Gandash took another drink of water. “I can’t agree to go back,” he said.

I knew it. Xerxes thought about the implications. How all of the soldiers and mages had already agreed to the new plan. “Are you sure?” he asked.

“I’m sure. Let’s have a meeting. Is the conference tent set up already?”

“No.”

“Get it up. Gather the mages. We’ll talk in fifteen minutes.”

Xerxes, Kashtiliash, and Teucer were the ones to erect the tent. As such, they were the first to ‘arrive’ at the meeting. Katayoun and Kishar came next, followed by Dasi and Ningsummunu. Jad came last.

The last time the mages met together, there had been sixteen of them. That number had been reduced by about half.

Gandash had taken the time to change into his uniform, and showed no signs of having been unconscious for days.

“I’m not going to waste time on a pep speech,” Gandash said. “I heard about the proposal to split the company. In many ways, it’s a good idea. Except that I opened the final mission description, and I need the High Seers with me in Puabi.”

Jad pshawed.

Gandash looked at him. “You have something to say, Lieutenant Jad?”

Jad’s fists were already clenched, and he was leaning forward aggressively. “Yeah. You’re full of shit. You’re scared of getting called out for all your bad decisions, so of course you don’t want us going back to the Gateway. If the top brass finds out about how you got half of us killed before we even got to Puabi, then your shitty military career will be over.”

“Is that it?” Gandash said. “Is that all you have to say?”

“No. I bet you want to keep going because you think the rest of us are going to die too. You’d like that. Then nobody would be around to tell them how badly you messed up.”

“None of that is true, Lieutenant,” Gandash said. “According to the mission instructions, I’m to see the operation through regardless of how many losses there are. In fact, even if our company is completely wiped out, except for me, I have to see it through. However, I obviously don’t want that outcome. Sticking together is the safest option, and also the most likely way for all of us to get through this.”

“Again, I say bullshit,” Jad said. “Before, you said it was acceptable to abort the mission if there were heavy casualties. Now you’re saying something entirely different.”

“That’s because I opened the secret mission briefing I mentioned.”

Jad laughed. “Very convenient. Didn’t you say you were supposed to open them at Puabi? How do we even know the mission instructions are real? Show them to us.”

“They were inscribed on a metal sheet with a built-in spell formation that destroyed them about a minute after I opened them. Xerxes was there with me. You can ask him.”

Xerxes opened his mouth to confirm what Gandash had said, but he didn’t have a chance to speak.

“Lies,” Jad said. “You’re full of lies.” He looked around at the other mages. “He’s hell-bent on marching us to our graves, except, I’m not going to stand for it. I’m relieving Captain Gandash of duty. Effective immediately.”

“You can’t do that,” Ningsummunu said.

“Why not?”

“There’s a process. The only person who can do it is the next in command. That would be Xerk. Besides, you can only relieve a superior officer in the most extreme circumstances. Like for treason.”

Jad spat. “Intentionally getting all of his command killed is a pretty extreme circumstance, if you ask me.”

“I haven’t done anything of the kind,” Gandash said. “Our mission in Puabi is vastly more important than I previously understood it to be. We don’t know the exact circumstances in the city, but there will be mages there. Seers and High Seers. It’s conceivable they could have a Mystic. That’s not to mention an entire army of Unsighted. Plus we have the Abhorrent to consider. I need you High Seers to—”

“It doesn’t matter what you want us to do,” Jad said. “It won’t happen unless you have our support. So why don’t you ask? Ask us. Ask the High Seers what we want to do.”

That’s not how the military works, Xerxes thought, but he’d already asked the High Seers what they wanted, and he knew.

Gandash looked at Jad. “Fine. How many of you High Seers want to split the company, with you heading back to the Gateway, while the rest of us continue to Puabi? Keep in mind, you’ll be abandoning the weaker members of the company in dire circumstances, while you essentially run away.”

“We’ll be going to get reinforcements,” Jad said. “All of you know where I stand.” He raised his hand and looked around.

There were only five High Seers. Xerxes, Katayoun, Kashtiliash, Dasi, and of course Jad. At first, no one moved or said a thing. Then Dasi raised her hand. “I’m with Jad.”

Jad’s eyes went from Katayoun to Xerxes, then stopped at Kashtiliash.

The bearded mage had his arms crossed and he was frowning. But after a moment, he raised his hand. “Get reinforcements,” he said.

That left Katayoun and Xerxes.

Katayoun looked at Kishar briefly, then raised her hand. “I agree. I think we’re in over our heads. We need Mystics. Or Archons.”

Xerxes felt torn. In reality, he believed Gandash to be correct. But he couldn’t help but think about the apartment in Sin-Amuhhu that he and Katayoun had talked about. The vegetable garden. The clean streets and delicious food. Would any of that become a reality if they all died in a muddy corner of Jehannemid?

He slowly raised his hand. “I’m with Kat.”

Gandash’s expression couldn’t have looked more stony. “What about the Seers? Ningsummunu? Kishar? Teucer?”

Ningsummunu said, “I think it’s foolish to split the company. But according to the plan, the Seers’ fate is the same. I’m with you, Captain.”

Teucer looked like he was eating a lemon. “I back Jad.”

Kishar was the only one left. She looked at Jad, Gandash, then Katayoun. “I also think we need help.”

Gandash nodded curtly. “I see.”

Xerxes expected Jad to take advantage of the vote to further harry Gandash, but he didn’t. He held his tongue.

“In that case,” Gandash continued, “I’ll consider the options. Everyone’s dismissed.”