“I am honored by your trust,” she said.
Suddenly, the demon rose partly erect. His stick-peds (legs, Nukurren had learned) were strangely bent, and he rested on the joints. He clasped together his forelimb extremities (hands) and nodded his head. Nukurren immediately understood that Dzhenushkunutushen was reciprocating the unnudh wap kottu. It did not seem a practiced gesture, and she thought that the demon had invented it on the spot.
Her surmises were confirmed.
They are terrible in war, yet they are not really warriors. They use the tactics of barbarians, yet they are more civilized than Anshac. Their arts and crafts are crude, judging from the poorly built hospital, yet their knowledge seems immense. They are a mystery beyond any I have ever encountered.
“Your tactics are crude and stupid. That would not matter, if your numbers were great. Against equal numbers of gukuy warriors, of any people, you will always win, because you are so much faster. After a time, however, when gukuy become accustomed to your skills, you will suffer losses which you cannot afford. Against Kiktu, you will always do well because the Kiktu fight much as you do. Stupidly. Against a good Anshac legion, you would be defeated by the third battle. Against an excellent legion, by the second. You have no chance against the Utuku. The Utuku tactics are crude, but they always send huge numbers into battle, and they are highly disciplined. You will break against them.”
The white of Dzhenushkunutushen’s mantle (no, the demons call it “skin,”) was flushed with pink.
He is embarrassed, interpreted Nukurren, but this time, I think, he is not pleased.
The demon took a deep breath.
“I guess I asked for that,” he said softly, looking down at the ground. He raised his eyes. As always, Nukurren was struck by their dazzling color.
“Can our chances be improved?” he asked.
Nukurren made the gesture of uncertainty.
“The question has no simple answer. It depends on many things. Some of these go far beyond battle methods. But—insofar as your question involves tactics, the answer is: perhaps.”
“Perhaps? Why—perhaps?”
“Because the true question you must ask of yourself. Are demons willing to learn? Or are they as full of their pride as most gukuy?”
Suddenly, Dzhenushkunutushen was laughing, and making that side-to-side motion of his head which Nukurren had learned was the demon gesture of negation.
“You still do not understand, Nukurren. We are not demons. We are ummun, and barely beyond childhood. If there is one thing we know how to do well, it is learn.”
Nukurren was unconvinced. “Of you, that may be true. But I do not think it is true of your kapitanu, Yoshefadenukunula.”
Again, Dzhenushkunutushen made the gesture of negation.
“You do not understand him, Nukurren. It is his color which confuses you. You think he is implacable. He is actually the most uncertain of us all, but because we depend on him so, can never show it.”
Nukurren was silent, unconvinced.
“You will see,” said Dzhenushkunutushen.
That night, in the hospital, Dhowifa prattled happily of the events of the day. Again, as had been true since they arrived among the ummun, Dhowifa had spent most of his time in the company of Ushulubang. Only at night did he return to the hospital.
Nukurren did not begrudge Dhowifa his absences. It had been the worst of Dhowifa’s pain when they fled Shakutulubac, other than losing his malebond, to lose the company of Ushulubang. And now he had found her again, and was able to spend entire days in the sage’s company, instead of a few hours snatched from under the watchful eyes of the Ansha.
On this night, however, Nukurren would have preferred it if Dhowifa had been silent. His incessant chatter was distracting her from her own thoughts, which were focussed on the problem Dzhenushkunutushen had set before her.
By what tactics could a few demons defeat the Utuku hordes?
That night, Nukurren found no answer. But she did find many useful questions.
The next day, and for five days thereafter, she squatted silently by the training field, watching the demon exercises. She said nothing to Dzhenushkunutushen, and he, as if guided by some unspoken understanding, said nothing to her.