From high in the branches of an oak, San-Ragoz watched the soldiers set up their evening camp; he had followed them most of the day, keeping well to the side of their march but remaining near enough to listen to them as they made their way toward Canthis. When they stopped to pray, he rested, when they sought out the game trails, he matched their progress while remaining out of sight. He had observed their cursory search of the village, and their departure from the huddled buildings; now he scrutinized their actions as he strove to hear all they said. Now that they were camped for the night and a few of them preparing for evening prayers, San-Ragoz had chosen a useful place as a look-out where he could be supported by branches and hidden by leaves. The wind was picking up and there were heavy clouds piling up against the mountains, both of which made the soldiers restive: scraps of their talk came back to him.
"-have taken some loot from the village," one complained as he inspected the girth of his saddle.
"Nothing to take besides onions and fruit," said the man beside him. "The beggars of Karmona have more."
"The bay mare is throwing a splint."
"Bandage her leg and let no one ride her for three days." The leader of the soldiers dismissed the horse-handler with a movement of his hand. "The white-footed grey is going lame, too."
"It's the mountains; it wears them out."
"Would you prefer to ride mules?" the horse-handler asked indignantly.
"-that cup filled with pig's blood. Pig's blood! The creatures are unclean!"
"Can you spare your whetstone?"
"How can I finish stitching my reins before nightfall?" This was addressed to the wind.
"-his buttock filled my hand-so!"
"Tomorrow I'll take my bow and hunt for birds; a dozen or so should feed us well," said the man who had brought back a wild kid for their evening meal.
"We have to refill our waterskins. There are streams here, but we need to carry water with us as well."
"At least there is game in the forest." The speaker was busy chopping up squash and dropping the chunks into a pot of lentils.
"Not as much as you would expect; they say malign ghosts drive the animals away."
"That may be so. I have seen no dogs in the villages, or with the shepherds." This from a man squatting near the fire, waiting for food.
"May Allah preserve us." He pulled out a string of onions seized at Canthis and began to peel them.
"-and no woman is worth nine horses, not even if she gives me nine sons! Find me another wife."
"Move that pot! Do you want sparks in the undergrowth?"
"This wretched country. The mountains themselves are against us."
"-and then return to Usca in two days." The second in command sounded bored.
"What will we report? We have discovered nothing of use."
"That may be useful in itself." The second in command reached for his wooden water-pipe and filled it with tary, acrid seeds and leaves. "Ah, the consolation of smoking."
Satisfied that the soldiers were set for the night, and with sunset not far off, San-Ragoz came down from the tree and slipped away through the forest, moving effortlessly at a pace faster than running deer. Soon he was on the treeless crest and hurrying toward Chimenae's stone house as the last of sunset slid away in the west. New cups of animal blood had been left out during the day, but one arch stood empty, mute testament to the presence of Numair ibn Isffah ibn Musa's soldiers in the region. The body of the man from Canthis had been taken away before dawn; the stone house preserved its splendid isolation.
Chimenae soon emerged shortly after San-Ragoz arrived, saying as she did, "I wish I could go about in daylight, as you do. I become feverish and listless if I try."
"That is very puzzling," San-Ragoz told her. "You are on your native earth, so you should be able to walk these slopes with impunity, day or night." He frowned. "I have been thinking about it, but I have no explanation to offer you as yet."
"And if you find such an explanation, will you tell me?" She pointed to his face. "I can see your doubts."
"You would have them, too, were you in my place," he said.
"As you have said. But you have reservations because you believe I am reckless. I tell you-although you should realize this-I am careful in whom I choose for my tribe," she assured him.
"And you allow none of the others to bring anyone to this life," he said, shaking his head.
"Yes. All the others I do not choose are staked or beheaded. Last night, the goat was beheaded. He was infirm, weak of gesture and slurred in his speech, of use to no one but me. He was relieved to die at last. All the two-legged goats die and only I add to our numbers: that has been the rule from the beginning. This way, I am certain the clan will remain loyal to me and no others." She smiled at him. "I have thought it out, and I know that so long as it is my blood they drink, they are mine."
"But you are not theirs," he said, giving voice to what had been troubling him. "They have drunk your blood, but you have not tasted theirs."
