his size. He reached out, caught Lujan's arm, and then froze as the Force Commander's blade cleared its scabbard, snapped down, and stopped, in perfect control, against the bones in his wrist. A fine line of scarlet opened where the skin split under the edge.
'Stop!' Mara said. Her voice shook, as it never had in the memory of any man present. In the valley, the shouts of the armies reached a crescendo, and the rattle of shields and swords clashing together added to the din as the Xacatecas forces wheeled to take the shock of the enemy reinforcements.
Mara flicked dark eyes from her Force Commander to her slave, and even her lips were white. 'You might lose your head for this transgression.' Her expression showed that with house honour resting on her aiding Xacatecas, even her feelings for Kevin were of no consequence.
Kevin started to loosen his grip, then reversed the motion.
He looked at his Lady, grim with an expression she had never seen. His eyes were too wide, his mouth tight, and his breathing shallow and fast. 'I have reason.'
Lujan stood like a statue, his blade a whisper of a touch against skin that bled a trickle of scarlet.
'Speak, thee,' Mare said tersely. 'Quickly, for Xacatecas soldiers are dying while we delay.' She did not add that if this was another of his barbarian whims, he would hang for it. No matter what her love for him, the name of her ancestors must never be disgraced.
Kevin swallowed. 'Lady, if your warriors charge in Xacatecas' defence, they will all die in a trap.'
Her eyes did not change, but stayed flat without feeling.
'Lady, I know!' Almost, Kevin found himself shouting.
He controlled himself. 'I have seen these tactics before, on my world. There was a small company of our people in a glade before a walled city. They routed the local conquerors and were advancing, only to be attacked from the rear. The force that rushed to support was set upon by ambush, and they were, all of them, cut to pieces.'
Mara's manner did not thaw. Still, she jerked her chin at Lujan, who withdrew his blade in silence.
Kevin loosened his fingers. They were shaking. 'Lady, on my life, withhold your charge.'
Her eyes yet bored into him. 'You were a common soldier.
How do you presume to advise?'
Kevin closed his eyes, shrugged in his brazen, offhand manner, and seemed to come to an inward decision.
Apparently careless, and hiding his inner desperation, he spoke what should have been his death warrant. 'I was an officer on my homeworld of Midkemia. I commanded my fathers garrison when taken captive in the field.'
He waited. Mara said nothing. He realized that, against custom, she was granting him further leave to speak. He went on. 'You have said that Tasaio of the Minwanabi was Subcommander of the Warlord's troops beyond the rift. I have fought against him, and I earnestly believe that the battle plan before us on the hardpan has his stamp and signature.'
Mara moved her hand, indicating he should be silent.
Kevin stopped talking. He searched her face for some clue upon which to gauge the reception of his remarks.
'You realize,' she said presently, 'that if you are wrong, I must have you hanged. More, you will have brought ruin to us all, even to my young son at home.'
Kevin expelled an explosive breath. 'I am not wrong, Mara.' And he stared levelly back.
Mara seemed to stir, as if from a spell. 'We are better off dying in defence of Lord Chipino than surviving in cowardice by hanging back.'
Lujan nodded grimly at her shoulder.
Exasperated, Kevin rubbed the shallow cut on his wrist.
'There might be a way to save your bacon.,
'Bacon?' Mara said in puzzlement. 'What has this to do with animal fat?'
'I meant turn the tables on the Minwanabi,' Kevin snapped. The clamour of battle on the hardpan was drawing closer, with the Xacatecas taking losses, and the desert men survivors fleeing in small puffs of dust over the farther dunes. 'If I am right, Tasaio will have another war host concealed in these hills. He will expect us to charge onto the hardpan - his reserve troops wait in hiding to hit us from the rear. Then the companies engaging Xacatecas would split themselves into two forces.' He held his hands to illustrate.
'One company would simply hold Xacatecas in place, while the other counterattacked your force. Your companies would find themselves surrounded and annihilated, with Xacatecas' troops cleaned up afterwards.,