The Land Leviathan by Michael Moorcock

Author:Michael Moorcock [Moorcock, Michael]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Fiction, Science Fiction, General
ISBN: 9781781161463
Google: Upl0MAEACAAJ
Amazon: 1781161461
Publisher: Titan Books
Published: 2013-04-16T00:00:00+00:00

Book Two

The Battle for Washington

I. THE TWO FLEETS MEET

Looking back, I suppose I should count myself fortunate in having, by a strange set of circumstances, been not only a witness to Hood's decision to risk everything he had gained by invading America, but to experience the invasion (and its aftermath) itself. Not many young officers are given such an opportunity.

My determination to take the law into my own hands if I judged Hood 'guilty' remained as strong, but I was already beginning to realize that the Black Attila was a far subtler individual than I had at first supposed. Moreover, I soon came to learn that his ferocity, his reputation for putting to death or enslaving whole cities, was something of a myth which he encouraged. It was useful to him if his enemies believed the myth, for it quite often resulted in all but bloodless conquests I The defenders would prefer to parley rather than fight, and would often ask for terms quite inferior to those Hood was prepared to grant I This meant that, when he proposed terms which wejre better than they had expected, he gained the reputation of munificence which was quite undeserved, but encouraged the conquered to work willingly for him - out of a sense of relief as much as any other consideration.

I saw little either of Hood or Una Persson in the following week. They were far too involved in their plans for mobilization. We of the diplomatic mission could only gather what information was available and relay it to Bantustan. We were allowed, in the first days, to communicate information of all kinds freely to our own country, but a little later a certain censorship was imposed as General Hood became nervous of news reaching Tokyo. I think he had heard that the A.J.E. fleet was making for the Atlantic.

The largest part of the Ashanti fleet had been based in Europe, where it was most useful, and some ships had to be recalled, while others were ordered to assemble in Hamburg, Copenhagen, Gothenburg and other Northern European ports, preparatory to sailing for America.

I gathered that Hood was not merely relying on his vast land, air and sea fleets, but had some other counter to play. From something Una Persson had said, I thought her trip to England had played a part in Hood's 'secret weapon' being developed, but I was to learn more of this later.

My next surprise came a day or two before Hood was due to sail. Una Persson visited me at the legation, where I was busy with some sort of meaningless paperwork. She apologized for disturbing me and said that General Hood would like to see me for a few moments during luncheon.

I went unwillingly. Privately I was sure that the powerful Australasian-Japanese Federation would put a stop to his dreams of conquest forever and that I no longer had a part to play in the history of this world. I was looking forward to returning to Bantustan when the Ashanti Empire collapsed, as it was bound to do.

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