Trella nodded. "All the gold and silver from the mine would come to Akkad, but the master smith in charge of the site would be well paid. How well paid would depend on what is found, and how much can be taken from the earth. Are you interested in such a task?"

Orodes opened his mouth, then closed it again. Those who oversaw a mine usually owned at least a part of it. Trella was offering to pay him for his skills, like any common laborer. Still, it was not an unreasonable offer considering he had no status as a master craftsman, no patron to succor him. He decided to ask for more. "What share of the mine would be mine, Lady Trella?"

She smiled at the bold question. "None. Not at first. You would be paid fairly, but if you wish to earn a share you will have to produce a steady and significant supply of ores, delivered on time, and without any being lost to the workers. If you can accomplish that, I would consider an arrangement where you would own a share of the mine's output in the future. As I said, this mine belongs to the king, and whatever is extracted from the earth will be used for Akkad's needs. And in selecting you for this task, I am taking something of a risk."

He would be a paid laborer, nothing more. Nevertheless, anything was preferable to starving in the streets of Akkad. And it would gall his father to learn that his wayward son had taken an important a.s.signment from Lady Trella, even if it turned out to be nothing. "I would accept such a task, Lady Trella."

She turned to Annok-sur, who sat quietly across the room, apparently uninterested in the conversation. "Can you bring in Tooraj?"

Without saying anything, Annok-sur rose and left the room.

"You realize, Orodes," Trella went on, "that there must be no drinking, no wandering off, and not a word must be said to anyone about the mine. The first time you are found drunk will be your last. Remember that."

Orodes understood. Only a fool would risk Trella's displeasure. Besides, he drank only because he had nothing else. With an opportunity such as she offered, he would have no need to drink himself into a stupor.

Annok-sur returned, a soldier with the Hawk Clan emblem st.i.tched on his tunic following her. The man wore a patch over his left eye.

Trella rose. "Welcome Tooraj. It is good to see you again."

Orodes felt surprise. The queen of Akkad had risen to her feet to greet a common soldier. Or not so common, he realized. Members of the Hawk Clan were few in number.

The soldier bowed, much lower than Orodes's simple incline of the head. "My thanks to you and King Eskkar."

"This is the young man I spoke of. His name is Orodes, and I place him in your care."

That sounded reasonable enough, but the cold stare that Tooraj's one eye fixed on Orodes made him realize that the soldier not only knew of Orodes's past indiscretions, but didn't intend to tolerate any more of them.

She said to Orodes. "Tooraj will be in charge of the expedition to examine the mine. Please obey all his instructions." She turned to the soldier. "Are you ready to depart?"

"Yes, Lady Trella. My men and I are waiting."

"Good. Annok-sur will accompany you both to the docks. If there is anything you need to take with you, Orodes, let her know."

With a shock, Orodes realized that they meant leave now, this moment. Realizing he had been dismissed, Orodes pushed himself to his feet, to find Lady Trella again smiling at him.

"Good luck, Orodes. I hope we can talk again soon, when you're ready to tell me what you've found."

Her smile, as much as her hopeful words, caught him by surprise. In that moment, he realized how beautiful she was, and how much he wanted to please her. The strange sensation stayed with him all the way to the docks.

10.

That evening, Eskkar's most senior commanders joined him for dinner at the Compound. The gathering included Gatus, Bantor, Hathor the Egyptian, and Yavtar. No other guests attended. During the meal, the soldiers took their lead from their host. No one spoke about the coming war. That topic remained far too important to discuss in front of the servants and guards.

The setting sun hadn't yet touched the horizon, but the heat of the day was fading when Eskkar and his guests left the supper table in the courtyard. Eskkar led the way to the tiny garden at the rear of the house, a private place usually reserved for his and Trella's use.

The five men settled comfortably on their seats, relaxing after a long day and still pleasantly full of food after the bountiful meal Lady Trella's cooks had served. A servant brought a pitcher of ale, in case anyone wanted something stronger than water, and set it on the table before leaving Akkad's leaders alone. A pitcher of fresh well water and cups rested in the center of the table.

