Robert Adams - The Savage Mountains

“As for the machines they carry, I would prefer that they be smashed or, better yet, dumped in some deep, swift river.

“You’ll be far west, Bili, so it’s possible you’ll chance across Mehrikan-speaking barbarians called Muhkohee. They are sly, savage and treacherous, lad. Even the wild Ahnnehnee fear them, so beware.

“Sun and Wind keep you all, Bili. Come to the nahkhahrah’s village when you are done.”

Vaskos Daiviz of Morguhn, commander of the city of Vawnpolis, looked briefly at the stiffening corpse and repressed a shudder with difficulty. A veteran of the almost constant border wars of the Confederation, he was no stranger to terrible sights. Nor did a man make the ascent from common spearman to sub-strahteegos without being an exceedingly tough and thick-skinned soldier. And Vaskos was both. Nonetheless, this body and the two found last week had chilled him to the very marrow.

All three had been women, young women. But had neighbors or friends not reported them missing, there would have been no chance of ascertaining the identities of the cadavers. Whoever had butchered them had, in all three cases, used a knife to mutilate their faces so that not even their mothers would have known them. Nor were these horrors the worst, for, after all, wounds wrought by steel were an old and familiar story to the commander.

No, what sent the cold prickling to Vaskos’ nape while nausea churned in his belly were the other enormities perpetrated by the killer or killers. From the knees to the necks, the poor women had been savagely flogged, front and back. And atop the welts and cuts of the whip were the crowning horrors—the tears and gouges of teeth, human teeth, which kad gnawed at the victim like an animal, ripping away chunks of flesh.

After the discovery of the first grisly remains by an early-morning patrol, Vaskos had concluded that none save a maniac could have done such a thing. Therefore he had sought out the keepers of Myros the Mad. But Captain Danos and all six of his men had attested that the former vahrohnos of Deskati had remained locked in his windowless chamber throughout the entire night And since members of Vaskos’ own staff had heard the madman’s howls from time to time during the questioned time period, he had no choice but to scratch the suspect from his mental list.

After the second murder, he had doubled the night patrols, even though that meant putting a sizable number of former rebels back under arms. But this morning’s find had proved even those measures ineffective. So he called his officers into council, inviting as well the few remaining former rebel officers: Captain Kahrlos, Captain Danos and Vahrohneeskos Kahzos Boorsohthehpsees of Vawn, once deputy commander of the rebel city.

It was the half-blinded and hideously disfigured young Ehleen nobleman to whom Vaskos addressed himself after he had succinctly reported the particulars of this most recent killing.

“Lord Kahzos, we must find a way to put a stop to these deaths, and since the victims are invariably from , among those who were your people, I felt that you and these other two officers might be able and willing to aid.”

Kahzos nodded gravely. He had given up his once-ready smile since he now smiled perpetually. A catapult stone had struck a merlon during the siege and the resultant hail of stoneshards had taken his left eye and grated all the flesh from the left side of his face.

“I don’t think that it’s a new problem, Lord Vaskos. Similar cases were noted by Lord Drehkos and me during the siege, as well as just preceding it. Always the victims were young women and girls, always were their bodies monstrously mutilated and showing marks of teeth. But after the first few weeks of the siege, the murders sort of … well, tapered off. These are the first sign that the murderer or murderers were not, as we had surmised and hoped, dead in the siege.”

Vaskos sighed gustily. “My sincere thanks, Lord Kahzos. That takes quite a load off my mind. I was fearful that one or more of my Confederation garrison might have been culpable.

“Well, gentlemen, this narrows the field a bit for us. To narrow it further, we can eliminate those men who were on patrol last night as well as those who were known to be here in the citadel.

“I am posting a reward of one hundred silver thrdhkmehee for any information leading to the apprehension of this animal. Eepohlohkahgos Lain, you and your detachment will have the task of running down any leads and tips that that reward offer brings in. It might also be a good idea to incorporate some of our late enemies into your operation. I’m certain that Lord Kahzos would be happy to give you the names of some reliable men, and the Vawnee may find it easier to really open up to a fellow rebuhhh, Ehleen.”

The vahrohneeskos agreed with alacrity. “I certainly would. Eepohlohkahgos, I can have a number of men report to your offices and you then can pick and choose those with whom you feel you can best work. In fact, I myself am at your disposal. I want to see this criminal on a sharp stake as much as any here.”

“My Lord Vaskos,” put in Captain Kahrlos, leader of those former rebels now back under arms, “I’d ‘predate a part in this here, too. Y’see, it was a young widder, back las’ fall, an’ me an’ her we was kinda close. She was a real fine woman an’ … then one mornin’ they foun’ her poor body, what was left of it, leastways, in a alley oft High Street. I wouln’ of knowed it was her, hadna been she had six toes on her feet We … we was so happy, ‘spite of the siege an’ all. It’d do my soul good to hear the bastard what done all them things to my Aida scream fer a few days!”

Vaskos gave a brusque nod. “Of course, captain, you may take as much part in these proceedings as your duty allows. Speaking of which, I’m going to want a fifty-percent increase in the size of your force. See to it. As before, I cannot allow you to commission any officers, but you may appoint as many sergeants as you have need for.”

Captain Danos, warder of the mad vahrohnos, Myros, listened intently to all that was said but offered neither aid nor advice. Since his responsibility and that of his small detachment was his charge, day and night every day, and since all knew him to be thoroughly dedicated to that responsibility, which had been his even before the siege had commenced, no one really expected him to tender the services of his six men in any other capacity.

For himself, Vaskos Daiviz was vastly relieved that the captain—formerly a hunter on the estate of the commander’s father, Komees Hari Daiviz of Morguhn—was keeping his mouth shut, for it would be almost the final straw were he to find himself in any way beholden to the rebel officer. The stocky, powerful heir of Daiviz had but to finger the bumpy scar tissue just over his left ear, under the iron-gray hair, to recall that this same Danos had been a leader of the pack of rebels who had earnestly attempted to murder him last spring. They had slain Vaskos’ orderly, brave Frahnkos, and had, like the houndpack they were, driven him and his three half-sisters from their home.

When, last summer, he and his father, with a mixed force of Freefighters and Confederation kahtahfrahktoee, had ridden back into Horse County and retaken their hall, this Danos had escaped the retributive bloodbath. Until the fall of Vawnpolis, none in the loyal forces had known the former hunter’s fate or whereabouts.

Vaskos, then a supernumerary on the staff of the High Lord, had found the remembered name among the list of rebel officers turned in by Vahrohneeskos Drehkos Daiviz of Morguhn, his hated uncle. He and his father had then demanded an audience with the High Lord, recited the long list of Danes’ crimes in Morguhn, and claimed the miscreant’s blood … all of it. The High Lord had only promised to investigate the matter, pointing out, however, that the amnesty extended to all the former rebels and covered almost every crime they might have committed while in rebellion.