David Drake - The Gods Return

Unfortunately, while the Great Gods of your-our, I apologize-former world watched, the Gods of Palomir would rule. Their rule in former times was the rule of men over beasts." "'Boys throw stones at frogs in sport,'" whispered Liane, quoting the ancient poet Bion, "'but the frogs die not in sport but in earnest.'" Garric squeezed her hand.

Propriety could hang for the moment. "Franca the All Father, Fallin of the Waves," Tenoctris said, "and Hili, Queen of the Underworld.

They're immanent now. If Palomir's rat armies succeed, widespread belief will make Them all powerful and perhaps eternal." "The solution appears to be to defeat the rats and anything else that allies with Palomir, then," said Garric. King Carus had come to that conclusion long since. While marching instantly with an army wasn't always the best choice- "It got me and my army killed in the end, lad," the ghost agreed. -acting fast wasalmost always a better choice than dithering.

"Lord Waldron," Garric continued, "prepare the army to move as soon as possible. We'll determine which troops to take based on the supply situation, which you'll coordinate with the proper bureaus." "Done," said Waldron and nodded. The young officer standing behind him started for the door at as fast a walk as the crowd permitted. Hauk, Tadai, and Royhas were muttering to aides also. "Your highness?" Liane said.

She spoke in a polite undertone to indicate she wanted to address the council instead of informing Garric in a private whisper. "Go ahead, Lady Liane," Garric said, silencing the room again without really shouting. Well, not shouting as he'd have thought of it in the borough, calling to his friend Cashel on the crest of the next hill.

"Your highness," Liane said, "we know that our enemies have been capturing humans on Cordin. They probably believed that because of Palomir's location, it would be some time before we in Pandah learned about the raids. On the other hand, they must know that their grace period will be over shortly." Garric kept from frowning by conscious effort. Liane had remarkable skills, but she was too much a lady to project her voice to be heard beyond the ends of the table. He supposed he could repeat anything that had to be known more generally.

"Before you commit the army," Liane said, "it might be well to be sure that there isn't a large body of rats already marching toward Sandrakkan to strike fresh victims while they still have surprise. Or toward Haft." Garric's body tensed as though he'd been dropped into ice water. Toward home, he thought. "Yes," he said, marvelling that his voice remained calm and businesslike. "Lord Zettin, I want you to put your companies across all the routes to the west and northwest of Palomir. If they meet small raiding parties, they're to attack after sending a courier back. If they find a larger body, they're to shadow it while waiting for reinforcements. And send messengers to the district that the enemy is threatening." Duzi, may a rat army not already be attacking Barca's Hamlet. Instead of simply acknowledging the order, Lord Zettin said, "Your highness? Might I suggest that I send at least one troop to Telut to see what these pirates and their creature are doing?" That's a good- Cashel's quarterstaff rapped the stone floor again. "If you please?" he said. "Rasile has something to say about that." *** Cashel stood, his staff planted. He looked around the hall, not so much because there was anything in particular he wanted to see, but because it was reflex in him. Sheep wandered all different ways, and as soon as you let one out of your sight for a minute or two, you could be sure it was getting into trouble. Rasile raised a tumbler of water. It was a pretty thing with a design in gold between two layers of clear glass, or mostly clear. A servant had fetched it from the sideboard next door in the private room where Garric could go off with one or two people to talk about things the whole council needn't hear.

Cashel had ordered it brought because the servant ignored Rasile asking. A lot of people didn't like the catmen, which wasn't hard to understand. It was just as well for the fellow that he hadn't said the wrong thing when Cashel stepped in, though. "The one who controls the Worm," Rasile said, "is moving toward a particular place. I do not know where it is, but perhaps one of you will recognize it." "What place is that?" asked a long-faced man who had something to do with transport. "I don't see-" Rasile upended the tumbler. As the contents poured out, she said something that sounded more like a hinge binding than it did words. Scarlet wizardlight flickered around the stream the way a potter's thumbs mold clay. Instead of splashing down, the water spread into a round temple with a domed roof; an instant later the roof vanished and the columns that'd held it up crumbled into a ring of stubs, some taller than others. Fallen barrels lay scattered roundabout. The illusion ended; the water splashed onto the tapestry.

Some of it sank in, but the cloth was tightly enough woven that beads and little rivulets quivered nervously in the surface. "Why, I've seen that!" said Lord Attaper, leaning forward with a puzzled expression as though her were trying to make sense of the way the spilled water now lay. "That's the Temple of the Tree, they call it. In Dariada on Charax." "There must be a hundred ruined temples like that, every one as likely as the next!" Lord Waldron protested. "Maybe more, since the Change." The guard commander and army commander acted like two rams in a flock, though it never got out of hand. Cashel figured-and they figured-that Garric would end the trouble quick if that happened. "I know that," Attaper said, grimacing. "And it was twenty years ago I was on Charax, I know that too. But I tell you, I saw what Rasile showed, and I was sure it was the Temple of the Tree." "Yes," said Rasile, grinning with her tongue out. "The image I formed is not wholly to be seen with the eyes, Warrior Waldron." Tenoctris turned to Rasile, standing beside her. The Corl was short even for her own species, so their heads were nearly on a level. "Can you face the Worm?" Tenoctris said. "You were drawn to it, after all." "You know what the Worm is?" Rasile said. "Of course you do; you are Tenoctris.

So yes, I can face it." Rasile grinned again. People around the table were straining to hear. Cashel didn't have a problem because he was standing right behind them, but it must be just a buzz to anybody more than arm's length away. "But I do not see how I can possibly defeat it," the Corl said, "even if I have the help of your friend, the warrior Cashel." "We're even, then," said Tenoctris. Her own smile, though human, made her look a bit like a dog getting ready for a fight. "Because I assure you, I haveno idea how I'm going to deal with entities who-" She shrugged expressively. "-emotionally I can't even make myself believe in." Garric was holding the room quiet by glaring at anybody who started to chatter while the wizards were talking.

"Your highness," Tenoctris said, "Rasile will go to Dariada with the aid of Master Cashel, if he…?" Tenoctris looked up at Cashel.

"Yes, ma'am," he said. He'd go wherever somebody who understood things told him to go. "That is, if…?" Sharina was already looking over at him; she nodded. She didn't look happy about it and Cashel wasn't happy himself, but it was good to be doing something useful. He frowned and said, "But Garric? I don't mind fighting a pirate or even a couple pirates, but there was a herd of them at Ombis. There'll be more pretty quick, because tramps and no-goods will join in for the loot. I guess there's going to be a lot of ordinary fellows too, only they'd rather drink wine than sweat plowing somebody else's field."

"Right," said Waldron. "I'll send a regiment. Ah-one of the units from the Valles garrison would probably be sufficient, if we don't want to weaken the field army." "Your highness?" Liane said. "Lady Liane, please move your stool forward and join the council," Garric said.