our main blow. Bloodax must be convinced of that. To this end we will concentrate all our daytime activity around here and to the west. Nothing must stir to the east, Thane. No fires, no smoke, no action of any sort. Keep your men well back behind the dunes and make them sleep the day away. I would not even have them talk, but I suppose nothing can be done about that.»

Thane chuckled. «Not even you, Blade, can stop soldiers from grumbling.»

Blade shrugged and assented. «I know. But see that they grumble in low tones. Now you, Ogier, must assemble boats and begin raids over the water. Always to the west, remember. We will lose men and boats, but it will be worth it. Your men must strike fast and hard, raid inland and kill as many Hitts as possible and burn villages. They have permission to loot, if there is time. This will serve to draw the Hitts to the west, where we must keep them. We will raid day after day, a steady pressure, and each raiding party will stay for only an hour before withdrawing. By this we may cut our losses somewhat.»

«Not by much,» said Ogier. «I have told you-the Hitts fight like devils, even the women and children, and it is easier to raid in than to get out again. We will lose many men and boats.»

«Then build more boats and find more men.» Blade stabbed a finger at the map. «It is essential that we keep them so busy that they have no time or thought to look eastward.»

Thane said, «There is one thing we have not taken into consideration, Blade. The leather-men. The winged ones. They cannot fly far, true, and must always go lower and never up, but it is possible that such a leather-man could fly over our troops in hiding and report it back.»

Blade nodded. «I have given that thought and I see no real danger. They must leap from their crags and their glide path is down. If they succeed in crossing the water, it will be easy to find and kill them.»

He had not quite believed in the leather-men at first, not until Thane had sworn it so and drawn him sketches. The Hitts trained certain men, built batlike wings of leather on light wood frames, and used them to glide among their mountains. Blade had made a thorough study and was convinced that the Hitts knew nothing of thermals or air currents and thus could not soar as could a glider back in HD. The wings were crude and permitted only a downward glide from a high peak to a lower one. Blade was impressed but not fearful. The leather-men would be only a minor headache.

Ogier, who was against the whole project, was not so sure. «They have already attacked the pontoon,» he said. «They launch from their cliffs and fly over my men working and drop stink-fire. The first attack caused a panic.»

Blade eyed him. «How many men did you lose?»

«Four only, and they became frightened and fell into the water and drowned.»

«And the leather-men-what happened to them?»

Ogier grinned. «They also fell into the water. We killed them with arrows.»

«You see. Was the pontoon damaged by fire?»

«No. They missed it. But they will try again.»

Blade yawned and stretched. «I am sure they will. Good. Let them try and be killed. As long as they concentrate only on this pontoon and do not know of the one under water, I am content. We will mislead them and take them by surprise and beat them. Now let us sleep. There is much to do tomorrow.»

Thane yawned. «I agree to that. But I could sleep the better with a single cup of wine.»

«No'» said Blade. «Go to bed and dream of that pontoon you will build for me. Remember that it must be exactly one foot beneath the water.»

«I should have been a fish,» grimaced Thane as he left the tent.

The next morning they rode into the dunes and circled to the east and came to where Thane's best labor battalions were camped. Here were great stocks of pilings and planks and tools, all scattered and covered with sand. There were no fires, and Blade had lent Thane his personal Guard for security. He made a rapid inspection of the camp and was satisfied for the moment. He was sure that Loth Bloodax and the Hitts had no inkling of this place, nor of his plan. The problem was to keep it so.

There were other problems too. Thane pointed out one in particular. «We must work in the dark and in silence, Blade, and that is hard enough. But we must also work under water and that greatly slows us-I have recruited the best swimmers and those with the strongest lungs, but no man can stay under for long. So do not count on a speedy job-this bridge will be a long time building.»

«That is not good enough,» Blade complained. «The underwater pontoon must be completed just as the other one pushes near the Hitt shore-that is my whole plan, that they be drawn there and contest me fiercely. By the time they see us walking on the water, so they will think, it will be too late. That in itself will be a shock and before they recover their wits we will be ashore in strength.»

«Then teach my men to breathe under water,» said Thane in a surly tone, «and give them gills.»

Blade stroked his beard for a moment in deep thought, then grinned and clapped Thane on the shoulder. «I may do that. You have tent cloth here and there is a smithy?»

«Of course. Do you think to fashion gills of iron?»

«You will see. Fetch me tent cloth and needles and twine or heavy thread.»

When this was done Blade had the cloth cut into strips and rolled into tubes and stitched up. «Smear them with tar on the outside,» he ordered. «It will make a tighter seal. Now to your smithy.»

The armorers were working in a pit dug underground to lessen the noise, and their chief gaped in amazement when Blade explained what he wanted. He found a stick and drew a diagram in the sand for them.

«You have made helmets,» he told them, «and this is naught but another helmet. But large-to fit over the head and rest on the shoulders. There must be a hole in the back for the tube and a small plate of glass in the front.»

By this time, Thane had grasped the idea and swore joyously. «By the gods, Blade, you do work miracles. But one thing-how are we to force the air down to them?»

Blade was in high humor. He wished all his problems were so simple. He laughed at Thane and pointed to the smithy bellows. «You are an engineer, Thane? How think you?»

«It will work,» Thane roared. «I tell you it will work.»

«Yes. It will work. And so will you and your men. You will begin tonight. There must be no talking, and you will use signs. All men to be dressed in black. There will be reward for good workers and punishment for loafers or careless men.»

«I have thought of all that,» said Thane. «I have drilled them this past week. Each man knows his work and there is no need for words.»

