Princess Rescue Inc (65 page)

“Because
they came here. The only way to beat them is to
break
them. Cutting off
their logistics is a start. That forces them to fight with what they have
without any reinforcements. It hits their morale though, knowing that they're
slowly running out of food. Cutting off their way home will further demoralize
them,” Perry explained patiently.

The
Queen's eyes glittered. “Duluth overstepped his bounds. He will rue the day he
set foot in our Imperium,” she said with a ring of steel in her voice. Deidra
nodded vehemently.

Ryans
nodded politely. “So, we cut them off, scare them into thinking they're trapped
and then cut them up so they break up and lose cohesion. Then we pick the
isolated parts off,” he said. He smiled nasty. “Defeat in detail.”

“Not
bad, couldn't have said it better myself. Not bad for a civilian puke,” Perry
smiled to Ryans who chuckled.

“This
from a neanderthal grunt?” Ryans teased right back. The others chuckled
politely. Perry chuckled as well.

“If
we're all done slapping ourselves on the back over our own cleverness, I've got
work to do,” the machinist got up and stretched.

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

Newly
promoted centurion Ticundus looked out in satisfaction at the wall and the men
and women around him. He had a bare century of men between the two teams. Team
two had done what it could to secure the pass with deadfalls but had finally
settled into scouting for any approaching convoys and cutting them off once
they entered the pass.

So
far they had captured two convoys and killed one messenger. He regretted that,
not the loss of life of course, the Duluth scum deserved what they got. No, he
regretted the bastard's
branack
getting away clean. Hopefully the beast
would be picked up by someone other than a Duluth unit. Or fall prey to a
wandering
basilisk
.

So
far his meager century of men, one hundred all told were watching over the wall
and the pass while the forty conscripted prisoners labored to rebuild the wall
and dig a moat on the back side of the wall.  Their supplies were put to
good use, supplying them and the Silent Knights with food and fodder. They had
plenty of food now, but he worried over a concentrated attack. He was strictly
limited on ammunition.

“If
you’re not cheating, you’re not trying, as corporal Newman likes to say,” he
said, turning to his second.  “Any word?” he asked.

Duplicarious
Jensig shook his head. “Nothing from the scouts, weather looks good,” he said
turning a weather eye to the sky as the wind picked up.

“Red
sky,” Ticundus grunted. “The daily report?”

“I've
just finished sending it. We've got about two and a half more hours of
daylight. Do you want me to bring them in early or let them sweat?” Jensig
asked, nodding his chin to the laborers.

Ticundus
turned to them. He snorted, eyes cold. Most were old folk; some had a hand
missing or a leg. They were terrible diggers even with the folding shovels the
gaijin had designed. He'd thought about using a draft animal, seeing if they
could improvise a plow to drag behind the beast but had decided against
it.  He didn't want any of the prisoners to get any ideas about getting on
one of the animals and then charging off to alert the army after all.

“No,
give them another hour and then bring them in. The wind picked up and then
shifted, cooling suddenly. “Storm I think,” he said.

“Hopefully,”
a soldier nearby said.

Ticundus
glanced her way and then shook his head. “As you were,” he growled. She came to
attention and then refocused on her job of watching over the prisoners. “We'll
see if we can use the draft beasts to pull any rocks and break ground. Our
people will have to do that though,” he said, turning to Jensig.

Jensig
nodded. “Any word on resupply?”

Ticundus
shook his head. They hadn't used a lot of ammunition but they had fired off two
dozen precious rounds in the taking of the two convoys... and another three in
killing the messenger. “I'm hoping we'll hear something soon.”

“Me
too, any idea if it'll be just material or men as well?” Jensig asked
hopefully.

Ticundus
shrugged. “Again, no idea, we'll see what tomorrow brings,” he said slapping
the other man on the shoulder. “I'll check on the cooks. You make sure the
night shift is ready to go.”

“Certe
centurion,” Jensig said, saluting him with a fist on his chest before moving
off. Ticundus watched him leave and then shook his head, turning to face the
wind. A bare two weeks ago they had been equals and squad mates and before that
he'd been a farm boy who'd abandoned the farm in favor of going to the capital
in order to make his fortune there. How things had changed! The invasion and
the gaijin had a lot to do with it too, both the good and the bad.

He
would still be a lowly private had the gaijin not seen something in him. He
treasured that trust, treasured the respect they'd given him. He had no
intention of letting them down. He turned back to the men and women waiting on
his orders. He nodded to the nearby female miles and then walked off into the
ruined fort.

“We've
noticed the guards are not wearing their colors,” the King said looking
pointedly out the window to the courtyards below. The King had insisted on a
briefing from Perry and the others this fine morning.

“What,
the guards training?” Perry asked amused. “Well, first off, training tends to
destroy whatever they're wearing. Why ruin a nice uniform?” he asked. The King
nodded. Perry shrugged under the King's questioning gaze. “Second finery like
that should be reserved for dress occasions, not in the field.”

“How
will they notice the royal guard then?” the King asked amused and aghast.

Perry
frowned. “Ah, majesty, that's the whole point. If they can't see you then an
archer can't pick you out of the crowd to kill you,” he explained patiently.
The King's eyes narrowed at that statement.

“There's
some truth to that,” the King said and then nodded slowly. “Wise.” He paused
then nodded again rubbing his chin in thought. “Yes, wise,” he murmured.

“I'm
glad you think so your majesty. We've changed the uniforms to a green and
brown, much like the buskin the woodsman wear. This should make it
harder
for archers to pick individual targets. It will also make it much easier for
the men to get closer to the enemy in other engagements and not be seen,” Perry
smiled evilly.

“Gotcha,”
Ryans nodded. He'd known the reasoning but wanted to fill in the empty time
when the conversation seemed to lapse for too long.

