Part 5
The other two men had rounded up the others and were waiting at Janek's front door when they came back.
Valek looked at surprise at Crais' outfit, there was approval in his eyes. Crais ignored the stare.
Once inside Crais explained his plan. They needed more men and fast. They needed to convince the Elders that to defend the city they had to make a stand far away from the city and still leave men behind inside. He needed men to dig the trenches and build the second defence. The men should be prepared to work through the night as well and it all had to be in place in about three days. Any longer for the marauders to show up was a bonus.
Some of the men present were quite excited by the prospect of a possibility of beating the marauders. The two men from Shang'ar had witnessed the devastation the machine could havoc and were keen to get their own back.
Some others were still not sure about Crais' plan. Some had seen him come in dressed as a Peacekeeper's Captain. Others had misgivings that they couldn't convince the Elders or get enough men together.
Janel tried to convince them. He had ridden with Bialar, had seen the layout of the land and had been able to visualise the weaknesses and the strengths Bialar had pointed out. It was possible but they had to act fast. When Crais listened to him he was convinced that, had Janek lived in other surroundings, he would make a fine commander and leader. The men were listening to him.
"How do we know we can trust Bialar?" One of the men shouted from the back of the room.
Crais calmly turned his gaze on him, "I am an outsider and I don't like the temperature on your planet. My wish is to get off this planet as fast as possible. I have also pledged my word to help. I do not give that so easily, however, if you don't want my help and just be another city under their thrall, please tell me to leave and I will do so."
The men fell silent. One of them piped up, "And when they come, where will you be? In the city?"
Anger smouldered in Crais' eyes, "As your commander I will be right at the front. Any objections to that?" The men shuffled their feet, embarrassed that one of them had raised that question. "Good! Now we have to convince the Elders."
One of the men (pro-Bialar's-plan fortunately) had a wife whose brother was in the council, who would try and arrange a meeting as soon as possible.
"Make it very soon," insisted Crais, "and try and get more men together. We will need them and we can't wait for the Elder's answers."
After the men had left Crais closed his eyes for a moment. It was only a little after midday and already he felt drained by the heat.
"Are you sure it will work," asked Janek when he entered the room.
Crais opened his eyes, "It will, once we get things underway."
"I hope it does."
"So do I."
They had managed to get the Elders together for an emergency meeting just an arn after the meeting in Janek's house. After Crais had been introduced as "Bialar, a stranger, come to help us" (they had decided that it would be wiser not to stress the fact that he was an ex-Peacekeeper and hopefully none of the Elders had seen him the day before in his uniform), the men started to discuss the situation.
Crais had never been a very patient man and after about half an arn of listening to the Elders arguing about who should be in charge of the guards in the city without even touching on the defences outside the city, his patience had been worn away until it was almost non-existent. Before he could say anything, Janek stood up.
"Esteemed gentlemen, we understand your need for defences within the city but we have to work quickly on the defence of the city. And the best defence is not found within the walls of the city but a couple of arns ride outside the city!"
"Who says," one of the Elders asked looking askance at Crais, "It could be a ploy to get the guards out and leave the city defenceless."
"Bialar and I…"
"What does Bialar know? Who is he anyway?"
"Bialar is a commander from the south, when he heard about our plight he..."
"If he is a commander why isn't he commanding?" He sniggered, it was the same Elder who had been asking the impertinent questions.
Janek didn't have an answer immediately. Crais spoke up this time. His calm and sonorous voice filled the room, "I was wounded in the last campaign. A slow trek north helped me in my recuperation. It was only by chance that I overheard your plight."
"And what is in it for you?"
"If we can stop them in their tracks here, the south will also be safe. My help here will also safe my city."
"And if we don't want or need your help?"
"Then I leave now and make preparations for my own city to stand and fight!" He had said the last in an arrogant way as if he didn't really cared what happened to this city but that "his" city was not going to give in without a fight.
It seemed to sway the other Elders, "How long do we have before the marauders arrive?"
"Four to eight solar days."
"And how long will it take to put up the defences?"
"With enough women and men and if they are willing to work through the night we should be able to do it in two."
"You want the women to fight too?" it was obvious that in this culture the division between male and females was still in place.
"If they could, why not? But it would be mainly to get the defences in place in time."
They pondered his proposals, "Are you sure it will work?"
"If we get everything in place in time, yes. You have natural defences to the north, it would be a shame to waste it."
"We will rally the men," the oldest of the Elders said, "Where can we contact you?"
"He's staying with me," answered Janek.
"So be it. We will sent you word when the men are ready."
"One more thing," Crais said before leaving, "No one is to leave the City who is not in the detail to get the defences ready and I mean absolutely no one. We can't risk the chance that the marauders will be alerted to what we are doing."
"We will inform the guards."
Crais turned and hoped they took his words to heart.
"Shall I prepare some of that drink the healer has given you," asked Janek when they were back in his living room.
"Yes," answered Crais, suddenly tired, "And could you prepare two large flasks? I am not sure if we return here for another day."
While Janek busied himself in the kitchen, Crais leaned back in his chair to get some rest. The heat was draining him and he needed his full strength and wits about him to get it all done.
When Janek returned from the kitchen he found Crais slumped in his chair but was startled when Crais immediately woke up om his approach with his gun slipped out of his shirt. When he saw it was Janek, he gave a wry smile and put the gun back, "Sorry, occupational habit."
"The flasks should be ready soon," said Janek, as if he hadn't noticed.
"Good. Let's get some rest, we might not get the chance to do so for a while."
Janek nodded and took the seat opposite Crais. He dozed off immediately.
Crais observed him for a while before he settled for some rest as well.
