“Ko Feng says they left in a hurry, planning to return later. When later came, he was the only conspirator left. He never came back. So who stripped the place? Can you suggest a culprit?”

“I’d suggest Lord Ko, Lord. After he was banished.”

“I don’t think so. I’d try a divination if our stone friend weren’t right over there.” The thing could be seen from the ramparts, if one had Hsu Shen’s eyes. Shih-ka’i could see nothing but rusty vistas.

Pan ku came galloping up. He gasped, “Lord, the legion commanders request your presence.”

“Very well. Hsu Shen, sit tight. I’ll give you a century. I may want you to hit the stone thing from here.”

Hsu Shen appeared distrait. “As you command, Lord.”

Shih-ka’i chuckled. “Of course. Pan ku. Let’s see what they want.”

In minutes he entered his map room. He scanned the big picture. An arc of enemy markers glared in from the desert. “Lot of them out there now, eh?”

“Fifty thousand, Lord,” Tasi-feng replied.

“Still showing no inclination to attack?”

“None, Lord.”

“That’s odd.”

“Lord, we have a few matters to bring to your attention,” Chang Sheng said.

Shih-ka’i turned. His legion commanders faced him, standing shoulder to shoulder. Their underlings had stopped work. “Yes?”

“Uh…” Tasi-feng stammered. “We had a report from fifth cohort, Twenty-Seventh.” Tasi-feng moved to the map, indicated a position four hundred miles south. “They encountered an enemy force shortly after dawn, here.” The point was well behind the desert line. “One thousand dead soldiers, accompanied by several hundred tribesmen, both living and dead.”

“A recruiting force?”

“Apparently. Leading Centurion Pai Mo-Jo engaged immediately and destroyed all but a handful. The escapees were all live tribesmen.”

Shih-ka’i listened patiently while Tasi-feng appended the required report on casualties and equipment losses. Then he said, “An outstanding accomplishment, considering the man was outnumbered and had no wizardry of his own. Send my personal commendation. Recommend him for decoration. I applaud initiative in the ranks, Lord Yuan.”

The Twenty-Seventh’s commander bowed slightly. “Mo-Jo is one of my best, Lord.”

Shih-ka’i drew himself into the stiff parade-ground stance he had used to intimidate the Fourth Demonstration. “What did you really want to discuss?”

Tasi-feng exchanged glances with his fellows. The others were not forthcoming. He said, “Though it may be premature to mention this, Lord, we felt you should be informed.”

“Informed? Please inform me, Lord Lun-yu.”

“Sometime soon, Lord Kuo will be unseated. We legion commanders and our senior deputies intend to support his successor. Likewise, our brethren of Northern Army.”