Robert Adams - Trumpets of War

A vast herd of cattle—rations on the hoof—now grazed around and about the forming army of the permanent camp, along with steadily increasing numbers of horses and mules. When the treasury ran low, Thoheeks Sitheeros and Thoheeks Grahvos contributed more ounces of gold for the common weal. But not even then did more elephants arrive, nor would Sitheeros part with any more of his own small herd.

The army drilled, drilled and drilled some more. Long, hot, sweaty route marches shook down the units and accustomed them to reforming at a moment’s notice from the column to a whole plethora of line-of-battle formations. Under the Grand Strahteegos’ critical eye and patient dedication, the infantry—the three regiments of pikemen and the two of light foot—and the cavalry—the reinforced squadron of heavy horse, the medium-heavy horse-archers and the half-squadron of light horse lancers—began to coalesce and behave and appear to be a whole rather than several parts. But even still, the three elephant cows, astounding as their performances of intricate maneuvers were, were the only probiscideans available for the army’s use.

At last, feeling that he had waited and had kept his army waiting quite long enough for the pachyderms, Pahvlos sought audience with the Council of Thoheeksee and announced that he intended to start the campaign immediately, with only the three cow elephants.

“Look you, my lords,” he had said, “the city that is our objective does not lie any short distance away from Mehseepolis, so the army is going to be on the march for some weeks, and I would much prefer a march in dust to a march in rain and mud. The weather at this time of year has always been rather dry, but if we delay for much longer, the autumn rains will commence. In all other ways than war-elephants, our army is ready, honed to a fine edge, as it sits. We possess enough supplies, weapons, transport and mounts for about three months of campaigning, which should be enough, in my considered judgment.”

“Not if you get tied down besieging the place, it won’t!” growled Thoheeks Bahos, in his contrabass rumble. “What will you do then? Forage, live off the land and despoil young Ahramos’ heritage? Or send back to us for more supplies to be bought with money we don’t have?”

“I have very strong doubts that it will ever come to a siege, my lord Thoheeks,” replied Pahvlos. “That precious pack aresquatting on the lands and in the city, at best, holding them by brute force, with little popular support, if any; they would not dare to shut themselves up within a city filled with citizens who all hate and fear them. No, they’ll come to battle, most likely, quite soon after I arrive with the army, of that I am certain.”

Thoheeks Penendos of Makopolis, barely twenty years of age, spoke up. “In your considered judgment you believe,” he said in a cold, mocking tone. “In other words, Strahteegos, what you are saying is that you want us to approvingly seal your traipsing off with the bulk of our effectives and thousands of thrahkmehee worth of supplies and equipment on your unsupported, unsubstantiatedword, isn’t that it?”

Before Pahvlos could frame an answer, Thoheeks Vikos burst out, “Wipe the mother’s milk off your mouth before you so bespeak and question a man who was marshaling armies and leading them to victories while your father still was shitting his swaddlings! What manner of supercilious young puppy has Councilraised up in you, Lord Penendos?”

“Puppy, am I? Dog, am I?” shouted the offended man, pulling a hideaway dagger from someplace in his clothing and lunging across the breadth of the table at Lord Vikos. “I’ll make worm meat of you, you pooeesos of turd-eating boar hogs!”

It did not go far, of course, for the most of Council were warriors, first and foremost. Vikos tumbled back from the slender, winking blade, regained his feet and secured a good grip on the younger man’s wrist with one hand, applying painful pressure to force him to drop the weapon. Meanwhile, Thoheeks Bahos hurled his

massivebulk atop the would-be killer’s lighter and more slender body, effectively pinning him in place to the tabletop. Gasping foul curses, Penendos used his free hand to draw out another hidden dagger, only to have that wrist secured by Thoheeks Sitheeros well before he could bring it into any dangerous proximity to either Vikos or Bahos.

“Gentlemen, gentlemen, GENTLEMEN!” roared Thoheeks Grahvos with a volume that rattled the goblets and crystal decanters on the sideboard. “Stop it this instant! Stop it, I say, else I’ll call for the guards and give you all pause to cool off and reflect the error of your ways in a dank, dark cell down belowstairs.

“Bahos, get off that fool’s back before you collapse the table. You and Sitheeros search him thoroughly and take any more sharp toys you find on his person, then put him back in his chair. And if he makes to rise again, you’ll both know just what to do, eh?”

“My lords,” he said finally in a harsh voice, “are we all herean aggregation of civilized, orderly inheritors of our ancient Ehleen culture? After the last few minutes, a non-Ehleen would doubt such, deeming us but another lot of brawling, blood-mad barbarians or overgrown and ill-reared children, which is the same thing, really.”

Turning to Pahvlos, who still was seated, he bowed low and said, “My lord Strahteegos Komees, please accept my apology and that of the Council of the Confederated Thoheekseeahnee. Please believe me when I say that such regrettable behavior as that to which you have just, unfortunately, been witness is not the usual way in which Council meets and conducts business.”

Sensing that an answer might be embarrassing to Grahvos and certain of the others and was not expected, anyway, Pahvlos gravely and slowly nodded his head, once, in acknowledgment of Grahvos’ formal courtesy.

Then, addressed again the men ranged along the sides of the table, Grahvos’ voice lost any hint of warmth. “Lord Penendos, you are come of good stock, out of loins of decent, honorable noblemen. You’ve dishonored both yourself and the memory of your forebears, this day, here. One might think from your disregard of Council’s rule that all weapons must be deposited upon that table there by the door before business commences and from your willful weaponed attack upon the person of a peer you knew to be unarmed that you were bred in the mountain hut of some barbarian or in a tent out on the Sea of Grass.

“You owe apologies both to the lord strahteegos and to Thoheeks Vikos. Since all your misdeeds were said and done before Council, then these apologies must be delivered before Council, also. Let us see if you can speak more like a gentleman than you act.”

He maintained his fixed stare until Thoheeks Penendos dropped his gaze to his shaking hands held in his lap. Then the elder man turned to stare just as hard at Vikos. “Lord Vikos, you owe an apology to Lord Penendos. You should not have named him dog or spoken so harshly to him. Remember, he is too young to personally recall much of the exploits of Strahteegos Komees Pahvios. And although his manner was most assuredly and needlessly insulting, his question was quite proper from one whose memories hold no knowledge of the reputation, the many victories of Lord Pahvios. We will expect that apology to be delivered before Council, too.

“But before we get to those matters, I think that we should vote on the quite reasonable request of the lord strahteegos. I vote yes.”

Mainahkos Klehpteekos and Ahreekos Krehohpoleeos had risen fast and high from their origin as common irregular troopers in the first, almost extirpated army ofthen-Thoheeks Zastros. That both men were incredibly savage and completely unprincipled had helped them to so rise, that they owned an ability to organize and lead men like themselves and were often inordinately lucky had helped even more.