"And I have not tasted yours," she reminded him. "What is the trouble with that?"
"You lack...reciprocity,"he told her. "There has been no exchange of intimacy, not of the intensity that establishes the link with the living earth as with blood. Perhaps that is what makes it difficult for you to cross running water or walk in daylight-you have not had colloquy with others and therefore cannot benefit from the protection of your native earth."
"Reciprocity? Colloquy? How can there be colloquy? Or reciprocity between the living and the undead? What ludicrous ideas. What would be the purpose?" She laughed, taunting him with her amusement. "You are so ambiguous in the things you say; you delight in being so, I think. How should reciprocity give me that strength? What could I gain from colloquy?
"I cannot tell you, not in such a way that you would understand my perception that you have not fully embodied the totality of our blood; that is one reason for my reservations: I sense that there is some continuity you have not achieved, and it saddens me. You have tasted my blood, therefore you have me in you, and that brings about the blood-bond and all that it encompasses. I would not obfuscate with you even if I could, which I assure you I cannot, nor wish to. I have not tasted your blood, and therefore I cannot comprehend you as I would wish. I do not know if you wish me to understand you, although it seems you would rather I not." He saw her derisive smile. "You would do well not to mock the bond, for without it, our...humanity is lost to us. It is the same with your tribe. They know you far better than you know them." He heard a cry from the southern flank of the crest, and a moment later, the first of her clan arrived, rushing up the slope as easily as a goat and twice as rapidly. "If you could trust your knowledge, you would recognize this."
"And be more like you, I suppose?" Her words were barbed; she smiled as she saw him stand a little straighter. "That is your meaning, is it not?"
"No," he said. "What I mean is that you would be more like yourself."
She shook her head. "You delude yourself."
"Possibly," he allowed.
"We will speak of this later; if I remember." She turned her back on him to greet the new arrivals. "I am not satisfied."
San-Ragoz did not try to dispute her decision; he stood in the shadow of her stone house and watched while she gathered her clan about her as she had done the night before. There was the same ritualistic gathering, the same odd formality. Once again Chimenae bestowed approval and reprimand on those who addressed her directly, and treated the rest with a kind of flirtatiousness that had the others vying for her notice.
Aulutiz brought an end to this. "Did he"-he angled his chin toward San-Ragoz-"learn anything of use to us?" The bluntness of the question made the others pay attention to him. "Or did he fail?"
"I have information. You will decide what use it is," said San-Ragoz, addressing Chimenae.
"Yes. Tell us what you learned," said Chimenae in a general display of authority. "I want you to describe for all of us what you saw."
San-Ragoz waited a moment until he was sure Aulutiz would say nothing more. Then he began: "I followed the soldiers Edic found; they are part of a larger company that has been divided into three groups, at least that is what the leader said. They went though Canthis, killing one man and making free with a number of the women and two of the boys. They ransacked the village, leaving disarray behind for the villagers to set to rights. But they took only food and a length of rope for plunder, and they burned no buildings. Their search did not reveal what they sought and their demands got them no closer to it." He waited for Chimenae to challenge him on this point; when she remained silent, he went on. "They left Canthis shortly after midday and proceeded in a zigzag pattern through the forest. They made camp for the night about four thousand paces north-east from Canthis."
"So they are closer to us here than they were," said Aulutiz, grinning in anticipation.
"They will reach this place tomorrow if they continue as they went today," San-Ragoz said. "They will arrive by mid-afternoon-when the villagers bring their cups of blood."
Aulutiz spoke before Chimenae could. "We must not let them come nearer. We must stop them where they are. It would not be advantageous for them to find this place."
Chimenae gestured for attention. "We must not let the Moors see the villagers bring us their offerings. That would create questions that would not be to our benefit."
"Then we will stop them!" Aulutiz promised.
There were cries of agreement and a few of the vampires brandished knives and daggers to show their determination.
"These soldiers are armed," said San-Ragoz. "And they are trained to fight."
"Not such as we," Aulutiz boasted, looking around for nods of agreement. "No one knows how to fight us."
