Part 31 (1/2)

Valley between Multichucha Ridge and Hill 1647, 24/1/461 AC They were called, after the German, Stollen Stollen, and they were the least offensive-seeming things imaginable. Long, narrow, and deep rather like the Sachsen Christmas cake the Stollen Stollen were nothing but shelters, pa.s.sive, harmless, inoffensive shelters. Who can object, after all, to a Sachsen Christmas cake? were nothing but shelters, pa.s.sive, harmless, inoffensive shelters. Who can object, after all, to a Sachsen Christmas cake?

The river at the base of Hill 1647 marked the demarcation line. Accordingly, the Stollen Stollen went up two to three hundred meters south of the river, within if barely the Yezidi Safe Zone. went up two to three hundred meters south of the river, within if barely the Yezidi Safe Zone.

”What are they for?” all three leaders of the local Yezidi political, which were also tribal, parties asked. Since Carrera was certain that at least one of the Yezidis reported directly to Babel, he told the truth. Sort of.

”The Sumeris are likely to pound the s.h.i.+t out of us once the FSC begins the war. There is no place we can do our job, which is to protect you, where we will not also be in artillery range. The mountains are too rocky to dig into very well in the time we have. So I am building shelters for my men down in the valley where we can continue to protect you despite the sh.e.l.ling I antic.i.p.ate.”

This was, of course, not the complete truth. Still, reasonably satisfied at the answer, the Yezidis offered their followers as a labor force. They did not do so, naturally, without extracting a contract from the legion for pay for the labor provided. The mere fact that someone was doing you a favor was not in itself a sufficient reason not to insist on being paid for helping them do you that favor.

”I loathe loathe the Yezidis,” Carrera said to his chief engineer, Sam Cheatham, and Fahad when he had called them together in the valley to explain what he wanted done. the Yezidis,” Carrera said to his chief engineer, Sam Cheatham, and Fahad when he had called them together in the valley to explain what he wanted done.

”You loathe them?” Fahad had answered. ”Let me tell you about the Yezidis...” loathe them?” Fahad had answered. ”Let me tell you about the Yezidis...”

”No time, Fahad,” Carrera said, holding one hand up, palm out, ”and I've heard all about it before.”

”I wish I could put you up about sixteen of the things,” Cheatham sighed, referring to the Stollen Stollen. ”But I just don't have the material or the skilled manpower. I've only got my seventy-odd engineers, plus whatever I can use from the line cohorts' engineer sections. But they, frankly, are sappers, not builders. And the Yezidi are not going to be worth much besides scut work.”

”How many can you put up that will be strong enough to take a direct hit from an eight-inch gun?” Carrera asked. ”And remember, we have to be able to shelter about twelve hundred men in them for a few days.”

”In the time I have,” Cheatham answered, ”with the material I have and with the workers I have, I can put up four, each about thirty feet by one hundred, and with a thick enough overhead cover to take a couple of eight-inch hits. By the way, sir, what makes you think the Sumeris even have have eight inch guns?” eight inch guns?”

”Nothing,” Carrera shook his head in negation. ”But they might might have them.” have them.”

”Okay,” Cheatham said, agreeably. ”Four Stollen coming up. This weather is going to be a problem, you know. Concrete at least the kind I have been able to scrounge locally doesn't set worth a s.h.i.+t in this kind of cold. How about if I blast a s.h.i.+tload of rock out of the last ridge and use that to reinforce?”

”That's fine, Sam. Do it however you think best. But get me my Christmas cakes cooked.”

”What if they try to sh.e.l.l my engineers while they're working?” Cheatham asked, not unreasonably.

”I don't think they will, Sam, mainly because they don't have much in their strategic inventory except some sympathy from whoever hates the FSC. They'll want the coalition to fire the first shot. Even so, until H Hour-3, or at least until you're done building, you've got priority of fires direct control if you think you need it over all the legion's artillery plus the 105mm battalion from the 731st Airborne.” Airborne.”

”Hmmm. Sh.e.l.ls would arrive here before counter-battery could have any effect. So, if you don't mind, I'll start by digging some slit trenches for my people before before we start work on the we start work on the Stollen Stollen.”

”That's fine,” Carrera had answered. ”Don't dawdle over it, though. And remember I also need some special shelters built for the artillery.”

For Cheatham's slit trenches he used two entrenching machines that had been purchased from the Volgans. These were of the smaller variety, having an arm of sorts that they dragged behind them and which more or less horizontally spun a series of steel buckets to cut a neat trench about seventy-five centimeters wide and a meter and a half deep. The frozen state of the ground made this a slower than normal operation but within a day the entrenching machines had sc.r.a.ped out sixteen reasonably sized slit trenches.

The Sumeris had paid no mind at all, so far as Cheatham could see, to the operation of the entrenching machines.

