© Copyright 1996-1999 by Clayton J. Powers

When Xena emerged from her room, dressed in a heavy red silk dress and cloak, she immediately went over to the priest who was in his simple linen traveling shirt and a coat. Py and Ephiny were also dressed to handle the cold of the high altitude morning.

"How are you, Demodocus?"

"I really don't know. I mean when everyone walks by I get a whiff of their feelings. It's maddening! And thank you."

"For what, Priest?"

"I feel your concern. Thanks. It helps some. But my guess was right. I needed Athena with me all the time to drown out all the people's feelings I didn't need. It's gonna be really hard. I better not go."

"No, Demodocus, you've got to go. This mission needs you. I need you to find out from Uhhamuwa everything you can about the priests in the citadel. Where they are, how many. How they work. Try to remember that." Xena's voice got a little sharp and Demodocus winced.

Gabrielle's eyebrows went up, then she made her face go blank. Xena told her what was happening and that she was going to get tough on him. Although she understood Xena's reasons, she didn't have to like it.

Ephiny came over. She looked anxious. "Xena, when are me and Py going to get something to do? Its embarrassing. I feel like some kind of ornament.'

Xena's eyes flashed for a moment. Then they cooled. "Be patient, ladies. This tour will give us something to do. I'll tell you after dinner tonight. Besides you are doing something. Helping me sell this story.

Pyronia, who was far less volatile than Ephiny, stood chewing on her fire stick with a bemused look on her face. Gabrielle could tell that she was on Ephiny's side. Just then there was a firm knock on the door.

"I'll get it, Xe--Ma'am!" Pyronia said and went to the door to answer. Gabrielle noticed that she still had the fire stick in her mouth and started to shout Pyronia's name, but it was too late. The door swung open followed by a sharp intake of breath by Py. Everyone tensed as a man's voice said, "Hi Helen, interesting to see you again."

Gabrielle and Ephiny shot panicked looks at Xena who reached into her bosom and pulled out her breast dagger. Gabrielle could see Pyronia's left arm cock to her ear when the man hissed, "Hey! Hey! Easy will ya? I saved your life remember? Lemme in! I only got a minute!

Xena walked over behind the Amazon and opened the door wide. A short man with a grizzled beard and coal black eyes who was dressed as a Lieutenant in the Imperial Guard, scooted into the room. After closing the door Xena, turned to face the man, her war face terrifyingly in evidence.

"People, this is Kotamuwa, the man that saved my live in Yozgat." Pyronia said in a strangled voice. "What are you doing back in the Imperial Guard with a promotion yet?"

"Easy all of you. I'm on your side. He walked over to Xena and asked "Xena, right?" Kotamuwa asked. Surprised, Xena nodded. "Crete," he said.

Xena's eyes went wide and both her eyebrows went up. "Samos," she said. "OK everyone relax. He's working for Erginus.

"Boy, you work fast! Quit the army. Go join the underground. Find King Erginus' men in Hatti and then join the army again." Pyronia hissed.

"I could say the same about you, Helen, from tramp to lady in waiting in a week!"

"Forget that. My name's Pyronia."

"OK!" Xena said. "Old home week's over. What have you got for me?"

"Hattusilis is in the Citadel and Discus wants him out."

Gabrielle looked at her friend's face and noticed it was perfectly neutral. No feelings whatsoever.

Xena's face changed and she looked directly at Ephiny and said, "Well? You wanted something to do."

Ephiny smirked and shrugged, but her eyes were glittering in anticipation.

"So what are you doing here now?" Xena asked. "How did you get here?"

"It's a messy story. Let's just say I replaced a replacement, and they'll find my body soon. I got myself in the party to accompany you on the tour today. I have something for you too." Kotamuwa reached into a pocket in his weapons belt and pulled out a thin sheet of very fine paper. Gabrielle knew exactly what Xena was going to do next. She took the paper over to the table and spread it out. Everyone else joined her. It was a general layout of the entire Citadel. She scanned the paper for what seemed to be a few seconds, then crumpled and ate it. Xena's memory was instant and very reliable. She would be able to reproduce that drawing any time she wanted. Kotamuwa's eyes went up in surprise.

Pyronia elbowed the erstwhile sergeant. "You get used to Xena's tricks after a while."

The newly minted Lieutenant pulled a face, then turned saying. "I got to go!" He reached out for Py's hand, patted it, then bolted out the door, leaving her with a bemused expression.

"Colonel, who uses these buildings here?" Xena asked the leader of their escort, whose name everyone promptly forgot, in the sweet voice of the Princess.

"Barracks ma'am. Half of the First Battalion of the Imperial Guard Infantry lives there."

"Thank you!" Xena walked over to the buildings and looked admiringly at the architecture but was immediately drawn to the door. Each building seemed to have only one entrance. The entrance had two huge, ornately decorated bronze doors. On either side of the lintel there were loops to take a large oaken bar that was set in a small niche next to it. Xena looked at the windows and discovered that they were high up on the wall, over ten feet, and they were very small and appeared to be barred. On the door bar was bolted two iron chains that were obviously meant to be hooked to two huge iron eyebolts in stone foundations that were just outside the door on either side. Hanging in the niche with the bar were two huge brass padlocks.

"Why do you keep your soldiers in jail, Colonel? Why can you bar the doors from the outside?"

"Its traditional in our army to punish the entire company if a single member violates discipline, Princess Diana. Say, if a soldier comes back from leave drunk and insults a superior, we lock the whole company in their barracks for a day to make them an example. Fortunately, our soldiers are the very best. We hardly ever do it."

"OH I see! What's that big building behind these to the left?"

"That's the Foreign Ministry Building. The Deputy Foreign minister Lordamulis lives there too His apartment takes up the entire top floor. You know that the Emperor prefers to handle the job himself."

"So he told me yesterday."

Gabrielle, who was bringing up the rear of the party, watched Xena carefully. She saw that her friend was looking at every detail of the installation assessing its strengths and weaknesses. She knew that Xena was up to something by the very subtle look in the Warrior Princess' eye.

The party walked up hill farther north into a smaller field called the Upper Court In the center of the court was a large, gray, stone, three story building with iron doors and bronze bars on its windows.

Pointing, Ephiny asked, "What's that? Another barracks?"

"No Miss, that's the guardhouse or military prison."

Gabrielle struggled to suppress a smile. Nearby Gabrielle noticed the lowing of a cow and the clucking of chickens. There was a relatively low byre and a chicken coop next to the jail. She caught Xena's eye, and nodded towards it.

"What are the animals for?" Xena asked.

"Officer's mess! Ma'am. We pay for and raise our own animals from our pay."

Pointing off to the left, behind the Foreign Ministry, the Colonel indicated a huge imposing pile of a building whose main entrance was flanked by two huge gray granite pillars. "Demodocus, That is the National Temple of Hebat, where The Emperor as the representative of Hebat On Earth holds services on state occasions, and where Chief Priest Uhhamuwa holds daily services. Its also holds the Public Enlightenment offices."

"Ah I see. I shall have to ask his Holiness to give me a personal tour." The Priest replied.

"Come, I'd like to show you the best view you will see in a long time. May I Colonel? Kotamuwa asked,

The Colonel gave his assent and the party walked around the guardhouse to a large, pink marble, staircase that worked its way all the way up to the top of the citadel's wall. They turned and headed north towards the palace and soon they were overlooking the high wall, the even higher scarp, and out into the plain below. Behind them stood the massive palace and the tower. If the army that was there yesterday was an ocean, then the army that was camped there now was all the water in the world. The orderly rows of tents almost disappeared in the distance. Everyone, including Xena viewed the panorama with awe.

"Olympus above! How many soldiers are there now?" Xena asked trying to suppress her chagrin.

"About 200,000. That is the entire First Army." Kotamuwa said, still play acting to a tee.

"FIRST Army? Pyronia asked swallowing hard."

"Oh yes! The Colonel said. "The Empire has very many enemies at present. There are two others of the same size being made up. "Sadly, it will take some time to finish putting them together. You are going to have a real treat tomorrow.

"Yes?" Demodocus asked. He couldn't help looking slightly worried.

"You are all going to be present at the first Grand Review of a Hittite Army in over 200 years."

"My, how wonderful!" Xena beamed. She actually meant it. The review was a bonus. She could get an idea how good the troops were. Turning her back to the huge host, Xena looked up at the palace and saw about forty feet over her head was a long balcony behind which were a long row of windows and doors. My who has such an incredible view?" She asked pointing.

"That's the Emperor's personal apartment Princess Diana. He feels as if he could see his entire Empire from there." Said the Colonel relaxing confidently. He was leaning on a large barrel that stood on the walkway.

Just then there was a clatter and the noise of a group of men coming up a stairway nearby. Grouped in pairs, the men carried heavy timbers.