"There are many who do," said San-Ragoz, thinking of the people of his homeland, and of western China, who had long kept vampires at bay. "Your living neighbors will learn soon enough. You do not want to teach the Caliph's men how to best you; they are formidable enemies."
"Then we will kill them all," said Aulutiz, and earned a cry of support. "We will wound them enough to make them unable to fight, then we will fall upon them. We will feast!"
Chimenae raised her hands for quiet. "We shall decide that after we have a look at their camp. Nothing can be decided until then. If they are isolated enough, we can make them disappear completely."
"And the Caliph's soldiers will wreck havoc on everyone in this part of the mountains to revenge the loss of their troops," said San-Ragoz.
"If they can find us," said Achona, smiling at Aulutiz. "The villagers will take the brunt of it."
"And where will your two-legged goats come from, or your cups of blood, if the Caliph's soldiers have killed half and enslaved the rest?" San-Ragoz inquired with exaggerated politeness. "You have lived on the help of the villagers, but the attack of Moorish soldiers could end all that."
"We will find them when they come. We will protect the villagers and they will be more devoted to us than ever," said Aulutiz. "Will we not?"
"If I decide it is the wisest thing to do," said Chimenae with a warning glance at her son.
San-Ragoz felt himself running out of patience. "The soldiers hunt in daylight. If they find you, you will not be able to stand against them. They may not know how to fight those who are undead, but a scimitar can behead a vampire as easily as a living man, and a lance will break your spine. Do not expect the people of the region to interfere; the living people will do nothing to save you-why should they?"
"Because we can help them; we leave game for them and keep away robbers," said Chimenae. "They know where their loyalty is due." She pointed to Edic. "You will go with the clan to watch the camp, and to send back an assessment to me. Have Dorioz"-she indicated the youngest-looking of the clan-"carry your report. He will do what I require."
"Do you think it is wise to use a child?" Aulutiz asked, paying no attention to the cry of protestation Dorioz gave.
"A seeming-child," Chimenae corrected him. "He has been one of us for more than forty years, and has proven himself many times. He runs as fast as most of you, and he can slip through the forest almost invisibly. He can outrun even horses over steep ground. If they should see him, why would the Caliph's men stop him? He is nothing to them, less than a goatherd or a woodsman. No soldier would think a boy would be one of our number, or a messenger. They will ignore him." She was satisfied with her decision and wanted no contradiction to her strategy.
"All right," said Aulutiz, not quite sulking. "But it will be for us to decide if we must act quickly. If the soldiers become aware of us, we will strike, whether or not you have sent word of what you want."
There was a very short pause before Chimenae responded. "You may act if the circumstances demand it, but only if they demand it."
Aulutiz clapped his hands. "Well enough. We will do as you wish." He managed his most persuasive smile. "It might be as well to attack tonight, before the Moors can learn more. It would not be too difficult to arrange our assault before we go to spy on the soldiers."
San-Ragoz shook his head slowly, hoping none of the clan was watching. He was keenly aware of the contest taking place between Chimenae and Aulutiz, and wondered how long it would be before their contention became something more, for surely it would escalate as Chimenae brought more vampires into their life and their tribe. The trouble between mother and son was deep and it touched all those in the tribe. He stepped forward. "You will be wise to be careful around the soldiers. These are not farmers and woodsmen, who have no will for fighting. These soldiers have been in battle before and have their senses honed to guard them; they have learned to delight in war. You will put them on their vigilance if you press your watch of them. Once they know they are observed, they will take action; they will respond promptly, and severely."
"You are afraid of them?" Aulutiz asked, at once shocked and amused. "Do you credit them with so much because you are frightened?"
"Anyone who has seen them fight is afraid," said San-Ragoz. "Or he is a fool."
Aulutiz shook his head. "You say this, to explain your fear," he declared. "We are not so craven."
"I do not think any of you are craven. I do think you are impetuous, and that it is dangerous to be so in the face of this opponent." San-Ragoz went up to Aulutiz. "You have not seen these men fight. I have."
"I have seen the soldiers of the Gardingi, before the Moors came, and I have seen them defeated by simple ruses. Now the Moors are here why should their soldiers be any different?" Aulutiz faced him arrogantly. "We will fight to win-I will see to that."
