Free lastkingsamazon by Chris Northern Page A

course, a family member who was a powerful sorcerer was a useful ally, though the colleges had first claim on such an individual's loyalty.
    “ Thank you for your hospitality.” It seemed the polite thing to say and I hoped I would get some insight into why their attitude had changed from edge of rude, through indifference to this.
    “ You are welcome, of course. If you and your men are to protect us on the battlefield, it seems only right that we be well acquainted.”
    “ So that I am motivated to do a good job?”
    Larner smiled thinly. “Just so.”
    It was a lie. I knew it was a lie and so did he. We were six men, our duties were a courtesy and little more. A battle mage isn't in much immediate danger on the field and they are, after all, battle mages. They can look after themselves. They didn't need us. I had been making a joke. Why would he leap on such an obvious untruth? Did everybody think I was stupid?
    “ I'm sure you are all quite experienced and able to keep yourselves out of harm's way.”
    His smiled stayed frozen. “By way of contrast, I understand this is your first military expedition.”
    “ First practical experience, yes.”
    “ Oh? Is there any other kind?” The fat one, Abrat, chipped in.
    “ Much of war is strategy, tactics and mistakes. Knowledge, in fact. I read a great deal.”
    The old one, Hettar, hunched forward, eyes bright. “Who have you read, young man?”
    “ Everyone,” I told him, truthfully. “I have read everything there is to read on the subject in every language I know.”
    Hettar was smiling openly now, “And whose ideas do you most respect?”
    “ Mine.”
    He laughed out loud and his companions joined him more politely.
    “ Tell us about them, please,” by his tone it was clear that Abrat expected to hear nothing new. He might as well have asked me outright not to speak on the subject.
    “ Every encounter should have a purpose and it is not my purpose here to share the product of my cogitations on the subject.”
    “ Ha!” Hettar couldn't restrain himself. “So, this is an encounter! We are at odds! Who's winning?”
    I smiled in as light-hearted a way as I could manage. “Maybe it is my purpose that we negotiate a truce, or an alliance.”
    Hettar turned to Larner. “Told you he wasn't stupid.”
    Larner shrugged. “Let's call it a truce and have some dinner. Duck in an orange sauce,” the food began to appear even as he spoke, “and a few other nibbles. Water?”
    I was never going to make a point of it, but confirmed to the slave who served me that water would be welcome.
    Round one. A draw I could live with. I'd learned something and so had they. One, they knew full well who I was and had different opinions about me. Two, they wanted to know more, hence the round-about invitation. Three was just a question, why did they want to know more and why now? Sapphire was my father's tool and the day after Sapphire arrived they wanted to talk to me for the first time; was he meddling? And what had they learned; that I wasn't actually mentally impaired? I might be merely arrogant. They hadn't learned much. Not yet.
    I ate some duck, drank a little water.
    “ What do you think of Urindas Het's Military Commentary?” Abrat brought the subject back to my arrogant assertion, clearly probing.
    “ The general who seeks to win makes many calculations before the battle is fought. The general who is to lose makes but few calculations beforehand. Many calculations lead to victory, few lead to defeat.” I shrugged. “Elementary in many ways, but one wonders how he thinks that anyone can know how well an enemy general has thought things through. True, he speaks of intelligence gathering and disinformation but the fact is unless we have faced an opponent before and have experience of him we cannot possibly know how well or poorly he will do the job. So, what is Urindas actually saying? Try and think of everything? Make as many plans as you can? Nothing a functioning