bl.necroscope2-第8章

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　〃These　men　are　utterly　loyal　to　him！　See　how　proud　they　stand　beneath　his　banner？〃　the　senior　monk　would　have　whispered　in　that　sly　Greek　way。　〃It　could　be　a　nuisance。〃
　And　Vlad：　〃Does　it　trouble　you？　I　have　five　times　their　number　right　here　in　the　city。〃
　The　Greek：　〃But　these　men　have　been　tried　in　battle；　they　are　warriors　all！〃
　Vlad：　〃What　are　you　saying？　I　should　fear　him？　I've　Varyagi　blood　in　me　and　fear　no　man！〃
　Greek：　〃Of　course　you　don't。　But。。。　he　sets　himself　above　his　station；　this　one。　Can　we　not　find　him　a　task…him　and　a　handful　of　his　men…and　keep　the　rest　of　them　back　here　to　bolster　the　city's　defences？　This　way；　in　his　absence；　their　loyalty　will　surely　swing　more　rightly　to　you。〃
　And　Vladimir　Svyatoslavich's　eyes　narrowing　more　yet。　Then…his　nod　of　approval：　I　have　the　very　thing。　Yes；　and　I　believe　you're　right…best　to　be　rid　of　him。　These　Wallachs　are　a　tricky　lot。　Far　too　insular。。。〃　And　out　loud　to　the　Voevod：　〃Thibor；　I'm　honouring　you　tonight　at　the　palace。　You　and　five　of　your　best。　Then　you　can　tell　me　all　about　your　victories。　But　there'll　be　ladies　there；　so　see　you're　washed　and　leave　your　armour　in　your　lodgings　and　tents。〃
　With　a　stiff　little　bow　Thibor　backed　off；　went　down　the　steps　to　his　mount；　led　his　men　away。　At　his　mand；　as　they　left　the　square；　they　rattled　their　weapons　and　gave　a　single；　sharp；　ringing　shout：　〃Prince　Vladimir！〃　Then　they　were　gone　into　the　autumn　morning；　gone　into　Kiev；　called　the　City　at　the　Edge　of　the　Woods。。。
　Despite　the　disturbance；　the　unknown　intrusion；　the　Thing　in　the　ground　continued　to　dream。　Night　would　soon　fall；　and　Thibor　was　sensitive　to　night　as　a　rooster　is　to　the　dawn；　but　for　now　he　dreamed。
　That　night　at　the　palace…a　huge　place　with　stone　chimneys　in　every　room；　and　wood　fires　blazing；　sprinkled　with　aromatic　resins…Thibor　had　worn　clean　but　mon　clothes　under　a　rich　red　robe　taken　from　some　high…ranking　Pechenegi。　His　flesh　was　washed　and　perfumed；　tanned　like　leather；　and　his　forelocks　freshly　greased。　He　was　an　imposing　sight。　His　officers；　too；　were　spruce。　Though　they　obviously　stood　in　awe　of　him；　still　he　spoke　to　them　with　some　familiarity；　but　he　was　courteous　to　the　ladies；　attentive　to　the　Vlad。
　It　was　possible　（so　Thibor　had　later　reckoned）　that　the　prince　found　himself　in　two　minds：　the　Wallach　would　seem　to　have　proved　himself　a　warrior；　a　Voevod　indeed。　By　rights　he　should　be　made　a　Boyar；　given　lands　of　his　own。　A　man　will　fight　even　harder　if　he　fights　to　protect　that　which　is　his。　But　there　was　that　sombre　something　about　Thibor　which　the　Vlad　found　disquieting。　So　perhaps　his　Greek　advisors　were　right。
　〃Now　tell　me　how　you　dealt　with　the　Pechenegi；　Thibor　of　Wallachia；〃　Vladimir　finally　manded；　when　all　were　feasting。　Their　dishes　were　several：　Greek　sausages　wrapped　in　vine　leaves；　joints　roasted　in　the　Viking　fashion；　goulashes　steaming　in　huge　pots。　Meads　and　wines　came　by　the　gallon。　All　at　table　stabbed　and　speared　with　their　knives　at　smoking　meats；　short　bursts　of　con…versation　would　erupt　now　and　then　amidst　the　general　clatter　of　eating。　Thibor's　voice；　though　he　hardly　raised　it　at　all；　had　carried　over　all　of　that。　And　gradually　the　great　table　had　grown　quieter。
　〃The　Pechenegi　e　in　parties　or　tribes。　They　are　not　like　a　mighty　army；　there　is　little　of　unity；　they　have　their　own　chiefs　who　vie　with　each　other。　The　earthworks　and　fortifications　on　the　Ros　at　the　edge　of　the　wooded　steppe　have　stopped　them　because　they　are　not　united。　If　they　came　as　an　army　they　could　cross　river　and　battlements　both　in　a　day；　carrying　all　away　before　them。　But　they　merely　probe　around　our　defences；　contenting　themselves　with　whatever　they　can　pillage　in　short；　sharp　forays　to　east　and　west。　This　is　how　they　sacked　Kolomyya　on　the　west　flank。　They　crossed　the　Prut　by　day；　crept　forward　in　the　forests；　rested　overnight　and　attacked　at　first　light。　It　is　their　way。　And　so　they　gradually　encroach。
