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."Renard will have to lead Doma once we get up there; I'llride her as long as possible.That should help."Tael was doubtful, but she was the guide, not the mission leader.Renard went over to the door, peering out at the sky.No sign of strange or hostile creatures now; a fewlazy birds, no more.But soon who knew?He wondered just how far off the driving forces were.At the Palim-Gedemondas BorderThe Yaxa came in for a landing with a great beating of its tremendous wings.Coming down, it saw thelarge number of troops and matriel now massed at the border.It looked good.Convincing.It had been a long trip, and almost a fatal one.The creature touched the ground gently and went down onall eight tentacles toward the portable command center, a huge circuslike tent established just insidePalim.The Yaxa were born to the air; on the ground they looked awkward and lumbering, never quiteproperly balanced because of the long folded wings along their backs.In the air, however, they were thegraceful masters.The Yaxa entered the big tent, its huge death's head, impassive as always, searching out someone ofrank, finally spotting someone who would do over by the big situation map.Communication between Yaxa was by a complex combination of noises from the thoracic regions andodd sounds made by antennae and slight wing rustles.Their names were untranslatable, so, whendealing with other races, they adopted nicknames that often were nonsense, ironic, or just plain crazy,and stuck to them for multiracial operations."Marker reporting in, Section Leader," the newcomer said.The section leader nodded."Glad to see you back, Marker.We had begun to think that the enemy hadgotten you.""It was close," the advance scout said."Those damned little blue men with their electricity and their flyinghorses.The Cebu are too clumsy to worry about, but even though the horses are slow and awkward, itonly needs a touch to get you."The section leader knew this.She knew, in fact, as much about the physical, mental, and technologicalcharacteristics of the Makiem alliance as anyone could.The other side had had a much rougher trip thanthey; any force that could hammer its way through that much resistance so quickly was a force to bereckoned with."How far off are they?" the military commander inquired. "Down the other side," Marker responded.That meant at least three hundred kilometers, a good distance,and the plain that was the logical camp for the final campaign was only a hundred or so kilometers southof their present position.They would be first."They're a little slow with their airlift over Alestol, too.Afterall, they have to move everything they need a fair distance nonstop more than either the flying horsesor Cebu can normally fly.A lot of them are into exhaustion now; the ones who land soon find themselvesput to sleep by those big, fat plants and then eaten.Don't sell those Alestolians short, either some ofthem have translators, would you believe, and they have a hypnotic gas as well.If one of those ones witha translator gets an Agitar or a Cebu, they're sent back against their own people!"The section leader chuckled dryly."Oh, yes, I can believe that.A rather large amount was transferred inZone to get them those translators.I'm happy to see that the expenditure is paying for itself." The tonechanged, became more businesslike."So how soon before they have a sufficient force to start themarch?"Marker was uncertain."Two, three days at least.And maybe two more to move up to the plain.Call it fivedays."The Yaxa leader considered this."You're sure? As you know, we will be moving this afternoon; we shouldbe in and mostly established on the plain by dark tomorrow.The advance party leaves at dawn by air.With luck we can hold it while our friends go after the engines.""Who's going?" Marker asked, genuinely curious."Some of the Lamotien, of course.Who else?" Sheknew that nobody would trust the Lamotien by themselves.They didn't even trust them now
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