Page 139 (1/2)

Sparhawk looked out at thesteel rods into the soft earth at the bottom of the ditch ‘Isn’t that a little obvious?’ he asked

‘We have to have es, don’t we? The tunnels are all about five feet below the surface Most of the worke-haot a fair nus of those tunnels will be very leaky e start to fill the moat’ Khalad looked out across the lawn Then he cupped his hands around his e!’ he bellowed in Ta her seams, she’ll leak!’

The fore the broad-beae across the lawn on rollers looked up ‘It’s very heavy, honoured sir,’ he called back ‘What have you got inside of it?’

‘Ballast, you idiot!’ Khalad called back ‘There are going to be a lot of people on that deck toe capsizes and the emperor falls in the ly at his squire

‘We’re putting the naphtha casks in the barges inside the construction sheds,’ Khalad explained ‘We decided to do that more or less in private’ He looked at his lord ‘You don’t necessarily have to tell your wife I said this, Sparhawk,’ he said, ‘but there were a few gaps in her plan The naphtha was a good idea – as far as it went, but we’ve added some pitch as well, just to make sure it catches on fire ant it to Naphtha casks are also very tight They won’t do us ood if they just sink to the botto to put a couple of Kring’s Peloi in the hold of each barge They’ll take axes to the casks at the last , Khalad’

‘Soroup’

‘Now you sound like your father’

‘There is one thing though, Sparhawk Your party-goers are going to have to be very, very careful There’ll be lanterns – and probably candles as well – on those barges One little accident could start the fire quite a bit sooner than we’d planned, and – ah, actually, we’re a bit ahead of schedule, your Highness,’ he said in Tamul for the benefit of the half dozen labourers ere pulling a theeled cart along the parapet The cart was filled with lanterns which the labourers were hanging from the battlereen ones side by side like that I’ve told you a thousand tireen, red, blue Do it the way I told you to do it Be creative in your own tiood help these days, your Highness,’ he said

‘You’re overacting, Khalad,’ Sparhawkthe point’

Kring ca his hand over his scarred head ‘I need a shave,’ he said absently, ‘and Mirtai’s too busy to attend to it’

‘Is that a Peloi custom, Domi?’ Sparhawk asked ‘Is it one of the duties of a Peloi woman to shave her man’s head?’

‘No, actually it’s Mirtai’s personal idea It’s hard to see the back of your own head, and I used to miss a few places Shortly after ere betrothed, she took oing to do the shaving She does a very nice job, really – when she isn’t too busy’ He squared his shoulders ‘They absolutely refused, Sparhawk,’ he reported ‘I knew they would, but I put the matter before them the way you asked They won’t be locked up inside your fort during the battle If you stop and think about it, though, we’ll be rounds on horseback anyway A few score mounted Peloi will stir thatsoup If you want confusion out there toive you lots of confusion Aa sabre across the back of the head isn’t going to be able to concentrate on attacking a fort’