she thought anything about it. Still, it was dangerous.”
“She’s a nice girl, isn’t she, Sarah?”
“As well as one of the prettiest girls I’ve ever seen.” She looked into the prince’s face. “I don’t think she’s like the girls that you knew at the palace. I hope you don’t treat her like a … a common woman.”
Alex was truly shocked. “How could you ever think such a thing! Of course I won’t. She’s a fine girl, a special girl—even though she
is a
peasant.”
“Back in OldWorld there were cases where princes married girls who were not of the royal blood.”
“Is that right? It never happens in this place.” He thought about that for a moment, though. “Well, she’s a fine person, and I’ll be sad when we have to say goodbye.”
12
The Secret Weapon
T he Zorian battle chief drew himself up proudly and looked around at his officers. They made a ring around him, all large men clad in armor and wearing the symbol of the Dark Lord on their tunics, and they watched him closely. Chief Thomor was the largest of them all. As he gazed around, looking for some weakness in his leaders, he found none. He said in a loud, hoarse voice, “Today is the day!”
A loud cheer went up from the officers, and they raised their swords in a symbol of victory.
“We will end this war today!”
Another cheer, and then Thomor asked his lieutenant, a short bulky soldier with murky brown eyes, “Is all ready?”
“Yes, Thomor. All is ready.”
“And is the beast ready?”
“Ready,” the lieutenant said confidently.
Thomor felt called upon to make a speech. “We have waited long for this day. Our enemies have kept us out, but today we will storm the pass, and we will possess the land. Some of us will die, but it is a good thing to die for one’s country.”
The speech went on for some time until finally Thomor said, “Now, let us inspire the troops by our presence.”
As they left the guardroom, the masses of soldiers lined up outside, rank on rank, uttered a cheer.
“As you see, the troops are ready, Thomor,” the lieutenant said.
“Good. Officers, take your places. It is the hour of the beast!”
Alcindor was a man of great physical courage, but today he felt apprehensive. He sensed that the Zorian soldiers massed behind the mountain passes were about to move, though he had seen nothing that would tell him this.
His first officer, a tall man named Glein, must have seen something in his commander’s eyes. “What is it, Alcindor?” Glein asked. “You seem nervous.”
“Something’s happening, and I don’t know what it is.”
“There’s nothing that we know of. No further report has come from the front.” But at the very moment Glein spoke, two soldiers came in. A small man was between them.
“Ah, it’s our good agent Danan. Danan, what news?”
Danan had deep-sunk brown eyes and scraggly brown hair and was clothed in the garb of a peasant. No one would ever notice him in a crowd, but Alcindor knew him to be an excellent scout. The man could move silently and almost invisibly.
The agent stopped and touched his forehead in a salute. “There is news, Alcindor,” he said. “The Zorians are moving their men to the pass by the twin oaks. They will make their attack there, I believe.”
“Did you see anything of a secret weapon?”
“No,” admitted Danan. “I could not get that close—their scouts are out in great numbers. But the Zorian troops are moving that way.”
“Good work, Danan,” Alcindor said warmly. Heturned to Glein. “We’ll move our best archers to the twin oaks.”
“What about the other passes?” Glein asked. “Should we leave them unguarded?”
“Leave a few men at each to give the alarm and hold long enough to shift our army if necessary. But we will go on Danan’s word. He has never failed us.”
Quickly the message went out, and within a short time Alcindor himself was at the pass of the twin oaks. These were two enormous trees that
“She’s a nice girl, isn’t she, Sarah?”
“As well as one of the prettiest girls I’ve ever seen.” She looked into the prince’s face. “I don’t think she’s like the girls that you knew at the palace. I hope you don’t treat her like a … a common woman.”
Alex was truly shocked. “How could you ever think such a thing! Of course I won’t. She’s a fine girl, a special girl—even though she
is a
peasant.”
“Back in OldWorld there were cases where princes married girls who were not of the royal blood.”
“Is that right? It never happens in this place.” He thought about that for a moment, though. “Well, she’s a fine person, and I’ll be sad when we have to say goodbye.”
12
The Secret Weapon
T he Zorian battle chief drew himself up proudly and looked around at his officers. They made a ring around him, all large men clad in armor and wearing the symbol of the Dark Lord on their tunics, and they watched him closely. Chief Thomor was the largest of them all. As he gazed around, looking for some weakness in his leaders, he found none. He said in a loud, hoarse voice, “Today is the day!”
A loud cheer went up from the officers, and they raised their swords in a symbol of victory.
“We will end this war today!”
Another cheer, and then Thomor asked his lieutenant, a short bulky soldier with murky brown eyes, “Is all ready?”
“Yes, Thomor. All is ready.”
“And is the beast ready?”
“Ready,” the lieutenant said confidently.
Thomor felt called upon to make a speech. “We have waited long for this day. Our enemies have kept us out, but today we will storm the pass, and we will possess the land. Some of us will die, but it is a good thing to die for one’s country.”
The speech went on for some time until finally Thomor said, “Now, let us inspire the troops by our presence.”
As they left the guardroom, the masses of soldiers lined up outside, rank on rank, uttered a cheer.
“As you see, the troops are ready, Thomor,” the lieutenant said.
“Good. Officers, take your places. It is the hour of the beast!”
Alcindor was a man of great physical courage, but today he felt apprehensive. He sensed that the Zorian soldiers massed behind the mountain passes were about to move, though he had seen nothing that would tell him this.
His first officer, a tall man named Glein, must have seen something in his commander’s eyes. “What is it, Alcindor?” Glein asked. “You seem nervous.”
“Something’s happening, and I don’t know what it is.”
“There’s nothing that we know of. No further report has come from the front.” But at the very moment Glein spoke, two soldiers came in. A small man was between them.
“Ah, it’s our good agent Danan. Danan, what news?”
Danan had deep-sunk brown eyes and scraggly brown hair and was clothed in the garb of a peasant. No one would ever notice him in a crowd, but Alcindor knew him to be an excellent scout. The man could move silently and almost invisibly.
The agent stopped and touched his forehead in a salute. “There is news, Alcindor,” he said. “The Zorians are moving their men to the pass by the twin oaks. They will make their attack there, I believe.”
“Did you see anything of a secret weapon?”
“No,” admitted Danan. “I could not get that close—their scouts are out in great numbers. But the Zorian troops are moving that way.”
“Good work, Danan,” Alcindor said warmly. Heturned to Glein. “We’ll move our best archers to the twin oaks.”
“What about the other passes?” Glein asked. “Should we leave them unguarded?”
“Leave a few men at each to give the alarm and hold long enough to shift our army if necessary. But we will go on Danan’s word. He has never failed us.”
Quickly the message went out, and within a short time Alcindor himself was at the pass of the twin oaks. These were two enormous trees that
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