　〃This　is　how　I　saw　the　situation：　because　the　defences　are　there；　our　soldiers　use　them：　we　hide　behind　them。　The　earthworks　act　as　a　border。　We　have　been　content　to　say；　〃South　of　these　works　lies　the　territory　of　the　Pechenegi；　and　we　must　keep　him　out。〃　Wherefore　the　Pechenegi；　barbarian　that　he　is；　in　fact　holds　us　in　siege！　I　have　sat　on　the　walls　of　our　forts　and　seen　our　enemies　make　camp；　unafraid。　Smoke　from　his　fires　goes　up；　all　untroubled；　because　we　don't　molest　him　on　〃his〃　ground。
　〃When　I　left　Kiev；　Prince　Vladimir；　you　said：　〃Fend　off　the　Pechenegi；　keep　him　from　crossing　the　Ros。〃　But　I　said；　〃Pursue　the　fiend　and　kill　him！〃　One　day　I　saw　a　camp　of　some　two　hundred；　they　had　their　women；　even　their　children　with　them！　They　were　camped　across　the　river；　to　the　west；　quite　apart　from　the　other　encamp…ments。　I　split　my　two　hundred　in　half。　Half　went　with　me　across　the　river　in　the　dusk。　We　stole　up　on　the　Pechenegi　fires。　They　had　guards　out　but　most　of　them　were　sleeping…and　we　cut　their　throats　in　the　night　without　them　ever　knowing　who　killed　them！　Then　we　set　about　the　camp…but　all　in　silence。　I　had　daubed　my　men　in　mud。　Any　man　not　daubed　was　Pechenegi。　In　the　darkness　we　slew　them；　flitting　from　tent　to　tent。　We　were　like　great　bats　in　the　night；　and　it　was　very　bloody。
　〃When　the　camp　was　awakened　half　were　already　dead。　The　rest　gave　chase。　We　led　them　back　to　the　Ros；　and　them　hounding　us；　eager　to　catch　us　at　the　river；　all　of　them　shouting　and　screaming　their　warcries！　But　we　shouted　and　screamed　not　at　all。　At　the　river；　on　the　Pechenegi　side；　my　second　hundred　lay　in　waiting。　They　were　daubed　in　mud。　They　struck　not　at　their　silent；　muddy　brothers　but　trapped　the　howling　pursuers。　Then　we　rose　up；　turned　in　upon　the　Pechenegi；　slew　them　to　a　man。　And　we　cut　off　their　thumbs。。。〃　He　paused。
　〃Bravo！〃　said　Vladimir　the　prince；　faintly。
　〃Another　time；〃　Thibor　continued；　〃we　went　to　Kamenets　which　was　under　siege。　Again　I　had　half　my　men　with　me。　The　Pechenegi　about　the　town　saw　us；　gave　chase。　We　led　them　into　a　steep…sided　gulley　where；　after　we　had　scrambled　through；　my　other　half　rained　down　an　avalanche　upon　them。　I　lost　many　thumbs　that　time；　buried　under　the　boulders…else　I　would　have　brought　you　back　another　sackful！〃
　Now　there　was　almost　total　silence　about　the　table。　It　was　not　so　much　the　reporting　of　these　deeds　that　impressed　but　the　stony　delivery；　which　lacked　all　emotion。　When　the　Pechenegi　had　raided；　raped　and　razed　this　man's　Ungar　settlement；　they　had　turned　him　into　an　utterly　pitiless　killer。
　〃I've　had　reports；　of　course；〃　Svyatoslavich　broke　the　silence；　〃if　somewhat　vague　until　now　and　few　and　far　between。　But　this　is　something　to　chew　on。　And　so　my　Boyars　have　driven　the　Pechenegi　back；　you　say？　A　recent　turn　of　events？　Perhaps　they　learned　something　from　you；　eh？〃
　〃They　learned　that　standing　guard　behind　high　walls　achieves　nothing！〃　said　Thibor。　〃I　spoke　to　them　and　said：　〃Summer　is　at　an　end。　The　Pechenegi　far　to　the　south　are　grown　fat　and　idle　from　the　little　work　they've　had　to　do；　they　do　not　think　we'll　e　against　them。　They　are　building　permanent　settlements；　winter　homes　for　them…selves。　Like　the　Khazars　before　them；　they　are　putting　aside　the　sword　in　favour　of　the　plough。　If　we　strike　now　they'll　fall　like　grass　beneath　the　scythe！〃　Then；　all　the　Boyars　banded　together；　crossed　the　river；　struck　deep　into　the　southern　steppes。　We　killed　the　Pechenegi　wherever　we　found　them。
　〃But　by　then　I　had　heard　rumours　of　a　greater　peril　in　the　making：　to　the　east　the　Polovtsy　are　rising　up！　They　spill　over　from　the　great　steppes　and　deserts；　expand　westward…soon　they'll　be　at　our　doors。　When　the　Khazars　fell　they　left　the　way　open　for　the　Pechenegi。　And　after　the　Pechenegi？　Which　is　why　I　thought…why　I　dared　to　think…that　perhaps　the　Vlad　would　give　me　an　army　and　send　me　east；　to　put　down　our　enemies　before　they　wax　too　strong。。。〃
　For　long　moments　Prince　Vladimir　simply　sat　and　stared　at　him　from　eyes　half…lidded。　Then　he　quietly　said；　〃You've　e　a　long　way　in　a　year　and　a　month；　Wallach。。。〃　And　out　loud；　to　his　guests：　〃Eat；　drink；　talk！　Honour　this　man。　We　owe　him　that　much。〃　But　as　the　feasting　continued　he　got　up；　indicating　that　Thibor　shou