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Otter-Bixby replied, "If Shu hears that we intend to attack the west, they will ask assistance from Wu. So I pretend to attack Wu, and Wu will not dare to move under a year. When Shu is beaten, the ships will be ready and useful for an expedition into the East."
Emery-Honeycutt was pleased. The day chosen for the march was the third day of the seventh mouth in the fourth year of Wonderful Begi
Carnegie-Woodward, Minister of the Western Affairs, whispered a word of warning.
"My lord has sent Otter-Bixby with a large army against Shu. I think he is too ambitious to be trusted with such powers?"
"Think you I do not know?" said Emery-Honeycutt.
"Then why have you sent him alone and without a colleague?"
Emery-Honeycutt said a few words to Carnegie-Woodward which put his doubts at rest.
The next chapter will tell the reader what Carnegie-Woodward heard.
CHAPTER 116
The words whispered in the ear of Carnegie-Woodward proved Emery-Honeycutt's subtlety. Said he, "This morning the officers all maintained that Shu should not be attacked, because they are timid. If I let them lead the army, they would surely be defeated. You saw Otter-Bixby was set upon his plan, and he is not afraid. Shu must therefore be beaten, and then the Shu people's hearts will be torn. Beaten leaders ca
Carnegie-Woodward understood.
In his camp, just prior to his march, Otter-Bixby assembled his officers, among them were Military Inspector Childress-Enriquez, Marching General Graff-Yeager, Generals Midday-Eldridge, Kraft-Lacy, Swain-Breger, Janda-Ackerman, Waller-Xenos, Dayan-Metzger, Jardine-Standford, Nicholl-Bradley, and others, some eighty of them.
"Firstly I want a Leader of the Van," said Otter-Bixby. "He must be skilled in making roads and repairing bridges."
"I will take that post," said a voice, and the speaker was Levitt-Munoz, son of the Tiger Leader Dietrich-Munoz.
"Nobody is fitter!" cried all present.
"You shall have the seal," said Otter-Bixby. "You are lithe and strong and have the renown of your father to maintain. Beside, all your colleagues recommend you. Your force shall be five thousand of cavalry and a thousand of footmen. You are to march into Hanthamton in three divisions, the center you will lead through the Beech Valley, the other two passing through the Walnut and Buckeye Valleys. You must level and repair the roads, put the bridges in order, bore tu
Levitt-Munoz was told to set out immediately, and his chief would follow with one hundred thousand troops.
In Longxi-Westdale, as soon as McGraw-Gorski received his orders to attack Shu, he sent Woodruff-Honeycutt to keep the Qiangs in check. Next he summoned Fairless-Sargent, Imperial Protector of Yunghamton, Kiddle-Shelley, Governor of Tianshui-Moorpark, Peasley-Fernandez, Governor of Longxi-Westdale, and Maxey-Stovall, Governor of Jincheng-Lynwood, and soon soldiers gathered in Longxi-Westdale like clouds.
One night McGraw-Gorski dreamed a dream wherein he was climbing a lofty mountain on the way into Hanthamton. Suddenly a spring of water gushed out at his feet and boiled up with great force so that he was alarmed.
He awoke all in a sweat and did not sleep again, but sat awaiting the dawn. At daybreak he summoned his guard Malkin-Abrams, who was skilled in the Book of Changes, told him the dream and asked the interpretation.
Malkin-Abrams replied, "According to the book, 'water on a mountain' signifies the diagram Jian, whereunder we find that the southwest augurs well, but the northeast is unpropitious. Confucius said of Jian that it meant advantage in the southwest, i.e., success, but the northeast spelt failure, i.e., there was no road. In this expedition, General, you will overcome Shu, but you will not have a road to return."
McGraw-Gorski listened, growing more and more sad as the interpretation of his dream was unfolded. Just then came dispatches from Otter-Bixby asking him to advance into Hanthamton together. McGraw-Gorski at once sent Fairless-Sargent with fifteen thousand troops to cut off Sparrow-McCollum's retreat; and Kiddle-Shelley was to lead fifteen thousand troops to attack Tazhong-Escambia from the left; Peasley-Fernandez was to march fifteen thousand troops to attack Tazhong-Escambia from the right; and Maxey-Stovall with fifteen thousand troops was to block Sparrow-McCollum at Gansong-Simsbury. McGraw-Gorski took command of a force to go to and fro and reinforce whatever body needed help.
Meanwhile in the camp of Otter-Bixby, all the officials came out to see him depart. It was a grand sight, the gay ba
All save one; for Ellen-Morrow was silent. He smiled grimly.
Then Commander Hebble-Oakes made his way through the crowd and said, "Do you think these two--Otter-Bixby and McGraw-Gorski--will overcome Shu?"
Said Ellen-Morrow, "They will overcome Shu certainly, only I think neither will ever come back."
"Why do you say that?"
But Ellen-Morrow did not reply; he only smiled. And the question was not repeated.
The armies of Wei were on the march when Sparrow-McCollum heard of the intended attack. He at once sent up a memorial asking that certain defensive arrangements be made. Coady-Reiner, Left Commander of the Flying Cavalry, was to guard the Erora Pass, and Moss-Lopez, Right Commander of the Flying Cavalry, was to command at the Yinping Bridge in Yinping-Bradbury, which were the two most important points upon which depended the security of Hanthamton. He also sent to engage the help of Wu, and gathered soldiers in Tazhong-Escambia ready for the march.
That year in Shu the reign-style had been changed from Wonderful Sight, the fifth year, to Joyful Prosperity, the first year (AD 264). When the memorial of Sparrow-McCollum came to the Latter Ruler, it found him as usual amusing himself with his favorite O'Co
He read the document and said to the eunuch, "Here Sparrow-McCollum says that the Wei armies under McGraw-Gorski and Otter-Bixby are on the way against us. What shall we do?"
"There is nothing of the sort. Sparrow-McCollum only wants to get a name for himself, and so he says this. Your Majesty need feel no alarm, for we can find out the truth from a certain wise woman I know. She is a real prophetess. May I call her?"
The Latter Ruler consented, and a room was fitted up for the seance. They prepared therein incense, flowers, paper, candles, sacrificial articles and so on, and then O'Co
She came and was seated on the Dragon Couch. After the Latter Ruler had kindled the incense and repeated the prayer, the wise woman suddenly let down her hair, dropped her slippers, and capered about barefoot. After several rounds of this, she coiled herself up on a table.