Advance and Retreat (wotp-3) by Harry Turtledove

Author:Harry Turtledove [Turtledove, Harry]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: sf_fantasy
ISBN: 0743435761
Publisher: Baen
Published: 2002-03-14T05:00:00+00:00

* * *

“Logan the Black?” John the Lister stared as if he’d never heard the name in all his born days. “Baron Logan the Black? Bart’s sending him to take over this army? He’s not even an Annasville man!”

Colonel Nahath shrugged. “That’s what I heard, sir. A couple of blonds who serve the scryers were gossiping about it, and one of my men, a corporal, listened to ’em. They didn’t shut up because he’s a blond himself. I thought you ought to know.”

“Thanks-I think,” John told the regimental commander from New Eborac.

“I understand how you must feel, sir,” Nahath said sympathetically. “If Doubting George doesn’t use this army…”

He stopped right there: that was the place where another word would go too far. If George doesn’t use this army, you ought to, might get back to Baron Logan if he did oust Doubting George. If Logan ever heard that, he was likely to make both John and Nahath sorry for it.

“Nothing we can do, is there?” Colonel Nahath said, changing course.

“Doesn’t seem to be,” John answered. “If the enemy gives us a hard time, we can always go out and fight him. I know Doubting George doesn’t seem to want to, but we can. But who’s going to protect us from the people on the same side as we are? No one ever has. No one ever will.”

“I suppose not.” Nahath sighed. “Seems a pity, doesn’t it? George has done so much good here in the east-and so have you, sir. You ripped the guts out of Bell’s army at Poor Richard, same way a tiger will rip the guts out of a sheep with his hind claws. They’re a sorry lot now. Have you seen them?”

“Seen them? I’ve even been up in an observation tower with a spyglass. They’re close enough for a man with a decent glass to see how many of ’em are barefoot.”

“I know.” Colonel Nahath nodded. “But they’ve still got pikes and crossbows and some engines. And they still don’t like us. When we do attack them, they’ll fight hard.” He sighed again. “I’ve never yet seen those bastards not fight hard. The first time would be nice. I don’t suppose I’d better hold my breath.”

“No, I don’t think you should, Colonel,” John the Lister said. “They’ll always fight hard. But if we can beat ’em once more, beat ’em the way they should be beaten, what’ll they have left to fight with after that?”

“Teeth. Fingernails. Ghosts,” Nahath answered. “That might be enough to scare some blonds-though that corporal I was telling you about would be angry if he heard me say so-but it doesn’t frighten me. If we beat ’em once more, sir, I think you’re right. I think they fall to pieces.” He tipped his hat. “I think we can give ’em that beating, too. If it’s not under Doubting George, I also think it’s a gods-damned shame you don’t get the chance to do it.” There. He’d come out and said it.

“That’s very kind of you, Colonel.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.