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edges. One of the women on the other carpet stood up and to the sound of a stringed instrument I could not see, started to dance a sensual dance. I watched her for a moment.
    “The plan I wish to tell you is to be kept completely secret.” I made the tiniest movement with my eyes to indicate the men either side of him.
    “Ha! Ha! These are my sons. Let me introduce them. Ashan, Dimez and Ochnud.” As he indicated each with his upturned palm, they each smiled and nodded slightly towards me.
    “I am honoured to meet you all. Very well. I will talk freely. My plan is simple. You will travel, together with some of my very best warriors, disguised as tribesmen, across the desert and make camp near to Korim’s. You will openly display the women as you move and Korim, informed by his lookouts, will want you to join him. I am guessing that most of his men will not have seen a woman for many months.”
    “In the meantime, my own forces will have split into two, one contingent moving through the pass of Geldem-Ahmiz to arrive at the northern most entrance to the main pass, north of Korim’s camp. I, leading the southern contingent, will arrive at a given time from the desert. On this day, at sunrise, your men and my warriors in your camp, will attack from the very heart of Korim’s camp. By this time, I would hope that his men will be very, very drunk and inebriated with every intoxicant you can supply them and the perfume of women! They will not be able to fight!”
    “Ah! It is a good plan a cunning one. They will not expect it of a King. It is more like the plan of a thief!”
    Meth’s sons laughed along with us and only Geb had not mellowed with the effect of the wine.
    “Geb. You must learn that I do not always wish to be formal. When I am with friends, I like to relax and people can speak to me as they would to any friend.”
    He smiled awkwardly. “Yes Sire”
    I would guess Geb was about twenty-seven or eight and I had heard he was married. He was reported to be an efficient leader, strong and a good swordsman, and had volunteered for the Palace Guard after several successful campaigns as a captain in my army. He certainly had experience but lacked a certain worldliness, which I would soon correct. At present he was acting Captain of the Guards since the old Captain had been killed some time before. It would be time soon to decide whether to promote Geb or not.
    “Do you think it will work?” I asked Meth.
    He sipped his wine, before answering.
    “Ummmm.” He indicated ‘maybe’ with that most ancient undulating side-to-side motion of his head, along with pursed lips. “It could work. How many men has he?”
    “No more than five thousand.”
    “And you?”
    “We will have ten thousand, by the time we march.”
    “Hmm. A lot of men but he has the pass. And possibly reinforcements.”
    “You forget, my northern Army. He will not get reinforcements.”
    “True. It is a good plan.” He took a grape, from a bowl and placed it on his tongue, before piercing it with his teeth.
    I could tell he detected a weakness but would not reveal it yet.
    “And how many of your warriors will I have?”
    “Fifty. I think more will make him suspicious.”
    “Fifty and forty of my own. It will be very dangerous for us. If one of the women speak, or he suspects things by some other means, we will be trapped and he may escape.”
    “How will he escape?”
    “You do not know this pass that well, my friend. These men are renegades and will scatter. They are used to fighting in small groups and hiding in the woods. They do not need numbers for strength, as you do.”
    “But on foot, without horses and provisions, they will not get far and will be useless as an invasion force.”
“Ahh. Without horses. You wish us to liberate them of their steeds. Hmm yes, it could be done, if the timing is just right. I assume you trust the general of your northern army?”
    “Yes.” He looked me in the eye and could probably see my