"We'd better get moving along." The Colonel said.

"Why?" Pyronia said chafing slightly. She had never seen anything like this vista. The Greek army she saw at Troy was nothing like this, and neither was the view.

"I'm afraid that this area of wall is used as an execution ground for our most important criminals. Traitors for example." Kotamuwa said. The renegade Imperial Guardsman struggled to keep a grimace from his face.

Xena looked down and noticed that in the stone of the walkway there were deep holes spaced every ten feet or so along the entire north wall of the Citadel. The holes were big enough to accommodate the timbers that were now arriving. Xena looked at the timbers and noticed that although they were either oak or hickory, half of each of them were colored a deep red brown--the color of dried blood. Xena couldn't help herself; she looked at the Colonel with a deadly smile and asked, "What do you do with your traitors?"

The Colonel replied off-handedly, "Crucify them, of course."

Xena's face became an emotionless mask. "Just like that little town in Thessaly." she thought. Xena looked down at the holes in the walkway. There were a great many of them. There were large bloodstains around the holes--fresh ones. The crosses were erected here often. She now knew the true tenor of the man Tudhalias. He was a terrorist, for that was what crucifixion was, state terrorism of the most disgusting sort. He used torture to cow his army and his population. She looked up at the remainder of her party and everyone was as horrified as she was. Demodocus was looking off into the distance. Ephiny glared at the Colonel. Pyronia was watching her hands open and close. Xena knew the honey haired Amazon was struggling to keep from killing the colonel where he stood. Gabrielle was keeping a straight face, but Xena could see a tear.

"Who are the criminals you are going to execute?" Xena asked keeping her Diana voice as light as possible.

Twenty five army deserters and a man convicted by the Emperor of High Treason.

"Convicted by the Emperor?" Demodocus asked.

"Oh yes. The Emperor's word's divine, therefore it's law." said the Colonel with a smirk.

"Who's this traitor?" Xena asked.

Kotamuwa answered. "The Crown Prince Hattusilis. He's to begin his execution just after dawn, day after tomorrow."

"Anything for such a lovely Princess, especially from an important Kingdom like..." Tudhalias froze for a second and his orderly leaned over and whispered into his ear. "Trius!" He finished.

"I am so grateful that such a tiny country like my own would receive such a warm welcome from so powerful a leader as yourself."

"Why certainly, my dear Princess Diana. Your father King..." The orderly once again bent over and whispered into his Emperor's ear. "Lius is known throughout the known world for his --compassion. Tudhalias made a very small look of disgust flash through his face.

Xena smiled sweetly, but inside she knew that his little performance was a very subtle attempt at intimidation. Tudhalias had a very slight look of disdain in his eyes above the warm smile. "My father is a very sweet and kind man. What he does oppose is tyranny and slavery. Trius is known as the kingdom where freedom is valued more highly than any other Greek city.

"Freedom? What's freedom?" Tudhalias answered. "Do you have poor people in Trius?"

"Sadly, yes." Xena said with a pout. "But my husband, Philomon, is leading our effort to try to find homes for the poor and to find ways for them to be productive."

"Nevertheless people are still hungry, so your idea of freedom means nothing. What your freedom is, is no less than the freedom to starve. Isn't it?"

Inside, Xena bristled. Lius was treating his poverty problem very seriously, but he was doing it by investing taxes back into society by both giving food and jobs to the poor. Lius was also plowing taxes back into businesses to help them grow as well . Yet, to sell her cover story she caved in. "Well, I guess so..."

"What does Trius do to protect itself? It's a dangerous world."

"Daddy is proud that we have no army. Whatever we need is provided by the city of Thebes which is not that far away. Hercules lives there and would surely come if Daddy were to call. We take all the taxes we collect and try to make ourselves more prosperous."

Tudhalias tried to keep his face a mask, but Xena's skill at reading people gave him away. She could tell that he was starting to act like a hungry hyena looking at a piece of fresh meat.

"I suppose you allow some kind of Democracy?"

"Daddy does. Any major change in the law is opened to a vote by all the people of Trius, not just the male landowners or nobles like in Athens. We see everyone, poor or no as equally valuable."

"All the people of Trius?" Kumarbi, from his place across the table and down one place from Xena asked clearly disbelieving.

"Why yes of course, all men, women and centaurs over the age of eighteen can vote. The monarchy is still hereditary, but when I become queen, I intend to institute an elected monarchy, and eventually step down. I think power is just too cruel to be unlimited."

Uhhamuwa, Kumarbi, Arnuwanda, their wives, and the rest of the Hittite hierarchy at the table, except, Xena noted, the Emperor himself, could not hide their surprise and disgust. Tudhalias looked at Xena almost benevolently.

"We Hittites are not that way. The kind of leadership and thinking that you have just talked about is anathema to us. People are clearly not equal. We recognize and accept that fact. My people demand order and unity. In unity lay strength. We all know that Hatti has many outside enemies. A united people helps keep these enemies at bay. People admire and respect strong leadership. But leadership only comes from special, chosen people. Like us.

Ephiny glared for a second but somehow made her face a mask. Xena smiled and nodded, apparently sagely. Gabrielle came by again and took away Xena's bowl, the soup uneaten. She looked at her friend's eyes fleetingly but could see nothing.

"I find that interesting." Demodocus commented. "Did anyone or any God tell you Your Imperial Majesty that your people were destined to lead? The Israelite's one God tells them that they are a chosen people too but, He's never said that the Jews must rule the world."

Xena looked at her lover's face and was deeply surprised to see cynicism there. Demodocus was one of the least cynical and most caring of all the people she'd met, with the exception of Gabrielle.

Demodocus continued, "My patron The Maiden Goddess Athena teaches that no matter who gives birth to a person, all are equal in the sight of the divine and are to be compassionate for other's suffering." Then Demodocus did something that shocked the entire party. He turned, stopped a waiter with a tray full of wine goblets, took one, drained it quickly, replaced it, and sent the waiter on his way.

Uhhamuwa countered. "Hebat, our beloved Mother Goddess, speaks through our Emperor. Surely you are not saying that His Imperial Majesty is lying to us?"

"Certainly not. It's just that there are so many spiritual traditions in the world. Yours sounds like it's advocating war, which is utterly unique to me."

Kumarbi agreed, "It's unique to Hatti. That's why we've been such a great people for so long! War has hardened us, and it's the responsibility of the Government to maintain that hardness if we are to prosper as an empire."

"But the Empire has been so peaceful for so long." Xena as Diana whined sweetly.

"Two hundred years of traitors in government! His Imperial Majesty has mercifully stopped that." Arnuwanda added. "We were weak and allowed our enemies to walk all over us. This is going to stop if the Emperor's movement has anything to say about it."

Xena watched Tudhalias. She was starting to build a powerful, cold hatred for this man. He WAS worse than Callisto. Callisto was clearly sick in the head. Tudhalias was only ambitious. He equated himself with power. Xena was no great lover of her own gods, many of them were incredibly petty and cruel, but this man truly believed himself to be a god, and reveled in his people reminding him of it.

Ephiny asked, "Your Imperial Highness, what of centaurs? We have found them very honorable and useful subjects."

"They are a drag on Hatti. They are vermin, no different than green bottle flies infesting a piece of rotten meat. We exterminate them, and so should you." Tudhalias said flatly.

Ephiny's eyes flashed, and she slowly began to rise. Pyronia however, reached out with a big right hand, put it on her sister's shoulder and pushed her down, equally slowly, back into her chair.

Gabrielle watched Xena from behind Kumarbi. As moments passed she became more horrified because when Xena spoke she still spoke in Diana's airy voice, but her face was her own. The smile Xena now had on was wide, toothy and chillingly mirthless. That smile, with sapphire eyes appearing like blue pits usually meant death for somebody very soon. Xena's eyes were boring into Tudhalias' own, and any unfortunate person who crossed between them would have surely died from the energy that these two powerful people traded. Gabrielle shut her eyes for a moment and prayed. When she opened them again, she saw that Xena was once again Diana and that her eyes were once more soft and demure. "My father will take heed to your advice I'm sure." Xena said lowering her eyes.

"His Imperial Majesty has a point however." Came a rather weak voice from next to Pyronia.

"Yes, Deputy Foreign Minister?" Tudhalias asked.

The voice came from a rather roly poly man with a large nose that half rose, bowed stiffly with a hand over his heart and said, "Lordamulis, Princess Diana. We haven't been introduced. The point is Princess, that it is often better in negotiations with foreign powers to be in a position of strength. A nation can better protect its interests and national aspirations that way.

"I see." Xena said looking at Lordamulis. "Trius is so small. Father mostly looks for cooperation from our neighbors..." Xena looked Lordamulis in his overly moist, water blue eyes and thought immediately, "This is our man!"