«Then the gods and luck be with you,» Blade said. «Ogier and I ride back now to the west bridge. I will be in touch by courier and see that you do likewise. Farewell for now, Thane.»

As they rode westward again, Ogier was silent for a long time. At last he admitted grudgingly that it might all work, that the invasion might be successful.

«But I still do not see the need of it, Blade. To guard our north flank, yes, but that is Casta's plan. He is the ambitious one. It is Casta who wants the north safe so he can invade to the south and east and west. Or is it only Casta? You do his work for him, Blade. Do you also share his ambitions?»

Blade denied this. «The Hitts have something I want, Ogier. I mean to get it.»

The Captain looked his puzzlement. «What? It is a cruel country, all crags and valleys and mountains. The cattle are poor and the soil worse. The Hitts are barbarians and stupid, but perhaps for Thane, and he is not really a Hitt. He is an exception. What, Blade?»

«Diamonds. You know of them?»

Ogier scowled. «You mean the shiny rocks that Thane uses for cutting? I know of them. They are also useful for toys, for children to gaze into, for they catch the sun and make pretty sparkles. I once knew a harem whore who wore one about her neck. And that is what you want? Only diamonds?»

It was impossible to explain and Blade did not try. He merely said, «In the place from whence I come, Ogier, such shiny rocks are accounted valuable. They are used for money.»

Ogier shook his head. «They must be fools indeed where you come from. A stone is a stone, shiny or not. You cannot bed a stone, or eat it, or drink it, and it cannot be a companion to you. I hate to lose so many men, Blade, to get you stones.»

«I know. But it is necessary to me, and you have sworn. Do you retract your oath, now that the Izmir is dead?»

Ogier scowled and his visage darkened. He scratched angrily at his grizzled stubble. «I retract nothing. An oath is an oath and I honor mine. But I do not like it.»

They rode in silence for a long time. At last Ogier said, «But as long as I must, I must. And I would have it begin as soon as possible, so that it is over the sooner. When do we attack, Blade?»

«The day the underwater pontoon is completed. In the meantime we must push the west bridge as near the Hitt shore as possible. Have they begun to harry it at night yet?»

«No. But they will. I know. They will swim out and chop it and set fire tubs against it. They will loosen the pilings and make it fall into the sea. I know, as I say. I was here before, when the Izmir last tried to cross.»

Blade thought a moment. «Yes. I expect all that. But if we can get it three-quarters of the way across it will suffice.»

«How so? The water will be deep. Heavily armored men cannot swim, not even a few hundred yards. Of what use is a three-quarters bridge?»

Blade had to smile. «I have never seen such a doomsayer as you are, Ogier. You excel at it. You see only darkness-never a bright spot, never a ray of light.»

Ogier did not smile. «I see truth,» he said grimly.

«But what you do not see is that I plan to turn a liability into an asset. I will use the uncompleted bridge as a stage, a pier or dock. I will ring it with boats for protection, and I will bring other boats to the end of it and embark troops, a steady stream of troops, to throw against the Hitts. Bloodax will think it the main attack-how can he otherwise? — but it will be only a very strong secondary attack. Strong enough to pin down the main force of Kitts.»

Ogier frowned. «How can this be done? There is a limit to our troops-if you attack in great strength at the west bridge, how can you have troops for the sunken bridge? I thought it was there that you meant to use the main force.»

Blade regarded him calmly. «Have I spoken of any final battle plan?»

Ogier shook his head. «Not to me. You are secretive and that is not a bad thing in a commander, but I thought-«

«You thought wrong. Bloodax will expect my main force at the west bridge and there it will come. The main force, Ogier, not the main attack. That comes over the sunken bridge. I will lead it in person. A small, elite body of troops. We will cross fast and circle behind Bloodax. You will lead the frontal attack and engage him heavily. With any luck we will strike him from behind before he even knows we have crossed. That is the plan. Now let me hear your cavils.»

But for once the Captain was at a loss. He thought for a long time and said at last, «I like the plan. It should work. But there is a matter-«

«I thought so.»

«A matter of troops,» Ogier persisted. «I have but one division on the beaches now, not counting the labor troops. I have nine divisions just recruited and training back in the palace-city. You know what they are-not yet soldiers and just better than a mob. So how solve this? Or perhaps you will use your shiny stones for soldiers?»

«I have you,» said Blade. «And you are all I need, Ogier. You will ride this night back to the palace and you will work. Your officers and your men will work. And you will bring me those nine divisions in a week.»

Ogier looked horrified. «It cannot be done. I-«

«You will do it. I know they will not be soldiers as you think of soldiers, or as I do, but they will look like soldiers and they will die like soldiers. It is numbers I need, Ogier. Hordes. To impress and shock and frighten Bloodax. He will not know how poor our soldiers are not unless our luck fails and he takes prisoners. That must not happen.»

«It is unlikely,» Ogier explained. «The Hitts have never raided for prisoners and any who do fall into their hands are instantly slain. I do not think that is a problem.»

«Fine. Then I will bluff with poor troops and get away with it. And I will take your division, Ogier, and my own Guard, to cross the sunken bridge. I will need the best.»

Ogier spat into the wind. «I feared that.»

Ogier left as soon as he had supped. He would ride all night and be in the palace-city before dawn. Blade retired early and concentrated fiercely in an effort to reach the computer and Lord L. After some minutes he felt the electric tingle in his brain. The crystal was working. He was getting through.

An hour later, vastly weary with the effort, he had his instructions. Home Dimension was interested in the diamonds. But there were difficulties-teleportation was in its infancy, and what worked in a lab in Scotland might fail in Dimension X. The problems were many and complex and would take time to solve. Lord L would be in touch. Meantime proceed.