The Horse Barbarians

“That’s what I like about Pyrrans,” Jason said, as they carried him from the launch on a stretcher, the glucose-drip bottle swinging next to his head. “They let you go to hell in your own way.”

Meta saw to it that it took a good while for the leaders of the expedition to gather. Jason, whose eyes had closed in the middle of a grumbled complaint, spent the time in a deep, restorative sleep. He woke up when the hum of conversation began to fill the wardroom.

“Meeting will come to order,” he said in what was intended to be a firm, commanding voice. It came out as a cracked whisper. He turned to Teca. “Before the meeting begins, I would like some syrup for my throat and a shot to wake me up. Can you take care of that?”

“Of course, I can,” Teca said, opening his kit. “But I think it unwise due to the strain already imposed on your system.” However, he did not let his thoughts interfere with the swift execution of his duties.

“That’s better,” Jason said as the drugs once more wiped away the barrier of fatigue. He would pay for this, but later. The work must be done now.

“I’ve found out the answers to some of our questions,” he told them. “Not all, but enough for a begi

“Impossible,” Kerk said.

“Perhaps. But it is better than the only other alternative, which is genocide. As things stand now, we would have to kill every one of those barbarians before we could be assured of establishing a settlement in peace.”

A depressed silence followed this statement. The Pyrrans knew what this meant because they were themselves unwilling genocide victims of their home planet.

“We will not consider genocide,” Kerk said, and the others unconsciously nodded their heads. “But your other alternative sounds too unreasonable.”

“Does it? You might recall that we are all here now because the mores, taboos and cultural motivations of your people have recently been turned upside down. What’s good enough for you is good enough for them. We bore from within, utilizing those two ancient techniques known as ‘Divide and rule’ and ‘If you can’t lick ‘em, join ‘em!”

“It would help us,” Rhes said, “if you explained what the mores exactly are that we are supposed to be disrupting.”

“Didn’t I tell you yet?” Jason searched his memory and realized that he hadn’t. In spite of the drugs, he was not thinking so clearly as he should. “Then let me explain. I have recently had an involuntary indoctrination into how the locals live. ‘Nastily’ is one word for it. They are broken up into tribes and clans, all of whom seem to be perpetually at war with the others. Occasionally two or more of the tribes will join together to wipe out one of the others whom they all agree needs wiping out. This is always done under the leadership of a warlord, someone smart enough to make an alliance and strong enough to keep it working. Ternuchin is the name of the chief who organized the tribes to destroy the John Company expedition. He is so good at his job that, instead of breaking up the alliance when the threat was over, he kept it going and has even added to it. The anti-city taboo appears to be one of the strongest they have, so it was easy to get recruits. He has kept his army busy ever since, consolidating more and more area under his control. When we arrived, it gave his recruiting an even bigger boost. Temuchin is our main problem. We can get nowhere so long as he is leading the tribes. The first thing we must do is to take away his reason for this holy war, and we can do that easily enough by leaving.”

“Are you sure that you are not feverish?” Meta asked.

“Thank you for the consideration, but I am fine. I mean we must convince the tribes that we have left. Another landing must be made on the same site and some sort of digging in got under way. Trouble will arrive quickly enough and we’ll have to fight them off to prove that we mean business. At the same time we will try to talk to them through loudspeakers, apparently to convince them of our peaceful intent. We’ll tell them all about the nice things we will give them if they let us alone. This will only make them fight harder. Then we will threaten to leave forever if they don’t stop. They won’t stop. So we blast off, straight up, and drop back to a hiding place in the mountains on a ballistic orbit so we won’t be seen. That is stage one.”

“I assume there is a stage two,” Kerk said with marked lack of enthusiasm, “for up to now it looks very much like a retreat.”

“That’s just the idea. In stage two we find an isolated spot in the mountains that simply ca

“What in the world for?” Meta asked.

“To form our own tribe, that’s what for. The fighting Pyrrans. Tougher, nastier and more faithful to the taboos than any other tribe. We’ll bore from within. We’ll be so good at the barbarian game that our chief, Kerk the Great, will be able to squeeze Temuchin out of the top job. I know you will be able to get the operation rolling before I return.”

“I did not know you were going,” Kerk said, his baffled expression mirrored by the others. ‘What are you pla

Jason plucked an invisible string in midair. “I,” he a

7

“If you laugh or even smile, I’ll break your arm,” Meta said through tightly clenched teeth.

Jason had to use every iota of his gambler’s facial control to maintain his bland, slightly bored expression. He knew she meant it about the broken arm. “I never laugh at a lady’s new clothes,” he said. “If I did, I would have split my sides many, many planets ago. I think you look fine for the job.”

“You would,” she hissed. “I think I look like some furry animal that has been run over by a ground car.”.

“Look, Grif is here,” he said, pointing. She automatically turned toward the door. It was a timely entrance because, now that she had mentioned it, she did look like.

“Well, Grif, come in, my boy!” Making believe that the wide grin and hearty laugh were for the grim-faced nine-year-old.

“I don’t like this,” Grif said, flushed and angry. “I don’t like looking fu

“All three of us do,” Jason said, aiming his remarks at the boy but hoping they would register with Meta. “And where we are going, it is the usual dress. Meta here is in the height of fashion among the plains tribes.” She was wrapped in stained leather and furs, her angry face scowling out from under a shapeless hood. He looked quickly away. “While you and I wear the indifferent motley of a jongleur and his apprentice. You’ll soon see how well we fit in.”

Time to change the subject from their ludicrous apparel. He looked closely at Crif’s face and hands, then at Meta’s.

“The ultraviolet and the ta