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.Even to astranger.Even to an enemy.So when Zanattar proposed to destroy the Iteru the deep desert well from which Orinaisal'Iteru tookits name and its life it was a matter all must discuss.For three days the Isvaieni considered the matter.Zanattar did not hurry them.He simply went from tentto tent, speaking the truth that was in his heart: if the iteru remained, it would be as if the city were neverdestroyed, for when the armies came down from the north seeking to slay them all, they would find sweetwater in abundance here at the edge of the Madiran enough, perhaps, to allow them to enter the Isvai.In the end, his counsel was followed.The army drank deep from the iteru of Orinaisal'Iteru, and thenthey levered the great cover-stone off the cistern and packed the well with rotting bodies.When that wasdone, they set fire to all that remained.Much of the city was cloth and dry wood.It burned well.Ilukhan'Iteru was only five days' march away, but by the time they reached it, Zanattar's army had nearlydoubled in size.So many Isvaieni left a clear trail, one that any of the desertborn could follow, and atOrinaisal'Iteru Zanattar had made certain to leave a clear record of his purpose in desertsign that anyIsvaieni could read.He had no doubt that all who had sworn the blood-oath to consider all Isvaieni asone tribe united under Bisochim would see, and follow.At the gates of Ilukhan'Iteru, the guards were more prudent.They saw thousands of Isvaieni gatheredoutside their gates, and would not open them.The master of their city came and ordered Zanattar'speople to leave, and when they would not, ordered his men to loose arrows down upon them.But theguardsmen had to go and fetch their weapons, and so many minutes passed between the command andthe moment when the guardsmen returned, that Zanattar, barely believing they could be so foolish, hadsufficient time to order his army to retreat out of arrow-range save for a few archers, who shot everyguard on the wall dead as he appeared.Then, when the wall was clear, the Isvaieni took oil and rags and fire, and shot flaming arrows over thewalls into the city until they tired of the game.And then they waited for night.As they waited, they swept through the surrounding countryside.There were fat flocks set out to graze,and they slaughtered every single animal.Soon the luscious scent of roast meat wafted up into thecity along with the screams of the unfortunate herdsmen, though the screaming did not go on for long.There were also orchards surrounding Ilukhan'Iteru.When the Isvaieni had finished their feasting, theystripped the trees of their fruit, then cut them all down, for on the march toward Ilukhan'Iteru, Zanattarhad pondered the question of how he might gain entrance to the city if its rulers should prove wiser thanthose who had overseen Orinaisal'Iteru had been.He knew nothing of cities, but there were many in hisarmy who had actually walked the streets of an Iteru-city, and so Zanattar knew that each of the Iteru-cities had four gates, and that the gates opened inward, and his own eyes told him that three of the gateswere made of wood, and any fool knew that wood burned.Zanattar directed his army to pile the woodat three of the four gates leading into the city.It was quite safe for them to do so, as his archers shotanyone who appeared upon the walls.When night fell, they set fire to the pyres they had built against the gates.Once the smell of the smokereached the city-dwellers, men rushed to the walls again, but the Isvaieni had a great supply of arrows.No one was able to pour water down upon the pyres from above, nor to drop heavy stones upon theblaze to scatter the wood, nor succeed in doing any other thing to quench the burning.Soon, even overthe sound of the blaze, Zanattar could hear the sound of the soft city-dwellers shouting and quarrelingwith each other, and he smiled.On three sides of the city, his army stood visible in the light of the burning pyres.Some held torches, andothers fired upon the guards upon the walls [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]