K Parker: Devices and Desires

The Mezentine whimpered, but he knew how to follow instructions. 'Like this?' he said.

'Better,' Valens replied. 'Try and keep the ball of your foot on the stirrup-iron, with your heels pointing down. And stop jerking on the reins, they're not handles for clinging on to.'

'Right,' the Mezentine said doubtfully. 'Where I come from, we don't go in for horses much. Sometimes we ride in carts, but mostly we walk.'

Valens looked at him. 'Maybe you should've stayed there,' he said.

'You know, I think you're right. Still, too late now. I'm sorry,' he went on, 'but I don't know who you are.'

'I guessed that. My name's Valens.'

'Ah.' The Mezentine nodded. 'Pleased to meet you. I'm Ziani Vaatzes.'

'I know.' In spite of himself, Valens was grinning. 'I get the impression you don't go in much for formality in Mezentia either.'

Vaatzes shrugged. 'Forgive me,' he said. 'If you mean deferential language and conventional expressions of respect, no we don't. In theory, every Guildsman's as good as every other; so we don't learn all the right words, and foreigners think we're revoltingly arrogant. Which we are, but not the way you think. Maybe somebody could teach me the right things to say, and then I won't give offence.'

'The Eremians didn't mind, then?'

'I expect they did, but nobody said anything, so I never got the opportunity to learn.'

'It doesn't matter,' Valens said. 'Stuff like that annoys me, actually, it tends to get in the way, and that wastes time and effort and leads to confusion. By the sound of it, you plan on coming home with us.'

Vaatzes dipped his head. 'I was hoping to talk to somebody about that. Simple fact is, I haven't got anywhere else to go.'

'You're straightforward, I'll say that for you. But you're bad luck, aren't you? Look what happened to the last lot who took you in.'

Again, Vaatzes shrugged. 'If you care to look at it from my point of view, I nearly saved them from the consequences of their own stupidity; I built war engines for them, and when I went to bed last night, we'd just won the war. Obviously something happened that I don't know about.'

'Don't ask me,' Valens replied. 'We set out as soon as we heard the city was being assaulted. If you won the war-'

'We beat them back,' Vaatzes said. 'We killed thousands of them, mostly thanks to my engines, if the truth be known. How they got in and unblocked the gate I have no idea. That doesn't alter the fact that we beat the shit out of them.'

Valens smiled. 'Thanks to you.'

'Thanks to me,' Vaatzes said. 'And if the Duke had listened to me when I first met him, and we'd started building war engines straight away instead of having to do it all in a desperate rush at the last minute, I'm prepared to bet we'd have seen them off for good. Still, it's too late now. You ask the Duchess, or Duke Orsea. They'll tell you.'

'I will,' Valens said. 'So, you're a valuable asset. How much will you cost me?'

'That's up to you,' Vaatzes said. 'Assuming you can use me. But I believe you'll decide you can, after what's happened.'

'After what's happened.' Valens yawned; it was all starting to catch up with him. 'After what I've gone and done, you mean.'

'Yes. I won't ask you what you did it for.'

'Very sensible.' Valens frowned. 'Tell you what,' he said. 'When we get home and I've had a chance to calm down and get a grip on things, you come and tell me what you think you've got to offer, and I'll hear you out. Reasonable?'

'Entirely,' Vaatzes said. 'And I promise you, you won't regret it.'

In due course, General Melancton presented himself before an extraordinary session of the Guilds council. In a prepared statement, which he read out in a clear, steady voice, he officially notified the assembly of the capture and destruction of Civitas Eremiae and the elimination of its inhabitants, pursuant to the requirements of council resolution composite 50773.

Before starting his account of the war, he drew the assembly's attention to the fact that he was deliberately omitting a certain amount of detail, since such matters would be heard separately in committee. He outlined the early stages of the campaign, including the unfortunate ambush of the artillery column that resulted in a substantial number of scorpion-class mobile war engines falling into the hands of the enemy. It was to these captured engines that he chiefly attributed the unexpectedly successful resistance mounted by the Eremians; however, there were other factors, in particular his own failure to make proper use of the long-range war engines with which he had been supplied, for which failure he was prepared to take full responsibility.

In the event, however, the setback had proved temporary. Factional strife inside the city had led one party to betray to him a means of entering the city by stealth. This approach proved entirely successful; the infiltration party were able to unblock the gateway and admit the bulk of the army, and the defenders were taken entirely by surprise and quickly suppressed. At the last moment, the conclusion of the assault was hindered by an unexpected and unprovoked attack by cavalry forces identified as belonging to Duke Valens of the Vadani. These aggressors were, however, quickly driven off and the final stage of the operation, the securing and burning of the city and the execution of surviving enemy military and civilian personnel, was successfully carried out without further hindrance.

Having thus achieved all the primary objectives set out in composite 50773, General Melancton had the honour to surrender his commission and return command of the armed forces of the Republic to the council, pending demobilisation and repatriation.

Later, in a closed session of the select committee on security and defence, the general put his overall losses at twenty-three thousand killed, eleven thousand wounded to the point of permanent or temporary incapacitation. He had retrieved all the captured scorpions, together with almost three hundred of the copies made by the Eremians; the former had been restored to the Guilds, the latter destroyed.

With the city demolished and its people dead-questioned, he gave his opinion that the number of Eremians who were able to escape from the city before its destruction did not, at the worst possible estimate, exceed one hundred-the central district of Eremia was secure. In fact, it was deserted. The country people had left their homes before the city fell and had escaped into the mountains. Some of them remained there, carrying out a vigorous campaign of guerrilla activity against the Republic's forces of occupation; the rest had crossed the border, mostly into Vadani territory. Strenuous efforts would be required to dislodge them, and accordingly the general recommended that not only should the current army be retained, but substantial reinforcements recruited to supplement them. As to the whereabouts of Duke Orsea and the abominator Vaatzes, the general had no reliable information. Their bodies had not been recovered before the city was burnt down; a search had been made, but given the situation, it had necessarily been perfunctory. A number of eye-witnesses reported that the Vadani cavalry had taken a number of Eremians with them, and it was entirely possible that Orsea and Vaatzes had been among them. Accordingly, Melancton concluded, the main objectives of the exercise had not been met, and for this shortcoming he held himself entirely responsible. Asked for his recommendations for further action, he advised that the first priority should be to secure the mountain regions and the Vadani border, since unless this was done it would be impossible to control the country in any meaningful sense. However, he noted, it was entirely possible that this would prove to be a lengthy and expensive process.

After the select committee's report had been received and considered by the council, it was resolved that the mercenary forces presently in the country should be retained temporarily to secure the borders and deal with insurgent activity in the few remaining pockets of resistance. Meanwhile, the council authorised the dispatch of ambassadors to the Vadani to demand the surrender of Duke Orsea, the abominator Vaatzes and Duke Valens-the last named to stand trial in respect of an unprovoked and illegal act of war against the Republic. Should these demands not be met within seven days, a formal declaration of war would be made, and preparations for the dispatch of an expeditionary force would be expedited.