"These soldiers believe that if they kill an enemy who does not share their faith, that enemy will be their slave in Paradise," said San-Ragoz very deliberately. "No Gardingio had such convictions."
Aulutiz laughed, and the rest laughed with him, except Chimenae, who spoke sharply to her son. "You would do well to listen to this man. It is true he is not one of us, but he is a vampire, and he has seen many things; among those things, he has seen the Caliph's soldiers fight and you have not. He can tell you what you need to know to hold your own against the Moors. You should learn as much as you can, for I want none of my blood to suffer because of what you face for being of my blood."
In that moment, San-Ragoz admired her; some of his apprehension diminished and he said, "These warriors are sworn to the son of the Emir, who is the Emir's deputy in this land. They are his personal troops, particularly chosen for their loyalty and their fierceness in battle. They have much to gain in conquering you and more than life to lose if they do not acquit themselves well fighting in his name. Do not underestimate them, or their devotion to the Emir's son." He paused, sensing the animosity that was he roused among Chimenae's tribe. "If they once identify you for what you are, they will pursue you until you are gone from here, either by flight or by the True Death."
"Who are you to say this to us?" asked Achona, her voice ringing, holding the attention of her clan-members. "You could be set on bringing us all to the True Death so that no one will be able to hunt here but you."
"I would not do that." San-Ragoz's voice was steady and his dark eyes met Achona's with a conviction that was all but palpable.
"Why not?" She looked from him to Chimenae and back again. "She will not deny you. She is blinded to your trickery."
"I employ no trickery, and I mean you no harm," said San-Ragoz as calmly as he could. "Neither would promote my cause with you."
"No, they would not. So perhaps you should lead us in battle, to show your allegiance to this clan." The challenger was Achona's companion Tamosh.
There were cries of support as well as accusations. Edic held up his hand. "I was the Fifth of the First Ten of Chimenae's tribe, and I had been the Captain of Gardingio Theudis when the Gardingio was too infirm to lead his men. I know how to fight. I will stand beside Aulutiz, not this outsider."
"Yes!" shouted one of the others. "Edic can lead us."
"Edic! Edic!" A few took up the cry while Edic stood, looking at once gratified and chagrined, for he knew Chimenae would not like this.
"No!" Aulutiz silenced the rest with an emphatic yell. "No," he repeated when the tribe was quiet. "I will lead you. I." He waited for objections; when none came, he said. "Edic is not the First-I am. It is only right that I should lead."
"Why is it right?" Edic asked, his manner pugnacious. "You have no experience."
"Nor have you, against these men if what Sanct' Germain says is accurate." Aulutiz glowered at Edic. "I will not disdain your skill and experience. You shall fight at my right hand. That will make it possible for our front to be as strong as the soldiers. Edic and I will bear the brunt of the attack. Will you agree, Matra?"
Chimenae shook her head. "You will do as you must do. We cannot let these soldiers find this place, and if the only way to prevent that is to kill them, then see it is done quickly and their bodies beheaded and hidden. There must be nothing left to find while they can be identified. Let the wild animals scatter their bones." She glanced at San-Ragoz. "Will you go with them, to show them the camp, or must they find it on their own?"
Before San-Ragoz could answer, Aulutiz said, "He will guide us, but he will not join us in the fight. Unlike Edic, I do not trust him to hold a weapon. And if he fails to bring us to the place we seek, we will know how to deal with him."
"What's one more beheaded corpse?" laughed Achona, stepping up to Aulutiz's side. "You are right, Aulutiz," she said, deliberately looking at Chimenae as she spoke. "If this stranger does not do as he claims he will, we shall be rid of him."
"And that shall make us stronger in the mountains," Aulutiz went on. "When the villagers learn that we have killed the Moors, they will look to us to guard them and keep them safe from the invaders." He was almost strutting now, as if he had already accomplished what he intended to do. "No one will question our authority then. No one."
San Ragoz remained silent.
Tamosh raised his hand in a show of endorsement. "Aulutiz is right. This outsider will prove himself or he will suffer the same fate as the Moors will."
"It is true," said Achona. "The outsider must prove himself, or we will see he dies the True Death." She put her hand on the hilt of her short sword; the weapon had not been well-cared-for, and its pitted blade revealed its age and neglect.
