Princess Rescue Inc (58 page)

“One
of the other possibilities is drawing the Duluth away from the siege. Right now
they have numbers on their side. So we need to use cunning and terrain to
leverage our own resources. One of the ideas is oh, drawing them to that
mountain pass. There was a reason the wall was set up there as it was. It
allowed only a small number of enemies to attack one point at one time.”

“But
unfortunately we're probably not going to be able to do that,” Perry sighed.

“Is
their King with them? Is he an able commander? How experienced is he?” Ryans
asked. He was curious if the general would answer and what the answer would be.

“Rumor,”
the general said, giving the gaijin a look. “Rumor has it that King Richard is
dead. His eldest son Art’ur is now King.”

“So
this Art’ur is trying to prove himself. He's probably a lead from the front
sort to provide proof of his bravery. Bet he's not happy about how slow that
siege is going,” Perry said thoughtfully. The general shot him a surprised
look.

“How
did you...”

Perry
smiled as if his suspicion had been confirmed. “Know thine self as well as your
enemy. The young are always restless, always jumping without looking and
getting themselves killed for stupid things. Only those who watch and learn
live on to try to pass on wisdom. Try, and sometimes fail unfortunately,” he
said with a slight bitter twist to his lips.

“True,”
the general said with a nod. He sat back in his chair. “You do tend to surprise
me,” he rumbled.

“I'm
actually not that much younger than you sir,” Perry said with a small smile.

“Ah,”
the general said thoughtfully.

“So,
this Art’ur is young and possibly rash. I wonder if he's quick to anger? And
how badly does he react when enraged? Is that something we can use?” Ryans
asked, looking at the General and then the room at large with a slightly feral
gleam.”

“It's
an idea,” the general rumbled with a chuckle. “It is indeed.”

<==={}------------>

“My
liege,” Uuôden said, coming into the tent.

“What
is it?” the King demanded, looking up. He was bored and needed the distraction,
any distraction. “This had better be good.”

“The
latest spy reports my liege. They bring news of the wonder weapons,” the
general said, handing him the scroll.

The
young King grunted and took the scroll and then unrolled it with both hands.
His eyes scanned the document quickly. He frowned, the spies had yet to see the
wonder weapons first hand but had second and third hand accounting’s of them.
They seemed to be some sort of crossbow that shot small pebbles of lead. “A
sling?”

“I'm
not certain my lord,” Uuôden said.

Art’ur
grunted in irritation at the general's lack of imagination. There was a bit
more, reports of loud noises attributed to the gaijin wonder weapons.

Art’ur
read the scroll in his hands again and then frowned. “Noise makers,” he
muttered. “Scaring
branacks
? Why?” he looked up to see Uuôden standing
near the tent flap. “Do they think to stampede our beasts or make them faint on
command?”

“We
do have a lot of them in our cavalry my liege,” Uuôden reminded him.

The
King pursed his lips. That was true. His father had sacrificed many of the
older cavalry mounts during the past two winters to feed their people. He had
been forced to draft
branacks
as a light cavalry. The unlamented
Thorvald had used them to run down the refugees and secure the bridges before
they could be destroyed... and before the refugees could warn the Imperium. “It
makes no sense. Only a handful... could that be their plan?” the King mused.
“Sow division amongst our ranks with these?”

“From
the reports we have they make a loud bang and spray dirt.”

“Bah!
A wonder weapon? That? Throwing dirt?” Art’ur demanded, kicking dirt. “A waste!
I can't wait to make them see the errors of their new toys! Let them meet our
steel with these noise makers and see who's standing!”

<==={}------------>

Ryans
and Max had a discussion with a smith/artisan interested in bolts. In exchange
for a ten year exclusive license and directions on manufacturing the smith
would make all the screws, bolts, and nuts, washers, and other fasteners they
would need at cost. They left with their copy of the signed contract, feeling a
little giddy. Getting fasteners out there was important, and for all the
projects Max and Ryans had in mind, down right vital. Still the contract
negotiations were wearying.

On
the ride back Max just stared out the window. A black cloud hovered over him.
Ryans glanced at him and then back to the street. It was slow, there were
people everywhere now so the hummer crept along at a snail's pace.

“I
could have walked faster than this,” Max growled.

“Probably,”
Ryans replied.

“Definitely,”
Max growled, setting his jaw. Ryans glanced at him. He took a guess at what was
bothering the machinist.

“This
guy is really a smart cookie. Fasteners are a big thing, they're in everything.
They've used nails, pegs, and cotter pins but this is a big thing.”

“Right,”
Max grunted.

“If
he plays his cards right and has some good investors who take the long view
he'll be a billionaire,” Ryans said. Max grunted again and then turned to him.

“Think
so huh?”

“Hey
Max, what's eating you?” Ryans asked.

“That
we're just giving this shit away,” Max said in disgust.

“And?”

“And
we're not getting anything in return. Oh sure, all the fasteners we need at
cost. You know damn well he'll pad that.”

“Of
course, what contractor hasn't?” Max snorted, giving him a sidelong look. Ryans
shrugged. “As far us benefiting, we're going to skim off what we want. It may
not be milspec or grade A but at least it's free,” Ryans said with a grin. “And
we've got plenty of other things to pass along.”

“Huh.”

“Think
you might open up a machine shop? Or become the next Ford?”

“Shit,”
Max said, throwing himself back in the seat and rubbing his brow. “You're not
serious boss!”

“Hey,
you build it, work out the manufacturing steps and we'll damn well find the
financing.
After
we get this war won.”

“Damn.
Quite an incentive,” Max muttered.

“Well,
I could have said Boeing...”

