Part 47 (1/2)

”Doesn't everyone?”

”Not like ours, sir,” I said. ”The captain and I've spent a lot of time working things out, ever since I met him when we first came back from Kait.”

”Ah. Another set of conspirators against the Way Things Are. You are both to be commended, although Damastes, I admit to some surprise, since I thought you were a man of deeds, not words.” He looked at Petre. ”I call the domina by his first name since we've served together for quite a while. Don't think I hold him and what he says in any less regard because of it.”

”Nossir,” Petre said. ”He already told me that.” He was fumbling in his sabertache for the notebook containing our ideas we'd laboriously built up over the months. He started to hand it to Tenedos, who waved it away.

'Tell me first Then, if there's merit to what you say, we can work from there.

”Where's the starting point for your army?”

”First, sir, we should abandon the baggage train. All it does is slow us down, like it did when I was riding into the Sulem Pa.s.s after you, or-” I shut up, because Tenedos was waving his hand at me.

”I'm not quite a fool, Damastes, and I'd already figured that out. It's already in my plans. But how, in your view, should the army resupply itself? Carry a limited amount of supplies and encamp when they run out, waiting for the victual-bearers to catch up?”

”Off the country,” Petre said. ”We put out quartermasters in wagons, cavalry to screen them, and we take what we need. From the rich, if possible, but from any enemy.”

Tenedos looked a bit surprised. ”That's interesting,” he mused. ”And it would certainly lessen the cost of a war, turning it onto the enemy's back. That will win vast approval from our cheeseparing masters in Nicias.”

”We also leave the camp, uh-” and Petre broke off, invol- *untarily glancing at the inner part of the tent where Rasenna slept, since the next word was ”followers.”

But Tenedos had caught his meaning.

”No women, no laundresses, no candy butchers, eh? How deeply would you make the cut?”

”No one who isn't a soldier moves with the army. Period. No sutlers, no servants either. The only purpose for the wagons are for heavy gear and ambulances. And sir, that would mean everybody.

There's no point in telling a sergeant he can't throw a trunk in the company wagon if he sees the general with a brougham and mistress.”

Tenedos smiled. ”Captain, I can see you made your rank on merit, not diplomacy. But how much faster would this change let us move?”

”We're not through,” I said. ”I want to put the infantry on horses, or mules anyway.”

”G.o.ds, that'd mean the biggest stableyard in history,” Tenedos said.

”It'd be big, but not that big. One riding, one walking would be the way I'd set up these foot soldiers.

Then, in time, let them all ride. Carry enough wheat to keep the animals from foundering on gra.s.s. Again, resupply off enemy granaries when we take them, not b.u.m them to the ground as we do now. Let every mule have its own feedbag and saddlebags for provender.”

”How would the men fight?” Tenedos asked, his interest now roused.

”They'd ride to battle, and fight as they always do, on foot. That way we don't have to take the time to train them to be cavalry,” I said. ”No lances, no sabers, but spears, javelins, swords, daggers.”

”Arm some of them with bows,” Petre put in. ”We never have enough archers in a fight. Try to keep them out of hand-to-hand fighting. All it does is pin units and keep them from maneuvering. We'll lose less men if we can keep them out of a melee.”

”But we're skirting the main point here, sir,” I said, gather-

ing all my courage. ”First, I think we should form the cavalry into one single striking arm.”

”But it is already, or should be when generals use it properly.”

”No itisn % sir,” I said. ”Look at what you yourself ordered the other night: Damastes, use the Lancers as messengers. That's the way it always is, sir. An officer sees a man on a horse and instantly finds a task for him, messengering, couriering, whatever, anything other than his true purpose, which is to strike hard when opportunity offers, then move quickly on to the next weak point. Messengers can't do that, sir. We can't even train to do it when we're running dispatches from General p.o.o.p to Domina Crud. Sir.”

”The other night was an emergency,” Tenedos said, frowning.

”Sir,” I said earnestly, ”it'salways an emergency. If you need messengers, train a staff of them. But keep your hands off the cavalry.”

”Thank you,Domina,” he said, putting emphasis on my rank. ”No, no. Don't apologize. So what do I do with this cavalry, now that it's one great whinnying ma.s.s of warriors?”

”We strike for the enemy's heart,” I said. ”It's like playing rol. You get the ball, you cut around the forwards, and go straight for the goal. Ignore everything else. In order, we go after his army, his capital, his leaders. Cut through the lines as fast as we can, don't worry about our flanks, and go for broke. Let the infantry take and hold the ground. Ignore their d.a.m.ned fortresses, unless we have to have them. Go around them. They'll surrender after we've killed their king or burnt their capital.”

I realized how vehement I'd gotten, hearing a sleepy query from Rasenna as to what was going on, and subsided. Tenedos sat for a long time, thinking. Neither of us dared move, for fear of disturbing him.

”Interesting,” he said. ”Very interesting. But what happens if the cavalry is cut off?”

”Then it's their mistake, their responsibility to break free, or*hold out until the infantry can relieve them.

If the unit moves fast enough, and doesn't allow itself to be pinned down by superior forces, it should never happen.”

”Is all of this down in that little book of yours?”

”It is, sir. And there's more,” Petre put in eagerly. ”For instance-”

”Captain, please stop. A man or a sponge can only absorb so much at a time. If your handwriting is legible, would you object to leaving it with me? I'll return it within a day or so, or perhaps have copies made.”

”Gladly, sir, gladly.”

”Now that you've ruined my quiet meditation, and probably my brandy-drinking as well, you may depart.”

We stood, saluted, and went out ”Camp followers indeed,” I heard Tenedos mutter.

Petre looked at me questioningly. I shrugged. The seer was his own man, and impossible to read. All I knew was that, unlike other times I could think of, we'd not be punished for having our own thoughts.

That, in itself, made the army very new and wonderful.

Tenedos called me to headquarters a day later.

He waved over a short, stocky man who looked like he was better suited to be a hotel's concierge than an officer. 'This is Captain Othman,” he introduced. ”I've chosen him as my new chief aide. He's quite remarkable, you'll find. He has an absolutely perfect memory, don't you, Captain?”

”I don't know about that, but thank you, sir.” Othman looked uncomfortable.

”That's all, Captain. I intend to take a short walk with the domina, and shall return in a few minutes.”

”Very well, sir.”

We walked out of the tent. I expected... no, hoped, Tenedos would bring up what was in our notebook, but he didn't Instead: ”I've discovered how Chardin Sher was able to fool me with his spell.”