Chapter eighteen
The hand of Phu-Si-YantongIn the emperor’s private inner sanctum he placed his goblet of wine on the polished table and banged a fist down on his knee.
“I’m not finished yet, son-in-law, so don’t take that tone with me. Queen Lushfymi thinks we have as good a chance as any of defeating these rasts from Hamal.”
Only a few of us had gathered here after the shattered remnants of the army had been attended to as best we could. The Pachaks still stood guard. Now Queen Lush, half a dozen of the pallans who remained, Chuktar Wang-Nalgre-Bartong and myself conferred with the emperor. The news was as bad as it could be without being total disaster. In detail all the forces arrayed against the foes of the emperor had been defeated.
“Kov Layco Jhansi will yet bring in a victory,
