his chest. Most of his men were gathered about, save for one or two on guard. His slave, Donna, was behind him, kneeling, on his left, a common position in which a slave heels her master.
“Welcome,” said Genserich to Axel and myself, acknowledging our presence. “Tal,” we responded.
“We are free women,” said Darla. “Remove from our bodies these hideous impediments, return to us our clothing, feed us, give us our weapons, let us go on our way.”
Clearly, I supposed, they were still free. Certainly she had spoken without permission. A free woman, of course, may speak when, and how, she wishes, as she is not a slave.
“You were carrying gold,” said Genserich, “and doubtless expected to acquire more. You were spying in the forest. You admitted learning of a great ship, its apparent readiness for departure, and your intention to inform others of this, with the expectation that a small force, say, some two hundred men or so, would be soon dispatched to attack and destroy this ship, withdrawing almost immediately.”
“Yes,” said Darla. “We have told you so much. Now let us go.”
“Who is your employer?” inquired Genserich.
“We do not know,” said Darla. “We did not need to know his name. Gold was enough.”
“I am sure that is true, Master,” said Donna.
“And who is your employer?” asked Darla boldly, looking up.
Genserich laughed, and slapped his thigh. “Gold was enough,” he said.
I was puzzled by these things, though I had gathered, long ago, from Tyrtaios, that titanic forces might be involved in these matters, and that one, or more, worlds, in their way, might hang in some delicate balance. Certainly there had been an attack on Tarncamp some weeks ago, when I and others had been on timber duty in the forest. It had been beaten away. Some force, obviously, was interested in the ship, and concerned, for some reason, that it reach the sea, whence it might embark on some mysterious venture, perhaps even seeking, as some feared, the World’s End. Some other force, apparently, wished to destroy the ship, thus precluding its voyage and any possible influence it, and its complement, troops, or such, might eventually bring to bear on certain distant, critical events.
“You may keep the gold,” said Darla. “Free us, that we may make our report.”
“We already have the gold,” said Genserich.
“Free us, then,” she said, ‘that we may make our report.”
“There is some urgency in this?” he said.
“Yes, noble Genserich,” said Darla. “An army is being maintained, at great expense, at the mouth of the Alexandra, to prevent the ship from reaching the sea. If the ship can be located and destroyed before its departure, this force need no longer be maintained in the field.”
“But, I take it,” said Genserich, “funds have already been allotted to maintain this force for some time, if not indefinitely, at the mouth of the Alexandra.”
“One supposes so,” said Darla.
Genserich laughed, and so, too, did the men about him.
“And such funds,” he said, “devoted to, but not expended on, the closure of the Alexandra, might then find their way into diverse wallets.”
“Perhaps,” said Darla.
“I now see the urgency,” said Genserich.
“Free us,” said Darla, “and you might share in the employer’s good fortune.”
“He is a thief,” said Genserich.
“Perhaps not,” said Darla.
“A thief,” said Genserich.
“He may only wish to conserve the funds which have been entrusted to him.”
“For himself,” said Genserich.
“Free us,” said Darla.
“I do not know your employer,” said Genserich, “or who, or what, stands behind him, but I doubt he would happily welcome us into his confidence. Rather, with such intelligence at our disposal, and our possible use of it, I suspect our lives might stand in some jeopardy.”
“Allow us to make our report,” said Darla. “We will be well paid. We will share our gains with you.”
“You are generous,” said Genserich. “What do you think those on whom you have spied would pay for you?”
“Surely not as much!” she said.
“I fear,” said Genserich, “that your employer must continue to maintain, presumably at considerable expense, his men in the field, at the mouth of the Alexandra.”
“Not if we make our report!” she said.
“No,” said Genserich, “not if you make your report.”
“Free us!” demanded Darla, pulling at her bound wrists, fastened behind her.
“But,” said Genserich, “you will not make your report.”
“I do not understand,” said Darla.
“For what do you think we were hired?” asked Genserich.
“I do not know,” said Darla.
“That your report not be made,” he said.
“Free us, free us!” cried Tuza.
“Be silent, girl,” said Genserich. “Another is speaking for the prisoners.