The Given Sacrifice c-7 by S. M. Stirling

Author:S. M. Stirling [Stirling f.c]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: sf_postapocalyptic
Publisher: Penguin Group, USA
Published: 2013-08-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

City of Boise

(formerly southern Idaho)

High Kingdom of Montival

(Formerly western North America)

June 26th, Change Year 26/2024 AD

West River Street still existed; along the section facing the river it was the pomerium, the interior cleared strip just within the city wall where no buildings were allowed. It was even called by that name, since Boise under the Thurston family’s rule had always had a weakness for things Roman. Where it met South Capitol a triangular fortress rose sixty feet to cover the gates and the two bridges; the core of it had been, oddly enough, a library building and the whole had an angular, lumpy, improvised but highly functional appearance even now. The ramparts were black against the western sky, though the stars had begun to fade behind them where the mountains a few miles away eastward were outlined against the first gleams of sunlight.

Two hundred hobnailed boots crashed down in unison with each regulation thirty-inch stride, a harsh martial sound echoing back from the walls on either side of the road. Every forty paces the trumpeter up at the maniple standard in the lead blew a short blast on his curled tubae, a signal to make way-unnecessary now just before dawn, but standard procedure and something everyone would be used to. The company-century-guidons swayed at the head of each unit, each a gilt upright hand on an eight-foot pole, garlanded with the actions the unit had fought.

Rudi strode along beside Fred Thurston, about three-quarters of the way along the column of Boisean troops in his friend’s service; the Dúnedain and the detachment of the High King’s Archers brought up the rear amid the baggage carts, giving a fair imitation of the varied auxiliaries that accompanied the Boisean army’s heavy infantry, at least with the streets so dark.

“This is the loudest clandestine approach I’ve ever made, that it is,” Rudi observed.

“Yeah, it’s not every day you try to sneak up on someone with most of a battalion in close order, while blowing a trumpet,” Fred agreed.

Rudi breathed deeply; they were both being elaborately casual, not least to fool themselves into dismissing the possibility of dying in the next few minutes, which was a useful trick. Courage in combat was mostly training and sheer animal reflex. It was much harder to walk towards a fight than it was to fight it, because that required a continuous effort of the soul.

Be as you wish to seem, an ancient had said. It was good advice. Because acting brave and being so are very much the same thing.

Two long blocks wasn’t very far, though they’d mustered on West Myrtle so that they could do a right wheel onto South Capitol and not look as if they’d popped up from under the earth. . which of course they had done. It was working well so far. Who could imagine so many men appearing within walls so strong and closely guarded?

Unless someone detected the movement when we came over the river. . in which case we’d all be dead because they would have fired up the searchlights and catapults.

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