“You're
killing me here boss,” Max laughed. “Waaaay too far out of our league here.”

“You'd
be surprised. I think with the right investment and time we'll see. If we're
here, I'm not keen about sticking around.”

“True,”
Max said. “Though it is tempting.”

Ryans
waited a moment and when they got around the corner and were on track for the
keep he smiled. “Hey Max,” he said.

“Now
what,” Max sighed.

“Just
so you know, the guy's only got rights to
metal
fasteners.
Not
plastic,” Ryans said and turned to grin at him slightly. Max turned, caught the
grin and then snorted. After a moment he chuckled.

<==={}------------>

The
next morning Doc was not amused to find her spare clothing was missing. She
went to work in the clothes she had been wearing the day before. She assumed
that someone had borrowed them or took them to be washed at first as she ate
breakfast. But when she checked her medical supplies she was instantly pissed
when she found many things missing there as well. She went to the guard and then
to Ryans. Ryans heard her news, was disturbed and immediately went to the store
room. On the way he picked up Scooter and radioed Perry and Galloway. They had
been storing most of the things they needed day to day in a store room in the
castle, and the remainder and most of the vehicles in a warehouse in town. The
guard standing outside the store room door instantly flushed when he noted them
approaching.

They
entered and found the cases and many other things missing. Seriously pissed he
rounded on the guard. “This isn't something someone could stick in their pocket
and walk off with jack ass so don't give me a song and dance. No one is
supposed to enter this room unless he's a Terran a gaijin.” He pointed to each
of the Terrans in the group. Another soldier came, he had the first detained.
“Call the captain of the guard,” Ryans snarled as he snatched the man's pike
away. Scooter relieved him of his sword and dagger. The man was sweating now.
“I want those items found. Take this dumb ass apart if you have to,” he
snarled. He gave the withering guard a cold look. The man's eyes were wide with
fear. He tried to bolt but Doc neatly tripped him as he passed.

The
captain came and was angry as well. “It's one thing to pilfer food or clothing,
but some of this we need or else the King and this Imperium will fall,” Doc
glared at Maximus but he ignored the glare, staring at the guard.

“Find
it captain, I want the thief or thieves caught,” Ryans snarled.

The
Queen passed by and stopped. They explained the situation. The Queen turned on
the hapless guard. “Treason,” she said firmly. “For you and your family. All
will be put to death,” she said coldly, looking down her nose at him. The
guards and the prisoner blanched at this. The accused wilted to his knees and then
babbled it was harmless. He gave them the names of the people he sold things
to, but said he wasn't involved with taking the medical or clothes.

Perry
came and posted one of his men at the storeroom. He quietly told Doc and Ryans
they needed to consolidate the storage to make it easier to guard. They agreed
grimly. Ryans pulled out his tablet and checked it.

“Got
something?” Perry asked.

“Tracking
device on the case. You'd think someone would have seen them take it. The damn
thing is huge!” Ryans snarled.

“Nice
of you to have that,” Perry nodded then sighed. “This'll be fun,” Perry
muttered.

<==={}------------>

They
took a group of guards and tracked the case into the city. They circled the
building where the signal was strongest, certain it was in. When the doors were
secured they then entered. The family inside tried to bluster until the guard
captain icily informed them taking the materials was considered treason, then
they began to sweat.

 They
ended up tracking the materials to a closet and a storage place under the
floor. Ryans wasn't happy about the time and materials wasted and glared as he
recovered the case. “You have no idea, no idea how lucky you are that this is
in one piece,” he snarled after checking the contents.

When
they rounded on the family the patriarch tried to bluster, dry washing his
hands but his daughter came in. Her chin quivered when she told them it was
her. Ryans recognized her as one of the maids. “You're one of the middle floor
scullery maids aren't you?” he asked sharply. She stood at attention, chin high
but she was pale and her eyes glittered with unshed tears. He nodded as she was
arrested and hauled off. It took them about twenty minutes to clear out the
material. The soldiers weren't happy about the search and took out their ire on
the inanimate objects in the room. The patriarch huddled with his family,
flinching and looking away from the stern glares and snarls of the intruders.
Finally, having found none of the rest of the missing material they left.

<==={}------------>

Later
that afternoon they managed to get back on schedule. Doc took in midwives and
healers as new students in addition to the city healers. She immediately
instituted daily inventory checks to be signed off by two people.

The
guards posted a new law after lunch, anyone wearing the Terrans clothing or
using their gear outside of the castle would be detained for questioning. A
herald went around town, reading the proclamation at every intersection of the
city. Most of the missing items that were sold or given away were found in the
gutters over the next day or so, much to the victim’s ire.

Emroy
refugees poured in from the surrounding countryside. The trickle that had
followed the gaijin in turned into a steady stream and then a torrent. The
soldiers took the pick of the litter for the new army. Max the machinist and
the newly minted industrial minister took the rest and put them to work in the
cottage and growing industrial districts.

The
refugees told stories of the Duluth raiders, how they were going from village
to village stripping them of everything. Any that resisted were put to death
and the village burned. If they surrendered they weren't much better off. The
men and some of the good looking girls and women were shipped off and never
seen again. The boys under ten that did not hide or flee ahead of time were put
to the sword. Women who were not raped were left behind with the oldsters and
the young girls. Having nothing left to eat and fearing a return visit they of
course left.

This
threw a huge burden on the castle stores and foods supplied by neighboring
farms. They got new tools out to the nearest farms first, even drafting
refugees and their animals to help plow the farms. Doc also took the opportunity
to set up free medical clinics to check and treat the families and train her
new students. The Queen sent some who had learned the techniques to neighboring
lords to improve their farm yields.