open. Nayiit stepped around him and drew the boy in, sliding the doors
closed behind them. Cehmai nodded his question.
"Uanat was asking if we had any other hooks," NIaati said.
"You have nll of them," the boy said, awe in his voice.
Maati chuckled, and then felt the mirth and simple pleasure fade. The
shelves and crates, boxes and piled volumes surrounded them.
"Yes," lie said. "Yes, we have all of them."
19
"I low many do we have?" Otah asked.
The bows had been made for killing bears. Each one stood taller than a
man, the bow itself made of ash and horn, the drawstring of wire. It
took a man sitting down and using both legs to draw it back. The arrows
were blackened oak shafts as long as short spears. The tips-usually a
wide, crossed head like twined knives-had been replaced by hard steel
points made to punch through metal. The chief huntsman of the Khai
Cetani nudged one with his toe, spat, and looked out through the trees
toward the road below them.
"'Iwo dozen," he said. His voice had a \Vestern drawl. "Sixty shafts,
more or Tess."
"More or less the Khai Cetani demanded.
"We're fashioning more, Most I ligh," the huntsman said.
"I low many men do we have who can use them?" (bah asked. "It won't
matter if we have a thousand bows if there's only five men who can aim
them."
"Bear hunters are rare," the huntsman said. ""There aren't any old ones."
"I low many?"
"Fight who are good. "Twice that who know how the bow works. With
practice ..."
The Khai Cetani frowned deeply, and turned to Otah. Otah chewed at the
inside of his lip and looked down and to the east. The trees here were
thick, unlike the plains nearer to the newly abandoned city where the
need for lumber had created new-made meadows. The leaves were red and
gold, bright as fire. The days were still warm enough at their height,
but the nights were cold and getting colder. Soon it would be freezing
before morning, and soon after that-a week, ten days-it wouldn't be
thawing by midday.
"We have two and a half thousand men," Otah said. "And you're telling me
only eight can work these things?"
"They're not good for much apart from hunting big animals that need
killing fast. And there aren't many who care to do that, if they can
help it," the huntsman said. "Why learn something with no use?"
Otah squatted and took one of the bows in his hand. It was heavier than
it looked. It would be able to throw the bolts hard. Otah wondered how
close they could afford to get to the road. Too far back, and the trees
would offer as much protection to the Galts as cover for Otah's men. Too
close, and they'd be seen before the time came. It wouldn't take much
skill to hit the belly of a steam wagon if you were near enough. He
tossed the how from hand to hand as he weighed the risks.
"Go ask for volunteers," Otah said. "Ask on both sides of the road.