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Seg.
    In his latter mood of somberness, Turko said nothing.
    “The Ninth Army,” I said. “A fine fighting force. Sorcery has ruined it.”
    “All we need is time—” began Erndor.
    “Give us a month of She of the Veils,” said Nath.
    “Will Layco Jhansi allow us that?” I stared at them, and I saw the answer in their faces.
    The wine passed around. Above us the stars glittered. The night lay cool upon the land, and the scents wafted in fresh and clean, cleansed of the raw horror of the shambles of a few days ago. We talked around the question, and the problems remained. We were, in truth, a mightily despondent group.
    At last I said: “Erndor.”
    At the tone of decision in my voice Erndor rapped out: “Strom?”
    “You will have to go to Valka. Tell Tom Tomor the truth. Bring as many regiments as he can let you have. I won’t ask for any specific number; I know he will do his utmost. Valka, after all, should be secure now.”
    “Quidang, strom!”
    “Seg, if you’d like to fly down to Vondium and dig up what you can—”
    “First thing, Dray. I’ll wring some regiments out of Farris, somehow.”
    “Good. Now, Turko—”
    Turko looked up. His eyes were heavy, his face gaunt.
    “Turko, this is your province, this half of Vennar earmarked to go to your Falinur.”
    Now I said what I had determined to say earlier.
    “In statecraft you have proved yourself. You are the kov of this province, of all Falinur. You’ll have to stay here, with the lads, get their morale back. You’ll have to start with—”
    “Aye, Dray, aye. I know. I’ll have to start with myself.”
    “Make it so.”
    Seg quaffed a good-sized slug. I’ve no idea what wine we were drinking that night. “And you, Dray?”
    “Khe-Hi and Ling-Li will stay with you, Turko. They’ll want to be married as soon as it’s practicable. As for me — I’ll nip across to Inch.”
    Instantly, Seg objected.
    “A messenger will tell Farris. We can dredge up the regiments. I’m coming with you, my old dom, to see Inch.”
    Turko opened his mouth to protest in his turn.
    Nath said: “You can’t go alone, Dray!”
    “And you’re not coming with me, Nath, so get that idea out of your head. You’re needed here, to help get the army to rights.”
    “But, Dray—!”
    “But nothing. Of course I’ll go alone. We can’t spare anyone. I’ll have to sneak off so my lads of the bodyguard corps don’t know. By Vox! It’ll be good to stretch my wings again.”
    “I don’t know—”
    “Well, I do!”
    “One lone man, to fly across hostile territory, no, Dray, it won’t do, by the Veiled Froyvil, my old dom, it won’t do at all!”
    “All the same, each one of you has a more important job to do than nursemaid me. If I’m the emperor then I’ll be the bloody emperor and dish out orders! Sink me!” I burst out at last. “I’m going across to see Inch on my own, so Queyd-Arn-Tung!”

Chapter four
    A sick bird brings a task
    Down south in the continent of Havilfar where saddle birds and animals are much more in evidence than here in Vallia or in Pandahem, they say that if the velvety green feathers of your fluttrell show a lemonish-yellow tinge around the edges — beware!
    The beigey-white feathers of the fluttrell I had chosen glistened healthily. His eyes were bright. His talons sharp. That stupid head vane fluttrells have been cursed with — or blessed with, perhaps, if it materially assists their flying — was undamaged. His harness shone with saddle soap and leather polish, ministrations of his late dead owner.
    I suppose, to be perfectly truthful, there
was
a faint tinge of yellow around his green feathers. I ought to have taken more care about that; but, then, I was saddling him and cutting him out from the rest by the light only of She of the Veils, dwindling into the west. Also, there was a tinge of apprehension in me that one of my hulking great lads would patrol along here and get stuck into this sneaking thief before I