The Golden Princess: A Novel of the Change (Change Series) Read Online Free PDF Page B

those lightly armed horse-archers without either we or the enemy noticing them before they struck. The
jinnikukaburi
were taken entirely by surprise.”
    “Their High King assumed that any friend of the Haida was an enemy of his, and any enemy of an enemy was a friend,” Reiko said. “Logical, but it is not easy to be completely logical in a situation like that, with so much unknown and so much at stake.”
    Egawa nodded. “
Hai
, Majesty, that was sound thinking, when he had so little time to consider and no precise information. Swift! Decisive! He saw the situation and struck precisely with all his force, and without amoment of the hesitation that might have let the enemy recover their balance. A great pity he was killed.”
    Silence fell for a moment as they thought of their own loss, until Grand Steward Koyama nodded.
    “Very fortunate thinking for us,” he said dryly. Then: “And perhaps not so much of a pity that their High King was killed.”
    “Explain,” Reiko said sharply.
    “Majesty, even without understanding the language well, it is obvious that the Montivallans are stricken with sorrow. And beneath their sorrow, a deep anger, hot but lasting; both as great as ours at the loss of our Emperor. The
jinnikukaburi
have killed a man, but they may well have awoken an entire nation. And filled it with a terrible resolve.”
    “That is a point,” Reiko said thoughtfully. “Yes . . . yes, considering what I have seen, you may well be correct. Continue, General. You spoke of the household troops of the Montivallan ruler, who are presumably their best men. What about the rest?”
    Egawa went on: “The militia from the village are good archers, and well equipped for light troops. I cannot say more without seeing them in action, but my impression is favorable. They resemble our
kosakunin-ashigaru
, our farmer-infantry.”
    More nods. Every household in the homeland kept weapons ready to hand, trained to arms in what spare time they had, and every fit man and every woman not pregnant or recovering from childbirth was ready to turn out with bow and
naginata
when the alarm-drum boomed out. Full-time samurai were a handful, their numbers set by what the land and the peasants and craftsmen who worked it could produce, but the raiders from across the Sea of Japan did not find an easy meal anywhere.
    Her commander went on: “The reinforcements they’ve received since then look generally similar to the regular troops we saw fight, well equipped, well-fed and strong, with good march and camp discipline as well. They hold themselves with pride, care for their gear without being driven, obey orders promptly, work hard, and set alert watches.”
    Everyone nodded; those were good rule-of-thumb indicators ofquality if you couldn’t actually see men fight. Egawa continued in a slightly lighter tone.
    “Some of the older troops have seen much action, judging from their smooth skins and beautiful looks.”
    There were a few smiles as he touched one of the scars that seamed his square pug face before he went on:
    “Apparently they also have heliographs, gliders and observation balloons. And catapults. Probably fortifications, castles, too. The crossbows some of the reinforcements carry have a very ingenious rapid cocking mechanism, and I noticed a number of other good tricks that might be worth copying. Unless there were implausible stockpiles before the Change, most of what they use is of modern make, done to a very high standard.”
    “So your appraisal is on the whole positive?”
    Egawa nodded. “
Hai
, Majesty, very much so. They would make formidable allies, if we can persuade them. If I could combine our own total forces with an equal number of troops of the quality I have seen here, and the necessary ships, I would pledge to lay all Korea at your Majesty’s feet in two campaigning seasons.”
    At the thought his expression changed slightly. To something you might glimpse on the face of the very last tiger you