The evening air would be pleasant and far more relaxing than Eskkar's workroom. The inner walls of the courtyard, whitewashed to a cool white, formed two sides of a square. The house itself, rising up to the second story, provided a third side. The fourth side opened up into the rearmost part of the main courtyard.

A well nearby provided fresh water for the Compound, and Eskkar had washed the dust from his body many times in the last two, no, now nearly three years that he lived there. Four wooden flower boxes extended along the base of the walls. The first of summer's tulips provided tiny cups of purple, red and yellow scattered among the white lilies and the flax plant's blue flowers. A bench stood against the side of the house, and two young trees gave just enough shade to cover the small table centered beneath them.

Eskkar enjoyed the semi-private enclosure. The servants respected their master's special place, and ventured into the rear of the house only for urgent matters. He and Trella had made love here more than once, and they both enjoyed the peaceful surroundings. The trees had grown higher since he first took possession of the house. The a.s.sa.s.sin who had tried to kill Trella had been tied between those two trees and tortured until he revealed the name of the young n.o.ble who hired him. The n.o.ble's head now lay buried deep in the earth between those same trees.

For this meeting, Trella had arranged for extra chairs to be carried in. Of course, Eskkar wanted Trella there. After nearly three years at his side helping to rule Akkad, everyone sought her advice and counsel. He'd once asked her if she wished to be a member of the Hawk Clan. She had, after all, struck a blow against Korthac.

"A woman in the Hawk Clan?" She laughed, a happy sound that turned her into a young girl once again. "I'm flattered at the thought, but I think you should keep the Hawk Clan reserved for men."

A few moments later, Trella and Annok-sur joined the gathering. Trella's friend and confidante also had an important role to play in any coming conflict. The fact that she was a woman and Bantor's wife made no difference. At this table, everyone would speak as equals.

Before she took her place, Annok-sur spoke to the guards and made sure the sentries remained far enough away so that they couldn't overhear what would be said. Trella and Annok-sur sat on either side of Eskkar, facing the four men across the table.

"Yesterday you men attended the meeting with the n.o.bles," Eskkar began without any preamble. "You heard their decision. Now it is time for us to talk about how the coming war will be fought. We need to decide what tactics we will use, how we will carry the war south, and what defenses Akkad will need. In the next few months, we'll face many choices and make many decisions. The more we can plan for the future, the easier those decisions will be."

He looked at each of them in turn. Gatus, almost twice as old as the others, had fought Akkad's battles all his life, and he knew more about training men than anyone. Bantor had served in Akkad's guard most of his life, and he'd proven both his leadership and fighting skills in the battle with Korthac. Hathor, while new to Akkad, had fought for almost twenty years across the length and breadth of Egypt. Yavtar had traded and sailed the Tigris all his life, and joined the fight when the Akkadians overthrew Korthac and reclaimed their city.

They had shared common dangers and fought together, in some cases side by side. All were Hawk Clan members, and each had sworn the oath to stand by his brothers. They all knew not only how to fight, but how to lead men in battle. Just as important, Eskkar valued their ideas, and knew that none of these four would hesitate to offer his honest opinion.

"So tonight the seven of us," Eskkar went on, "are going to start a.s.sembling an army for Akkad. And this army that we're going to build will be like no other anyone has ever seen."

Yavtar's eyes widened in surprise. "Why am I here? I know little about such things."

"Because, Yavtar," Eskkar said, "this new army is going to need vast quant.i.ties of food and weapons. You know every bend on the Tigris and Euphrates for that matter, as well as every tributary and stream between them. And who better than a river trader to know how to supply fighting men? Just as important, you know how to build boats, and how to train men to sail them. And I'm going to want boats that can deliver men and supplies wherever there's enough water to float a hull. So, the more you learn about how our new army is built, the better you'll know how to supply it."

Yavtar furrowed his brow. "How many boats will you need? You'll need crews to sail them, soldiers to protect them and their cargoes. All that will take months, perhaps years . . ." Yavtar's voice trailed off as he saw the smile on Eskkar' face.

