The usual crowd of faces was there. Most were clan chieftains. The heavily moustached personages fought from chariots and were immensely proud of themselves. Their tactic was to run rings around their opponents and hurl javelins. That worked against tribal warriors but was useless against Morgon's highly disciplined troops.
A girl of the royal guard entered the chamber and thumped her spear. Everyone rose, except Tom who was obliged to stoop because the chamber was not designed for someone of his height.
The queen took her place and the usual formalities were observed. Frequent references to the Holy Mother punctuated accounts of Morgon's latest aggression and the need to take action. Thunder stood beside the old woman. She turned towards him and her tone changed.
'Where are those buckets of sand?'
Tom was struck by her offhand manner and guessed that, in private, their relationship was very different. He watched as Thunder ran off, like a humble servant, and returned with two wooden pails.
'Put it down there.'
She indicated a spot on the flagstones.
Thunder tipped sand onto the floor and moulded it into shapes. Tom knew what he was doing. He'd done it himself. Thunder was constructing a sand map.
The estuary was marked out. The escarpment followed. The territory of Gorm was delineated. Thunder worked methodically. The clan chieftains craned their necks. Tom watched as Thunder showed the disposition of Morgon's forces about the port of Dunavon.
It didn't make sense.
He stifled an urge to ask Thunder if he was certain of his facts. The queen called for comment. Tom hung back as one chieftain after another told her that the chariots would sweep Morgon from his position and annihilate him. That didn't make sense either. The queen looked in Tom's direction.'
'Sky Warrior. You haven't said anything.'
'I wasn't asked, Majesty.'
'Well, I'm asking you now. What do you think?'
'I can't understand what's going on,' Tom replied cautiously. 'Morgon has placed his forces in an exposed position. If he were to be confronted by a similar force, he would be defeated. He wouldn't stand a chance.'
'What are you talking about?' One of the chieftains jumped up. 'What do you know about the southerners?'
'I am trained as a warrior,' Tom said. 'I am trained in the ways the southerners know. Their soldiers do nothing but fight. They do not farm. They do not have families to protect. That is why they are so difficult to defeat and that is why I have created a special force to fight like the southerners.'