The Spear by James Herbert

Author:James Herbert
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
ISBN: 9781447203261
Publisher: Pan Books
Published: 1978-09-10T23:00:00+00:00

13

‘We must interpret “Parsifal” in a totally different way to the general conception . . . It is not the Christian-Schopenhaurerist religion of compassion that is acclaimed, but pure, noble blood, in the protection and glorification of whose purity the brotherhood of the initiated have come together.’

Adolf Hitler

The two guards, both armed with a general-purpose machine-gun and rifle similar to the NATO FN, but of Gant’s own manufacture and considerably lighter because of it, raced up the stairs to the room where the prisoner was being held. They were veteran mercenaries who had finally found a binding allegiance – as had all the soldiers in Edward Gant’s private army. It was a small army, no more than fifty carefully chosen soldiers, a Guard really – a corps d'elite. Some were mercenaries who fought battles for others, their loyalty only bought with money; others were taken from the crack SAS regiments, chosen because of their special skills and aptitudes by Major Brannigan and steered into Gant’s organization. Their common bond was their extreme right-wing views and a dislike for the world in general. They admired strength and craved strong leadership: Gant provided them with that leadership. Officially, they were merely employees of Gant’s weapons factory, testing the weapons in practical ways and acting as security for the plant. They wore dark green overalls which somehow succeeded in having a military air without actually being uniforms. There were no insignia, no badges of rank; but each man knew his position and who his superiors were. They enjoyed their secret military ceremonies which took place only on the arms dealer’s vast North Devon estate, even grateful for the harsh discipline imposed on them there, and disliked their dealings with the various factions who visited the estate to learn how to use the many weapons they were buying from Gant. They sneered at the groups of Arabs, Africans, Japanese and Irish they had to teach, wanting to turn the weapons on them, but patiently went through the exercises, demonstrating, explaining, because they knew it helped the cause of world disunity. These groups of fanatics would help create the world unrest which would succour their own movement. They had learned to obey their orders without question, the fate of their comrades who had failed to do so ever-present in their minds. Hanging may have been abolished in England, but Edward Gant worked to his own laws. They had no title, but sometimes, when they were very drunk and only when they were safely inside the estate’s boundaries, they laughingly gave themselves a name. They called themselves the Soldiers of the Fourth Reich.

These two, McGough and Blair, had been left behind with the guard on the gate, the three others of their unit returning to the estate by lorry that night. The rumour was that a special op was planned for the next day, but as yet no briefing had been given and speculation on their part was strictly forbidden. They had regretted being left behind, though did not question it.

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