"Yes, and there's much more, Yavtar. I also want boats that can carry large numbers of fighting men over long distances and at great speed. And I want other boats filled with men who fight on their own, to capture or destroy our enemy's vessels. You'll need to find and train men who know or can learn to fight from such a boat."

"And where will I find these men?"

"I don't know." Eskkar couldn't help laughing at the look on Yavtar's face. "Remember when you and your boats carried forty of us from Bisitun to Akkad in little more than a day? We were in the city long before Korthac expected, because we raced down the river. That's when I first realized that boats could be for more than just transporting a merchant's goods."

He turned to Hathor. "We're going to need cavalry, too, but I don't just want men who can ride. I want men trained to fight from horseback, ride long distances on little food and water, and still strike a heavy blow at the end of the day. We're going to need hundreds of horses, along with all the things a fighting mount needs to be effective. That means plenty of grain, sacks to carry it in, leather, ropes, cloth buckets, everything you can think of to support a horse and his rider on a long campaign. And weapons, of course. Small bows that can be shot from a galloping horse would be best, but also lances, long swords, as well as leather vests and helmets for protection."

The Egyptian's eyes widened at the scope of the request.

"Hathor, please speak your mind," Trella said, her voice soft and gentle as always. "You bring knowledge of warfare from Egypt, and no doubt there is much we can learn from you."

"You'll need a great many hors.e.m.e.n, Lady Trella, probably more than you can find." Hathor looked at the others, but no one challenged his a.s.sertion. "The southern border is long, and distances between Akkad and the Sippar are almost as far. To project force over such a distance requires large numbers of hors.e.m.e.n. In Egypt we had many such horse fighters, all armed with sword and lance. But Eskkar has described the steppe warriors to me, and how they fight with bow and sword. If we can train and supply such hors.e.m.e.n, we would have an effective cavalry. That's what the Egyptians called their horse soldiers."

"Then we will call them that as well," Trella said. "But horses strong enough to carry a man and his weapons are in short supply, and Akkad has few men who can ride, let alone fire an arrow from the back of a moving horse."

Trella had learned much about the ways of the steppe warriors from Eskkar, including what weapons they used and how they fought.

"I've been thinking about that," Eskkar said. "The Ur Nammu have those skills, and we might ask them to help train our men. Perhaps they can gather horses for us as well. The horses will need training as much as the men. But a well-trained mount is worth at least two or three men on foot in a battle."

The Ur Nammu were the steppes clan who fought with Eskkar during the battle against the Alur Meriki, who had nearly wiped out the entire Ur Nammu clan. Eskkar had rescued the survivors, and they owed him a blood debt for that deed. Though few in number, they'd offered a.s.sistance to Akkad, mostly as a result of Trella's generosity toward them during that conflict. For almost three years, she'd directed the city's trade with them, and ensured that they received fair treatment in all dealings. Now that foresight might prove to be helpful in the coming days.

"Even with whatever help you get from the Ur Nammu," Gatus said, "you won't have enough horses or trained riders. Besides, there are many battlegrounds in the hills or over rocky ground where horses are useless. We'll still need plenty of men trained to fight on foot, probably armed with spears and swords. Only such forces can take a battle to the enemy, occupy his land, and hold it."

"Infantry," Hathor said, offering another word from his native land. "In Egypt there were two kinds, heavy and light. The heavy infantry wore leather armor, and carried wicker shields and spears. The light infantry carried smaller shields and used hook swords."

"One line of spearmen won't be enough," Gatus said. "We'll need ranks of such men, at least three or four deep. Enough to present a solid wall of spear points against an enemy."

"Even cavalry cannot attack ranks of spearmen head on," Hathor agreed. "Not unless they greatly outnumber them. When spearmen are formed up in a solid line, they are vulnerable only from the flanks or rear."

"And how will we protect our own ranks of spearmen?" Eskkar had never faced such a line, and his instinct told him to attack such a formation from the rear.