"That will not do well against the Moors," San-Ragoz warned. "They fight with the keenest steel to be had. Unless you have an equally strong blade, yours will break at the first clash with one of theirs." There were better blades in China, and the islands beyond, but that meant nothing to these eager vampires; he kept this reflection to himself. "If you plan to use that sword, you will fare badly."
Achona shook her head. "All I need to do is stun one of the men while he sleeps; no Moor will be able to draw a sword when we attack."
"It will be late at night, with only owls to witness. We will fight wisely, Matra," said Aulutiz, beaming at Chimenae.
"Very good, my son," Chimenae approved with a swift glance in San-Ragoz's direction. "You will be careful, I know."
"If I am not, I will pay the price," he said, and stood still while the tribe around him cheered him. "Now then, where is Dorioz?" Catching sight of the youth, he signaled the lad to come to him. "Do you understand what you must do?"
"I must bring word to your mother when you have attacked the Moors," he said at once, and although it was not the task Chimenae had described for him, Aulutiz laid his hand on Dorioz's shoulder.
"Excellent. Are you prepared to come with me, and my company, now?" He held up his hand as he faced Chimenae. "You will endorse this, will you not?"
"If you must attack, then do it quickly, and make the most of your opportunity. No half-measures here." In a histrionic gesture, she put her hands to her eyes. "I do not want to lose any of you."
"Nor do we want to be lost," said Aulutiz with a crow of laughter. "You." He pointed to San-Ragoz. "You will come with Edic and me. Achona and Tamosh will follow after with six of our number. Then another six will come. The last six will fan out in the forest to detain anyone who might have seen us attack, or to capture any Moor seeking to escape. No one is to get away from this night's work." He clapped. "Will that suit you. Founder of our Clan?" It was a title that Chimenae had assumed sixty years ago, and all of the tribe recognized the homage it conveyed.
Chimenae walked up to her son, moving deliberately. "Only if no one of our number is harmed by it. If anyone should fall or be hurt, you will answer to me."
"Of course," said Aulutiz. "You will see: we will triumph." He motioned to San-Ragoz. "Come. We must be on our way. Achona, you come after us when the moon has risen above the Ram's Head Peak. The others will come when the last lights are extinguished in the houses of Mont Calcius."
"Very good," said Chimenae, raising her arms in the ritual dismissal San-Ragoz had seen the night before. She stopped suddenly. "I fear Sanct' Germain is right-you cannot fight the soldiers without taking losses. They will not be driven away by a single rush at their camp. Once roused, you will have no chance to avoid hurt. So you will do as I order you. When you attack, stun the soldiers. You know how to give a blow to the head which renders the one struck unconscious. You may have one or two die, but most will live, but will be silent, and unresisting. Take your clubs to do the work. Behead them after you have slaked your thirst."
A few of the men made cries of disappointment, but most looked relieved as Chimenae finished the sign for dismissal. This time the clan did not all depart, although some of the group hurried away down the slopes; others gathered around Achona and Edic, preparing to seek out the Moors' camp.
"You will show us the way," said Aulutiz, plucking San-Ragoz by the torn sleeve.
"Yes." Edic looked more determined but less eager than Aulutiz. "And remember: we know these mountains far better than you do. We will know if you seek to mislead us." He looked in Chimenae's direction. "A blow to the head could repay your treachery."
San-Ragoz concealed his unsettled emotions, saying only, "It may be best if I describe the place, and let you decide how best to approach it. With the Moors coming into the mountains, I am no longer familiar with this region and you may know better ways than the one I came." He had not felt so much at a loss for more than two millennia and it perturbed him.
"I think it would be best if you retraced your steps," said Aulutiz. "In case you visited places you forgot to mention." He folded his arms.
Achona spoke up before San-Ragoz could answer. "No. Let him tell us." She stood directly in front of him. "You had better describe the camp-we who are coming after need to know where we are bound."
Chimenae came to Achona's side. "A wise precaution."
"One that may be useful," Aulutiz agreed spitefully. He lowered his voice. "Let each of you be ready to fight. Kill only if you must-otherwise, strike to immobilize the soldiers so that we may drink of them before we take their heads."
