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"That's exactly my point," Camsan said. "The Tarnt'e alone would be more than enough to crush them all."
"That's not the point," Trag replied patiently. "You have forty thousand warriors in this stinking city, all of whom want to kill something ... and most of whom are starting to think thoughts you'd prefer they didn't. You think they don't know some of the other clans are begi
Camsan's eyes narrowed, and this time it was Trag who grunted a harsh laugh.
"Of course they do! Fortunately, most of them think you're only trying to keep the other clan leaders in line, and I think most of them actually admire your ruthlessness. It's what we need in a war leader. But our warriors are Boman, too, and their axes have been unbloodied too long. If you don't give them-all of them-a chance to kill something else, then they're going to start thinking very hard about killing you. Kny, you're one of the finest war leaders ever to think for the clans, and I believe you truly have the chance to accomplish what you and I both know you desire. But you don't pay enough attention to the way our warriors feel, and that's going to get you killed if you keep it up."
Trag didn't add that it would undoubtedly get him killed right alongside Camsan. Both of them knew it was true, but that didn't invalidate anything he'd just said. More than one Boman war leader had been removed by the clans if he seemed too timid, and the retirement of Boman war leaders was an ... extremely permanent process.
"Oh, very well," Camsan said at last. "It's ridiculous to take so many to defeat so few-how many iron heads do the fools think there are to go around?-but you probably have a point. I'll give them their chance to kill something. But if I go out to play chase-the-basik in the woods, can you stay here with your tribe? At least I can trust you not to totally screw up."
"I can hold the city," the older chieftain agreed. "Besides, I have to admit that I'm a bit old for a civan chase."
Julian updated the situation map on his pad and transferred it to the captain.
"It's looking pretty good so far, Sir. The main Boman force is headed out the gates now. Only bad news is that we had another batch of barbs head southwest earlier-about two thousand. We don't have any idea where they were going or where they are at the moment."
Pahner tapped his foot on the barge deck and spat his chewed-up bisti root over the side.
"Have the cavalry screen echelon to the south. And throw the patrols out a little farther to keep an eye out for the strays. We need to make sure they don't show up at the wrong time."
"Not good," Kar said. "We're on a slim margin. If your 'strays' turn up during the attack, they'll make things difficult."
"Difficult, but not impossible," Pahner said. "Fog of war. You have to figure that something will go wrong even in the best case, and if that's the worst that happens, I'll be delighted. I'm more worried about them hitting us after the assault, anyway."
He looked out over the river. It was filled with barges and boats for over a kilometer in every direction as the army of K'Vaern's Cove made its slow way up river.
"If we get compromised from the north bank, we can land on the south side, where we've got the cavalry screen and the Marine LURPs to cover us. The only part I'm really worried about is the possibility of having this Camsan get word to his detachments too quickly and assemble the main host to come back while we're still landing, and even then the cavalry should slow them up long enough for us to finish landing or retreat."
"Or to get hit during the transfer," Bogess said quietly.
"We can break that part of the operation off at almost any time," Pahner replied with a shrug. "As long as Rastar does his job and the screen stays alert, we're golden."