Falana nodded. "He awakened suddenly and told me to follow when I had
this and that gathered together. The gods talk to him. Now that you've
had your fill of snooping, suppose you go on about your business!"
They went, leaving Verrill and Falana to sit up with the priest until
he was out of danger.
Within the hour, Verrill could have ridden off with the Fire of
Skanderbek. Instead, he made apologies to himself; he could not rob a
patient, or even collect his fee before he had really earned it.
* * * * *
Several days passed, and word of Verrill's having heard the voice of
the gods and so having gone to the shrine in time to save Kwangtan
gave him an enormous boost in prestige. He had the priest at least
halfway on the road to recovery when a courier brought news of another
outbreak on the border. He hesitated to leave his patient, and decided
to wait until the warring tribesmen made actual contact. As nearly as
he could analyze the report, both sides were still scouting, skulking,
maneuvering into positions suitable for the seizure of, or the defense
of, the valley that Ardelan claimed as his own.
There would not be a serious clash until both sides had completed
their infiltration whereby each planned to catch the other off guard,
and so precipitate a panic the result of which would be relatively
few casualties and a great deal of loot in the form of stampeded or
abandoned or lost animals.
These barbarians, Verrill told himself, had a warfare far more
civilized than had been that of The War, and also, a lot more
sensible--there was a result to show for the effort exerted, and a
profit instead of a mutual loss.
He decided to stay with his patient, and then by dint of hard riding
join Ardelan's son when there was immediately impending need.