At that moment, the Emperor stood, tapping with a fork on a chalice for order. "Ladies and Gentlemen. Let us toast Princess Diana, and her party for their gracious company. Let us hope as well that her first meeting with the Hittite Empire of the New Order will be a learning experience for her, and all of our neighbors who watch us closely--especially our enemies!"

Xena nodded graciously, but it was hard to keep the gesture from looking forced. Rising, Xena toasted, "Your Imperial Majesty. I wish to thank you for your wonderful hospitality, and all the consideration that you have given to me and my party. Hatti is a great nation and a greater Empire. I pray to Athena that she grant Trius and Hatti peace and friendship forever."

The toast laid an egg. Only about half of the people at the table applauded. The Emperor rose again and toasted, "To peace AND ORDER!"

This brought riotous applause, cheers and huzzas from the table. Xena nodded to all the table and sat once again.

Behind the Emperor a band began to play. The Emperor walked out from behind his chair and walked towards Xena, hand outstretched. To Gabrielle's surprise Xena took the Emperor's proffered hand and they both walked out onto the dance floor followed by most of the people at the party. A lilting piece began and the people began a gentle contradance where all took their partners' hands.

"I did not realize how lovely you were, Diana until I took a really close look tonight." Tudhalias oozed.

"Thank you, Your Imperial Majesty."

"We really appreciate women here in Hatti. When in their proper place, women are a great enhancement to life, especially when they are as beautiful as you."

"Um, yes?" Xena looked down at the floor briefly then back up where she noticed that the Emperor was staring at her chest. She kept from bristling.

"Of course. Women are very important. Especially in politics. Without women I wouldn't have a successor."

"Uh Huh."

"Now take you, for instance. I know that you are not really the woman you project you are."

Xena became alarmed but she forced herself to remain composed and looked deeply and sweetly into Tudhalias' eyes. A performance for which she would reward herself later. "Oh, really?" she asked.

"You have spirit my dear. Great spirit. You are simply not the naive, simple minded woman you claim to be. I didn't become Emperor of Hatti by misjudging the people near me."

"Yes. Yes of course. I do try to keep my life simple. I have also read a great deal. My daddy believes in education very much."

"Women can be very important in forging alliances."

"Oh, yes! One of our most important alliances was formed by my marriage to Philomon of Liberium. Together we have created a haven from slavers and other criminals."

Tudhalias looked disgusted for an instant but his basilisk like smoothness returned immediately. "Ah I have heard of Liberium, but it's so tiny. But think what an alliance with Hatti would be worth to you? If you were to become a more permanent guest in my Empire, trade and security would be your kingdom's legacy forever."

Xena smiled at him seemingly intrigued. She thought that were she here, Diana would be outraged by the suggestion that she abandon Philomon and her baby. Diana was much stronger than she looked. She loved Philomon with an almost desperate passion, and she was a devoted and compassionate mother. Philomon was worthy of Diana's love. He was a strong, fair and sympathetic man. "Well, It might be difficult. My daddy doesn't believe in divorce." Xena said.

"Ah well, what's a simple technicality when all this could be yours?" Tudhalias placed a hand on Xena's hip and let it slowly slip around behind. Xena backed away before the Emperor reached his objective.

This sparring went on all night, or it seemed to Xena. Finally, the dinner concluded and the party returned to the suite.

"Xena, are you all right?" Gabrielle asked.

"I'm fine, but I need to take a bath." Xena let out a disgusted breath. "He tried to pick me up."

"I saw. I thought you were going to kill him."

"I came this close." Xena held her index and thumb about a quarter of an inch apart. "Good thing you caught my eye, Gabrielle. Thanks."

"What a weasel. Cortese with an attitude problem." Gabrielle shook her head.

Xena walked over to Ephiny who was still very upset. Her emotions were directed inward. She was dejected. She looked up at the Warrior Princess' face with a look of bitterness and said, "I nearly blew it for all of us. Some Amazon huh?"

"Oh, cut the crap, Ephiny!" Pyronia snapped. "Anyone would have acted like you. For Artemis sake! He threw Phantes' memory into the cesspool. As far as I'm concerned, every one of those bastards in that banquet room is very lucky to be alive."

"I would have probably killed you had you done something, Ephiny." Xena said. "But you didn't. I'd have killed him too if Gabrielle hadn't reminded me we have a more important job to do. If I had done something, I hope one of you would have killed ME."

"Don't worry, Xena, I had you covered." Pyronia said with a phony smile. She hiked up her skirt and showed the hilt of her combat knife sticking up out of the top of her Hittite boot. Xena looked at her with a half smile.

"Ephiny, you're gonna get your chance to get the goods on those swine, don't worry." Xena patted her Amazon friend on the shoulder. When she was done, Xena looked for Demodocus and found him sitting alone in a chair near a window. He was staring outside and chewing on a thumbnail. She walked over to him to check.

"You don't have to say anything, Princess. You saw me take a drink." Demodocus looked intensely bitter and self reproachful.

"Can you handle it? Will you be able to stop?"

"Yeah, I think so. It was Tudhalias, Xena--Tudhalias. I was buried under an avalanche of his rage. I was either going to scream or die unless I took that drink. The others around him are nearly as bad."

"All right, Priest." Xena said tenderly. "I'll take your word for it, but I'm going to need you close to him one more time. You've got to be able to divert him while I look at his army. When the review's done you can come back to the suite and get ready for later. I'm sorry Athena left you. I wish I could help, but I can't."

"I know, Princess. It's all up to me now, poor weak human me. I wish I could tell you what its like being given such a huge responsibility it is to be a Goddess' cats paw, then to be cut off, abandoned, tossed aside like a stripped chicken bone. All I can do is my best, but I was a failure, rake and a drunk before. Why shouldn't I be those things again now that the greatest love a person can have is gone?"

Xena had never heard an ounce of self pity from Demodocus before, and it made her mad. Eyes flashing, Xena slapped her lover across the mouth hard, but not hard enough to do any damage. "Stop it! I need you and you're gonna be worthless to yourself and to us if you stay like this. She's GONE! Get past it! She told you she had her reasons!" Xena took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Demodocus, you are the greatest man I have ever met, other than Hercules. You've forgotten that. I love you, and no goddess is gonna change that. Lose yourself and everything and everybody you know will be let down, including yourself. I just don't have the time now to take care of you. I don't want to take care of you either."

Demodocus, his hand to his mouth, stood, his face a rictus of rage. Then he remembered to whom he was talking and his face dropped. He took in a long sobbing breath and nodded. Then he sat down and went back to staring out the window. Speaking seemingly to nobody he said, "I understand, Xena. I'll be ready when you need me in the morning, and for whatever duty you deem fit."

Xena reached down, grabbed him by the shoulders, pulled him out of his chair until his feet dangled in the air, and forced him to look into her eyes. "What was it you said? I didn't hear you!"

"I said I understand, and I'll be ready when you need me."

"Good!" She snapped. Then she dropped him, spun on her heel and walked away.

Gabrielle took in a breath and walked over to Xena. "Did you have to be so hard on him?"

Xena gave her a forbidding look. "None of your business, Gabrielle!"

Gabrielle was rocked back on her heels, but Xena's body language changed. The Warrior Princess reached out and put her hand on her friend's shoulder. "Sorry, Gabrielle. I was hard on him because he's feeling sorry for himself, and I need him. We all need him."

"I think I understand, Xena, but don't ask me to like it very much."

"Good, because I'm not."

Another man's voice came from behind Xena. Shocked, both she and Gabrielle spun around.

"Getting a wee bit testy aren't we Xena? Command wearing on you?"

Gabrielle turned her eyes to heaven. "Gods not YOU again!"

Ares smiled. "Oh yes, Gabrielle. I'm gonna be around a lot..

There was a sound of footfalls behind them. Demodocus had rushed up eyes ablaze.

"Get away from them, you beast!" He yelled.

Ares laughed sarcastically. "Pathetic! Some hero. Without your divine lover you you're nothing priest! No, No Xena here is worthy of my steel. Begone." Ares waved his hand and Demodocus was struck as if a mule had kicked him and he went flying across the room. Gabrielle, horrified, ran to the priest's side as did Ephiny and Pyronia.

Xena started to run towards her lover then stopped and turned glaring at her tormentor. "Ares, you'll NEVER get me to worship you. We'll find a way to put you back in your bottle where y'belong. I swear it!"

"You haven't got it yet, d'ya sweetheart. You are worshipping me, even if you think you're not! Well, I was just visiting.. Believe me, I'll be checking in often from now on."

"You're manipulating us and Tudhalias aren't you? You're setting up a world war just for your own pleasure!"

"Close but not quite. It's all for you beautiful. Its all for you! See ya!" With that Ares vanished.

Xena turned and ran over to Demodocus. To her great relief he was alive and seemingly well. "Thank the gods!" she breathed.

