iron needs hard coal. It's why the Galts buy their steel from Eddensea."
"And how long would it take them to reach Amnat-Tan if they were using
these?"
"I've no way to know, Most High," Saya said taking a pose of apology.
"I've never seen one working."
Otah nodded to himself. His head almost ached, but he could feel himself
putting one thing with another like seeing fish moving below glass-clear
ice.
"Otah-cha?" Nayiit said. "What is it?"
Otah looked up, and was surprised to find himself grinning.
"Tell the men to rest until midday. We'll start hack to the main force
after that."
Nayiit took an accepting pose. But as they walked away, Otah saw him
exchange confused glances with the blacksmith. Back at their little
camp, Ashua Radaani was organizing a pile of books. He took a pose of
greeting, but his expression was grim. Otah stood beside him, hands
pulled into the sleeves of his robes, and considered the volumes.
""Phis is everything," Radaani said. "Fourteen hooks out of the greatest
library in the world."
Otah glanced at the mouth of the high offices. He tried to guess how
much knowledge had been lost there, vanished from the world and never to
been found again. Nayiit put a thick, dirty hand reverently on the stack
before him.
"I can only read half of them," Radaani said. "The others are too old, I
think. One or two from the First Empire."
"We'll take them to Maati and Cehmai," Otah said. "Maybe they'll he of use."
"We're going back to Machi?" Radaani said.
""Those who'd like to, yes. The rest will come with me to Cetani. I'm
going to meet with the Khai Cetani. We'll have to hurry, though. The
Gaits will he taking the long way, and sacking Amnat-Tan while they're
at it. I hope that will give us the time we need."
"You have a plan, Most High?" Radaani sounded dubious.
"Not yet," Otah said. "But when I do, it'll be better than my last one.
I don't expect many men to follow me. A few will suffice. If they're loyal."
"We could make for "Ian-Sadar," Radaani said. "If it's allies we need,
they're closer."
"We don't, or at least not as badly as we need rough roads and an early
winter."
Radaani didn't show any sign of understanding the comment, he only took
a pose of acceptance.
"'T'hat does sounds more like Cetani, Most High. I'll have the men ready
to go at midday."
Otah took a pose that acknowledged Radaani's words and walked hack to
the cart where Saya had found him. The wheat gruel had gone cold and
sticky but it was still as sweet. In his mind, he was already on his way
to Cetani. The road between Cetani and Machi wasn't one he had traveled
often; he had kept to the South in the years he had been a courier, and
the Khaiem had always been reluctant to meet one another, preferring to
send envoys and girl children to wed. Nonetheless, he had traveled it.