Passage by Dirk van den Boom

Author:Dirk van den Boom [Boom, Dirk van den]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Science-Fiction
ISBN: 9783864025488
Publisher: Atlantis Verlag Guido Latz
Published: 2017-11-10T05:00:00+00:00

15

Thomas Volkert turned around on his horse and looked along the column, which had taken careful preparation for the upcoming march. He had been assigned to one of the larger reconnaissance groups, almost a small legion in itself. After the German troops had arrived, the preparations for the departure had increased in intensity. Twenty-two German infantrymen – the best riders, as far as one could make that judgement after the short training – would take part in the expedition. It had been Volkert’s primary concern to avoid the fellow time travelers as much as possible. He observed them from distance and was satisfied with the fact that he knew no one of the soldiers by name, didn’t recall any of them in any particular way. It was therefore to be expected that he wouldn’t make any impression on them either.

The biggest challenge was not to speak German. Once there had been an incident in which he had nearly betrayed himself. Two of the infantrymen had been sitting by the fire and made fun of a young Roman recruit who had vainly struggled with his luggage. Instead of helping him, they had uttered a number of very snide remarks in German, and these remarks eventually degenerated into insults of all Romans, the barbarians of this time, their primitiveness, their stench, and their disgusting eating habits. Anger about the arrogance and stupidity of his countrymen rose in Volkert. He almost went in between and would have shouted his reprimands. A sergeant had rescued him who had rebuked the two talkatives and assigned them a strenuous duty. Volkert had spoken a prayer of thanks afterwards. This was a warning to him. He had to exercise full self-control and keep facial expressions and gestures under control. A look, a pair a raised eyebrows, a grunt or sigh, all this could betray him when it struck an attentive observer. The best was to keep distance between himself and the infantrymen as much as possible.

At least in the previously outlined formation of the column he should be able to succeed in this. The German infantrymen would bring up the rear, together with the carts, where the expedition transported its supplies. There were new carts which had been brought by the Germans from Ravenna, they were sprung and had wheels with forged iron spokes that would be less likely to break. The technical innovation has been absorbed by the Roman legionaries with great interest. Instead of oxen or their own pitiful asses, powerful draft horses would pull the vehicles and their speed should increase. Thomas Volkert wouldn’t face the Germans a lot as he had been assigned with his men to the front of the column.

When he turned back, Volkert overlooked Bertius, who sat like a sorry heap of meat on his horse, and whenever he believed himself unobserved, he threw Volkert angry looks. As the German had expected, the man was an excellent and skillful horseman, which had made him at once a candidate for the expedition.

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