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Show clothes and sighing heavily. "The man is mad," said Janni through her teeth. "Nay, 'tis ambition," said Dr'Anya, stripping off her traveling outfit. "'Tis madness, and he will have us all killed. He could just as well have contacted the EarthColonySystem when he saw the buildup over there. All this is full ridiculous." She pulled on her boots. "Mayhap he felt we must needs fight our own battles," said Dr'Anya, slipping on the hauberk. Her voice held little conviction. "The man is mad," Janni repeated stubbornly. "Methinks. . . ," began Dr'Anya, recalling the numbers of people out there and calling to mind her deep knowledge of bygone days when war and the seizing and holding of governments by ambitious wights was commonplace, then she bit her lip and shook her head. A few minutes later they made their way back to the lookout, dressed in their tourney clothes. The lookout was cleverly concealed by a low-branching> but very tall scrup tree. They were not there very long before they heard hoarse shouting in the general direction of Kyoto pass and then saw the arrival of the first of the Four Kingdom horsemen-huge beasts and huge knights, their sexes impossible to distinguish since they were clad cap-a-pie in heavy armor, the war horses running across the field ponderously toward the double line of lightly clad Commendium knights. Several of the enemy horsemen were waving axes, and Janni saw at least two spiked maces, and one ball and chain. All of the enemy had steel-tipped lances. 260 |