"What of their weapons?" asked Edic. "They have lances and scimitars and perhaps other arms as well."
"And the horses," Tamosh added. "It would be a fine thing to bring the horses to Chimenae."
"We must deal with the soldiers first," said Aulutiz, his brows drawing together. "We may need the horses to carry the bodies of the soldiers when we are done with them."
"And what then?" San-Ragoz asked. "You cannot mean to leave sixteen headless bodies on a village midden. The Moors would surely hear of it, and would send more soldiers to exact revenge on the villagers."
"Let them," said Aulutiz. "That will bring more fodder for us."
"No," said San-Ragoz. "You do not want the Moors raiding the villages and killing the people to avenge the death of their soldiers. And it is what they will do if you continue to hunt their men. They may not demand conversion of those they conquer, but they will not tolerate anything that hints of insurrection. You may survive, but you will not have men enough left alive to give you your two-legged goats, or to leave cups of blood in offering. They will no longer be willing to placate you." He turned to Aulutiz. "You can fight the Moors in skirmishes, and from time to time you will prevail, but once you start to war with them, you will have to continue until you or they are gone from these mountains. There are not quite forty of you. How can you hope to prevail against their army?"
"We are stronger than they, and we know the mountains," said Aulutiz. "This is our home, not theirs."
"Against those soldiers, you will have no chance of winning. They will identify you and then they will run each of you to earth." He had seen vampires hunted before, but never so many as could be found here. "Many innocents will die in your name before it is over."
"I suppose you would fly?" Chimenae suggested, a falsely sweet smile on her face.
"Yes; and I would advise each of you to do the same," San-Ragoz replied without hesitation. "I tell you to go in many directions, alone, and not to return until all who know you are dead."
"And be picked off like strays from the herd?" Aulutiz exclaimed. "What madness is this? You give them the advantage if you fight in that way. You may prefer such methods, but they smack of desperation. Why should we be so craven?" He shook his head. "You are one-we are many."
"Which is your greatest weakness," said San-Ragoz; as he saw he had wakened their interest, he explained. "One vampire, even two, might hunt this region in safety, undetected and unchallenged: with so many as are in this troop, the people know you are here, and they know your habits. You have come to depend on their familiarity with you, for with so many to tend to, you must follow a routine, so they know your movements and your needs. Your numbers make you vulnerable. You are exposed, whether you think you are or not."
"Where are your clubs?" Achona asked, deliberately cutting off anything San-Ragoz and Aulutiz might have said. "Ennati and Wembo have theirs already. They will come with me, along with Rinaul and Teric."
"You will need one more," said Aulutiz, looking about. "Walgild will do."
"And I have one," added Dorioz, holding up the club hanging from his braided-leather belt. "You will need them."
"Yes; we must fetch them," said Aulutiz. "We have been told how we are to subdue the Moors." Pointing to four of the men who lingered near Chimenae, he called out, "Blaga, Merez, Tacantiz, Prando: come with us." He began to stride swiftly toward the line of trees, not so much as glancing back to see if his summons was obeyed. "Each of you will bring two clubs. Except for you." This was directed over his shoulder to San-Ragoz.
Edic kept close to Aulutiz, his hand on his dagger. "You may have plans to escape, but they will not succeed," he declared.
"I have no such plans," said San-Ragoz with exaggerated patience. "I am not completely a fool." Even as he said it, he wondered if it might not be true: he had brought Chimenae to his life and was now caught in the folly of the consequences.
"Well, do not think to fool me," said Edic; they were in the forest now, and forced to go single file though the undergrowth, using the game trails to make their way. Edic was behind San-Ragoz, who walked immediately behind Aulutiz, with the others coming after them. They kept to a single line, an arm's-length between them. Only Dorioz made his own way, staying near but apart from the rest.
"There is a spring about five hundred paces ahead," said Aulutiz. "We will stop there so that you may go to get your club. As soon as you are all returned, we will be on our way once again." He increased his pace, not quite running, but going faster than most of the animals in the woods.
Edic turned to relay Aulutiz's orders to the four behind him, raising his voice to be heard. When he finished, he nudged San-Ragoz forward with this hand. "You will not be laggard. Keep moving."
