The Diamonds of Montora (The Chronicles of Montora Book 5) by Ward Wagher

Author:Ward Wagher [Wagher, Ward]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Paris Mountain Press
Published: 2013-10-23T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

“But, sir. We can slip in and have Ghormley drop a couple of mortar shells on them before they know what’s going on. Then, we’ll be gone.”

Major Martin Boodles nodded. “I know you can do it, Balto. Have you thought of the consequences?”

Corporal Balto Gage looked mulish. “Sir, this is just the thing we need to tie the Highlanders in knots. We flip a couple of shells into their camp, and we're gone before they can react. You know we can do it.”

“Yes, Balto. I know you can do it, although, I don’t know if you have thought about what it would take to hump a mortar and a load of shells across 150 miles, and back. You gotta admit, you’re not that young anymore.”

“I’m fine, Sir,” the septuagenarian protested. “I’m in great shape.”

“The answer is still no, Balto. We are already succeeding in our mission. I do not want to do anything to disturb that.”

“How can you say that, Sir? All we are doing is hiding in our hole here. The Highlanders don’t even know we exist.”

Boodles chuckled. “I daresay the Highlanders do know we exist. I guarantee you Ragnhild Bora would not hesitate to drop the hammer on us given the opportunity. I know I would in her place. What I’m saying, Corporal Gage, is there is no mining going on. And as long as that happy state of affairs exists, I am not going to disturb the status quo. Panslavic is pouring money into this planet, and not getting a return on it. That will ultimately provide the strongest motivation for them to pull out of here.”

Gage shook his head with a grimace. “Aye, Sir. You are probably right about that. It’s just that it is hard to pass up a golden opportunity like this.”

Boodles smiled kindly. “Don’t worry about it, Corporal. Anytime you want to make suggestions, I will always listen.”

“Thank you, Sir. With your permission?”

“With my permission, Corporal. You are dismissed.”

The elderly Baltic Corporal stood briefly to attention, then left the office. Boodles shook his head, and looked down again at the minutia accumulating on his terminal. Even with fleeing from the regimental base in Montora Village, the administrative details had still followed him everywhere. He looked up, again, in response to two quick knocks on the door.

“Come.”

Corporal Clifford stepped in the room.

“Corporal Gage looked a bit disappointed, Sir.”

Boodles shrugged. “Corporal Gage had reason to be disappointed. I wouldn’t approve his little scheme to drop mortar rounds into the Highlanders base in the village.”

“We really don’t want to do that, do we Sir?”

“No, Corporal Clifford, we don’t want to do that right now. If the situation changes, however, Gage and Ghormley will be among the first to find out.”

Clifford smiled. “I can understand that, Sir. Do you have anything else for me today?”

Boodles looked down at the time display on his terminal and raised an eyebrow. “You’re right. It is getting late. No, get out of here and go have dinner with your wife.”

“And how late are you going to work, Sir?”

“Simon, I don’t have anything better to do.

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