"Well, our bowmen could defend the flanks and rear." Gatus rubbed his beard, as he usually did whenever he worked things out.

"Bowmen are as difficult to recruit and train as horse fighters," Eskkar said. "Our heavy bows require a strong man with powerful arms and keen eyes. And he must be tall enough to handle the weapon."

"We'll have to recruit them based on their skills." Hathor leaned forward on his bench, eager to impart his knowledge. "The tall ones with quick wits and sharp eyes become archers. The stronger, less mobile men become spearmen."

"If we can find them," Gatus said. "It won't be easy."

"We'll find them," Eskkar said. "Men still arrive in the city each day, searching for a better life, even if it means fighting. We'll use every available man we can find in Akkad and the countryside. We'll break them into four groups. Those with the strength and skills will become archers. Those who can use a spear and sword will be trained to fight on foot. Those who can ride will fight on horseback. And all those too weak or too small for anything else will be used as auxiliaries."

"As what?"

"Those who help the soldiers fight," Eskkar explained. He rose and went to the bench against the wall. When he returned, he tossed something on the table.

"It's a sling," Yavtar said, lifting the small leather pouch with its two long leather strips. "A toy for children to hunt rabbits, or farmers too poor to afford a weapon."

"Years ago, a woman nearly killed me with one of these," Eskkar remarked. The others glanced at him in surprise. He rarely talked about his days before arriving in Akkad. "And she'd just finished killing one man and wounding another with the same weapon." He glanced around the table. "If a woman can do that much with such a toy, then think what a well-trained and proficient boy or young man could do."

"Don't bother arguing with him, Yavtar," Gatus said. "If he's convinced these things can be deadly, then I suppose we'll have to give it a try."

"It's a weapon that costs almost nothing to make," Eskkar went on. "You can pick up stones anywhere and use them as missiles. Every shepherd guarding a flock of sheep can hurl a stone a hundred paces. Slings can be used on hilly or uneven ground where the slinger can't be easily attacked. Remember, there are many places where a horse can't go, or where an archer can't easily plant his feet to work his bow."

Yavtar tossed the sling back on the table and waved his hand in a dismissive gesture. "Most of the land in Sumeria is flat and open. Your slingers will be run down and killed."

"Not if they're supported by archers, soldiers, and hors.e.m.e.n," Eskkar said. "That's why they're called auxiliaries. They'll be used only in certain situations and protected by our soldiers." He turned to Gatus. "There are hundreds of boys and young men in Akkad who could learn to use a sling. How many such recruits do you turn away each day?"

"I'm not sure. Maybe ten, twenty, sometimes more."

"In the past we've turned down hundreds of recruits," Eskkar said, "either for being too young or too small. Now we could have an important role for them to play."

"Slingers will cost almost nothing to train, feed, and house. That's something, I suppose." Gatus knew how much the skilled bowmen received each month.

"And for each one killed," Eskkar went on, "there will be another ten ready to take his place."

Hathor touched the sling still resting on the table. "You can't send slingers against cavalry, but they can help protect the rear ranks."

"I can't see a bunch of boys with slings stopping spearmen or cavalry," Gatus said.

"That depends. Korthac had a few such forces in Egypt," Hathor said. "They did more than just protect the rear. They could harry the enemy before the fight, attack them from heights, or even battle enemy hors.e.m.e.n. Stones raining down on you from above, thrown by an unseen enemy, will unnerve even the bravest infantryman."

"And they could serve as foot scouts," Eskkar said, "to protect the bowmen and spear-carriers while on the march. They could also guard the supply animals. And maybe archers and slingers can hold their own against cavalry."

"We can always give it a try, I suppose," Gatus said. "Slingers would be a small part of our forces anyway."

"Don't discount them yet." Eskkar shook his head. "Trella and Yavtar are telling us that soon Sumer will be able to field an army four or five times as large as what we can expect to put together. They can pick the time and place of battle by invading the borderlands whenever and wherever they choose. There's nothing to stop them from crossing the border and fortifying a village or two. That's why Yavtar and his boats and crews will be needed, and that's why slingers may be useful. These new tactics could turn a battle."