The other two men had rounded up the others and were waiting at Janek's front door when they came back.
Valek looked at surprise at Crais' outfit, there was approval in his eyes. Crais ignored the stare.
Once inside Crais explained his plan. They needed more men and fast. They needed to convince the Elders that to defend the city they had to make a stand far away from the city and still leave men behind inside. He needed men to dig the trenches and build the second defence. The men should be prepared to work through the night as well and it all had to be in place in about three days. Any longer for the marauders to show up was a bonus.
Some of the men present were quite excited by the prospect of a possibility of beating the marauders. The two men from Shang'ar had witnessed the devastation the machine could havoc and were keen to get their own back.
Some others were still not sure about Crais' plan. Some had seen him come in dressed as a Peacekeeper's Captain. Others had misgivings that they couldn't convince the Elders or get enough men together.
Janel tried to convince them. He had ridden with Bialar, had seen the layout of the land and had been able to visualise the weaknesses and the strengths Bialar had pointed out. It was possible but they had to act fast. When Crais listened to him he was convinced that, had Janek lived in other surroundings, he would make a fine commander and leader. The men were listening to him.
"How do we know we can trust Bialar?" One of the men shouted from the back of the room.
Crais calmly turned his gaze on him, "I am an outsider and I don't like the temperature on your planet. My wish is to get off this planet as fast as possible. I have also pledged my word to help. I do not give that so easily, however, if you don't want my help and just be another city under their thrall, please tell me to leave and I will do so."
The men fell silent. One of them piped up, "And when they come, where will you be? In the city?"
Anger smouldered in Crais' eyes, "As your commander I will be right at the front. Any objections to that?" The men shuffled their feet, embarrassed that one of them had raised that question. "Good! Now we have to convince the Elders."
One of the men (pro-Bialar's-plan fortunately) had a wife whose brother was in the council, who would try and arrange a meeting as soon as possible.
"Make it very soon," insisted Crais, "and try and get more men together. We will need them and we can't wait for the Elder's answers."
After the men had left Crais closed his eyes for a moment. It was only a little after midday and already he felt drained by the heat.
"Are you sure it will work," asked Janek when he entered the room.
Crais opened his eyes, "It will, once we get things underway."
"I hope it does."
"So do I."
They had managed to get the Elders together for an emergency meeting just an arn after the meeting in Janek's house. After Crais had been introduced as "Bialar, a stranger, come to help us" (they had decided that it would be wiser not to stress the fact that he was an ex-Peacekeeper and hopefully none of the Elders had seen him the day before in his uniform), the men started to discuss the situation.
Crais had never been a very patient man and after about half an arn of listening to the Elders arguing about who should be in charge of the guards in the city without even touching on the defences outside the city, his patience had been worn away until it was almost non-existent. Before he could say anything, Janek stood up.
"Esteemed gentlemen, we understand your need for defences within the city but we have to work quickly on the defence of the city. And the best defence is not found within the walls of the city but a couple of arns ride outside the city!"
"Who says," one of the Elders asked looking askance at Crais, "It could be a ploy to get the guards out and leave the city defenceless."
"Bialar and I…"
"What does Bialar know? Who is he anyway?"
"Bialar is a commander from the south, when he heard about our plight he..."
"If he is a commander why isn't he commanding?" He sniggered, it was the same Elder who had been asking the impertinent questions.
Janek didn't have an answer immediately. Crais spoke up this time. His calm and sonorous voice filled the room, "I was wounded in the last campaign. A slow trek north helped me in my recuperation. It was only by chance that I overheard your plight."
"And what is in it for you?"
"If we can stop them in their tracks here, the south will also be safe. My help here will also safe my city."
"And if we don't want or need your help?"
"Then I leave now and make preparations for my own city to stand and fight!" He had said the last in an arrogant way as if he didn't really cared what happened to this city but that "his" city was not going to give in without a fight.
It seemed to sway the other Elders, "How long do we have before the marauders arrive?"
"Four to eight solar days."
"And how long will it take to put up the defences?"
"With enough women and men and if they are willing to work through the night we should be able to do it in two."
"You want the women to fight too?" it was obvious that in this culture the division between male and females was still in place.
"If they could, why not? But it would be mainly to get the defences in place in time."
They pondered his proposals, "Are you sure it will work?"
"If we get everything in place in time, yes. You have natural defences to the north, it would be a shame to waste it."
"We will rally the men," the oldest of the Elders said, "Where can we contact you?"
"He's staying with me," answered Janek.
"So be it. We will sent you word when the men are ready."
"One more thing," Crais said before leaving, "No one is to leave the City who is not in the detail to get the defences ready and I mean absolutely no one. We can't risk the chance that the marauders will be alerted to what we are doing."
"We will inform the guards."
Crais turned and hoped they took his words to heart.
"Shall I prepare some of that drink the healer has given you," asked Janek when they were back in his living room.
"Yes," answered Crais, suddenly tired, "And could you prepare two large flasks? I am not sure if we return here for another day."
While Janek busied himself in the kitchen, Crais leaned back in his chair to get some rest. The heat was draining him and he needed his full strength and wits about him to get it all done.
When Janek returned from the kitchen he found Crais slumped in his chair but was startled when Crais immediately woke up om his approach with his gun slipped out of his shirt. When he saw it was Janek, he gave a wry smile and put the gun back, "Sorry, occupational habit."
"The flasks should be ready soon," said Janek, as if he hadn't noticed.
"Good. Let's get some rest, we might not get the chance to do so for a while."
Janek nodded and took the seat opposite Crais. He dozed off immediately.
Crais observed him for a while before he settled for some rest as well.