"I'm sorry, Princess." he said.

"Forget it," Xena said.

"Xena, do you think Ares is telling the truth? He's actually going to try to destroy everything just to get you to worship him again?" Ephiny asked.

"I wouldn't doubt it at all," Xena replied

That simple statement settled a pall over the group. Xena looked around and saw the depression in the eyes of her friends, and stood. "C'mon people! This mess is just starting! You just gonna stand here and let him beat us? We've all beaten the gods before! We'll beat him too! Now, let's just look at the jobs we have now. Find out what Tudhalias is up to, and get Hattusilis out. Let the Fates take care of Ares."

The little speech seemed to work and a few small smiles appeared. Then three sharp knocks followed by one other knock came from the door. Xena held up her hand, walked over to the door, and opened it. It was Kotamuwa.

"Hi. I came because I got some good news. I know exactly where Hattusilis is."

"Great! Show me."

Kotamuwa walked over to a table and swept the candlestick off of it. Catching it before it hit the ground Xena held it until the disgruntled soldier unrolled a floor plan. Putting the candlestick on one corner of the plan to hold it, she stared at the plan with extreme concentration.

"He's here." Kotamuwa pointed at the paper with a gauntleted finger. "Top floor. He's got two men on the cell door at all times. He's also chained to the wall, and shackled."

Xena looked up. "Everyone come over here." she called. They came as they were bidden.

"Gabrielle, the wagon all unloaded?"

"Sure It's all down in the baggage room. Even the hot stuff, if you know what I mean. Gold too."

"Guards give you any problem with the 'hot stuff'?"

"Nah. I just said you were a hypochondriac and that you needed a lot of a secret medicine. The powder smells so bad that they didn't look too close. I got a bit of a yelp with the swords and stuff, but I told 'em that they were mostly ceremonial and they dropped it."

"First Battalion's trained to be very cautious around visiting foreign dignitaries for fear of violating Diplomatic Immunity." Kotamuwa clarified.

"Well, he's nothing if not polite." Demodocus sneered.

"Gold too?" Xena asked Gabrielle.

"I had that brought up here. Pyronia's sleeping over it. Good thing the chest isn't marked. I told them it was lead for Demodocus' experiments."

Pyronia blanched.

"For such an honest kid, you can be a pretty good liar." Pyronia commented with a smirk. Before Gabrielle could snap off a reply Xena raised her hand.

By the way, I did find out from Uhhamuwa the number of priests in the main temple. It's nearly a hundred. They could be trouble." Demodocus added in passing.

"Good work, people. Demodocus, I want you to make up three good doses of valerian tea , enough to keep Gabrielle, Pyronia, and Ephiny out for eight hours. They're gonna be up all night tomorrow and I want 'em to stockpile sleep. Priest, you're gonna be up all day and all night tomorrow and most of the next day. You're gonna need a stimulant."

"I have something I got from China. I'll make a gallon or so and put it in some water skins That ought to keep me up all right. What about you?"

Gabrielle said, "Don't worry about Xena, Demodocus. What's a week without sleep to her?"

"Kotamuwa, do you have a diagram like this of the Foreign Ministry Building?" Xena asked.

"No, but I can draw you up one from memory easily enough."

"Good. Draw it up on the back of this." Xena turned the diagram of the guard house over. Kotamuwa pulled a face and complied.

"That reminds me; I got something else you'd like too." Kotamuwa said pulling out another, smaller scroll of paper and spreading it out on the table. Xena looked at it with curiosity and then her face showed pure glee. She nearly chuckled.

"You got that right!" Xena elbowed the soldier gently much to the surprise of everyone. "Terrific!"

Xena nodded. "Right! Everyone listen closely. Here's what we're gonna do."

Between Xena and Demodocus, who still looked pale and careworn from dealing with all of the bad vibrations this gang of thugs projected, Kumarbi was regaling the priest with the details of the army he created and loved. Xena feigned ignorance, but in reality she was doing her best to just keep in touch with Tudhalias' commentary so that she could drink in every one of the Minister of Security's words. She trusted to Demodocus' experience to ask the right questions.

"...So the Army's basic organization is easy. The smallest unit is the company. one hundred men plus ten for command and administration. There are ten companies in a Battalion. Then five Battalions to a regiment, two regiments to a division and so forth." Demodocus reiterated. "I noticed that all these troops are dressed in gray uniforms. Most of the others I've seen are in black and silver."

"Those are the Imperial Guard." Kumarbi said "The Emperor's Personal Guard. All of them are volunteers and totally committed to the Person of the Emperor. They were sworn in by His Imperial Majesty himself. These troops are regular army recruited by conscription from all through Hatti."

"My, My! There are SO many of them! It is so--stirring!" Xena said to Tudhalias. She squirmed in seeming delight with a hooded look in her eyes.

"Ah I knew you'd understand, dear Princess."

The units, battalion after battalion, marched by on foot or driven in their three man chariots. Sometimes the dust on this cool fall day became so thick that the reviewing party had to cough to clear their eyes and noses. With the passage of every unit, Xena acted more and more excited.

"Your offer of an alliance between Trius and Hatti can make me a part of all this?" Xena purred. Her eyes were glittering with greed."

"Certainly, my Princess. Has your father given you authority to act in his name?"

Xena looked at the Emperor and lied smoothly with a big smile on her face. "Why of course."

"I've noticed something Minister Kumarbi. Why do you have no cavalry? All your horse seems to be chariots," Demodocus inquired.

"Discipline and expense. Cavalry is terribly difficult to control. Our Hittite boys need rigid discipline. They can be very wayward, and since it is hard to stay mounted on a horse, Cavalry doesn't hit hard. We are an infantry army. The troops on the Chariots dismount to fight. Also we save on horse flesh, which can be rare at times. We get three men into action with every two horses. We get excellent mobility on wheels and in rough terrain we dismount. Simple as that. Everything in our army is based on hitting power. There are several cavalry battalions in the Imperial Guard, but they are used for either scouting or provost marshal jobs--Not combat. We attack in large infantry formations with the long spears you see there. Nobody can stand in the way of one of our divisions...."

Xena heard what Kumarbi said and noted it carefully. "So what would be necessary to seal such an agreement, Your Imperial Majesty?" She asked.

"Well, your signature on a treaty and the stationing of one thousand of my Imperial Guardsmen in Trius, and perhaps a small perquisite that I might be able to collect fairly soon?"

Xena knew immediately what that 'perquisite' was, yet she smiled sweetly through her disgust.

"Of course when time comes to settle the 'perquisite' your lovely ladies in waiting are invited too."

Xena bowed her head. "Of course."

"The only division that has battalions trained to operate independently then are the Imperial Guard?" Demodocus asked.

"Of course. We trust their commitment totally. They are the best of our best. Sadly, the farm boys that make up most of our army are not professional caliber. We make up for it by having highly experienced leaders at the battalion level and up. The troops are trained to depend upon their leaders implicitly without question....."

"Oh."

Just then a superbly turned out infantry battalion marched by. The leather armor of the soldiers glowed in the autumn sunshine. Every bit of brass and iron glittered. The men were in perfect lockstep rigidly walking ahead kicking their boots into the air with every stride. Xena saw this and looked at them carefully. She saw the looks in the men's eyes and the arrogance of the battalion's officers, especially the commander. This battalion had been obviously whipped into looking perfect. Xena knew that flogging to maintain field discipline was useless. The cat 'o' nine tails was only effective in the punishment of some crime. Flogging only teaches soldiers how to show their backs to the enemy and run away. She smiled a satisfied, but inward smile. Smiling at Tudhalias again, she noted unit after unit, infantry and chariot, in exactly the same condition. "Do we have a chance after all?" she wondered.

The door was jammed! He couldn't move it! "Oh come on now." He complained, and he pushed as hard as he could upon the heavy stone door. His shoving went on for some time, his effort increasing by the minute. Soon his complaints became groans of frustration and then howls of rage; "I'm gonna KILL Uhhamuwa!" He put his shoulder to the door and heaved as hard as his stocky, but unfit body could heave. Not a millimeter would it move. "ARRRGH!" He shouted in helplessness as he began pounding with his fists upon the portal.

On the other side of the door, the reasons for the portal's resistance were laughably clear. A bed, a bureau, a vanity, and a chest that was once filled with gold, but now contained rocks, blockaded it. On the other side of the pile of furniture, their feet propped up on the stack, Xena, Ephiny, and Pyronia sat rocking in their tipped chairs in rhythm to Tudhalias's pounding.. They had shortly before discarded their hated royal finery and now wore their familiar, and now very welcome, battle gear. All were heavily armed with their accustomed weapons, Xena with sword and chakram, Ephiny with narrow sword, short bow and a quiver of arrows on her belt, Pyronia with a narrow sword and a great Amazon battle ax in a bucket holster on her back. All of the women were having difficulty restraining their mirth at 'Diana's' erstwhile Imperial suitor's plight. Even the perfume was phony. Near where the women sat and rocked, sticks of cinnamon and frankincense burned. On the floor beside them were six large shoulder bags crammed full of the bronze spheres packed with Demodocus' black powder.

