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stealth work required of a reconnaissance soldier, but Kang had found
other uses for him. He had put Dremon in charge of security for the young
draconian females.
 How are the babies? Kang asked.
Dremon shook his head.  There s something wrong, sir.
 What, damn it? Kang was on his feet. Fear shriveled his heart.
 I don t know, sir. Dremon looked helpless.  I don t know anything
about kids. The only kid I ever saw was a little human and, well, sir, I
killed it. That was on that raid on 
 Never mind about the damn raid! Kang thundered.  What about the
babies?
 They re listless and they won t eat. We tried to give them some of the
raw meat we ve been feeding them but they just turn their heads away.
 Are they warm enough?
 Yes, sir. We ve got them tied up snug as a bug in the sacks. They re
fretful, sir. All they do is whimper and cry.
 Are they sick? Kang was sick himself, sick with worry.
 I don t know, sir. I really think you should come
 Sir! One of Support Squadron entered the room.  Subcommander
Slim said to tell you that the temple is not abandoned, as we first thought.
We ve found six humans, sir. Females. They were hiding in the cellar.
They call themselves Sisters of Paladine, sir. The subcomman-der wants to
know what to do with them.
Kang groaned. Just one damn problem on top of another. Clerics of
Paladine! All he needed. He hoped to the gods that weren t anymore that
they had lost their magical holy powers, just as he had lost his. If not. . .
 Did they attack? he asked grimly.
 They tried, sir. The draconian grinned.  One of them a real old and
wrinkled-up one shouted out the name of her cursed god and waved
some sort of medallion at us. Nothing happened. The subcommander took
the medallion away and told her to sit down and shut up. Her screeching
was giving him a headache.
 Where are they?
 Still in the cellar, sir.
 Sir! Another soldier entered the room.  First and Second Squadron
are inside the temple grounds, sir.
 What about the enemy?
 Taking up positions outside the temple, sir. Looks as if they re
preparing to attack.
 Man the walls. I know goblins. Their first attack will come too fast,
before they re organized. Should be no trouble holding them off the first
time. The second time ll be more difficult. Officers report to me in ten
minutes.
 Yes, sir. The runner dashed off.
 The female humans, sir? said the soldier.
 The babies, sir? said Dremon.
Kang put his hand to his forehead. Females and babies? Females and
babies . . .
 Females and babies! he cried, triumphant.  That s it! Don t you get
it?
The two soldiers shook their heads.
 Females adore babies, Kang explained.  It s . . . it s born into them.
Instinct. He strode rapidly across the room. The soldiers ran along
behind.
 Even draconian babies, sir? Dremon asked, dubious.
 All babies, Kang said firmly.  Baby lions, baby wolf cubs. Baby
birds. Baby dragons. According to the bards, females particularly human
females are always taking in baby animals and raising them. They can t
help themselves.
 I hope the bards are right, sir! Dremon said fervently.
So do I, Kang said to himself. So do I. All he said aloud was,  Bring
the babies down to the cellar.
* * * * *
After a hasty meeting with his officers, he left them to their work and
hurried through the main temple building. It was empty except for an altar
with the image of the god carved in marble. The god was portrayed as a
platinum dragon, fearsome, wise, and benevolent. At least that s how it
must have appeared in the not-too-distant past. Now the statue of the
dragon looked forlorn and slightly foolish. Or maybe bewildered, baffled.
Kang gazed at it, experienced a moment of empathy. He knew how the
beast felt. He himself was forlorn, bewildered, baffled. So much had
happened in such a little space of time, so much had changed.
Kang patted the statue on the snout as he went by, not so much out of
bravado, although the gesture would show his men that he wasn t afraid of
it, as out of a feeling of brotherhood. They d both been abandoned, he and
the statue.
The soldiers led him through the temple proper to a large outbuilding
located behind the main building. Here were more living quarters and an
enormous kitchen. Behind the kitchen, a large double door built into the
ground stood open. They could hear voices coming from below the ground
level. Kang clomped down the cellar stairs. The cellar was warm and dry
and filled with food smells. The smells were ghosts, however. The cellar
was, for the most part, empty. A single sack of flour remained, along with
some wizened apples, a sack of potatoes.
By the sunlight streaming down through the cellar door, Kang could
see Slith standing in the center of the room. He held no weapons, did not
look particularly threatening. Six human females were gathered at the far
end of the subterranean chamber, as far from Slith as they could manage.
One of the human females, the eldest a tall, stringy female with hair the
color of Kang s sword and a face so sharp it put his blade to shame stood
glaring defiantly at the draconian. The other females had gathered behind
the elderly woman, whom Kang took to be their leader. She shifted her
glare to Kang when he entered.
The females wore robes that had once been white but were now
covered with dust from the cellar. Each wore around her neck a silver
medallion, with the exception of the leader. Kang saw that Slith held her
medallion in his hand.
Kang was nonplussed. He d never had much dealing with human
females before. He didn t find them all that attractive, as did some of his
kind. The only female he d ever really come to know had been a Knight of
Takhisis, a soldier, like himself. He had been able to talk to her. He had no
idea what to say to a female cleric.
Technically the females were his prisoners, but he needed their help,
and he would not gain that help by reminding them of the fact. Nor would
he be likely to gain their aid by threats and coercion. He may not know
human females, but he could size up a fellow officer, and he could tell by
the old female s proud and upright stance, her fearless gaze and defiant
air, that this was not a commander who would be easily intimidated.
Outside he could hear his officers ordering their men to take up
positions along the wall. That gave him an idea.
Kang marched forward. Removing his helmet, he held it under his arm
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