“Yes,” Altai answered with a slight smile, “I saw the fire.”
“And where is your uncle?” Merdon asked.
“He wanted to come, but I thought it would be better f he remained further back in the hills. The front line is no place for a man of his years.”
“True enough.”
“I’m not in the way, am I?” Altai asked. “Did I interrupt?”
“No,” Tarat said, “We were just leaving. There’s nothing remaining to be done now except wait for the dawn’s first light.”
“Good luck then,” Altai said to the four lieutenants as they filed out of the dugout.
When the last of them was out of earshot, Merdon took both her hands in his and said, “I’m glad you came, I was worried about you.”
“We saw the Watchman back safely to the Terran forces.”
“It was a foolish thing for you to do. Foolish -and futile.”
“Perhaps,” she answered. “But I had to do it.”
“And yet you came back to fight against him.”
“Not against him, Merdon. For Shinar. No matter how much we differ about the Watchman, we are still together on the basic fact—Shinar will be free.”
While Merdon and Altai talked away the final hour before dawn, six Komani warriors huddled together in a trench not far from the Shinarian command post.
“Every one of the Shinarians is here except the old priest,” said one of the warriors.
Another of the warriors nodded. “I cannot find him anywhere.”
“Then according to Lord Okatar’s command,” said the first, “he is the one responsible for the fire at camp.”
“Tes. I must find him, wherever he is hiding, and kill him.”
The six huge, cat-faced warriors agreed with solemn nods.