Pyronia leaned over to Xena and quietly whispered into her ear, "I got to hand it to you, Xena. You got STYLE, woman! He! He! He!"

Xena shot a sidelong look at the big Amazon. She half grinned, and her eyes glittered with amusement as another anguished shout came through the wall.

After a while, like a sailfish hooked on an expert angler's line, Tudhalias began to tire. Soon, even Ephiny couldn't hear the sounds of his anguish any more. Ephiny silently stood, crept over to the wall near the secret door, placed an ear upon it and listened. In a few moments, she showed a thumbs up to Xena and Pyronia, returned to her seat, and closed her eyes. Xena reached behind her to a table, turned an hourglass and then joined her comrades in a doze. They had to wait, and a little more shut eye wouldn't hurt. It was all up to Gabrielle and Demodocus now.

Gabrielle found the stairway in the crisp autumn light of a full moon and the distant glow of many torches. She carefully picked her way up the narrow steps, her every sense alerted. Xena had told her that even though there were no guard posts on the north wall, (Counting the forty foot high wall, it was a sheer three hundred foot drop to the plain below. Kotamuwa had told Xena that they thought the obstacle was impossible, so why bother to guard it?) a sentry did walk the area about once an hour. Gabrielle finally reached the top couple of steps and stopped to listen for the unique sound of hobnailed Hittite boots on pink marble.

Suddenly, she did hear that sound, and she stepped back down into a shadow and tried to breathe as quietly as she could. After what seemed to be an eternity, the foot falls receded and she crept back to her task. She reached the top step and poked her nose around both cornices of the wall and looked. There, about twenty feet away to her left was the barrel in question. It lay almost exactly under the bar of a gigantic cross, one of a series that Gabrielle could see stretched off into the distance where they were swallowed by the gloom. She eased off the top step and slowly duck walked to her objective, staying as low and quiet as possible. When she arrived, she cautiously took the lid off the barrel, and could barely see that all it contained was trash. With a shrug, Gabrielle put her burden into the barrel while being careful that the tied end of the bag was up, and then gently replaced the lid. Slowly, she crept back to the stairway from whence she came, went down the steps and disappeared into the courtyard. "Next stop the dairy." she thought.

The catalysts for his solution Demodocus carried around his neck. They were multiple bandoleers of his black powder vessels, the fires sticks upon which had been tied to a thin cotton candle wick soaked in a weak solution of saltpeter and sprits of wine. Not only was he carrying these curious burdens, but he was carrying several tens of cubits additional of the wick also. Wearing a dark tunic, the Priest of Athena stole from the back wall of the palace from shadow to shadow until he reached the Temple. Carefully, he went from pillar to pillar to pilaster, wrapping the bandoleers around each, then tying them off to a goodly length of the wick. When he was satisfied, he tied an additional length of the wick to the end of that he had attached to the bandoleers earlier and led it to any suitable nearby cover.

Finally, he looked up at the stars and (as a priest he was an expert astronomical observer) he estimated the time until Xena wanted things to start happening. Demodocus had carefully told Xena that the wicks burning time could vary widely, but that none of them would burn instantly, so she built in plenty of 'fudge factor' into her plan. Demodocus then found a thicket, took a long swig from his Chinese stimulant mixture that he had in a wineskin, and sat waiting until the heavens told him when to finish the job.

"Gods these guys are complacent!" Xena thought as she swiftly and silently entered the front door. The Hittite leadership was so confident of their own power that they could not conceive of any kind of operation on their front doorstep. She entered the mud room, slid over to the guard shack and found that the Sergeant of the Guard was sound asleep. "This is the Elite Imperial Guard?" She thought, then she remembered the party she'd killed in Thessaly. That outfit was good--really good. Perhaps First Battalion was too used to garrison duty. She worked her way silently up the central staircase and found the entrance to the office on the third floor. There were two guards visible in the glow of the torches in the hallway. The light was still quite low, and surprise was in her favor. In the yellowish light her dark brown leathers and brass armor could very well look like black and silver. Her long black hair and her silver barrette could easily be taken to be the fir trimmed, silver I.G. officer's helmet. She reached back, removed the barrette and hooked it in her bang just above her forehead.

Having made her decision, Xena stood and began marching boldly down the hallway. The sentries heard the ringing of her foot falls on the marble floor and looked in her direction. Her idea worked. Taking Xena for their officer, the men snapped to attention sharply, their spears at their sides. She arrived at their position, did a sharp right face and ordered in a moderately quiet voice, "Report!"

The senior sentry was about to do so, when he looked carefully at the figure before him. His lieutenant certainly didn't look like THAT! The private's eyes went very wide indeed and the both of the men were about to say something, when Xena put on her most dazzling come hither smile, cocked both her fists to her ears, said "G'nite boys!" and struck like a cobra. Her fists landed flush on the noses of both soldiers. The force of the blow drove the men 's heads into the bronze doors behind them, but they still stood. Xena then took their heads by their ears and slammed them together as if she were clashing a pair of cymbals. Both men slumped to the floor, dead to the world.

Xena pulled them both away from the door and entered. She saw a glimmer of light coming from another room and surmised that Lordamulis was up doing late paper work. She slipped over to the light and used all her senses. It felt safe; so she simply entered and found the diligent Deputy Foreign Minister stooped over his desk writing.

"Doing your report box late tonight, Minister?" Xena asked in her own voice and a glittering smile.

Lordamulis dropped his quill and slowly looked up, then his eyes bugged out in complete surprise. He stared into a familiar face, and a slight glimmer of realization began to show on his own. "Princess Diana? What are you doing..."

Xena vaulted the desk and seized Lordamulis by the armpit and throat simultaneously. She picked the man up and shoved him into the mantelpiece. She put her lips near his ear and said in an intense stage whisper, "Oh you got that SO wrong Minister. Diana's very far away from here. My name is Xena."

Xena could see tears start to come from the portly man's eyes and sweat begin to bead upon his forehead. Lordamulis did know of her. He went totally white in shock and fear.

"XENA?!" He hissed. "Wha-What do you want from me?"

Xena pulled back a little so he could see her face more clearly. Her eyes were glittering, and there was an ominous, totally mirthless smile on her face. Slowly her expression became more expectant, but the insane glitter in her sapphire eyes intensified. "I want the family jewels Lordamulis. I want the executive summaries for your war plans for the next year."

Lordamulis' weepy blue eyes widened in total disbelief. He began to shout but she slipped her hand down around his windpipe and squeezed gently. "Shout one word and I'll break your voice box." She whispered flatly. This threat got the immediate effect she desired.

"I...I don't have them!" he said in a literally strangled whisper.

"Oh you've got them all right, Minister. You must have. You're in charge of carrying out Tudhalias' foreign policy. Even if you are only his deputy.

"I won't tell you. I can't tell you. If I tell you, the Emperor will crucify me!"

"Well then, I guess you have your choice of deaths." Xena said in a totally emotionless voice. She carried Lordamulis over to a chair and dropped him into it. Eventually, the treatment she was giving him would get her what she needed to know, but she didn't have the time to waste. Quickly, Xena tapped the unfortunate bureaucrat on both sides of his neck. Immediately, Lordamulis became as pale as death and the blood vessels throughout his face and neck distended as if they were about to explode. His hands slumped down to his sides.

"That sick feeling is your own death coming. I can reverse it. And I can tell you that this death is far worse than crucifixion."

Lordamulis panted harder and harder as his brain became more oxygen starved. The man's heart pounded in his chest. "All right! All right! I'll tell you! Take it off. I'll tell you! TAKE IT OFF" He bleated quietly."

Xena looked at him sidelong "Ah Ah?" She asked.

"All right! See the fireplace? See the bookcase to the right?" Xena nodded. "Its false. Push on the left side and the bookcase swings out. The key is in the center desk drawer. I normally carry it with me constantly. Now please take this thing off me!"

Xena smiled. He actually had a minute or two left before he would have passed out, but she quickly tapped him again and released the pressure points. Lordamulis lost control over all his bodily functions, fainted and fell out of the chair. Xena heard something behind her. She snapped her head around and looked. Standing there was Pyronia, her hands on her hips, the fire stick working in her mouth. She was smiling expectantly. "Didja get it?"

"Yeah, the bookcase on your right. Push on the left side of it."

