Ushulubang then came to Indira’s side. With Ushulubang was one of the Pilgrim warriors, older than the others. Although Indira could not interpret specifically the clan carvings on her cowl (which had all the arcane intricacies of medieval heraldry), Indira was sure that this new gukuy was of some high-ranked Ansha clan.
Ushulubang immediately confirmed her guess.
“Inudira, this is Ghodha. She is a new Pilgrim. Until our flight from Shakutulubac, she was a high commander in the Ansha legions. She is the most experienced war leader amongst the Pilgrims.”
Ghodha made the gesture of respect. More properly, since the gesture of respect was generic, she made that specific version of the gesture of respect which signified respect by a high subordinate of one realm toward the august ruler of another.
In return, Indira bowed. Her bow contained none of the subtleties of Ghodha’s gesture, however. Indira had realized that the humans would have to develop appropriate gestures with which to respond to gukuy, and so she had instituted the bow. The bow given to gukuy as a gesture of respect, however, was different from the one given to the owoc at the time of feeding. Much shallower—closer to an exaggerated nod than a deep bow. And she had insisted that there be no gradations in the bow.
But, as she had known would happen, the gradations were creeping in regardless. And she had immediately noted the different gesture which Jens Knudsen was using toward Nukurren, and which was almost immediately adopted by the other human warriors. The fact that the gesture resembled, in its outward appearance, the humble hand-clasping of a medieval monk toward an abbot did not fool her for a moment.
Within a generation, she thought wearily, we’ll be a proper bunch of samurai and mandarins.
“You are distressed, Inudira,” commented Ushulubang. “May I ask why?”
Indira stared. She had already come to recognize that Ushulubang was easily the most intelligent person—human or gukuy—that Indira had ever met in her life. But she was still astonished by the old sage’s uncanny ability to interpret subtle nuances of human body language.
“I—it is difficult to explain.”
Ushulubang gestured toward the training field.
“Would it ease your spirit if we desisted from this action?”
Indira immediately shook her head. “No, no. You will be a big help for my—children. I should have thought of it myself.”
Then why didn’t you? she asked herself. The idea was obvious.
But she knew the answer. Because I cannot bear the future I can see—no matter where I look.
“It is what will come of this that disturbs you,” said Ushulubang.
Indira nodded.
“I believe I understand. Some day we must speak on this matter, Inudira.”
Again, she nodded. But her nod contained, in some subtle way, the implication of hopeless resignation; and she knew the sage recognized it.
She tried to shake off the black mood.
“What is your opinion?” she asked the war leader Ghodha, pointing to the training field.
Ghodha hesitated.
“I would prefer to reserve my opinion, for the moment. I am not familiar with the tactical methods and abilities of dem—ummun.”
Indira turned and gazed back onto the training field. By now, the human platoons were fully engaged in maneuvers with the Pilgrims. The Pilgrims were arrayed in a tightly knit formation. In essence, it was a phalanx. But Indira saw that the phalanx was much shallower in depth than the formations of the ancient Greeks and Macedonians. The difference, of course, was due to the weapons involved. The many-ranked phalanxes of Hellenic warriors had been designed to take advantage of the great reach of their long spears and pikes. The Utuku, using flails, were limited to a three-deep formation.
“Is that how the Utuku fight?” she asked Ghodha.
“Yes. It is very crude and primitive, and allows for no subtlety of maneuvers. But if the discipline is sufficient—and Utuku discipline is like bronze—then their—” Ghodha hesitated. “I do not know the Enagulishuc word. The Utuku call this formation a kabu buxt. We Ansha call it arrut kudh pakta.”
Arrut kudh pakta. Indira made the translation. Crest of the shell, essentially.
“We call it a phalanx,” she said.
“Falanuksh,” repeated Ghodha. “With their great numbers, and discipline, the Utuku can be a terrible foe. Many armies have broken against them.”
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