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"Not unless we have to," Pahner said. "Pull one regiment off of loading duties just in case, but basically, it's up to Roger now. If he beats them, we'll continue as we're going. If he's forced out of position or flanked, we'll start pulling troops off of loading to form a front facing towards D'Sley." The Marine paused and shook his head. "Did I just say what I think I said?"
"You said we should pull a battalion off of loading and that it's up to Roger," Bogess said. "Is that what you mean?"
"Yes," the captain said with a grimace. "I'm supposed to be protecting Roger, not the other way around. This is not going to look good in my report."
"You have to write the report for it to look good or bad," Rus From said with a grunt of laughter. "Let Roger look out for himself."
"Lord, Lord, Lord," the Marine groaned. "His mother's going to kill me."
* * *
Roger dropped his pad into its pouch and shook his head. He already knew the terrain, and there was nowhere to anchor his flank. There was a stream not too far behind them, though, that would work to control the line.
"Turkol, we're backing up to the far side of the stream. Put one company in reserve, spread the other three in a line, and start working out a light defense work. Have them dig in good; we're not backing up any further."
"Got it," the infantry battalion commander said. "What about the flanks?"
"If we can get the cavalry back in, we'll have it cover them. Until then, I'll split the Marines and put them in place as security teams." He thought about it for a moment more, but there wasn't much else to do. "Move."
* * *
"Roger," Pri said into the communicator, "where the hell are you? And where the hell am I, for that matter?"
"Do you remember crossing a small stream on your way out?" the prince responded, gazing at the icon the location transponder in Pri's communicator had thrown up on the map on his pad.
"Yes, I'm on the same trail we followed on the way out, I think." The cavalry commander looked around. He heard occasional pistol shots behind him, but he had at least half his command regrouped.
"We're setting up on the stream. Are you in contact with the Boman?"
"No," Pri said. "Not as an organized body, at least. Some of my people are still out there, and I can hear them shooting, but it's blacker than the inside of an atul's nest, and I can't see crap. We broke contact as soon as we realized we were outnumbered, though, and I'm pretty sure my stragglers all know which way to head."
"Well, get back down there. Stay together this time, and hit them hard, then fall back in contact. We need them to come to us from the direction of our choice, and the only way to make sure they do is for you to lead them right in. We've got you on our pads and helmet HUDs, and Despreaux or I can guide you, roughly, at least, if you lose orientation on our position."
"Got it," the cavalryman said, glad to have orders, even if they were mildly crazy. "You do realize that there are over two thousand of them, right?"
"Fine," Roger said. "Just get them to the stream, and Turkol will do the rest. Oh, and when you get close, you'd better start sounding your horns."
* * *
Roger strode along the line of digging riflemen and gri
"I thought you New Model Army boys could dig! What are you, a bunch of women?"
A shovelful of wet dirt, half mud, came flying out of the darkness and hit his chest in answer.
"We're so good we can hit you in the dark, Sir!"
"As long as you can hoist them as well as you throw them," Roger said with a laugh. "We've got about two thousand Boman coming at us, so I think you're going to appreciate a wall in a little bit."
"Don't worry, Your Highness," one of the riflemen said. "We're not afraid to die for the God."
A quote came to mind. Roger couldn't remember who'd said it, but it sounded like Miranda MacClintock.
"You're not supposed to die for your God, soldier. You're here to make sure the other poor sod dies for his."
"Nice," Bes said as Roger walked back to the command post. The low wall and fighting trench the soldiers were erecting was backed with a small bastion for the commanders. Considering that they'd only been working on it for half an hour, it was quite an accomplishment.
"It was a quote," the prince admitted. "I swear, every good military line has already been used by somebody." He looked at the developing defenses and shook his head. "Very nice. I suppose if we can't win with this, we don't deserve to. I wonder how it's going north of the river?"
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
"Yes, Sir. I understand," the sergeant said.
"If I had a 'qualified officer' to replace you with, I would," the Marton Regiment's adjutant said. "To tell the truth, if I'd had a qualified officer to replace Lieutenant Fonal with, I would have."
"Yes, Sir. I understand."
"You don't sound like it," the battalion commander put in with a serious expression. "You sound petrified."
"I'll handle it, Major Ni," Krindi Fain said. "I'd just expected to be replaced. At most, I'd figured I'd handle the route march. But fighting them? I'm not sure I know how."
"Just do what you're told, soldier," the CO said. "I'm giving you a temporary rank of full lieutenant. You taught most of them the drill, so don't tell me you don't know it yourself. Just do what you know."
"Yes, Sir," the Diaspran began again, then checked himself. "I really do understand. And will comply."
"Okay," Ni said with a gesture of support. "Get to it."
Fain found himself walking back through the temporarily stopped division, wondering where and how he'd gone wrong.
"What's wrong, Fain? You look like somebody shot your dog."
He looked over at Julian and made a gesture of resigned horror.
"I'm in command of the company."
"Yeah," the Marine said. "I thought that might happen."
"I'm not real sure about this," Fain admitted. "It's a lot of responsibility."
"So was the training you gave them," Julian pointed out. "Same deal. Just get up there, and do what comes natural. Remember every good leader you've ever known and copy them. Slavishly, if you have to. And never let them see you slime." For some reason, the Marine found this last humorous.
"Okay," the Diaspran said.
"Here." The human dug into a pouch and pulled out a twisted piece of metal.
"What's this?" Fain asked, turning it over and over in a true-hand.
"First battle I was ever in," the Marine said, "I caught that piece of shrapnel. I held onto it for good luck. I sort of figured if I had it, I'd never get hit again. Don't know why. But it's always been a lucky piece for me."
"What are you going to do without it?" the Diaspran asked.
"I'm not going to need it for this battle," Julian said, tapping his armor. "The Boman hasn't been born that can crack this stuff. You take it. I'll be okay."
"All right," Fain said. "Thanks. And may the God of Water protect you."
"It's not me you have to worry about," the squad leader said, hefting his stutter gun.
* * *
Kny Camsan grunted in laughter.
"So that's what those shit-sitters were doing! There's an army back at Sindi, and they were trying to get back to it."
"That's nothing to laugh about," a subchief said sharply. "All our loot is back there, not just the loot from Sindi. And our women."
"Sure," the war leader replied with another grunt. "And so are ten or twelve thousand warriors with Mnb Trag to keep them on their toes. Which means their stupid army is still going to be sitting in front of the walls waiting when we get back. This was just a big spoiler raid. They wanted to suck us away from Sindi so they could get the rest of their army into position."