Hana looked up in surprise and then back over her shoulder at the escort. The men were already mounted. The smile faded from her eyes. Akatsuchi was guide, but she was head of this expedition; if her guide had not realised this he would have to do so now. She glanced at the watch on her wrist.
"There is plenty of time," she said coolly.
Akatsuchi made a gesture of apology. "It is a long ride to reach the next oasis where we must camp tonight," he insisted hurriedly.
Hana crossed one brown boot over the other, and scooping up some sand in the palm of her hand trickled it through her fingers slowly. "Then we can ride faster," she replied quietly, looking at the shining particles glistening in the sun.
Akatsuchi made a movement of impatience and persisted doggedly.
"Young Miss would do well to start."
Hana looked up swiftly with angry eyes. Under the man's suave manner and simple words an arrogant tone had crept into his voice. She sat quite still, her fingers raking the warm sand, and under her haughty stare the guide's eyes wavered and turned away. "We will start when I choose, Akatsuchi," she said brusquely. "You may give orders to your men, but you will take your orders from me. I will tell you when I am ready. You may go."
Still he hesitated, swaying irresolutely backwards and forwards on his heels.
Hana snapped her fingers over her shoulder, a trick she had learned from an Iwa officer in Iwagakure. "I said go!" she repeated sharply. She took no notice of his going and did not look back to see what orders he gave the men. She glanced at her watch again. Perhaps it was growing late, perhaps the camp was a longer ride than she had thought; but Akatsuchi must learn his lesson if they rode till midnight to reach the oasis. She pushed her obstinate chin out further and then smiled again suddenly. She hoped that the night would fall before they reached their destination. There had been one or two moonlight riding picnics out from Iwagakure, and the glamour of the desert nights had gone to Hana's head. This riding into the unknown away from the noisy, chattering crowd who had spoiled the perfect stillness of the night would be infinitely more perfect. She gave a little sigh of regret as she thought of it. It was not really practical. Though she would wait nearly another hour to allow the fact of her authority to sink into Akatsuchi's brain she would have to hasten afterwards to arrive at the camp before darkness set in. The men were unused to her ways and she to theirs. She would not have Udons' help tonight; she would have to depend on herself to order everything as she wished it, and it was easier done in daylight. One hour would not make much difference. The horses had more in them than had been taken out of them this morning; they could be pushed along a bit faster with no harm happening to them. She eyed her watch from time to time with a grin of amusement, but suppressed the temptation to look and see how Akatsuchi was taking it, for her action might be seen and misinterpret.
When the time she had set herself was up she rose and walked slowly towards the group of her guards. The guide's face was sullen, but she took no notice, and, when they started, motioned him to her side again with a reference to Iwagakure that provoked a flow of words. It was the last place she wanted to hear of, but it was one of which he spoke the readiest, and she knew it was not wise to allow him to remain silent to sulk. His ill-temper would evaporate with the sound of his own voice. She rode forward steadily, silent herself, busy with her own thoughts, heedless of the voice beside her, and unconscious of the fact when it became silent.