“Sisoka and the Wolf Soldiers do not agree with your ambition?” Doc asked.
“Not in practice. We used to talk about it, she and I, at night” Joe broke off, and his eyes reflected a painful memory. “Sisoka believes that the energies are holy, the life source, the heart of Grandmother Earth. To manipulate them, even for a good cause, is arrogance, blasphemy. She fears that mortals cannot hope to command such power without incurring devastating results.”
“The cure might be worse than the disease?” Mildred commented with a rueful smile.
“Such is her fear. I maintain that this valley is living evidence the energies can be manipulated successfully, beneficially.”
Jak shuddered. “Crazy talk gives me creeps.”
Seating his spectacles more comfortably on his nose, J.B. asked, “So what do you want us to do, Joe? Go over to the lair of the Wolf Soldiers and chill them all, the ones on two and four legs both?”
Joe looked dismayed and even a little shocked. “I don’t want to exterminate them. It’s simply that they must allow the Cavern Keepers to fulfill our purpose and duties and the ancient vow to Ah-badt-dadt-deah. However, I’m not ruling out any course of action.”
J.B.’s practical mind zeroed in on tactics. “How much of this valley do you Cavern Keepers hold?”
“Only this southern quarter, and a few other places near the river.”
“How long have you been at war?” Krysty asked.
“We’ve been observing an armed truce, at least until last night. But now blood has been spilled, and that means they’re willing to kill to prevent us from entering the cavern. That means we must do the same. Sisoka must have followed me to Amicus to block my attempt to recruit you. She failed when she failed to kill you, Ochinee, and they failed last night. Now, though I regret it, open warfare begins.”
“How many people live in this valley?” J.B. asked.
“A little over a thousand. My faction is in the minority. Only my blaster tipped the scales and allowed us to drive away the Wolf Soldiers and occupy the city. However, we can’t put more than three hundred warriors into the field. The Wolf Soldiers not only outnumber us in manpower, but they have an equal number of wolves as allies.”
“Pretty stiff odds,” said J.B. “But if you drove them away with one blaster, we could really raise hell with ours.”
Ryan nodded. “If the Wolf Soldiers have only bows and arrows and knives and spears”
“And fangs and claws,” interjected Jak.
“Then we should be able to adjust their advantage in numbers. No one has blasters at all?”
“No. Except for my rifle, Ti-Ra’-Wa is firearm free.”
Ryan pursed his lips. “The best tactic is a frontal assault, under the cover of night. Hose our firepower around, make a lot of noise, mebbe scare them off without a great loss of life.”
Joe grunted doubtfully. “Our warriors might not follow you if you stage a direct attack so near to the cavern. They’re afraid of Sisoka.”
“Why?” Jak demanded.
“As the daughter of a Guardian, even one who hasn’t been initiated, she is suspected of being a warden of the power in the cavern. That’s a superstition, of course.”
J.B. looked exasperated, “How can we lead a campaign for you when your own people are controlled by superstition?”
Jak suddenly stood. “Let’s leave triple-stupe place. Fuck gold. Fuck cave.”
“The best strategy is to capture Sisoka,” Joe said hastily.
“You don’t want her chilled?” Ryan asked.
“You’re warriors, not assassins. If that’s what I wanted, I could have done it long ago. Besides, killing her would so infuriate the Wolf Soldiers they would never recognize my claim, even if they were defeated in fair battle. No, I think a few of us should penetrate their lair by night and seize Sisoka. Her wolf would lead us secretly and safely to her.”
Doc chuckled. “Putting our trust in a wolf flies in the face of the lessons of folklore. What would be the creature’s inducement to cooperate?”
Joe smiled mirthlessly. “Freeing him from bondage, of course. The wolves prefer death to captivity.”
“We empathize,” Krysty remarked. “But it sounds like a complicated plan. Dangerous as hell, too.”