Free Sorcerer's Moon by Julian May Page A

Master Shaman said, 'terrify the foe, and give our troops needed encouragement. Later on, if we manufacture more Destroyers fromthis second Moon Crag, the limitation will no longer be a serious factor.'
    'First, we must reach the second Crag,' the old Conservator pointed out.
    'Quite right!' said mighty Ugusawnn. 'Our valiant prospecting force was decimated before attaining the Barren Lands Crag, thwarted by arctic elements, harsh terrain, and the withholding of the Lights' favor. At the very threshold of success, our warriors met catastrophe at the hands of a single Tarnian witch-doctor!'
    The Conservator spoke with reproach. 'Are we seriously considering a new expedition to Demon Seat in Cathra? Only look at the map laid out before you, colleagues. . . How can even the best and bravest of our people hope to penetrate this well-guarded region of enemy territory? They would have to fight every inch of the way from Skellhaven on the coast, then crawl up a colossal mountain peak.'
    'Humans climbed the mountain.' The Judge selected a juicy mollusk from a bowl of refreshments and popped it into his mouth. 'Kalawnn said so. Why can't our warriors do the same?'
    'Humans are more agile than we,' the Conservator said. 'The very puniness of their bodies works to their advantage, and -'
    The Supreme Warrior had been scowling ferociously, deep in thought. Now he interrupted without apology. 'Colleagues, listen to me! Most of our seasoned fighters are fetched up in the Green Morass of northern Didion, unable to advance further. Only untested reserves are available to us here in Moss. To attack Demon Seat now would require an army of many thousands - virtually all the troops we have in training - and there is no certainty of success. The terrain is rough, with few suitable waterways to ease our passage to the mountain. It would be impossible for our warriors to travel overit quickly. I cannot recommend that we move upon the second Moon Crag. Not until we are much stronger . . . and the humans much weaker.'
    'What do you recommend?' the First Judge inquired.
    The Supreme Warrior said, 'We should carry out the strategic action that Peladawnn and I were in the process of explaining when Kalawnn joined us.'
    'What is this plan?' the Master Shaman asked.
    The Salka general took up the golden pointer left behind by the military strategist and began to indicate features on the map.
    'I propose that we immediately abandon our unsuccessful push through the Beacon River Valley. It was an excellent scheme, but it has failed for reasons we could not anticipate. I propose that the regular army should now withdraw to the north coast, feigning a return to Moss. However, the force will actually set out to circumnavigate Tarn - thus! - moving north around the Lavalands Peninsula and then westward, using the greatest stealth to ensure that our warriors are not detected by human ships. Meanwhile, our keen young reserves will swim southward from here in Moss, past Didion and Cathra, into the Dolphin Channel, where they will turn west. At the Western Ocean they will proceed north to Terminal Bay near the disputed frontier between Tarn and Didion. There the united army will regroup and launch a new offensive.'
    'But the time factor -' the Conservator protested. 'It will take no more than half a moon to get both forces into position,' Ugusawnn said. 'Plenty of time before the really severe winter weather rolls in. We'll vanquish all human settlements on Terminal Bay in short order - even without using a Destroyer. Then, while the reserves hold the bay secure, our regular army force invades Didion via the Dennech and Shadow Rivers and the Tweenwater marshes.'
    'I like it!' the First Judge enthused.
    'The pirate strongholds of Terminal Bay have fleets of well-armed gunboats and a few fighting frigates,' the Warrior went on, placing tiny model ships into position by way of demonstration. 'They'd have to be vanquished promptly before they were reinforced by the