San-Ragoz obediently increased his stride, paying close attention to the others behind him. None of the vampires ventured to speak until they reached the spring and Aulutiz called a halt.
"Bring your clubs and be sure you have short-swords or daggers with you. We may have to fight our way out. They will not be ready for us. If we do as we have planned, all will be well." He waved his hand in dismissal as he reached out and took hold of San-Ragoz's upper arm. "You will remain with me. I do not want you running away. Edic will bring my club."
Dorioz took up a place on the far side of the spring, serving as sentry; he made sure not to listen to anything that passed between Aulutiz and San-Ragoz. For a short while Aulutiz said nothing. Finally he sighed. "Was it really your blood that changed my mother?"
"Yes," said San-Ragoz.
"Why did you do it?" His voice was light, but the concern in his eyes could not be disguised.
"She was badly injured and you were both in danger," he said, then added in a lower tone, "and I was lonely."
Aulutiz chuckled, shaking his head in disbelief. "So lonely that you left before the summer was over. Oh, yes," he said, his grip tightening. "She told me how eager you were to leave her."
"I was not eager; it was necessary that I go. She herself was glad of it." He offered no apology or other explanation.
"Do you think so?" Aulutiz slapped his thigh with his palm. "Why would she be so reckless as that?"
"Not reckless," said San-Ragoz. "She wanted no one to impugn her authority." He shook his head. "It was better for both of us that I go, or so I thought at the time. Seeing what she has made for herself, I am no longer certain I was wise to leave."
"You disapprove of the clan," said Aulutiz.
"I fear for it," San-Ragoz corrected gently.
"And you disapprove of our mission tonight," Aulutiz added with a trace of smug satisfaction.
"Yes. This I do disapprove of," said San-Ragoz.
"Because you are afraid," said Aulutiz, shaking his head to show his contempt.
"Yes, I am," said San-Ragoz.
"You admit it!" He released his hold on San-Ragoz's arm and stepped back.
"Yes." San-Ragoz did not move.
Aulutiz tugged at his upper garment-a kind of tunica made of several fabrics and patched elaborately at the shoulders-and hitched his belt. "You will change your mind tonight."
Now the tribe fell back, approaching the soldiers with caution.
San-Ragoz said nothing in reply, and a short while later Edic came back, holding three clubs and a short sword in his hands.
"And the others?" Aulutiz asked as he took two of the clubs.
"They are coming," said Dorioz from the other side of the spring.
Merez was the first of the four to arrive; he had two clubs and a Roman dagger hanging from his belt. Not far behind him came Prando and Tacantiz, both hefting their clubs; Tacantiz carried a battle-hammer as well. Last to arrive was Blaga, who had included an axe among his weapons.
"Very good," Aulutiz approved. "You know what is to be done. Edic, you will bring down the sentries-they will be yours as spoils. For the rest, remember others are coming. Do not drain all the soldiers you stun. Move quietly. We do not want to alarm them." This last was a concession to San-Ragoz; Aulutiz stared at him while he gave those last instructions. "Dorioz, keep to the side of us. Do not fear. You shall share the spoils. Sanct' Germain. Tell us which trail to take."
Dorioz grinned. "You are good to me, Aulutiz." He went a few steps, then said, "Better than your mother."
The hush this remark brought stayed with the small group of vampires until they reached the edge of the Moorish camp and prepared their assault; they remained in the undergrowth, using the foliage as a screen. Satisfied they were protected, Aulutiz said very quietly, "You did well," to San-Ragoz and, "We know what is to be done," to the rest.
Edic slipped ahead of them, his club in his hand. He stayed away from the clearing where most of the soldiers slept, for he was searching out the sentries.
"There should be two of them," said Aulutiz. "If the horses do not whinny, we will soon have our work accomplished."
"Do not kill the horses," San-Ragoz said as Aulutiz prepared to lead his companions into the clearing.
"I will save a few of the for my mother, never fear," said Aulutiz sarcastically. At his signal, the others moved with him, leaving San-Ragoz alone in the brush at the side of the clearing.
