army nearly double. One more strong stroke tomorrow, and they fall into our hands.”
If you’d struck them a few days ago, when I ordered you to attack, they would have already fallen into our hands, Thraxton thought resentfully. But Leonidas wasn’t wrong even now. “Strike that blow we shall,” Thraxton said.
“Almost had ’em today,” Ned of the Forest said. “I got a regiment of riders all the way around behind ’em, but they were bringing up reinforcements right where we came out, and so I couldn’t quite pull off what I had in mind.” He snapped his fingers. “Came that close, though.”
“So you said earlier this evening,” Thraxton answered. “It sounds very pretty, but it would be all the better for proof.”
That made Ned stop his pacing. The firelight flashed in his eyes as he growled, “If you’re calling me a liar, Count—”
“I said nothing of the sort,” Thraxton replied smoothly.
“You better not have,” Ned said. Thraxton ignored him. The count’s lean, somber face showed nothing. Inside, he jeered, You stupid bumpkin, do you think I’m foolish enough to do anything so overt?
“Ned’s e
If you’d struck them a few days ago, when I ordered you to attack, they would have already fallen into our hands, Thraxton thought resentfully. But Leonidas wasn’t wrong even now. “Strike that blow we shall,” Thraxton said.
“Almost had ’em today,” Ned of the Forest said. “I got a regiment of riders all the way around behind ’em, but they were bringing up reinforcements right where we came out, and so I couldn’t quite pull off what I had in mind.” He snapped his fingers. “Came that close, though.”
“So you said earlier this evening,” Thraxton answered. “It sounds very pretty, but it would be all the better for proof.”
That made Ned stop his pacing. The firelight flashed in his eyes as he growled, “If you’re calling me a liar, Count—”
“I said nothing of the sort,” Thraxton replied smoothly.
“You better not have,” Ned said. Thraxton ignored him. The count’s lean, somber face showed nothing. Inside, he jeered, You stupid bumpkin, do you think I’m foolish enough to do anything so overt?
“Ned’s e