While the trench cutters were in operation, gangs of Yezidi with picks and shovels began excavating the outlines of the Stollen to a depth of about a meter. The Sumeris paid no attention to them, either.

When the engineers began blasting off slabs of rock from the far slope of Multichucha Ridge, the Sumeris had manned their trenches and bunkers. Still, when no attack materialized, they went back to their normal routine of s.h.i.+vering, freezing and, if the Yezidi were to be believed, b.u.g.g.e.ring each other. In this belief Fahad and the Chaldeans seemed to concur.

They were still, so far as Cheatham could tell, b.u.g.g.e.ring each other when the frameworks for the Stollen began to go up.

Perhaps they had run out of lubrication that, or they'd discovered that weapons oil was a poor subst.i.tute when the layer of concrete was poured. The seemed fascinated by that, sitting atop the lips of their trenches, chatting amiably among each other, and generally having a good time watching the legion and the Yezidis work in the cold.

Supplies of a less toxic lubricant must have come through, though, because they disappeared again when the Yezidi gangs began piling dirt atop the concrete. Still, so Cheatham and the Yezidis surmised, those supplies must have been limited. They were back again to watch as the dirt was covered with large chunks and slabs of rock.

Sam Cheatham didn't bother to camouflage the Stollen Stollen. Anybody who thought that a six to seven meter high loaf of rock, dirt and concrete sticking up out of a flat plain in plain view of the enemy was going to be hidden by a few odd bits of gra.s.s was either smoking something or, as was perhaps the case, too busy being b.u.g.g.e.red to worry about. Besides, snow would be along any day now and it would do a better job of camouflage than anything that could be done artificially.

Hill 1647, Command Post, 2/2/461 AC Mukkaddam, or Lieutenant Colonel, Ali al Tikriti had a problem. No, that wasn't quite right. What he had was approximately seven hundred and one problems. The seven hundred, give or take a few, were his men, whom he despised as a lot of illiterate, lazy, good for nothing peasants. The one, and that was the worst of the lot, was the Dictator Saleh, his fourth cousin, twice removed sitting in what was likely to prove a very temporary safety in one of his palaces near Babel.

In fact, of all the people Ali had to deal with, the only one who was not a problem was the thirteen year old boy currently kneeling between Ali's legs with his p.e.n.i.s in his mouth. And that was at best a temporary distraction from all Ali's other problems, problems which were altogether too likely to prove extremely and unfortunately permanent.

Ali would rather have had one of his two wives kneeling between his legs. They, however, weren't there while the young boy was.

.For an all too short period of time, the thirteen year old was able to distract Ali from his many concerns. After tousling the boy's hair and tipping him generously, Ali b.u.t.toned his trousers, refastened his belt, and left his rather luxuriously appointed, and very deep, personal bunker to walk the front trench of the rightmost of the two fortresses atop the ridge.

Ali owed his position not to military skill and competence but to family connections. Oh, yes, he'd been to all the schools and some of them were quite decent that his army offered. But when one is that tightly connected to the ruling clan, and able to afford substantial bribes to one's teachers, it was not strictly speaking necessary to learn one blessed thing to graduate with honors. In fairness, it had to be said that Ali had learned somewhat more than most would have in his position. At the very least, he had learned something of military engineering. Thus, his trenches were narrow and deep, his bunkers had substantial overhead cover, and his obstacles were well sighted. More than that one could hardly expect.

Ali's men cowered as he walked the line. Occasionally, and not always for any obvious reason, he would lash out with his riding crop to slash a soldier across the face or neck. His cousin ruled the country by fear; could Ali do any less? Besides, the s.h.i.+t-footed clumsy peasants he had to work with understood nothing but fear and the lash. Moreover, terrorizing his men helped allay the worry that the sight of those four large bunkers being built in plain view instilled in Ali. He didn't understand them, didn't understand their purpose. Why put so much construction effort into something so ridiculously obvious and so completely pa.s.sive? Queries to the local Yezidi had given answers that were not been entirely satisfactory. And queries to Problem Number One, his cousin, had been brushed aside.

Approaching Stollen #1, 7/2/461 AC There was a slight jingling as the unit marched, the sound of loads s.h.i.+fting and metal touching on metal.

Cruz brushed snow he'd never in his life so much as seen seen snow before coming to Sumer off of his face and shoulders as he walked towards the pa.s.s east of Multichucha Ridge. Ahead of him and behind, and on both sides of the highway, walked the rest of the four infantry centuries, minus their mortars, of 1 snow before coming to Sumer off of his face and shoulders as he walked towards the pa.s.s east of Multichucha Ridge. Ahead of him and behind, and on both sides of the highway, walked the rest of the four infantry centuries, minus their mortars, of 1st Cohort, plus the scout and engineer sections and the forward command post team. No vehicles were used; those were left behind. Everything, to include food and water, went in on the soldier's backs. Cohort, plus the scout and engineer sections and the forward command post team. No vehicles were used; those were left behind. Everything, to include food and water, went in on the soldier's backs.

