Flying their tenar side by side across the moonscaped land, Athenalras and his aide, Ro'moloristen, surveyed the mass of People following the thresh-built roads and trails to the sausage grinder of the front.
"I fear you were wrong, puppy. We have not managed to break out from the bridgehead held by Arlingas and his host."
"Not yet, lord. And yet I think I can retain my head, and my reproductive organs a bit longer." Unaccountably, Ro'moloristen gave the Posleen equivalent of a grin, most unusual for one ever so near to meeting the Demons of Sky and Fire.
"You seem quite pleased with yourself for one about to make a long journey with an unpleasant beginning," growled Athenalras.
"Did I expect to make that journey, lord, I would no doubt be more subdued."
"You know something you have not told me?" Athenalras accused.
"Yes, lord." The junior God King positively grinned. "Borominskar is almost ready to move. And this time, I think he will get across the obstacle to his front. When he does, it will suck the threshkreen away from this front like a magnet pulls iron filings. And, then, my lord, then we shall have our breakout here.
"The host of Arlingas is relieved now," Ro'moloristen continued. "We are feeding them thresh from our store . . . and the edas I am charging Arlingas is going a long way towards eliminating our edas to him. And without pressure from all sides being placed on Arlingas there is little chance the threshkreen can recover the far bank of the river."
"Perhaps not, but there is always something held in reserve, some new unscrupulous trick with these humans. Have we tracked down and destroyed this new threshkreen fighting machine, the one that can strike our people's ships even in space?" Athenalras asked.
"Sadly, no, lord. The hunter killer group we sent disappeared without a trace and the machine escaped our grasp. I have begun to assemble another, bigger and more powerful, hunting party. As for whether they can close the breach Arlingas made in their walls . . . I begin to suspect there is only the one machine, and it will not be able to do much on its own."
Ro'moloristen continued, "The Rheinland is almost entirely cleared of thresh, and millions have been rounded up to feed our host, though the thresh thus gathered tends to be old, tough and stringy. This is only part of why Borominskar has decided to move. The other half is . . . well, lord . . . he has a great grudge he bears against the threshkreen to his front.
"And great will be the manner of his revenge for the foul way they fought him.
"Lord . . . with a little preparation, we ourselves might use Borominskar's trick to grab yet another bridge."