"I'm drafting you," Miles announced abruptly.

"What?"

"I claim you. I'm—I'm confiscating you. I'm seizing your property—

your training, that is—for the war effort. This is totally illegal, but since you're under a death sentence anyway, who cares? Get down on

your knees and put your hands between mine."

Jesek's mouth fell open. "You can't—I'm not—nobody but one of

the Emperor's designated officers can swear a vassal, and I was

already sworn to him when I got my commission—and forsworn

when—" he broke off.

"Or a Count or a Count's heir," Miles cut in. "I admit the fact that you're previously sworn to Gregor as an officer puts a wrinkle in it.

We'll just have to change the wording around a bit."

"You're not . . ." Jesek stared. "What the hell are you, anyway?

Who are you?"

"I don't even want to talk about it. But I really am a vassal

secundus to Gregor Vorbarra, and I can take you for a liegeman, and I'm going to right now, because I'm in a hell of a hurry, and we can work out the details later."

"You're a lunatic! What the bloody hell do you think this is going to do?"

Distract you, thought Miles—and it's working already. "Maybe, but I'm a Vor lunatic. Down!"

The engineer fell to his knees, staring in disbelief. Miles captured his hands, and began.

"Repeat after me. I, Bazil Jesek, do testify I am, am, am a forsworn military vassal of Gregor Vorbarra, but I take service anyway under—

under—" Bothari will be hot as hell if I break security, "under this lunatic in front of me—make that, this Vor lunatic—as an Armsman

simple, and will hold him as my liege commander until my death or

his releases me."

Jesek, looking hypnotized, repeated the oath verbatim.

Miles began. "I, uh—I better skip that part—I, a vassal secundus to Emperor Gregor Vorbarra, do accept your oath, and pledge you the

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protection of a liege-commander; this by my word as—well, by my

word. There. You now have the dubious privilege of following my

orders to the letter and addressing me as 'my lord,' only you'd better not do it in front of Bothari until I get a chance to break the news to him gently. Oh, and one more thing . . ."

The engineer looked the question, bewildered.

"You're home. For what it's worth."

Jesek shook his head dizzily, and staggered to his feet. "Was that real?"

"Well—it's a little irregular. But from what I've read of our history, I can't help feeling it's closer to the original than the official version."

* * *

There was a knock on the door. Daum and Bothari had a prisoner,