“That’s it?”

“That’s all they’ll say.”

“Curious,” Shih-ka’i said. “That’s not like them. They’ve never been afraid of anything.”

“They’re scared of this, Lord. It looked like they were ready to abandon their breeding caves.”

“Ah? Where could they go?”

“I couldn’t say, Lord.”

Shih-ka’i moved to the map. “Gentlemen, I’ve placed scouting parties along this arc. We should know their intentions soon.”

Tasi-feng indicated a red arrow. It humped over the area of confrontation to spear the eastern shore. “What’s this, Lord?”

“Don’t worry about it. Just a job I gave Hsu Shen.”

Had Hsu Shen gotten his boats assembled yet? The man’s last report placed him on the coast, preparing to cross to the island. Shih-ka’i was eager to place a portal there. He wanted to know if it were indeed the former headquarters of the Pracchia, wanted to see if anything interesting had been left behind.

A Tervola named Yen Teh, from one of the southern legions, ran toward Shihka’i’s group. He was without his mask. His face was pallid. “Lord,” he gasped. “Lord, I’ve just heard… Matayanga… They attacked. With two million men.”

“Two million?” Shih-ka’i murmured. He could not encompass the number. There was no way to support an army that size.

The Matayangan strategy must be predicated on an expectation that heavy casualties early would reduce their forces to manageable size. He peered at his map. “Two million? Gentlemen, we’re on our own. There won’t be anyone to help us.”

The hall became very still. No one had believed the southern situation could deteriorate this far, that the Matayangans would dare attack. For centuries no nation had been that foolish. But two million men? Inconceivable. The Matayangans were risking everything on one pass of the dice. Their losses would cripple them for generations, considering what would happen after Southern Army assumed the offensive.

“Trying to swamp us with the first rush,” Shih-ka’i observed. “And they might do it. But that’s not our problem. Ours is out there. Lord Lun-yu, take charge of the recon patrols. I want to know exactly when they’re going to attack.”

“As you command, Lord.”

The enemy again baffled Shih-ka’i. He did not pursue a rational strategy and immediately assault the fortress. He came from the desert, but in no rush. He gave Shih-ka’i four more days to prepare. Shih-ka’i assembled the bulk of Eastern Army. Those on the march elsewhere would arrive within days. So many men were on hand, in fact, that most had to remain in fortified encampments outside the fortress. Eastern Army would provide a hell of a fight. Northern Army would have ample time to prepare positions along the Tusghus, against possible failure here.

During the respite Shih-ka’i visited the island in the east. He and Hsu Shen wandered long-abandoned halls. Nothing of value remained, though there was adequate evidence that this was indeed the island of Lord Ko Feng’s memoirs.

“Someone stripped the place,” Shih-ka’i said.

“So it seems, Lord.”

“Curious. Most curious.”

“Lord?”