“Ah,
but the finery is all part of a battle! A glorious death in battle...” the King
said wistfully.

“Trust
me, I know you've got your heart set on that, but it's much better to be with
the women and die from them throttling you after some misadventure than
bleeding out in a muddy field,” Perry said smiling. The smile didn't quite meet
his eyes though.

“Or
to throw yourself off the parapet after they decide to redecorate after the
tenth time in a year,” Ryans smirked knowingly. The other men chuckled. The
King's laugh was soft at first, then firmed up into a braying chuckle.

Sue
glared at them, arms crossed. “Sure yuck it up. Men,” she said in mock disgust.
“They're all alike.” She snorted, shaking her head at the Queen and then
turning as Wanda and Charlie came in.

“What,
can't live with them, can't shoot them?” Charlie teased smiling. It was the
women's turn to snicker as the men sobered.

“What's
up ladies?” Ryans asked as they smiled at one another. Charlie rolled her
shoulders then smiled taking something from her pocket.

“Oh,
this,” she smacked it into his hand. He looked down at it then blinked.

In
his hand was a cartridge, a full and complete round. It looked like a modern
round for that matter.

“Nice,”
he said admiring it then holding it up to the King and Lieutenant to see. He
passed it to the King. “Nice job ladies,” he said turning to Charlie and Wanda.

“I'd
say it wasn't nothing, but I'd be lying,” Charlie said tiredly. Her shoulders
were slumped. Her face was drawn; eyes were red rimmed from lack of sleep. “We
got the shape from spent brass we used as a template mold. The nitrate and
fulminate of mercury percussion caps are still a problem. Getting them seated
properly without going off is also a concern,” she explained. “But we've got
them into production now so we can start transferring over to that standard
over the paper cartridges,” she said. She shrugged as the others gazed at her
curiously.

“How
soon can you produce them in usable numbers?” Ryans asked as the Lieutenant
handed him the round back. Charlie glared at him.

“Rest.
Eat. Bathe. Definitely bathe,” Sue said patting her shoulder. Charlie gave her
an amused but annoyed look.

“Cute,
real cute,” Charlie half snarled.

Wanda
laid an arm over her shoulders. “Come on; let’s go get a glass of wine, some of
that Brie cheese, and a nice hot bath.”

“Don't
have to ask me twice,” Charlie said laughing. She gave Perry and Ryans a
disgusted look then left.

“What'd
I say?” Ryans asked amused.

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

Mary
grinned at Max as they watched the mill in action. Max seemed bored, not
interested in the wooden gears and belt driven machinery. Mary wasn't so much
interested in that as she was in their new millstones and how well they would
perform in comparison to the old, so far so good.

“They're
wearing fine I think,” Max said, ready to leave.

“Just
hang on a sec, I want to compare a sample,” Mary said. She waited until the
first bag was finished and then took a small sample from it. She compared it to
another grind by the old stones. She smiled, looking at it with a jeweler's
loupe.

“Something
you like?” Max asked, clearly bored.

“It's
a three times finer grind Max,” she replied. “Nice,” she said, feeling it with
her fingers and then bagging the sample. “You won’t be breaking your teeth on
these,” she said firmly, putting the loupe away.

“Ah,”
Max said.

“You
really want a visit to the dentist in these conditions?” Mary demanded, eying
him. He scowled.

After
a moment he shook his head and looked away to the group working around them.
“No,” he said, sounding almost sullen but resigned. The mill owner was pleased,
thumbs in his broad waist belt as he watched the new equipment getting broken
in for the first time. “I do want to stay clear of flour and grain areas though
if you don't mind.”

“Oh?”

“Explosion
hazard?” he asked. She blinked at him.

“I
thought this place had a great safety record?” she asked. He snorted.

“It
does. It was rebuilt on the foundations of the last two places.”

“Oh,”
Mary said, suddenly subdued. Grain mills and silos were prone to explosive
events when the conditions were right. Or in the case of the people working in
them, horribly wrong.  Suddenly she wasn't at all eager to stick around
for much longer. “Um, yeah...”

“We've
got fire sprinklers in the works but there's a shortage of metals so it's going
to take a while to get them in gear. Plus I've got to figure out how to get the
processes sorted out too,” Max sighed. “Making the damn things,” he said,
shaking his head. “So, yeah, just between you and me, let's not stay overlong.
Anything else you want to see?” he asked tiredly. He sounded bored.

“Something
eating you?” Mary asked.

He
sighed. “Just a hundred and one thousand projects to do Mary, sorry. I've got
to check on the salt grinding, the pasteurization plant, the new concrete
works, and of course all the smelters and factories,” he said testily. “Wanda
and Charlie want me to rig a better exhaust fan for their labs, along with a
generator for lights, Ryans said he'd take a look but he got snagged so that's
out,” he said sourly.

“Sounds
like you need a break. Or a clone,” Mary replied with a sympathetic grin. Max
snorted. “Go, I won't keep you. I'll try to check on this in say, a week?” she
asked, turning to the mill owner. The fat well dressed mill owner shrugged. His
foreman behind him turned to her and then nodded. Mary smiled to him and then
nodded. “A week then,” she said, shaking the mill owner's hand. He blinked at
her but before he could say anything she turned and followed Max out.

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

“How
are you going to break them?” Sue asked during a rare group meeting. They were
all sitting around the room, some lounging, and a few attentive. Max looked
like he was asleep. It was getting harder and harder to get them all in one
place at one time. For the past two weeks many of the meetings had been over
the radio net or limited to just a few people.

 “Shock
and awe,” Perry answered giving the others a knowing look. “We're going to
dazzle them with modern warfare.”