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It was soon obvious even to Private Ferrante, who explained the business to Jeremy in one of their
private conversations, that the ostensible armed guard for this expedition had as its real purpose a
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preemptive military strike, with the purpose of bringing the Mountain and Cave under control of the
Lugards. More likely just a scouting effort, as above but ready to seize the key strate-gic points if that
should appear feasible. Lord Victor and his military sons wanted to seize control of the Oracle, with the
idea of at least preventing other warlords from getting its presumed powers under their control.
Meanwhile, a rumor was going about to the effect that Arnobius had secretly had his unhappy slave girl
killed.
"Do we make an open announcement, then? We haven't much precedent for setting in motion a search
for a runaway slave. And I'm still reluctant to do that."
"Damn it, I never thought of her in those terms."
"Maybe she didn'twantto be forced to move out, to be told that she now belonged to someone else."
"Maybe I won'twantto get married, someday, when it comes to that. Matter of duty. Each of us has a
role to play, according to his or her position."
In any case, someone had to be chosen to take Carlotta's place as the Scholar's lab assistant and fellow
natural philosopher.
When Jeremy thought about it, he soon realized that Carlotta had been deluding herself that someday
she might really be granted a lady's rank and even would be considered suitable as a bride for Arnobius.
She'd managed to convince herself of that while she and the Scholar were carrying on a long-term affair,
ca-sually accepted by his father and the rest of society.
The Intruder's memory, coupled with snatches of conversation overheard, made it possible for Jeremy to
see with some clarity the social and political implications. It wasn't really that the Scholar stood to inherit
his father's rank and power directly. Something in the way of lands and other wealth, no doubt.
Pretty much the same thing applied to his brother, John. Lord Victor's position as ruler of the Harbor
Lands was theoretically nonhereditary, but in practice one of his sons was very likely to succeed him,
given the approval of the Council in Pangur Ban.
Meanwhile, Lord Victor, while trying to keep his full plans se-cret, even from his older son (whose lack
of interest in them could be assumed), was mobilizing and keeping ready a still larger force, this one a real
army, eight or ten thousand strong. These reserves were prepared to march on short notice in the same
direction as the supposed scientific expedition.
Lord Victor intended to forestall the seizure of the Mountain, and the psychologically and magically
important Oracle that lay inside it, by any of his rival warlords.
SEVENTEEN
Three other Academics, two men and a woman at the level of advanced students, were chosen to
accompany Arnobius and serve as philosophical assistants. Several servants accompanied them. All were
practically strangers to Jeremy.
The total number of people in the train was now something more than four hundred. Such a group with
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all its baggage was going to move relatively slowly, no matter how well mounted they might be and how
well led. The journey from the Academy to the Cave of the Oracle, whose entrance lay halfway up the
flank of the distant Mountain, might take as much as a month. Some cold-weather clothing was in order,
as the end of the jour-ney would take them a mile or more above sea level. Still, it was decided not to
use baggage carts; everything necessary would be carried on animals' backs.
The question Arnobius had asked, as to how they were to feed themselves on the march, turned out to
have a rational answer and had been routinely managed by Lord Victor's military plan-ners. There were
some allies along the way, and the chosen route afforded good grazing for the animals.
Consideration had also been given to the roads, which were known to be fairly good. Someone showed
Jeremy His Lord-ship's file of maps on the region, which was impressive.
Preparations for the first leg of the journey were at their height when Ferrante asked Jeremy, "Have you
ridden before? Or will you need lessons?"
They were standing in the yard in front of the Academy's ex-tensive stables, where people were engaged
in picking out mounts for the Academic delegation.
As Jeremy approached, the nearest cameloid turned its head on its long hairy neck and regarded him
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