«Degyat,» he said quietly. «I can not only have your men killed. I can block the entrance to the harbor and then starve out or sink all your ships. I don't have to do this. I don't really want to do it. But I will, if you don't answer my questions. I'll have to assume the worst, and do whatever I can to protect my own men and keep Mythor free.»

A long silence. Blade realized that Degyat no longer looked like a young man. The last few months couldn't have been an easy time for him, with Thrayket's death bringing things to a boil. And then the long-feared Mythoran rebellion on top of it!

The silence went on, until Degyat broke it with a sigh and a bitter laugh. «All right, Blade. Kloret didn't expect the rebellion to come this soon, or to be this successful. He's not after you. He's coming south to meet the Bloodskins.»

«The Sarumi? Since when has Gohar needed a hundred and thirty ships against them?»

«Since Kloret decided to sail against their homeland and root them out for all time.»

So Kloret was planning on a major campaign against the Pirate Folk. If he won, the first great victory of Harkrat's reign would be his. Everyone would remember that, particularly the merchants whose ships would now be safe. Grateful merchants could give him all the money needed to buy soldiers. If Kloret succeeded in destroying the Sarumi, Harkrat would probably be his next victim.

Blade smiled grimly. «And he's been expecting to use Mythor as a base?»

«Of course.»

«Then the rebellion is going to be a nasty surprise for him.» Degyat also smiled. As loyal as he was to Harkrat, the idea of Kloret's rage at learning of such a blow appealed to him.

For a moment Blade considered the idea of negotiating with Kloret the use of Mythor as a base for his fleet, in return for his recognition of its freedom. Then he decided against it. Kloret might not be trustworthy even while the campaign against the Sarumi was underway. He certainly wouldn't be trustworthy afterward, when he was the ruler of Gohar in all but name. He would turn around and try to bring Mythor under Gohar's rule again. Blade wouldn't suffer — he'd be back in Home Dimension by then-but his friends would be in deadly danger.

Blade also remembered Fierssa and the Friends of Mythor. He wanted Kloret's blood for their deaths!

«Degyat,» said Blade. «I'm not going to ask you to betray the Emperor. Believe me or not, I still call myself Harkrat's friend, and I hope to have a chance to tell him this myself. I will ask you not to make things more difficult for Mythor. In return-«

«How?»

«Don't try to sail out of the harbor, stir up trouble in the City, or send messages to anyone outside.»

«That's all?»

«For now. In return, we'll treat the men we hold well, supply you with food and water if you need any, and care for your sick.»

«And when Kloret comes?»

«When Kloret comes, we'll accept any of your men who want to stay and join free Mythor. The rest can go where they will.»

Degyat clenched his fists and said, looking down at the table before him, «Many will stay. The men of Mythor have always been eager to serve in the fleet, and some Goharans have women here.»

«I thought so,» said Blade. «Degyat, I'll say this, whether you believe me or not. No one in Mythor wants a long war with Gohar, now that we're free. We'd rather make a treaty between equals, and share the trade of the Sea and Ocean between us.»

Degyat was silent for so long that Blade thought the meeting was over. Then the admiral said, his voice not quite steady: «What about the Sarumi?»

«What about them?»

«I might as well tell you. We captured one of their ships on the way south and persuaded the crew to talk. They are gathering all their ships and men to sail against Mythor and its coast. They think the storms have thrown everything into confusion, so they'll have easy pickings.»

«They won't,» said Blade. His decisive tone made Degyat start. «I have a suggestion. If the Sarumi fleet arrives before Kloret's, let's sail against it together.» The admiral looked at Blade as if he'd suddenly grown a second head. «I mean it. The Sarumi are the common enemy of Mythor and Gohar alike. If your ships and mine join to defeat the Sarumi, it will show them they can't gain anything from this rebellion. It will also show certain people that Mythor's rebellion is no danger to Gohar. The two cities can be friends even now.»

Degyat shook his head like a man half-stunned. «Blade, I.»

«You don't need to decide now,» Blade said, rising. «We'll gather all the Mythoran ships and fighting men we can anyway. If the Sarumi come, and you decide to sail with us, we'll return your men. We'll even send some of our archers aboard your ships.» He held out his hand and Degyat took it mechanically. «Think it over. This rebellion may not be an end, but a beginning.»

As he was rowed back to shore, Blade found himself desperately hoping Degyat would decide to join Mythor against the pirates. It would reduce the danger of a long war between the two cities, and that in turn would strike a heavy blow at Kloret. In fact, it would do more to upset the Prime Minister's plans than anything else except killing him outright.

Blade also hoped that Khraishamo could forgive him, for planning what could only end in the final defeat of the Sarumi.

During the next ten days, Blade heard nothing from Degyat and had no chance to sit down with Khraishamo and talk about the future. He was too busy keeping the peace between the two factions of the rebels, the farmers and the city merchants.

One city merchant spoke for many of his fellows when he told Blade: «We don't mind the farmers raising the rebellion when they pleased and winning the big battle. We're grateful. But we're not going to get down on our knees and kiss their asses, and they seem to want us to!»

The farmers were equally blunt in saying that the merchants had been weak, some of them perhaps even in Goharan pay. Several times this exchange of insults led to brawls, and once to a fatal stabbing.

Fortunately everyone on both sides seemed to accept Blade as a reasonably impartial mediator. Very few cared whether he was a Man from the Future, but everyone knew that he had courage and common sense. Also, the Maghri kept their promise not to loot and usually stayed outside the city.

«We do not love to live with stone all around,» said Sigluf. «We stay close to the grass if we can. It makes us stronger in a fight.»

«Also in bed?» said Blade, and Sigluf laughed. The Maghri chief was now regarded as something of a conquering hero, and had his pick of the women of Mythor. He very seldom slept alone.

Blade went on. «Will you be willing to come aboard the ships and fight the pirates if they come? Your archers will be a great help.»

Sigluf nodded. «Yes. For our friends, we come. But the Great Water must be quiet.»

Blade could see the chief's point. If the Sea was rough, the Maghri would probably be too seasick to know one end of an arrow from the other.

The biggest help in uniting the two factions of the rebels was the menace of the Sarumi. Blade had the feeling that not everyone believed the pirates were actually going to come. On the other hand, nobody was willing to risk being unprepared if they did. Many hoped to negotiate with Gohar, but no one believed it would be possible to negotiate wtih the Sarumi.

«They're right,» said Khraishamo, when he heard two merchants talking it over. «This is too good a chance for the Sarumi to miss, and it's one that won't come again.» He shrugged. «We'll just have to take them as they come.»

«They, Khraishamo?»

The pirate smiled and gripped both of Blade's hands. «Ah. You've asked yourself, 'Does Khraishamo want to fight his own people.'»

«Yes.»

«I have sailed away from the Sarumi, Blade. The winds will not blow me back there again, even if I wanted them to.