Leonid Plekhanov, Joseph Chessman, Barry Watson, Khan Reif and several
of the Tulan army staff stood on a small knoll overlooking a valley of
several square miles. A valley dominated on all sides but the sea by
mountain ranges.
Reif and the three Earthlings were bent over a military map depicting
the area. Barry Watson traced with his finger.
"There are only two major passes into this valley. We have this one,
they dominate that."
Plekhanov was scowling, out of his element and knowing it. "How many men
has Mynor been able to get together?"
Watson avoided looking into the older man's face. "Approximately half a
million according to Hawkins' estimate. He flew over them this morning."
"Half a million!"
"Including the nomads, of course," Joe Chessman said. "The nomads fight
more like a mob than an army."
Plekhanov was shaking his massive head. "Most of them will melt away if
we continue to avoid battle. They can't feed that many men on the
countryside. The nomads in particular will return home if they don't get
a fight soon."
Watson hid his impatience. "That's the point, sir. If we don't break
their power now, in a decisive defeat, we'll have them to fight again,
later. And already they've got iron swords, the crossbow and even a few
muskets. Given time and they'll all be so armed. Then the fat'll be in
the fire."
"He's right," Joe Chessman said sourly.
Reif nodded his head. "We must finish them now, if we can. The task will
be twice as great next year."
Plekhanov grumbled in irritation. "Half a million of them and something
like forty thousand of our Tulans."
Reif corrected him. "Some thirty thousand Tulans, all infantrymen." He
added, "And eight thousand allied cavalry only some of whom can be
trusted." Reif's ten-year-old son came up next to him and peered down at
the map.
"What's that child doing here?" Plekhanov snapped.
Reif looked into the other's face. "This is Taller Second, my son. You
from First Earth have never bothered to study our customs. One of them
is that a Khan's son participates in all battles his father does. It is
his training."
Watson was pointing out features on the map again. "It will take three
days for their full army to get in here." He added with emphasis, "In
retreat, it would take them the same time to get out."
Plekhanov scowled heavily. "We can't risk it. If we were defeated, we
have no reserve army. We'd have lost everything." He looked at Joe
Chessman and Watson significantly. "We'd have to flee back to the
_Pedagogue_."
Reif's face was expressionless.
Barry Watson looked at him. "We won't desert you, Reif, forget about
that aspect of it."