Pyronia complied as Xena walked over with the key and another candelabra, which needed to be lit. Py reached into a pocket, found a fire stick, handed it Xena and who lit it off. The light revealed the keyhole. Xena put in the key, opened the door and stood back. She couldn't read written Hittite. Py could. The honey haired Amazon quickly went though the papers muttering exclamations from time to time.

"Artemis, Xena! The stuff in here is incredible! There are plans here to take the Eastern Mediterranean first and the entire basin later! Look! These are plans for the invasion of Babylonia and Egypt!"

"Just take the stuff that applies to Greece or Troy, Py. That's all we'll need. Tudhalias has got to beat all the Greek cities first before anywhere else. Do you see anything with Tudhalias' signature?"

"Oh yeah! There's a complete set of original plans with his signature on it."

"Good! Take that and leave the rest. We need to get outta here and round up Ephiny before these guys begin to wake up."

"I checked the ones in the hall, Xena. They won't be up for quite a while, I reckon." Pyronia snickered.

"C'mon, Py. We still got a lot of work."

She took off the cloak she had been wearing, revealing that underneath she wore her forest green top, Amazon suede skirt and boots. Dangling from a lanyard on her belt was her staff in its collapsed condition. Just in case, she unfolded it and laid it in the cart. Gabrielle put on the smock, turned to the now relieved cattle and mouthed, "Thanks girls!" Turning and going out the byre door, she went off on Maria's rounds. The ladles and copper pitchers for the milk hanging from hooks on the sides of the hand cart jangled merrily. Just like they did every early morning at this time.

She worked her way through the very early morning moonlight until she reached the first barracks. She noted that a copper pitcher stood, in what Maria had said, was its accustomed spot on the stoop. It hadn't been picked up yesterday. Still playing her part, Gabrielle sighed in seeming frustration, picked up the vessel, and put it noisily in the cart. Taking a clean pitcher from its hook, she filled it and put it on the step. Then, she went over to the niche near the door, pulled down the oaken bar Xena had told her she'd find and slid it through the loops on the lintel. When she was finished, she unwrapped the chains on from either end of the bar, and ran them out to the iron loops in their stone foundations nearby. After threading the chains through the loops, she ran back to the niche and pulled down the two surprisingly heavy brass padlocks. She hustled back to the end of the chains, pulled them as taut as she could, looped the padlock through two links and locked them. Gabrielle smiled. It was her suggestion to Xena that got her this job.

Barrack after barrack, Gabrielle delivered the milk and barred the doors until on the next to the last stop, she rounded the end of a barrack, and not unexpectedly, ran into her first sentry walking picket duty. The sentry was a young, very young red headed man in a brand new uniform. His hardware gleamed like mirrors. "Hi, Maria! Are we going to meet like this every morning?" He said brightly.

"Um, gee, Guardsman, I'm not Maria. She's off today. My name's Gabrielle." She said, her hand offered in friendship. "Great to meet you. This is my first day on the job. You got a name?"

"Oh yeah sure, Salliliumsa! Great to meet you too!" He said returning the handshake. I just transferred in here yesterday from Seventh Battalion. They always put newbies like me on morning guard duty. By the way, Gabrielle, do you have your security pass?"

"Security pass?" Gabrielle was worried about this. "Wait. She patted her smock and said, "Darn, I don't have it in my smock. I only have one more pitcher to deliver. Can I go get it and bring it to you later? You know how much the men get upset when they don't get their cup of milk in the morning. I don't want to be late."

"Oh I know that for sure, but I'm new here too, and if my sergeant finds out that I let you go without looking at your pass he'd hide me for sure. We'll have to go back to the dairy and see if you have it there. I can't let you out of my sight. There might be spies around you know. "

"Rats!" Gabrielle thought. "I have to meet a nice young guy and he turns out to be a good soldier. Well," She said. "Who'd know?" I mean we're the only two people here, and I won't say anything..."

"I'd know. It's my duty to report things like this. You'll only be in trouble if you don't find your pass. Since this is your first day on the job, nobody's gonna give you much guff about this. I hope you'll understand. I really must insist though."

"Oh well, I don't want to get you in trouble Salli. Lemme look in the cart. I could have left it in there." Gabrielle walked back the few steps to the cart and could see the chains on the door she'd just locked. If they walked back he'd find out. She came to a sad realization. Her shoulders slumped as she thought, "It's clobberin' time." "Salli would you come over here? The torch light is so bad. I can't seem to find it."

"Sure." The young sentry put down his spear and walked the few steps towards Gabrielle only to step right into a staff blow to the side of his jaw. Badly rocked, he staggered towards the building. Gabrielle sidestepped and swung the other end of her staff at the other side of his jaw. She connected, and the young man fell in a heap without a sound. Gabrielle knelt by the Salli's head and felt for a pulse in his neck. It was as strong as a trip hammer. "Thank the gods!" she breathed. Quickly, she tore the bottom off of the smock and gagged him. She then bound him with his own sword and Sam Browne belts. When she was finished, she dragged Salli behind a hedge adjacent to the barracks wall, then made sure that he was in a comfortable position. "I'm so sorry, Salli," she said. She stooped and kissed the soldier on his cheek like a mother trying to salve her baby's skinned knee. Gabrielle swiftly left the unconscious man, made her last delivery, abandoned the cart and smock, and ran for her last stop--the stables.

On the way to the stables, Gabrielle remonstrated with herself. She felt bad because this was the first time she ever attacked anyone without warning. Yet she did know that if her friends were to escape with Hattusilis alive, she had to do what Xena had asked. Xena did warn her about getting emotionally involved with people who might be her enemies. "How was Xena able to do it?" She wondered. "I mean its easy to deal with evil people like Cortese's, Draco's, or Callisto's men. But Maria and Salli are nice people, just doing a job." Then she remembered, that if the sentry had found her out, it would have been his duty to kill her. A realization struck her, and she understood Xena better than ever. "Now I know why she said she didn't have time to feel." she thought. "If she took the time, it would have killed her."

In the third barracks Gabrielle had visited, a sergeant groaned in frustration. This was his third night's sleep in a row that had been spoiled. He got up and lit a candle from a glowing coal in the barracks fireplace. "Of all the flaming times I have to go to the latrine!" He groused to himself He took his cloak from his locker, donned it and started shuffling towards the door. When he reached it he pulled back the bolt and pushed--nothing. "Hebat! Stuck again." He thought, as he pushed harder. Still nothing. Then he put his shoulder to the bronze door. "What the hell is going on here?" Then he really started hammering with his shoulder on the door. It refused to budge and the racket started waking up the men.

"Criminy Sarge, what the hell is going on?" His corporal said.

"I can't move this blasted door!"

"Getting weak in your old age, Sarge?" The corporal asked, walking over to his superior and rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

"Here, you try it!" The corporal, who was a very large man, did try it and was equally frustrated.

"Sarge, the damn thing feels like its been barred."

"We're not on company punishment."

"I know that! Here, you're lighter than I am. I'll give you a boost."

The sergeant took a candle and was boosted up to the high window next to the door. He opened the window, got a better purchase on the sill, pulled himself up and stuck the candlestick out the window and took a peek.

"DAMN! It IS barred and locked! GET UP! GET UP! EVERYBODY!

"Geesh, its a long way up. We gonna rush the front door or somethin', Xena?" Pyronia asked.

"Uh uh." Xena said. "C'mon." She bolted out of cover and ran towards the front door of the guardhouse. Near the door, the three women looked up and saw, just below the center window on the third floor, there was a heavy flagpole hanging out parallel to the ground. The two Amazons looked at each other as Xena shed the two shoulder bags she was carrying, pulled out a single bandoleer of six bronze vessels and put it around her neck. "Gimme a boost, will ya gals? Stand by the door afterwards." Xena said.

Pyronia shot a shocked look at Xena and then Ephiny. The flagpole was nearly thirty feet over their heads. "Do what she says, Py." Ephiny said. The women walked out about ten feet away from directly underneath the flagpole, faced each other, grasped each other's opposite hands and kneeled. Xena jogged about ten yards away then turned and ran as hard as could at her friends, took a hurdle and stepped on the Amazons' hands. Both women stood and grunted with the effort to throw Xena as high up in the air as possible. Pyronia could not believe the raw power that struck her hand when Xena's foot landed. The Warrior Princess seemed to rocket straight up making the flagpole easily and getting a good grip.

Pyronia shook her head. "What? How can she do that?"

"You tell me, Py."

Xena kipped up onto the top of the pole and stood. She walked over to the window and struck a fire stick and peered in. Kotamuwa was right. Chained to the right hand wall was a man fitting the description of the Crown Prince he had given her. The window bars were made out of bronze which was a break. She lit another fire stick and saw that Kotamuwa was wrong about one thing. There were no guards on the cell. Xena walked back, pulled her sword, and to the shock of her friends on the ground, she took a full swing at the bars yet somehow kept her balance on the flag pole. The iron weapon easily cleaved the bars and Xena entered. To her amazement, Hattusilis still slept.

