B??riKhanwaspleased.Hisplanswereunfoldingbrilliantly.TheEmperorwasshakinginhisshoesandgatheringtogetheraweakarmymadeofcivilianboysandoldmen.Meanwhile,B??riKhan’ssesshadgarneredhimtheattentionofalheotherRourantribes,whohadsenttheirownleaders,knownasTegins,tomeetwithhimaswastheancientcustom.NowtheTeginsstoodinsidehislargeyurt,whileoutsidetheirbanners—theblackbear,snowleopard,serpent,redfire,andwildstallion—whippedandsnappedinthewind.Itwasthefirsttimeinyearsthatallfiveofthegreatesttribeshadgatheredinoneplace.
AnditwasallbecauseofB??riKhan.
Lookingoutovertheroughgroupassembledinhisyurt,B??riKhaneyedeachoftheleaders.TheystoodamidabreathtakingarrayoftreasuresstolenbyB??riKhanandhismen.Pilesofsilksandscarvesandheapsofjewelrylitteredtheroomhaphazardly,asthoughKhanhadsomuchtreasurehedidn’tcareifitfelothefloorandgottrampledupon.Hehadmadesuretoprovideplattersoffoodandjugsofdrinkofwhichafewofthemennowpartook.However,despitetheapparentcelebration,theroomfetense.ThetribeshadspetosupportB??riKhan,butthatdidn’tmeantheysupportedoneanother.Theirhatredforeachotherrandeepandtrue.
“HowcanIsharewithKilifuTegin?”
Lookingover,B??riKhansawTuluguiTeginstaringdaggersatasmallermanacrosstheyurt.Tuluguiwasperhapsthemeanest—oratleastmostverbal—ofthebunch.Astheroomfilledwithmurmurs,Khanliftedahandtosilencethem.ThenhenoddedforTuluguitocontinue.
“Heandhispeoplehavebeenraidingourcampssincethetimeofmygrandfather’sgrandfather,”Tuluguifinished.
Instantly,Kilifuwentonthedefensive.“Theraidsbeganwithyourpeople,”hesaid,outraged.
“Kilifuisright!”BatiTegin,theleaderofoneofthesmallertribes,shouted,jumpinginandcuttingTuluguioffbeforehecouldrespond.“Tuluguialsoraidsmycamp.I’veseenitwithmyowneyes!”
Theyurteruptedinroars.Broughttogether,oldwoundshadquicklyreopened.B??riKhanwatched,lettingtheothermenshoutandspewinsus.Heonceagainliftedhishand,andwithasingleshout,hesilencedthem.“Onandonyougo,likeabasketofvipersbitingeachother’stails.”Ashespoke,hetookthetimetolookateachtriballeader.Hewantedthemalohearhim.“Fighting,tribeagainsttribe.Doyounotseethebountybeforeyou?”