Good. Youre a natural. Id already recalled, rejected, and reexamined a trick that had been played on my armies in the north. Hurry was essential. I could see what might be dust north of us. Move the infantry into the hills. I want every horseman to cut brush and drag it behind, headed due east. Get messengers off to the skirmishers. I want contact kept as long as possible. Draw them eastward and keep leading them as long as theyll follow.

The ruse would not work after dark-if it worked at all. Then Shadowspinners pet shadows would tell him hed been taken. But that would be time enough to elude him.

If he kept chasing me Mogabas men would escape. He would not want that.

Blade wasted no time. Swan and Mather dashed around helping. Our differences would wait.

A new sense of confidence and discipline was apparent as the troops moved into the hills. They trusted me and Blade to get them through this. The horsemen headed out, raising enough dust for a horde on the march.

Blade, Swan, Mather, Narayan, and I watched from a low hill. That will do it if he can be fooled at all,

I said. Hell see us just slipping out, get excited, try to nab us on the run.

Swan raised crossed fingers to the sky. Blade asked, Whats our next move?

Drift north through the hills.

Hes biting, Mather said.

Blade said, It occurs to me that, for speeds sake, he would have left behind anyone not in top condition.

I told him, You are learning. And youre turning nasty.

Nasty business.

Yes. The rest of you understand?

Swan wanted it explained. Spinner would leave his injured and second-line troops behind so they wouldnt slow him down. They should be up where the north road enters the hills. We can take them by surprise. Narayan, send some scouts ahead.

Narayan was pleased with me now. There was a lot of killing going on. There was promise of a real Year of the Skulls.

Chapter Forty-Nine

Chapter Forty-Nine

Smoke drifted into the darkness, glanced right and left, cursed softly. There they were again. Those men! He could not shake them. They knew where he was going before he went.

It was disheartening and frightening. The longer he delayed visiting his contacts the stronger Longshadows image grew within his mind and the more terrified he became on a level so deep it was a part of his soul. Something terrible had been done to him, something that had reached into him as deeply as a man could be reached. Somehow Longshadow had hidden a fragment of himself inside him, to drive him into executing the Shadowmasters will.

The voice within had become a shriek. If he did not shake the watchers he would not be able to avoid betraying his contacts.