He glanced around the table. "Since we'll be outnumbered in any conflict, we'll need an army that doesn't grow weak when they see the superior numbers of the enemy. Gatus and I have been talking about these things, and it can be done. In fact, poor Gatus here has the hardest job of all."

"I see nothing is going to change," Gatus grumbled. "I'll still have to do most of the work."

Everyone laughed with the old soldier. They knew he wouldn't have it any other way.

"Gatus is going to build an army of soldiers who fight on foot," Eskkar said. "Not archers. Mitrac will take charge of all the archers, and keep training them as before. But in our new army, the archer's role will be limited. We're going to have a strong force of men armed with spears and carrying shields, who can take the attack to the enemy."

"If you start arming and training so many," Yavtar said, "Sumer will learn about it, and redouble their efforts to recruit more men. They'll be convinced you're preparing to invade them."

"And if we don't prepare for war, they'll use the time to build up their army anyway and invade us." Eskkar shook his head. "No matter what course we choose, it always leads to war. But you're right about the buildup. The longer we can keep our efforts concealed, the better."

"And how will you accomplish that?"

"By training our new soldiers in small groups, and scattering those groups over the countryside, but especially in the north. We'll still train here in Akkad, but we'll keep men moving in and out of the city, so that the overall number here remains the same. If we manage it properly, we should be able to confuse Sumer's spies as to exactly how many men we have under arms."

"Will that work?" Yavtar sounded dubious.

"It will, though I'm not sure for how long," Eskkar said. "We'll work out the details on all these things later. Today we need to think about what our army will be like. Each of our soldiers will have to master at least two weapons, as Gatus says. The infantry will learn the spear and sword, while the slingers will master slings and short javelins. The bowmen already know how to use a sword, so there's nothing new there. And the hors.e.m.e.n will learn to use the short bow or the longer javelins, as well as the horse sword."

He turned to Gatus. "We'll need more training camps."

"We'll start training the men here," Gatus said, "as we always have. As soon as we establish some new camps, we'll move the more experienced men out to the north, some even farther north than Bisitun. We'll need a camp for Hathor and his hors.e.m.e.n, another one for the soldiers who'll fight with sword and shield . . . and spears." He sighed. "I thought I was going to be relaxing in my old age." A grin spread across his weathered face.

"Archers have been our primary weapon," Bantor said, speaking for the first time. "Our bowmen consider themselves the main force defending Akkad. Now you want to replace them with spearmen?"

"Not replace them," Gatus said, "but support them. It's true our archers can wreak havoc on our enemies, but they can't carry the battle to them. Exposed archers, with no shields, run the risk of being run down. But supported and protected by spearmen, they will remain a deadly force against our enemy. Remember, nothing scares men more than seeing a wall of spears coming at them, especially with bowmen following behind."

"So we'll use a combined force," Eskkar said. "Heavily armed foot soldiers, lightly armed cavalry and bowmen, and a support force of slingers. With those four groups of fighters, we should be able to face whatever the enemy sends against us."

"The Sumerians will have as much trouble finding good horses as we will," Hathor said. "They'll arm most of their men with swords and shields, and send them into battle. From what everyone has told me about Sumeria, they'll use many such fighters, what we called light infantry."

"Where will the gold for all this come from?" Gatus rapped his water cup on the table. "Even Akkad's n.o.bles and merchants won't stand for such an expense, and that's a.s.suming there's enough gold in the city. Have you figured out how much this is going to cost?"

"Yes," Eskkar replied. "We'll begin with King Eridu's ransom. That should be more than enough to get us started."

"I think I may have the solution to that, Gatus." Every eye went to Trella, including Eskkar's.

"A few months ago, I learned of a place not far from here that might hold a rich deposit of gold and possibly silver. The time has come to examine the site, to see if it can yield sufficient ores to meet part of our needs. If it can, perhaps we can pay not only for the men, but also for the equipment they will need."