The day passed, as days do pass with work accomplished but not enough - by Zairl never enough - to make me feel I'd earned my daily crust.

Truth to tell, with the Lord Farris and the Presidio we had set up perfectly capable of dealing with the problems of empire and the woes of Vallia, there was for me really only left the showy, emperor-type of function.  Farris ran the place when I was not here, for which I gave thanks to Opaz, and I had no intention of making any attempt to usurp his functions.

When Drak at last threw out Vodun Alloran from the southwest and returned to Vondium in triumph, then Farris would gracefully retire from his position as Justicar Crebent and let Drak get on with it.  Farris's heart was with the Vallian Air Service.

So it was that I opened the complex of houses and shops, then, after the second breakfast, went on to officiate at other functions.  Much of Vondium at this time still lay in ruins.  We concentrated on rebuilding the most essential structures first.  When it was time to see Nath na Kochwold about his new Fifth Phalanx I brightened considerably.

With those thoughts occasioned by the kind of day I'd had I said to Nath as we stood in the anteroom leading from the barracks out to the square: "Well, Nath, there is only so much money and only so many resources.  If we spend a thousand gold pieces to build a new school and what-have-you, there are a thousand talens less topside to pay the army and equip the lads."

"A school will not stop those rasts who raid us."

I pulled my ear.  "Yet it may teach the youngsters what they will need to know for our future."

"They need to know how to shoulder a pike, to handle a shield, to wield a sword."

"Inter alia, inter alia."

Using the Kregish, the meaning was plain, and Nath smiled.  "You are, of course, majis, quite right.  But, all the same -"

"All the same, my fiery kampeon, somehow we will build the schools and hospitals and find the wherewithal to fund the troops - even if the brumbytes in the files, being good soldiers, wear the old vosk-skull helmets still."

Seg walked in at that point and, overhearing, laughed.

"Vosks have skulls as thick through as Mount Hlabro.  And, you know what has been said about our skulls."

"Aye," I said.  Many and many a time I'd been told I had a skull as thick as a vosk's.  Being an emperor made no difference there...

"Now, Nath," said Seg, very briskly.  "I do not pretend to the pikes in the Phalanx.  I've come to see about you archers.  Dustrectium is, after all, the secret of success."