“Yes. Is he as good at other things, too?”
“I think there’s nothing Andros can’t do,” said Milos. “He’s one of the best riders I know; quite the finest shot with a bow in the whole clan, and last year he carried off the prize for the best man at arms in our weapon show. He’s a good leader in war, and popular with everybody under him. A good musician, and—though he’s shy about it—somewhat of a poet.”
“You’re fortunate in having a man like that under you,” said I. “Aryenis was telling me that he helps you a good deal.”
“Yes. He’s getting more and more my right-hand man. Under Kyrlos and myself most of the preparations for this war have been made by him. He’s got a good head on his shoulders, which does not always go with the more showy qualities.”
Then he turned to Aryenis.
“Will you finish the evening for us with that little song of Andros’s? I have not heard it for quite a long time, and you used to sing it a lot.”
“If you like, uncle mine. If Andros will play it for me, that is.”
Milos called to Andros, asking him to play again, and Aryenis sang a little short ballad with a very haunting refrain. If I could write verse as Andros does, I wouldn’t be shy about it. I’d put it into print straight away and let the world see it. But still they have no press in Sakaeland, and if you have some one like Aryenis to sing your poems, then a press is worse than superfluous.
Shortly after that the guests began to leave, and we were not sorry, especially Stephnos and Wrexham, who were anxious for bed after a before-dawn start, forty miles in the saddle, and a fight.
Forsyth raved about Ziné without ceasing while he was undressing—we had put him into the second room. I don’t know how many different girls she reminded him of. Eventually we threw him out of our room, and left him to rave by himself. In the morning he was singing as he dressed. I remembered that from the time in Calcutta when we were fitting out—a bad sign—and said that he was going riding with the girls, as everybody else was busy with preparations for the council.