charming and warm enough to fill a room with his ironic half-smile. He
was the man who had brought down everything. "Thousands of people who
were alive in the spring were now dead or enslaved through this man's
ambition. Otah's first impulse was to keep anything about Danat away
from the man, because he was a Galt and the enemy.
His second impulse, as unreasoned as the first, was to tell Balasar the
truth, because in the few days since the surrender, he'd begun to like
the man.
"It's a cough," Otah said. "He's always had it, but it had been less
recently. We'd hoped it was gone, but ..."
He took a pose expressing regret and powerlessness before the gods.
Balasar seemed to take the sense of it.
"I have medics with me," the Galt said, gesturing over his back at the
wide, dark stone arch that led from the great vaulted chamber in which
they now met toward the south and the tunnels given over to the Galtic
army. "They have more experience with sewing men's fingers back on, but
they might he of use. If you'd accept them."
Otah hesitated, his unease washing back over him, then forced himself to
smile.
""That's very kind of you," he said, neither agreeing to anything nor
refusing. The Galt shrugged.
"And Sinja?" he asked.
"He sends his regards," Otah said, "hut he thought it best to withdraw
from company. Fear of reprisal."
"Ile's not wrong," Balasar said. "'T'hat man was many things, but he
wasn't stupid."
"I'm told your men have found places in the tunnels."
"It's a tight fit," the Galt said. "And there are going to he problems.
You can't make a peace just by saying it. People are angry. Yours and
mine both. They're grieving, and grieving people aren't sane. There
haven't been any fights yet, but there will he."
"I know it," Otah said. "We'll keep them apart as best we can. I've
given orders."
"I have too. As long as we're both clear, we can keep it from growing
out of control. At least before the thaw."
"And after that?"
The Galt sighed and nodded, as if agreeing with the question. His gaze
traveled up the walls, tracing the blue tile and the gold. Utah
gestured, and a servant boy scuttled forward from the shadows and poured
them each more tea. The Galt smiled at him, and the boy smiled back.
Balasar took his bowl of tea and blew across it before he spoke.
"I can't stop the High Council from coming back," Balasar said. "I'm
their general for this season. I don't own the army. And ... and since
this campaign ended with the gelding of every man who would cast the
vote, I doubt my voice will carry much with them."
Otah took a pose that accepted this statement.
"'There's an age of war coming for you," Balasar said. "You still have
some of the richest cities in the world, and you're still ripe for
plunder. Even if we don't come, there's Eymond, Eddensea, the Westlands.