Xena knelt down next to the sleeping prisoner. "Hattusilis! HATTUSILIS!" she whispered as loud as she dare into his ear. She shook him vigorously too. The Crown Prince startled awake and began to shout but Xena put a hand over his mouth.

"Sh! Easy, Hattusilis, I'm a friend. I'm here to get you out. A friend of yours told me to say Telepinus sent me.

The Crown Prince took Xena's hand away from his mouth and looked at her closely through the dim light of the single torch in the hall. When he realized that he was looking at a woman, and an incredibly beautiful one at that, he gently whistled and shook his head. "I guess angels are real after all." He said in a surprisingly low, bass voice.

Xena smiled gently. "No, I'm no angel. How many guards are in the building?"

"Fifteen to twenty."

"How much do you weigh?"

"What?"

"Humor me."

"One fifty five, one sixty."

Xena shook her head. Too much for even her to catch in a thirty foot fall.

"Looks like it's the hard way. Get away from the wall."

Hattusilis looked at Xena with surprise. He was very impressed with her easy authority. He slid himself as far away from the wall as he could.

Xena pulled out her sword again and with two powerful slashes cut the bronze chains.

When he arrived at the door of barracks three he could hear loud shouting from inside. He saw that the thick bronze door was dented from the inside. He started when he heard a loud metallic thud and another dent appeared in the door. The soldiers inside were battering it. He also saw that the bar and its locking chains were in place. Scratching his head, he called up to the open window."

"Hey! HEY! What the hell is going in there? The door's barred!"

"That the sentry?"

"Sergeant of the Guard!"

"You tell us! We ain't on company punishment!"

"All right! Somebody's locked you in without orders! I'll go get the keys from the guardhouse!" The sergeant turned and ran past barracks one towards the guardhouse when he heard a muffled groan. He turned off the path and followed the sound. Behind a hedge and right next to the barracks building, he found his missing private tied up like a Solstice package. He stooped, pulled out his knife and cut the boy loose.

"You look terrible, son! What happened?"

"I got belted by a milk maid!"

"What?"

"You heard me, Sergeant. I got belted by a milk maid!"

By chance, the sergeant looked up and saw that the door to this building was barred too. He had enough. He looked at the Private's face and saw it was going to be mightily swollen and sore. The private was otherwise fine, so he ordered him, "Go to Security Minister Kumarbi's apartment. Wake him up. I'm gonna call out the guard. MOVE IT, LADDIE!"

"Sergeant!" The private answered and he was gone.

"Hebat! What the hell was that?"

"I was just clearing my throat. C'MON!" Xena grabbed Hattusilis by the scruff of the neck and nearly threw him through the smoking portal.

Three stories below, Pyronia and Ephiny stood on either side of the double door. They started at the blast. Then they knew that their time had come. They each took two vessels from their shoulder bags. The Amazons struck both of the wicks on the stone walls of the guardhouse. They stood, looked at each other and nodded. Together they kicked in the doors and lobbed their weapons inside. Then both dove away from the opening. Three loud bangs followed which was in turn followed by the screams and the shocked shouts of the guards. Ephiny drew her sword, Py drew her battleaxe and both charged in yelling HIPPOLYTA! HIPPOLYTA!

Upstairs, Xena rushed down the corridor with Hattusilis right behind. The third floor guard room emptied right into the range of Xena's sword which mowed three men down like a threshing machine. She was yelling, yipping and ululating as if possessed. Blood sprayed the stone hallway as she rolled through them mercilessly. Hattusilis picked up a sword and turned his back on his rescuer retreating backwards as Xena advanced to cover her back. From the stairwell ahead both heard the sounds of combat as the Amazons carved a path upwards towards their boss.

The guards broke. The shock of the blasts and the assault was too much. Xena saw that peculiar look in their eye that meant that their fight was gone, so she began to shout. "Go on! Get out! Save your crummy lives!" Hattusilis pulled the key ring off the belt of one of the dead guards and threw it to a prisoner.

"Here! go have some fun on your Emperor!" he shouted. Xena heard that and smiled, but she didn't have time to savor the little victory.

"Let's move, Hattusilis! We gotta get out of here!"

The pair bounded down the stairs. When they got to the bottom they saw Pyronia in single combat with a huge guard. Still chewing on her fire stick, Py held off the sword wielding man with her ax screeching like a dryad.. The soldier made an awkward lunge, and Py stepped inside it. She brought the ax handle up under the man's chin, knocked him back into the wall and before he could recover she brought her ax down on him. The man saw his own death coming, but he had frozen. With immense control, Pyronia grazed the cheek of the guard with the razor sharp blade taking a thin layer of skin off. She pulled back and yelled, "Get outta here! Tell 'em Amazons can FIGHT!" The man dropped everything and pushed past his dead and stunned comrades out into the compound shrieking like a lunatic.

"You all right, Py?" Xena asked at the top of her lungs.

"Yeah fine! Ephiny's outside."

"Everybody out!" Xena shouted and she bounded through what was left of the front door. There she saw Ephiny kick a body off the end of her sword. Xena ran past her with Py and Hattusilis right behind. Ephiny got the hint and tore off in pursuit.

Behind and to her right, Xena could hear a series of soft pops, some louder than others. She stopped for a moment, turned and faced the sound, and the others followed her lead. "That had to be the priest." Xena shouted. All were looking at the temple. In a moment they heard more of the popping noises and a loud, grinding groan. The pillars holding up the great portico began to slowly fold inward as if some god were shuffling a deck of cards. As the pillars collapsed, the roof followed it completely sealing off the main door and trapping the secret policemen inside.

Pyronia grinned from ear to ear, and shook her head until she felt a hand on her shoulder and heard Xena's voice. "Get going!" The group turned and started running again.

Just as the officers arrived at the bell, so did the man Pyronia spared at the guard house. The group started all talking simultaneously.

"SHUT UP!" The Colonel yelled. "Who rang the tocsin?"

"I did sir! Look at the temple sir!" shouted the sergeant.

The Colonel peered into the dim light of dawn and saw that the temple was a wreck. "GODS!"

"Sir! All the barracks doors are barred and locked, Sir!

"SIR! SIR!! SIR!!! I GOT TO TELL YOU SOMETHING SIR!!" Screeched the jailer.

"WHAT!? WHAT!? WHAT!?"

"Jail break, Sir! Hattusilis is out, SIR!"

"What next? Who did it?"

"Dunno Sir! I got attacked by three women, Sir! One nearly hacked off my head with an ax!

"I've heard enough! RELEASE THE BATTALION AND FIND HATTUSILIS!"

The knot of officers scattered to do what they were ordered.

"We've got no time to fight them! Use the bottles! Try not to kill anybody!" Xena shouted. The party stopped and each pulled out a bottle from their bags. "Hattusilis, watch me!" Xena added as she pulled a bottle out and scratched the attached fire stick on the bottle itself. It ignited and Xena threw it towards, but not at, the charging men. The bottle exploded and the squad stopped dead. Ephiny and Pyronia joined in and the weapons began exploding all around the soldiers.

Hattusilis started laughing uproariously as he started adding his own bottles into the show. It didn't take long. The platoon's members began to scream in fear and some fell cowering. Their officer tried to rally them, but Xena pitched a bottle within five yards of him and he panicked too. The whole lot broke and ran away.

Ephiny, not an enthusiastic sort, was bouncing in joy. "THIS STUFF IS GREAT!"

"C'mon!" Xena shouted and they ran once again towards their objective--the stables.

"Here they come!" Gabrielle shouted to Demodocus and Kotamuwa. The three had gotten out all their horses and Maude the mule, including two more for the soldier and the Crown Prince. Both draft horses were rigged with stolen panniers to carry the heavy gold load. The stable boys had all been disabled and tied up. Gabrielle made sure that they were made as comfortable as possible. The three women and their Royal charge skidded into the stable winded but relieved.

Kotamuwa bowed deeply from the waist. "Your Royal Highness I believe?"

"Save the pleasantries. I wanna survive this!"

"Mount up!" Xena shouted "You too, Gabrielle!' Before Gabrielle could say anything. Xena picked her up and deposited her on one of the draft horses.

"Xena!?" Gabrielle bleated.

"Not now! Just hang on!"

They all mounted and rode like Hermes towards the main gate. There was a crowd of soldiers forming there. Xena pulled a bottle out of her bag, touched it off, and heaved it with her free hand out in front of the charging party. It went off startling the crowd. Argo shied and reared but Xena held on. One man, unfortunately, was too close and the concussion threw him into the guardhouse. The others in the party, except Gabrielle, who was too busy hanging on for dear life, threw the explosive bottles as well. Just in front of the gate everyone but Gabrielle dismounted and waded into the stunned soldiers. Some of the men were in such poor shape that they just needed to be tripped and they were done. One man did have enough gumption to take Xena on but he didn't have a chance. She kicked the sword out of his hand and belted him with a left hook. He crumpled, out cold. The rest of the soldiers fled screaming.