It was a terrible, man-killing load. Besides his rifle, ammunition and auxiliary ammunition, Cruz carried food for five days, water for three, and a portion of the century's common equipment. In all, Cruz's load was better than one hundred and fifty pounds, and he was not the most heavily laden of the legionaries.

Nearing the pa.s.s, Cruz noticed that he could not see the genitalia which gave the ridge its nickname.

Thank G.o.d for the snow, he thought, he thought, freezing or not. If I can't see the p.u.s.s.ies than the Sumeris won't see me. Besides, I'm already homesick enough. freezing or not. If I can't see the p.u.s.s.ies than the Sumeris won't see me. Besides, I'm already homesick enough.

Unseen by Cruz-or by anyone not within a few paces of the cohort commander, Tribune I Gutierrez-a non-com from Cheatham's Engineer Century met the 1st at the pa.s.s. The engineer cautioned Gutierrez, ”Slow down and keep them quiet until you are in the at the pa.s.s. The engineer cautioned Gutierrez, ”Slow down and keep them quiet until you are in the Stollen Stollen.” Gutierrez dropped his pace to a crawl to reduce the sounds coming from the company, sounds that might alert the Sumeris that the Stollen Stollen were being occupied. were being occupied.

Dammit, the tribune thought, fuming at the low key jingling coming from behind him. the tribune thought, fuming at the low key jingling coming from behind him. It isn't as if we didn't do our d.a.m.ndest to make sure everything was quiet and secured before we set out. It isn't as if we didn't do our d.a.m.ndest to make sure everything was quiet and secured before we set out. They had done what was possible. But some sound was unavoidable and in this cold air could well carry despite the m.u.f.fling effect of the snow. They had done what was possible. But some sound was unavoidable and in this cold air could well carry despite the m.u.f.fling effect of the snow.

The engineer then led them down the road before cutting right across the open field to the shelter's narrow entrance. ”File in silently,” the engineer advised. A couple more engineers, these with homemade rakes, smoothed the snow behind the pa.s.sing centuries.

Inside, the place smelled damp and musty, Cruz thought. It was a small surprise in construction so new. Buckets stacked in one corner suggested that it was soon going to have a very different, and much worse, odor.

There were signs on the walls, lit only by chemical lights, or ”chemlights.” Other chemlights traced out boundaries on the Stollen floor. One of the signs said, in the sickly green glow, ”1st Century.” Cruz led his team to that corner and set down his rucksack. His three men placed theirs beside his and, like him, began unrolling bedding, air mattresses, sleeping bags, and blankets. As Cruz and his boys were blowing up the air mattresses someone struck a match and applied the flame to a lantern. Immediately, the greenish gloom of the place dissipated, the more so as more lanterns were lit. In the new and brighter illumination, Cruz saw two charcoal stoves, one of which the supply sergeant was in the process of lighting. The charcoal wouldn't give off any noticeable smoke, he knew, but wondered if the heat distortion might not tell too much to someone watching and paying attention. He asked the supply sergeant about that. Century.” Cruz led his team to that corner and set down his rucksack. His three men placed theirs beside his and, like him, began unrolling bedding, air mattresses, sleeping bags, and blankets. As Cruz and his boys were blowing up the air mattresses someone struck a match and applied the flame to a lantern. Immediately, the greenish gloom of the place dissipated, the more so as more lanterns were lit. In the new and brighter illumination, Cruz saw two charcoal stoves, one of which the supply sergeant was in the process of lighting. The charcoal wouldn't give off any noticeable smoke, he knew, but wondered if the heat distortion might not tell too much to someone watching and paying attention. He asked the supply sergeant about that.

”The exhaust doesn't go up,” the sergeant explained. ”It goes to an underground pipe. That leads to a couple of dozen smaller pipes that eventually emerge above ground. All those are perforated to dissipate the smoke and heat. Clever, ain't it?”

Mangesh, 9/2/461 AC There were caves south of the town. These were originally natural but had been further excavated and in a few cases connected by the Yezidi during their long and generally fruitless fight with the Babel regime. To these caves the legion directed the people of Mangesh, Yezidi and Chaldean both, to go for shelter from the Sumeri artillery that would, almost inevitably, devastate the town on general principle. The two double-wides were likewise moved up to shelter close in to the mountains, under cliff faces. Howitzer and mortar fire could have reached them there, were they in range. At this distance, though, only high velocity artillery had a chance of reaching and that traveled at too low an angle to search the reverse slope of the hill.