Free Path of the Eclipse by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro Page B

bowed in the Frankish manner to Chih-Yü. “Warlord T’en,” he said most politely. “You have favored this person with the opportunity to serve you.”
    She did not quite smile, but there was a flicker at the tails of her eyes that showed her appreciation of his conduct. “Earlier today you suggested that we might dig a ditch around the stronghold. You indicated that your experience has shown you that such a ditch is one method of defending against cavalry attack. Since we are all three of us aware that we stand in considerable danger of just such an attack, I would appreciate it if you would enlarge on your comments.”
    Jui Ah braced one hand on his belt, every line of him showing derision. “A ditch is a waste of time. I’ve told you that before. We must double the thickness of the walls and make them higher.”
    “Oh, yes,” Saint-Germain agreed. “That is also desirable. But it is also sensible to take certain precautions, wouldn’t you agree? If the Mongols do not reach the walls, it is easier to pick them off, isn’t it?” He waited for Jui Ah to speak, and when the captain remained stubbornly silent, he went on. “A ditch, dug completely around the stronghold, will make it more difficult for the mounted soldiers to approach, and may throw them into some disorder. All of that is advantageous to us. The ditch should be fairly deep—certainly as deep as a tall man, and more if possible. It should be wider than a horse can comfortably jump. There should be loose rocks and gravel on the inner wall of the ditch so that once the horses are in, they cannot easily get out. Sharpened stakes planted at the top of the inner rim of the ditch are also useful, for then, should a rider get his horse up the inner wall, he will not be able to approach the stronghold. All this won’t take the place of the men of this stronghold, and it will be their skill that will save us, but these things will delay them and that will get us the time that the stronghold militia must have to defeat the attackers.” He hoped that he had given sufficient praise for Jui Ah’s vanity.
    Chih-Yü was seated once more and she spread out a map of the stronghold and the pass. “Tell me, Shih Ghieh-Man, where would you dig this ditch, if you were the one to give the order.”
    Though Saint-Germain had long since decided where such a ditch must be dug, he made a show of considering the map and pondering the terrain, even going to the window and staring out for a moment. Finally he went to the table where the map was spread. “I would begin it here, where the ridge dips before rising to the stronghold. I would keep it fairly far from the walls here, where the hill is steep, but would bring it in closer here, where the ground is flatter. We do not want to give them much area in which to gather once inside the limits of the ditch. If there is too much room, they can mount a charge and the whole purpose of the ditch will be lost.”
    Chih-Yü studied the map where Saint-Germain had run his finger. “There is a stream that runs here in spring,” she remarked. “It would cut through the walls of your ditch.”
    “Then dig the ditch inside the path of the stream. In fact, you may want to build a retaining wall between the ditch and the stream so that the ditch may be flooded.” He thought to himself that he had now persuaded them to accept a moat. How best to describe a drawbridge? He had seen many of them over rivers and canals, but only one fortress he knew of had used a drawbridge as part of its defense, and that fortress was far to the east, near the coast.
    “First you want us to dig a ditch for you, and now you’re telling us to divert a stream,” Jui Ah said with arrogant spite. “Is this part of your foreign knowledge, or are you trusting to our simplicity? We are not fools because we choose to live away from the cities, and you cannot deceive us with your plans.”
    Saint-Germain looked at the captain with steady eyes. “I am not