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“Well, we are not likely to encounter an opposing army,” Sorak said. “If we did, there would be no choice but to surrender. Raiders would be the most immediate concern, and we would not be able to outrun them. We would have to stand and fight. It is doubtful there would be enough of them to push us back into the silt, which would not be their intention, in any case. They would want the cargo. By disposing us with the estuary at our rear, the captain eliminates the possibility of raiders attacking from that quarter.”
“Good,” said Kieran. “What else?”
“He has placed the cargo in the center of the camp, where it can be most easily protected, and the passen
gers’ tents are pitched between the cargo and the estuary, with the roustabouts and mercenaries in the front and on the flanks.”
“Why?” asked Kieran.
“I can think of two reasons,” Sorak replied. “One is that with the passengers disposed behind the cargo, they cannot get in the way in the event an attack must be repelled, and the second is that if an attack takes place and the raiders happen to break through, they will reach the cargo before they reach the passengers. Since it is cargo they will want, they will seize that and leave the passengers alone, unless any of them are foolish enough to interfere.”
“Excellent. And what of the disposition of the watch?” asked Kieran.
Sorak looked out at the placement of the guards. “Triangular,” he said. “One outpost on each flank, two at the front, to the right and left, and one at point, between them and about fifty yards advanced. It seems a practical arrangement.”
“Could you improve upon it?” Kieran asked.
“I would detail roving pickets to ride along the left and right sides of the triangle, checking with each guard outpost as they pass. And I would give them watch words, as an added precaution.”
Kieran smiled. “I have already made that suggestion to the captain,” he said, nodding. “I see we think alike. I do not think I shall regret choosing you for my second-in-command.”
“While there is still time, you may wish to reconsider that decision,” Sorak said.
Kieran glanced at him inquisitively as they walked back toward the tents, but said nothing, waiting for him go on.
“For one thing, you have no evidence of my ability, or lack of same, to handle men,” said Sorak. “For another, while I am not ungrateful, I have never stayed long in any one place. I have a wandering nature. It would seem to mean that you would want someone who offers… greater permanence.”
Kieran smiled. “You need have no concern on that account,” he said. “When it comes to the ability to handle men, the foremost quality required is character, and I am a good judge of that. After that, a man requires intelligence and thoughtful-ness. When I asked you about the disposition of the guards, you observed, then you evaluated, and you considered before giving your reply. And I have noticed that you do not have the tendency to speak without thinking. As for permanence…” He chuckled. “What is ever permanent in this world? My own appointment shall not last more than a year.”
“Only a year?” said Sorak.
“That was the term of the contract,” Kieran replied. “I insisted that it be subject to renegotiation every year, and they immediately agreed to it, which tells me they have no interest in a permanent appointment. For that matter, neither do I. But had they wanted me as a permanent commander for their house guard, they would have bargained for a much longer term. They also would never have agreed to my salary demands. I asked for one hundred thousand gold pieces a year.”
Sorak stopped and stared at him with astonishment. “One hundred thousand in gold?” he said with amazement.
Kieran chuckled. “Yes, an obscene sum, isn’t it? The terms of the contract are supposed to be secret. No soldier in the history of the world has ever been paid as much. I named the figure because I was certain they would never agree to it. Only they did, and I found that fascinating.”
“Not to detract from your abilities,” said Sorak, “but why would anyone pay such a sum?”
“That is the same question I asked myself,” said Kieran. “Why? I have a well-known reputation, true, but only part of it is due to skill. Much of it was due to nothing more than luck. Even the best swordsman can fall in battle. I was merely fortunate enough to have survived more than my share. Ironic, when one considers that at that time in my life, I would have liked nothing better than to get myself killed. However, that is another story. I had retired to an estate outside the village of Salt View, and I had wealth enough to see me through the remainder of my days in reasonable comfort. I had no wish to return to the profession of arms.”
“So what changed your mind? The temptation of the salary when they agreed to it?”
“No,” said Kieran. “Once I had named the figure and they agreed to meet my price, it would have been bad form to turn them down. There was nothing to prevent me, of course, but my reputation was at stake. And then I was very curious. I felt certain that the House of Jhamri’s agents were not empowered to agree to so outrageous a demand, even had they been inclined to do so, but when they agreed I realized that they had been instructed to secure my services regardless of the price. Oh, they tried to bargain, mind you, but when I stood firm, they finally agreed.
“Now, I may have won considerable fame in my profession, but no man is worth that kind of money. They knew it and I knew it. So, I had to ask myself what possible reason they would have for doing such a thing?” He glanced at Sorak. “What would you think if you were in my place?”
Sorak thought it over for a few moments as they walked past the cargo area and approached the tents. “The sum itself would have to be the reason,” he said, finally. “The House of Jhamri must want it known that they will stop at nothing to hire the very best, and that they can afford to pay so high a sum. But then you said the terms of the contract were supposed to be kept secret.” He shook his head. “It makes no sense.
“It does if they never intended it to be a secret,” Kieran said. “Obviously, they plan to leak the information. That way, it will not be seen as ostentatious posturing on their part. But there is surely more to it than that. There has to be. Only for the life of me, I could not imagine what.”
“And so you took the job to find out.”
Kieran nodded. “I could not resist the mystery. And then, of course, there is the money.”
“Yes, there is that,” said Sorak with a grin. “You will be known as the highest paid mercenary in history.”
“I have just enough vanity to like the sound of that,” said Kieran, with a smile. “But something is surely afoot in Altaruk, an intrigue of some sort in which I am meant to play a key role. And it shall not take long to develop, because not even the House of Jhamri would pay me such a salary for a second year. Yes, something interesting is going on there, and I have to find out what it is.”