From up the hill came an ominous sound. It was the sound of many running feet. The barracks' doors had finally been cleared.

Pyronia, Ephiny, and Hattusilis were already leaning on the bars of the big windlass trying to raise the portcullis.

"No time!" shouted Xena. "C'mon Priest!" Xena pulled bandoleers of bottles out of one of the bags and threw a couple to the priest, who immediately caught on. The two people started hurriedly tying the six bottle bandoleers together and then linking their wicks with another length of the explosive string. Xena took the long line of bottles, draped it behind her neck and climbed the portcullis close to one side. Demodocus climbed it at the opposite side. Xena reached the top, tied off her end, and tossed the rest of the string over to the priest, who tied off his end as well. Then they jumped down. This left an arch of the bottles on the gate. The second Xena and Demodocus hit the ground, they ignited fire sticks and lit the wicks.

"RUN!" Xena shouted, and everyone did so.

Xena and Demodocus dove behind the guard house and the others found what cover they could. Gabrielle hunkered down on her huge gray horse and prayed.

The explosion sounded like someone tearing a heavy piece of cloth. The horses bucked and kicked, but the gentle drays stayed calm and Gabrielle survived. When everyone peeked out from behind their cover, they saw that the heavy timber gate had totally disintegrated.

"COOL!" Pyronia shouted.

"OK, everybody mount up!" Xena shouted. "Ephiny, be sure to leave Argo where I told you to."

"Gotcha, Xena!"

NOW, GET OUTTA HERE! Allaya!" Xena pitched her bag of bottles into Gabrielle's lap, saving a bandoleer for herself, turned and ran up the hill whence she came.

"Princess! PRINCESS! Where you going? XENA!" Demodocus shouted at Xena's back, but she was out of earshot. "Gabrielle?"

Gabrielle snorted both in concern for Xena and in disbelief that Demodocus did not know her as well as she thought he did, "She's going to look the enemy in the eye!" she yelled.

Tudhalias cocked an ear. Oddly, he heard a low, muffled sound from behind him. He turned and walked back to his bed. There he discovered that his woman was sitting up. "Ah! You're awake, Sweetheart!"

"Mmmww! MMMWWWHH!" Was the strange reply.

Tudhalias held his candle closer, and to his surprise he found that the woman was sitting up bound and gagged.

Then he heard a low, silken, intensely feminine voice come from his left. "Hello, Tudhalias." It said.

He spun and looked towards the voice. Behind the white divan he saw the secret door to his private passage was wide open. Scanning his gaze down he saw the most incredible sight of his life. Reclining on its left side on the arm of the white divan, its head propped up by long elegant fingers lay a long, long figure. He moved closer to get more light. Finally, he clearly saw the apparition. His first impression was right. It was indeed a woman, with shining black hair and glowing sapphire eyes. She was dressed in what seemed to be black leather and brass. On her right hip was a peculiar, ring like object, but laying across both her hips, hilt up, was the unmistakable shape of a naked sword. His gaze went back to the woman's face. Her lips were pursed slightly. The shadows from the candle heightened the prominent cheekbones in that incredible visage. It was her eyes that really arrested him. They were glittering like ball lightning.

Finally realization struck him, and a lascivious smile came to his lips. Perhaps the frustration of earlier would turn into the ecstasy of now. "What about the leather and the sword? Perhaps her desires lived in darker realms of her soul." He wondered. His shocked reverie snapped. "Diana!?" He asked loudly.

"Not hardly, Socrates. My name is Xena."

Tudhalias' jaw dropped and his eyes exploded from his head. The candlestick he was carrying drooped in his hand until it was parallel to the ground.

"No! That can't be true! You're a fictional character! Some bard named Gabrielle made you up!"

Xena chuckled. "She'll be interested you liked her stories about me. I'm not here for small talk though." Xena rose, slowly, sinuously, like a python uncoiling. There was a terrifying smile on her face. Her tone dripped contempt. "I'm here to warn you. I know you're trying to intimidate the Greek cities. I know you attempted to assassinate King Erginus of Halikarnassus. I know you tried to overthrow the Halikarnassan government, and kidnap the Assyrian Crown Prince to boot. I know you're going to destroy one of your own cities to provide a pretext to attack Halikarnassus. I know you intend to take all the Ionian cities that you forced to sign treaties within the next two months. I know you intend to occupy Troy and then invade mainland Greece overland within the next year. And I know you intend to round up every centaur and Amazon that lives and kill them. Your entire system disgusts me, and I intend to see it destroyed."

With every phrase Tudhalias became more and more upset. He was able to bring the candle he was holding back upright, but the light was flickering because he was shaking with rage. He made to call for the guards but Xena cut him off.

"Don't bother 'Your Imperial Majesty'. They're a might busy about now. You see, I just broke Crown Prince Hattusilis out of your jail."

Tudhalias rocked as if he'd received a blow on the head. "What?" he asked quietly.

"You heard me, you bastard." Xena lifted her sword and put it under the Emperor's chin, who to her mild surprise, stood erect, relaxed and glared at her with his bottomless brown eyes. Again, immense power flowed between them in that look. "Hmm, Guts but no moral courage." Xena noted to herself. "I would just love to kill you now." she said.

"Then why don't you, bitch?"

"Because if I did, somebody else would just take your place. Your entire precious government is nothing but a nest of rats. Rats nests need to be burned out completely or they come back. I'm going to see that the rightful Emperor is restored to his throne. I intend to see that you, and everything you stand for, is burned to ashes--Understand?"

"Try it. You're hopelessly surrounded." Tudhalias purred, his shock wearing off. There are 200,000 troops out there. They'll hunt you down like a rabbit."

"Oh yeah! They're really good. Funny how my sword's at your throat and nobody else is around."

Just then Xena snapped her head around because she heard feet pounding out side followed by hammering on the outer door of Tudhalias' suite.

"Maybe they're not so bad after all." Tudhalias sneered.

Xena chuckled, took her sword away from the Emperor's throat, and nicked him on the cheek. Tudhalias chirped in pain and held his hands up to his face. "You just remember what I promised, you son of a bitch." Xena, turned, vaulted over the divan and ran to the northern windows. Tudhalias bolted do his bedroom door and started screaming for the guards. He turned back to face her, and saw by the early glow of dawn that she had jumped up on the guard rail of the balcony. Still yelling for the guards, whose pounding strides filled the room with noise, Tudhalias ran to the windows just in time to see Xena leap off the guard rail. The Emperor skidded in front of the rail and watched in complete amazement.

Xena fell out and down. It was forty feet or more to the top of the northern wall. She took her whip off her belt and snapped it towards the crossbar of one of the execution crosses that studded the top of the wall. The weighted tip hit the crossbar and wrapped itself around the timber tightly. Xena ululated in the sheer joy of her ability as her fall took up the slack in the whip. She swung under the cross's bar and out over the yawning chasm to the plain below. The swing took her up over the beam where her momentum ended and she dropped lightly onto her feet on top of the cross.

Xena turned and looked up at Tudhalias, who was yelling so loudly and jumping up and down in frustration so much, that she thought he would die of apoplexy. The guards arrived, and he pointed and literally threw one of them over the balcony railing where the unfortunate soldier fell to his death on the top of the wall. "Get her! GET HER! GET HER, YOU COWARDS!!" Tudhalias shrieked. The guards had no choice; they had to go the long way around. They disappeared away from the window.

With the magnificent northern horizon now glowing purple and magenta behind her, Xena caught Tudhalias' eye and laughed, taunting him. This drove the Emperor nearly insane. He had just jumped up on the balcony rail, when Security Minister Kumarbi arrived and hauled his sovereign off the wall himself. Shaking her head, she lightly jumped down the ten feet to the top of the wall and ran over to a nearby barrel. Punching open the lid, she reached for her breast dagger, and drove it down into the drum cutting the string on the neck of the burlap bag that lay within. She calmly replaced the dagger, reached down and pulled out a large coil of manila rope that had a loop already tied in it. She hung the loop around one of the crenelations on the wall, and then heaved the bundle of rope over the side. Reaching back into the bag, she pulled out a belt made of Amazon leather that had an iron ring with an iron carubiner attached to it. She also pulled out a pair of heavy leather gloves. Putting on the belt and gloves, she jumped up on the top of the wall, bent, picked up the rope, snapped the carubiner on it, wrapped the rope around her waist and stood up. She looked up at the still ranting Tudhalias, faced him, blew him a kiss, grasped the rope with one hand in front of her, and her other hand behind her, then jumped off the wall.