The Fireseed Wars

Phidestros nodded. "Good point. However, I've got a solution. Kyblannos, have your armorers and blacksmiths work up a branding iron. Make it in the sign of a lightning bolt-my device. Brand the cheeks of all the trollops. And, while you're at it, brand my device on the foreheads of all the 'new' serfs-that'll keep them from running away. We'll offer a big purse throughout the Five Kingdoms for any man or women caught outside Sashta with the lightning bolt brand. That'll keep the women on the farms and the serfs in the fields."

Kyblannos shook his head. "Aye, you've thought this one out, Captain. I see what you mean about beating off the volunteers from the Army with a mace. But what about the pimps, madams, flesh peddlers and whoremasters? They might have some strong objections to your plan."

"I suspect they will. Round them all up before the announcement-and hang them all."

Geblon gasped. "We don't have enough trees!"

"We've got lots of tree stumps. Chop off their heads, then."

"We only have a handful of executioners, My Lord," offered one of the captains.

"Do we have many halberdiers?"

Geblon nodded.

"Then offer them five silver pieces for every head they remove."

"At that price, every other man jack in the Army will volunteer and find himself a halberd," Kyblannos said dryly.

"I expect so. I'm tired of these parasites bleeding our men. It's time to make them useful. They can fertilize the fields of Shasta with their bones."

"What about Roxthar's informers?" one of the captains asked.

"I'm getting to that. Captain Lythrax, I want you to take as many men as you need and find all the Styphoni sympathizers in the baggage train."

"Sir, how will I know?"

"Most of the Styphoni agents will be circumcised. Any you find, give them an orchidectomy right then and there. Anyone found working with them will be treated likewise."

"But some of them maybe uncircumcised and escape!" Lythrax was almost too good at his work. Phidestros would have had him mustered out years ago, except for times like these when he needed a man hard enough to follow any order. "Exactly, Captain. I want a few to escape so that word reaches Roxthar that we will brook none of his Investigation nonsense. Let him be prepared to lose any of his minions that he sends into Greater Beshta. Believe me, once word of this policy reaches Hostigos Town and Balph, there won't be any Investigators willing to cross our border. This will also keep any traitors within Beshta quaking in their boots."

SIXTEEN

Rylla sat on her horse, staring in awe at the great walls of Rathon City that rose before her like a stone plateau. Kalvan had once described the City to her in detail, but it wasn't the same as seeing it in person. The stone walls were four lances thick at the base, three in the middle and two on top-wide enough to fit four men on horseback side by side. Rathon City dominated the surrounding countryside like a small mountain.

During her foray into Hos-Harphax to hunt down Prince Araxes of Phaxos, she'd encountered some remarkable fortifications, but nothing like this. On the other hand, Hos-Harphax was corrugated with mountains and most castles were hilltop tarrs. The area around Rathon City didn't have much in the way of commanding heights, so the Rathoni went for city walls, great bulwarks that had held back scores of barbarian hordes and rebellious armies.

As the last of the great bombards was levered off its oversized wagon bed, Rylla looked up at the sun to gauge the time, then turned to Captain-General Alkides, asking, "How long before we can fire the first volley?"

"My gunners should have the Fat Duchess in position and loaded in half a candle, Your Majesty."

"Good, because we only have about four candles of daylight left." She looked over the motley collection of guns, ranging from mobile eight-pounders to two-hundred pound bombards. Other than the two flying batteries Kalvan had held back for the Army of the Saltless Seas and the four- and six-pounders for the gunboats, these eighty odd guns and mortars were all the artillery remaining to the Army of Hos-Hostigos. Regardless, altogether they made an impressive demonstration, especially backed by more than fifteen thousand infantry and cavalry.

Right now, she thought, I wouldn't want to be in King Nestros' boots for all the gold in the Balph Treasury.

While Alkides was orchestrating his first volley, she motioned Captain-General Chartiphon and General Klestreus to her side. At her urging, Kalvan had relented and permitted Chartiphon to strap on his sword again; it had knocked years off his carriage and appearance. He appeared enthused for the first time since they had left Hostigos.

"Your Majesty?" Klestreus said, breathing harder than his horse, which was laboring under his hundred odd ingots of weight.