At San-Ragoz's side, Dorioz said, "I have a club, too, and I am strong enough to use it. If you try to run I will break your legs and then smash your head; one of the others will cut it off. You might as well watch with me." There was no doubt that the youngster would do as he said.
So as Aulutiz, Edic, Tacantiz, Prando, Blaga, and Merez passed quickly from sleeping soldier to sleeping soldier, their clubs used with fatal purpose, San-Ragoz watched from the undergrowth, appalled and sick at heart.
Text of a report sent by Karif ibn Azim ibn Salah at Usca to Timuz ibn Musa ibn Maliq at Karmona.
In the name of Allah, the All-Compassionate-may He be praised forever and ever-I, Karif ibn Azim ibn Salah send this account to Timuz ibn Musa ibn Maliq, although it is not at the appointed time, to alert Timuz ibn Musa ibn Maliq to the dangers I and my men have encountered on this mission for Numair ibn Isffah ibn Musa-may Allah protect him and give him long life. May my tongue be stilled and my eyes blighted if I report in error, or mislead any of the officers of the Caliph, the Emir, or his son.
I have told you of my determination to divide my troops into three groups of twenty, the better to pursue the escaped slave of Numair ibn Isffah ibn Musa-may he have many years and healthy sons-who has fled into the mountains. It was agreed that all three groups would return to Usca after ten days if they did not succeed in capturing San-Ragoz.
The ten days have come and gone, and one of the companies has not returned. They have not been seen since they searched the village of Canthis. No one has seen them since then, not the men or their horses, and there has been no report on their disappearance. I have sent messengers into the region where they were last seen, but I have not yet gained any intelligence to reveal what has become of them. No one has given any information that has proven reliable.
I would not be worried were it not for persistent tales of those who live in the region of the mountains where the men vanished. The people who live in the villages and on the remote farmsteads call this part of the mountains the land of Sacred or Holy Blood. They offer chalices of blood to mighty beings who provide them with game and guard them from harm. It is said that there are sacred grottos where many jeweled cups stand in vaults to honor the heroes who continue to watch over those who are willing to show them homage.
Ordinarily I would not give credence to such rumors, nor would I think the reports anything more than legends repeated by these ignorant folk to persuade them they are not as much in danger as their life requires them to be. They are unwilling to hear the words of the Prophet, and they are not diligent in their worship of the Christian prophet. Many say that the cups are a tribute to defenders of Jesus who bled to death on the cross, but others say the gods are older and more terrible than Jesus of the Christians.
If the people who put out the cups are people of the Book, then they cannot be stopped from this practice without bringing shame on Islam. If they are not people of the Book, we would disgrace ourselves if we fail to stop this idolatrous adoration. I seek your judgment in this regard, for I am certain that the longer my men remain here the more reason we will have to be careful of the people of the Holy Blood; they are said to be brave fighters, and if they have bested my soldiers, I will have to agree that they are formidable opponents and if I am to campaign against them, I will need more troops and your permission for an all-out attack, otherwise we may all fall victim to whatever force has claimed the men who disappeared.
There is an ominous addition to my report; the bodies of two of the soldiers' horses have been found in the forest, their coats bloody, their flesh as bloodless as if they had been hung by a butcher. Both horses were haltered, which suggests that they were assailed at night. There was no trace of tack or equipment anywhere that would indicate how the horses came to be dead. If it is as the people of the region say, and the devotees of the Holy Blood have done this, we may have to move quickly, which I must admit we are ill-prepared to do. However I will strive to do your will, and to discharge the mission given to me and my men by Numair ibn Isffah ibn Musa-may Allah show him favor for all of his days-when we were first sent into these mountains to find his escaped slave.
In that regard, I must tell you that if San-Ragoz came into this region, he may well have suffered the same fate as my men appear to have done. I can see no good reason to continue the pursuit of the fugitive slave; if seventeen men can disappear without any sign, what must be the portion of a single unarmed man going on foot into this wild place?
This is being carried to you, Timuz ibn Musa ibn Maliq, by my most able second captain, Mainum ibn Kahlut ibn Akil, who will carry your reply to me as swiftly as his horses can bear him, if it is Allah's Will.
Three days after the new moon, from Usca,
Karif ibn Azim ibn Salah
