Chapters 11-12 Summary

When Yakub's overlord, Buzurg Khan, refuses to risk his people, the 5,000 set out, whooping with Flashy bragging to do his part. Kutebar approves of Flashy's surprising bloodthirstiness. Flashy pictures carving up Ignatieff. The Silk One rides beside Flashy, knee-to-knee, watching him. Invoking God and the memory of Ak Mechet, Yakub starts the charge into the empty steppe. As muskets fire from the fort, Ghazi war-cries burst from the riders as they occupy the beach. In the go-down, half-naked natives wait to do the heavy lifting. Although Flashy boasts that the targets will be sunk in a jiffy, it is major work to set up the firing-frame, and the rockets are old-style, finless and requiring the affixing of long firing sticks. Some are corroded. Kutebar and the Silk One are impatient to begin firing, but Flashy is confident there is time, lecturing...