He looked very sick, and as he spoke his eyes watered. Chaldez thought of Regdag, Vanchis, Saminad . . . and Oogkal, implicated, so wrongly he believed, in the attempted assassination. He was surely as much a casualty of the war as anyone.
"You still trust the Murak?" he said, thinking aloud.
"Eh?"
Chaldez was forced to repeat his remark, louder this time. Sigmar's response was alarming. "I will not have my judgment questioned! Does no one respect me any more? Don't think I have forgotten how to teach people respect."
Chaldez realised with a shock that although weak he was still dangerous. It was as though a furnace raged inside him, and he began to doubt if anything at all could dampen it. He tried to pacify him. "It isn't respect we lack," he said. "If we lack anything it is the willingness to see you murdered."
Sigmar was pretending to be deaf. "What's that?"
Chaldez became exasperated. "We respect you," he said loudly. "Of course we respect you. And some of us don't want to see you murdered."
Sigmar grunted. He appeared to be satisfied with that. "Come and see me before you leave tomorrow," he said. "And I trust you will find that the Murak hasn't murdered me in the night."
Chaldez called on him as requested. Sigmar was in his bed, looking a bit old and crumpled. "Some people" he said, "grow careless when they believe a thing to be nearly over." He looked up at Chaldez, his expression severe. "War is always dangerous. Be wary, Zakarrah. Don't die needlessly, eh? I would be very disappointed in you if they have to tell me that you are dead. I am letting you finish this thing off on condition that you come back."
Chaldez smiled. "Whatever the gods wish. They have allowed me to come this far and I hope they permit me to go farther yet. But I give you my word: if I die it will not be of my choosing!"
Sigmar was amused by that, and as he shook his hand he said "I like you Zakarrah."
Chaldez left the capital at the head of the same force which had accompanied him across Morden Mire, and all the way to Bodegan he and his small army saw at what cost the Theigans had satiated their greed for gold and the Muraks had made their conquests. Along the road, heading away from the hills in groups came men, women and children who had been put to work in the mines. They stood to one side as the army passed but made no other acknowledgement of its presence, and Chaldez could hardly bring himself to look at them. Their clothes were in shreds, and the limbs that protruded from them were no more than skin and bone. Eyes, sunk in gaunt, grey faces, were listless and dull and spoke of suffering with unbearable eloquence.
"They've not been fed!" Chaldez exclaimed to Dan, riding at his side.
Dan said "Did you expect them to be?"
Chaldez wondered what he meant. Dan elaborated. "You yourself stopped the grain getting into Kroya. You destroyed the convoys - and you are surprised now that they are hungry!"
"If I had known . . . " Chaldez began, but it was useless to go on. He had known; he had made his decision knowing its consequences, and he wished he could remember why.
The royal castle of Budenrath stands on a low hill a little distance from the town which shares its name. The town was silent and deserted, but the sound of music and voices could be heard coming from the castle, and there, surrounding it, were the townspeople. Havil and his court were trapped.
The army was greeted with cheers and shouts; the mood was festive. Chaldez was considering his next move when a banner and a group of people appeared behind the battlements above the gatehouse and presently a horn was sounded. The besieging townsfolk became quite. A voice rang out. Chaldez recognised it as Havil's. He spoke Theigan, and and as soon as his words were recognised as such by the crowd they were drowned by angry shouts. The horn sounded again, the crowd became attentive, and another voice spoke, this time in Kroyan. Chaldez supposed that Havil, despite so many years on the Kroyan throne was unable to speak the native tongue and was using an interpreter. He spoke again and this time was permitted to proceed.
"I am your king," he said. "You people are my subjects and I demand your allegiance."
His words were translated, and provoked an instant uproar. The horn sounded again, and Havil's tone, when next he spoke was less imperious. "I have been a good king to you," he said. "We have all shared Kroya's wealth," and when they understood what he was saying, the crowd made known their disagreement. Havil pressed on. "Your land has been invaded by the usurper Sigmar, murderer of woman and children. He is your enemy; it is I who am your friend, your guardian, your protector. This army in your midst will turn on you and kill you! To arms, my people! Drive the invader into the sea, and I will reward you with greater wealth than you ever dreamed of." His words were translated, and were heard in silence. Chaldez and Dan exchanged glances. Havil grew bolder. "Sair was ever the enemy of your nation. Sigmar, the usurper murdered your unhappy princess Shansi, whose nephew I am. Yes, my beloved grandfather was Taigram your king! But all this you know. That is why you must now preserve me against our enemies. To arms I say! To arms!"
The translation was again heard in silence, but when it finished the crowd made no move. Havil began to scream, demanding instant action. Chaldez again looked at Dan, and was astonished. Dan, his bow raised, was drawing back an arrow. There was a thwack and it was soaring towards Havil and his attendants, and Dan uttered a curse as it hit the wall below them. Quickly he fitted another arrow, and this time every eye was on its flight, and Havil, unaware of what was going on, continued his wild declamations. The second arrow found a target among his unsuspecting attendants. Havil was silenced, and an instant later there was a deafening roar from the crowd surrounding his castle. The figures above the gatehouse quickly withdrew.
Chaldez turned his attention to the gates, and decided that he had sufficient manpower to pull them down. All he needed were some chains, and he was wondering where he might find some when he thought he saw a movement. In another instant he knew he had; one of the gates was being pushed open. There was a traitor in the castle. Shouting to Dan, he spurred his horse into a gallop, and reaching the gates he saw that the opening was wide enough to admit a man on his horse. He passed through, Dan close behind him.