The Doom Brigade by Don Perrin

Author:Don Perrin [Weis, Margaret]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-7869-6201-3
Publisher: Wizards of the Coast Publishing
Published: 2012-01-03T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Two

Two days later, Kang passed the word for Slith.

The Sivak, who was still with the picket lines, entered the command tent that also doubled as Kang’s living quarters. “Sir? I was told you wanted to see me.”

Kang was seated at a hastily constructed table, in a rudely constructed command chair that creaked loudly whenever he moved. He had been out inspecting the newly constructed breastworks. Now, back inside, he was honing the blade of his knife. “Yes, I do. I have a job for you, my friend. One I think you’ll enjoy.”

Slith grinned. “Yes, sir!”

Kang’s next question took the Sivak by surprise.

“What are the men thinking, Slith? You’re closer to them than I am. What are they saying?”

Slith looked uncomfortable.

“Permission to speak freely, sir?”

“Since when haven’t you ever spoken freely, my friend?” Kang asked wryly.

“Well”—Slith was embarrassed—“they think you’ve gone soft, sir. It’s been two days now and instead of lopping off dwarf heads, all we’ve been doing is digging. We might as well have stayed with the dark knights. The men want revenge.”

Kang nodded. “That’s what I thought. The men want to exterminate the dwarves, wipe them out.”

“Do to them what they did to us, sir.”

“They didn’t wipe us out,” Kang said. “They burned down our village while we weren’t in it.”

“Yes, sir, that’s true, I guess, sir.” Slith looked worried. He was like the rest of them, apparently, thinking his commander was going soft. Was Kang the only one who could see past his own snout?

“What happens if we kill all the dwarves, Slith?”

“We feel a hell of lot better, sir,” Slith answered, his jaw closing with a vicious snap.

Kang suppressed a smile. “And after that? After we’ve wallowed in bloodlust for awhile? What happens after that?”

“We have the whole valley to ourselves, sir. We can live here in peace and quiet.”

“Would you like that, Slith? Peace and quiet? No raids. No midnight alarms. It might be nice at that,” Kang said thoughtfully. “You could pass the time tending to your garden. Hoeing weeds, picking carrots. Maybe even raise chickens.”

Slith grimaced.

“Of course,” Kang continued, “you’d have to settle the fights that would break out among the troops, when the men couldn’t find any other way to let off steam. Still, think of the long, peaceful nights. Very long. No dwarf spirits. No nut-ale. We could get a lot accomplished. I was thinking of starting a series of lectures—”

“All right, sir,” Slith said gloomily. “You’ve made your point. But I got to tell you, sir. I know dwarves. And they’ll think we’ve all gone soft if we don’t at least punish ’em, and punish ’em good.”

“I intend to, Slith,” Kang said, tone now grim. “First, though, I want to make certain they’re not planning to finish us off. They could, you know, if they attacked now in strength. We have no defenses. We’re stuck out here in the open, exposed. I need to know their plans, Slith. I need to know if they’re massing for an all-out assault.”

“And if they are, sir?”

“Then we have to make a choice.

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