certainly not to a bunch of mercenaries. The only ones we can
_really_ trust even among the Tulans, are those that were kids when we
first took over. The one's we've had time to indoctrinate."

"The mistake's made. It's too late now," Plekhanov said. "Hawkins go
back and dust those cavalrymen as they come through the pass."

Reif said, "It was a mistake, too, to allow them the secret of the
crossbow."

Plekhanov roared, "I didn't _allow_ them anything. Once the crossbow was
introduced it was just a matter of time before its method of
construction got to the enemy."

"Then it shouldn't have been introduced," Reif said, his eyes
unflinching from the Earthman's.

Plekhanov ignored him. He said, "Hawkins, get going on that dusting.
Watson, pull what units we already have in this valley back through the
pass we control. We'll avoid battle until more of their army has fallen
away."

Hawkins said with deceptive mildness, "I just told you those cavalrymen
have muskets. To fly low enough to use gas on them, I'd get within easy
range. Point one, this is the only aircraft we've built. Point two,
MacBride is probably dead, killed when those cavalrymen mutinied. Point
three, I came on this expedition to help modernize the Texcocans, not to
die in battle."

Plekhanov snarled at him. "Coward, eh?" He turned churlishly to Watson
and Reif. "Start pulling back our units."

Barry Watson looked at Chessman. "Joe?"

Joe Chessman shook his head slowly. He said to Reif, "Khan, start
bringing your infantry through the pass. Barry, we'll follow your plan
of battle. We'll anchor one flank on the sea and concentrate what
cavalry we can trust on the hills on the right. That's the bad spot,
that right flank has to hold."

Plekhanov's thick lips trembled. He said in fury, "Is this
insubordination?"

Reif turned on his heel and followed by young Taller and his staff
hurried down the knoll to where their horses were tethered.

Chessman said to Hawkins, "If you've got the fuel, Dick, maybe it'd be a
good idea to keep them under observation. Fly high enough, of course, to
avoid gunfire."

Hawkins darted a look at Plekhanov, turned and hurried back to his
plane.

Joe Chessman, his voice sullen, said to Plekhanov, "We can't afford any
more mistakes, Leonid. We've had too many already." He said to Watson,
"Be sure and let their cavalry units scout us out. Allow them to see
that we're entering the valley too. They'll think they've got us