He listened as the slow, melancholy sound of women’s voices drifted through the night. A funeral dirge, he realized finally. A dirge for the men who were killed today. For the men we killed today
The Star Watchman remained motionless as he listened to the weird, haunting music. But his mind was churning endlessly and again he saw the charging Komani warriors, heard the shouted orders, the blasts of weapons, the screams of men in battle. Now he realized that these warriors—these men—were also sons and fathers who feared death as much as anyone. What was it the old priest had said? They have souls.
The dirge ended at last, and one of the campfires suddenly blazed into a huge pyre. Vorgens watched as the flames soared skyward and then, slowly, slowly, died down into nothingnessAfter the funeral pyre had faded completely, Vorgens found himself looking up at the stars overhead. The airglow and the glare of the campfires made it impossible to see any but the nearest, brightest stars. Vorgens knew that the Pleiades were too far away to be seen, and then he realized, with a sudden shock, that he did not even know just where in the skies of Shinar they would appear.
“Can you see your home star?”
Vorgens turned to find Sittas standing beside him. “No,” he answered. “I don’t even know where to look for it.”
“Are your men comfortable?”
“They’ve eaten and now they’re asleep.”
Sittas nodded. “Would you like to talk? I have many questions on my mind. Or perhaps you are tired from today’s—events.”
“No, I couldn’t sleep if I tried. I have some questions, too.”