The Grace of Kings (75 page)

“I wonder if she has ever read the wise books of Kon Fiji or even can read at all. Poor men of Dasu! To be led by an ignorant girl into death is a truly tragic fate!”

“You're taking a page from Mata Zyndu's exploits, aren't you?” Mazoti's aide asked. He glanced back at the tight ranks of men right behind him, all the way back to the shore of the river. There was no room to retreat. The only way to go was forward.

“I've always said that we should make use of every advantage we can find,” Gin Mazoti said evenly. “Mata Zyndu had the right idea on Wolf's Paw. Why shouldn't I copy him? Putting your own men into a position where they believe they are dead unless they win is a good tactic—as long as it's not used too often.”

They waited, as the forces of Rima finally began to move toward them.

King Zato's soldiers pressed on, hoping to drive Mazoti's five thousand men right into the water. But Mazoti's men dug their heels in and fought with a ferocity that their opponents could not match.

The battle lasted all afternoon, but by the time twilight descended over the banks, Mazoti's smaller force had the definite upper hand.

Finally, King Zato's lines collapsed, and the surviving soldiers of Rima scattered into the woods.

Mazoti wiped the blood from her face and congratulated her soldiers. It was not quite as impressive a victory as Mata Zyndu's at Wolf's Paw, but for Mazoti's men, it was a solid win that felt good after their humiliating defeat at Zudi.

Meanwhile, far to the north, Luan Zya's fishing skiff pulled into the harbor at Boama, capital of Faça.

Faça was a land of craggy coastlines and rugged highlands in the north, where most of the population ranched, and deep valleys and sunny hillsides in the south, where most of the population planted orchards. Fruitful Faça was where one found sheep with the thickest wool, cattle with the fattest shoulders, and apples that were crisp and sweet, with a sun-kissed bite that lingered in the mouth.

The fierce fighters of Faça were as rugged as the terrain. They could move over the highlands faster than horsemen and were skilled at turning the landscape's jagged rocky outcroppings and the capricious, ever-present fog against their enemies. Faça's traditional swordfighting techniques were different from Cocru's but no less effective: They emphasized surprise, unpredictability, and quick footwork.

Faça had rarely been successfully invaded in the past. Mapidéré's conquest of Faça relied on assassinations, plots, and the deaths of many Xana soldiers as they finally overwhelmed the determined defenders through sheer advantage of numbers.

Another invasion of Faça would be costly.

Luan did not want to see Kuni or Gin repeat such a feat with the blood of Dasu, and so he had come to Boama in secret to try to persuade the greedy, crafty, politic King Shilué to surrender.

If I can.

The Palace of Boama was built right on the shore, over a cliff plunging into the ocean. Fog drifted through its courtyards and porticoed halls, making the castle seem to float in the clouds.

“King Kuni has always treated his followers with generosity,” Luan began. “Have you not heard that he negotiated for the return of his generals, Mün Çakri and Than Carucono, even before he asked for the return of his family? Have you not heard how Théca Kimo is now duke of the three islands of Arulugi, Crescent, and Écofi? Have you not heard how Marquess Puma Yemu, by raiding in the king's name, now has a treasure hoard larger than the treasuries of many Tiro kings? King Kuni rewards those who fight for him.”

Shilué sat opposite Luan, carefully chewing oysters and listening without speaking. In the fog-filtered light, the expression on his pale face was unreadable, and his blond hair glowed like a veil.

Luan went on. “But Mata Zyndu has always treated his followers with whim and jealousy. Have you not heard how the hegemon stripped Puma Yemu of his title and land? Have you not heard how he blamed Noda Mi and Doru Solofi for losing Géfica and abused them with words of contempt and mockery until they left him in disgrace? Have you not seen how he hesitated to hand out the seals of power and was sorrowful at having to distribute treasure to men who risked life and limb for him? Mata Zyndu is not a lord you can rely on.”

Shilué continued to chew and listen, then he swallowed.

“Théca and Puma are brutes who serve King Kuni by risking their lives,” said Shilué. “But what promises can you make to someone civilized, someone who does not wish to die?”

Ah, he wishes to have all the advantages of surrender without any of the risks,
thought Luan. And he spoke again.

Mazoti pursued the remnants of King Zato's army until they reached another river, this one narrower. King Zato had finally learned his lesson. He set up his defenses right on the southern shore, not giving Mazoti a chance to cross.

“If we can't get to him, we'll make him come to us,” Mazoti said.

She directed a few hundred men to sneak through the dark forest in secret. Upstream, they felled some large trees quickly and built a dam to hold back the water, creating a large artificial lake.

As the water downstream slowed to a trickle, Mazoti's men appeared to react with terror. They abandoned their cooking pots and weapons and backed away from the muddy streambed as if in panic.

King Zato gave the order for the Rima army to cross the stream and give chase. “Fithowéo and the spirit of Honored King Jizu must be with us! How else can we explain the sudden, diminished flow? Look at how the men of Dasu flee from our righteous arms! We must cross and punish the invaders.”

The Rima commanders said that this might be a trick and asked King Zato to stay behind with half of Rima's forces just in case something went wrong.

But King Zato scoffed. “Kon Fiji taught that when victorious, one should pursue with every soldier to show that there is no fear. A righteous army has no need to fear treachery, for the gods will protect them. If Mazoti is righteous and follows the laws of war, she will give us the courtesy of waiting until we have safely crossed before she attacks, the very same benefit we gave her. If she is not righteous and attacks before we are done crossing, then surely she will lose.”

Mazoti waited until about one-third of Rima's forces had crossed the stream and one-third was in the process of crossing. She ordered the trumpeters to give the order for the soldiers upstream to break their dam. The sudden flood washed the soldiers who were still in the streambed away and stranded the other one-third who were still on the southern shore. Then she gave the order for the “retreating” Dasu troops to counterattack. The Rima soldiers who had completed the crossing were quickly captured.

The remaining forces of King Zato fled in terror, and Mazoti dammed up the river again and walked leisurely across.

“You disobeyed the laws of war,” King Zato said. He knelt before Marshal Mazoti in the Palace of Na Thion, but his voice was defiant. “Have you ever read the books of Kon Fiji?”

“He had some good things to say about government,” Mazoti replied. “But he didn't know anything about how to fight a war.”

King Zato shook his head sadly. “You cannot win true victory if you don't follow the laws of war. You are only a woman, after all, and you do not understand the greater principles involved.”

“Right,” Mazoti said, smiling. She didn't want to execute the old fool. Instead, she sent him to Dimushi, where Kuni Garu might find him entertaining.