reconnaissance patrol, fighting wasn’t our job. We had to find out if anyone was coming our way and bring back a report.” He looked at the Jokapcul ravening the refugees on the farmland. “They missed us and got them.”
Alyline joined them and, after a quick glance at Haft, studied the farmland. “We can’t stay here,” she announced.
They all looked at the slaughter beyond. Then a great gout of dust rose from the city’s seaside wall, and about ten seconds later a growing rumble reached them.
“They’ve breached the wall,” Spinner said softly.
The Jokapcul in the farmland had finished slaughtering the refugees. Now they raced toward the city’s east wall, to pour through the broken wall and take the city. The surviving refugees to the west, and even more survivors to the north, continued to stream away from the city.
“What manner of demon spitter are they using?” Haft murmured. Whatever it was, it was far more powerful than the one he carried.
The two watched for a few moments longer, with the Prince’s Swords arrayed behind Spinner and the Bloody Axes around Haft. They all ignored the Golden Girl’s urgings to leave.
What Spinner and Haft watched differed from the invasion of the freeport of New Bally, where they’d had to escape a city held by the Jokapcul. In New Bally, the Jokapcul had killed all who resisted them, and hanged one out of ten soldiers and seamen of a score of nations to cow the rest. Here, they didn’t have to escape from within Jokapcul lines, but find a way to lead more than two and a half thousand people safely away. However, the Jokapcul in Dartmutt engaged in wanton slaughter of civilians, which they hadn’t in New Bally.
Spinner finally reacted to the insistent tugging on his arm and turned to Alyline. “Yes,” he said absently. “We must leave. Let’s see if Jatke has found a back way out. Or maybe Veduci knows this land and knows a way.”
Jatke showed up a few minutes after they got back to the boulder-strewn area where the refugees were hidden.
“Lord Spinner, Lord Haft!” the chief hunter gleefully called to them. “Look what I found!”
Jatke strode rapidly toward them. Behind him two other hunters hustled along a richly garbed, obviously terrified man.
“Who is he?” both Marines asked.
“He babbled when we caught him, so I couldn’t understand him. But the way he’s dressed, I think he’s some kind of functionary in the earl’s court.”
“Oh?”
Haft cocked his head at the man. “An important man?”
“Look at how he’s dressed.”
“Where’s Plotniko?” Spinner asked.
“I’m here,” the carpenter said, coming up.
“Ask him who he is and what he’s doing out here.”
Plotniko spoke to the frightened man, who indicated with gestures that he didn’t understand, then Plotniko asked again. When the man still didn’t reply, Haft caressed the spike that backed the half-moon blade of his axe and stepped close.
“If you don’t need your tongue, I’m sure we’ve got a dog that would like it,” he said in his best harbor Zobran.
Haft’s best harbor Zobran was good enough. The man started talking so fast his words had trouble getting out past each other.
“Slow down,” Plotniko said in the Dartmutter dialect, patting the air. “Take a deep breath and start again.”
It took a couple of tries, but the man breathed deeply and began speaking less rapidly. Haft turned to hide a smile and moved a few steps away. “He understood me well enough,” he said in an aside to Spinner.
Spinner nodded but didn’t take his attention from the man.
Plotniko and the Dartmutter exchanged words, more from Plotniko, reluctantly from the man, then Plotniko said, “He says his name is bal Stanga, that he’s a minor functionary in the castle.” He looked back at the man. “As richly as he’s dressed, I think he’s more than a ’minor’ functionary. He says he was just out for a ride, enjoying the fine day.” He shook his head.
Alyline joined them and, after a quick glance at Haft, studied the farmland. “We can’t stay here,” she announced.
They all looked at the slaughter beyond. Then a great gout of dust rose from the city’s seaside wall, and about ten seconds later a growing rumble reached them.
“They’ve breached the wall,” Spinner said softly.
The Jokapcul in the farmland had finished slaughtering the refugees. Now they raced toward the city’s east wall, to pour through the broken wall and take the city. The surviving refugees to the west, and even more survivors to the north, continued to stream away from the city.
“What manner of demon spitter are they using?” Haft murmured. Whatever it was, it was far more powerful than the one he carried.
The two watched for a few moments longer, with the Prince’s Swords arrayed behind Spinner and the Bloody Axes around Haft. They all ignored the Golden Girl’s urgings to leave.
What Spinner and Haft watched differed from the invasion of the freeport of New Bally, where they’d had to escape a city held by the Jokapcul. In New Bally, the Jokapcul had killed all who resisted them, and hanged one out of ten soldiers and seamen of a score of nations to cow the rest. Here, they didn’t have to escape from within Jokapcul lines, but find a way to lead more than two and a half thousand people safely away. However, the Jokapcul in Dartmutt engaged in wanton slaughter of civilians, which they hadn’t in New Bally.
Spinner finally reacted to the insistent tugging on his arm and turned to Alyline. “Yes,” he said absently. “We must leave. Let’s see if Jatke has found a back way out. Or maybe Veduci knows this land and knows a way.”
Jatke showed up a few minutes after they got back to the boulder-strewn area where the refugees were hidden.
“Lord Spinner, Lord Haft!” the chief hunter gleefully called to them. “Look what I found!”
Jatke strode rapidly toward them. Behind him two other hunters hustled along a richly garbed, obviously terrified man.
“Who is he?” both Marines asked.
“He babbled when we caught him, so I couldn’t understand him. But the way he’s dressed, I think he’s some kind of functionary in the earl’s court.”
“Oh?”
Haft cocked his head at the man. “An important man?”
“Look at how he’s dressed.”
“Where’s Plotniko?” Spinner asked.
“I’m here,” the carpenter said, coming up.
“Ask him who he is and what he’s doing out here.”
Plotniko spoke to the frightened man, who indicated with gestures that he didn’t understand, then Plotniko asked again. When the man still didn’t reply, Haft caressed the spike that backed the half-moon blade of his axe and stepped close.
“If you don’t need your tongue, I’m sure we’ve got a dog that would like it,” he said in his best harbor Zobran.
Haft’s best harbor Zobran was good enough. The man started talking so fast his words had trouble getting out past each other.
“Slow down,” Plotniko said in the Dartmutter dialect, patting the air. “Take a deep breath and start again.”
It took a couple of tries, but the man breathed deeply and began speaking less rapidly. Haft turned to hide a smile and moved a few steps away. “He understood me well enough,” he said in an aside to Spinner.
Spinner nodded but didn’t take his attention from the man.
Plotniko and the Dartmutter exchanged words, more from Plotniko, reluctantly from the man, then Plotniko said, “He says his name is bal Stanga, that he’s a minor functionary in the castle.” He looked back at the man. “As richly as he’s dressed, I think he’s more than a ’minor’ functionary. He says he was just out for a ride, enjoying the fine day.” He shook his head.
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