Filek was in the big city now, at the center of things, completing his research projects. Heuze envied Filek and wished he still had him to hand. It had made for more interesting conversation.
"So we don't burn, we take. Let the monkeys labor for our benefit, eh?"
"Yes, sir."
"Now, I plan to stay ashore tonight. I want to oversee the battle tomorrow and then be back to the ship by tomorrow night. A tight schedule, Polluk. Think you can keep to it?"
"Yes, sir."
"Good. When is dinner?"
CHAPTER FOUR
The following morning, Admiral Heuze awoke from a sound night's sleep feeling refreshed and unusually clear-headed. Indeed, he was a little surprised that he had slept so well. Usually he slept badly the first few nights on land, missing the familiar motions of his ship. He was, however, itching in a few places. The dugouts were home to a lively population of fleas.
He groped through the underground gloom of the dugout and found the steps up into the light. Outside, dense mist was rising from the river gorge. The sun burned pale and watery beyond the vapors.
A few men were moving about. The cook shack was serving up early breakfasts.
Something in his gut told Heuze that this was the time to attack. Not in two hours, not at noon, as they'd discussed the night before over mugs of ale. If they sallied forth soon enough, they would catch the fornicating monkeys napping, and annihilate them!
Roaring for Polluk, he turned back into the underground complex. Ensign Combliss tumbled out of his bunk and hurried to Heuze's side.
The general was drinking some hot soup when Heuze found him.
"Polluk! Get the men out now! Give them some bread and get them on their feet and ready to fight. We're going to charge now, right now!"
Polluk goggled, eyes big and round. Before bed, the admiral had been very cautious. They were not to attack until the sun had burned off the treacherous fogs of this coast. They would wait until noon if they had to.
But Polluk had learned not to question the admiral when he was enthused like this. "Yes, Admiral, of course." He gulped down the soup and tore a chunk of bread on his way out the door.
Within a minute, the men were tumbling out of their dugouts, lining up for bread.
Heuze, with Combliss behind him, was ready and waiting as the men began to form up. Of the twelve hundred men in the fort, a thousand were scheduled to take part in the assault on the siege tower.
"Come on, hurry it up!" snapped Heuze at every opportunity. The men, from generals down to the rankers, did their best to look lively. Within half an hour, the assault force was ready.
From the walls they could see little sign of the enemy, other than the tops of the two siege towers projecting among the trees in the near distance.
Heuze waved aside all objections. Polluk gave the orders. The gate swung open, and the ramp was lowered over the ditch. Out marched the assault force, with no drums or trumpets. On the open ground they deployed into a column ten files wide. Immediately they increased their pace to a trot, while a few scouts hurried ahead, bows at the ready.
The mists grew thicker as the trees came closer. Scouts reappeared. All was quiet in the enemy lines, from what little they had seen.
On went the assault formation, eyes fixed on the prize looming in the misty woods.
For a while, they marched inside a bank of thick fog, with nothing but the dim mass of the trees ahead. Each man could see only his immediate neighbors. Admiral Heuze was bringing up the rear, with a party of four guards and Combliss. Polluk had gone forward with his own staff, since he had to keep in direct contact with the force.
The admiral's confidence was high, and he worked hard to keep up a good walking stride. He could not trot with the peg leg, but he could walk, even though the stump would get sore after a while. But he wanted to stay in touch with the assault force just in case.
The mists were exceedingly thick, muffling sound, trapping each man in
"So we don't burn, we take. Let the monkeys labor for our benefit, eh?"
"Yes, sir."
"Now, I plan to stay ashore tonight. I want to oversee the battle tomorrow and then be back to the ship by tomorrow night. A tight schedule, Polluk. Think you can keep to it?"
"Yes, sir."
"Good. When is dinner?"
CHAPTER FOUR
The following morning, Admiral Heuze awoke from a sound night's sleep feeling refreshed and unusually clear-headed. Indeed, he was a little surprised that he had slept so well. Usually he slept badly the first few nights on land, missing the familiar motions of his ship. He was, however, itching in a few places. The dugouts were home to a lively population of fleas.
He groped through the underground gloom of the dugout and found the steps up into the light. Outside, dense mist was rising from the river gorge. The sun burned pale and watery beyond the vapors.
A few men were moving about. The cook shack was serving up early breakfasts.
Something in his gut told Heuze that this was the time to attack. Not in two hours, not at noon, as they'd discussed the night before over mugs of ale. If they sallied forth soon enough, they would catch the fornicating monkeys napping, and annihilate them!
Roaring for Polluk, he turned back into the underground complex. Ensign Combliss tumbled out of his bunk and hurried to Heuze's side.
The general was drinking some hot soup when Heuze found him.
"Polluk! Get the men out now! Give them some bread and get them on their feet and ready to fight. We're going to charge now, right now!"
Polluk goggled, eyes big and round. Before bed, the admiral had been very cautious. They were not to attack until the sun had burned off the treacherous fogs of this coast. They would wait until noon if they had to.
But Polluk had learned not to question the admiral when he was enthused like this. "Yes, Admiral, of course." He gulped down the soup and tore a chunk of bread on his way out the door.
Within a minute, the men were tumbling out of their dugouts, lining up for bread.
Heuze, with Combliss behind him, was ready and waiting as the men began to form up. Of the twelve hundred men in the fort, a thousand were scheduled to take part in the assault on the siege tower.
"Come on, hurry it up!" snapped Heuze at every opportunity. The men, from generals down to the rankers, did their best to look lively. Within half an hour, the assault force was ready.
From the walls they could see little sign of the enemy, other than the tops of the two siege towers projecting among the trees in the near distance.
Heuze waved aside all objections. Polluk gave the orders. The gate swung open, and the ramp was lowered over the ditch. Out marched the assault force, with no drums or trumpets. On the open ground they deployed into a column ten files wide. Immediately they increased their pace to a trot, while a few scouts hurried ahead, bows at the ready.
The mists grew thicker as the trees came closer. Scouts reappeared. All was quiet in the enemy lines, from what little they had seen.
On went the assault formation, eyes fixed on the prize looming in the misty woods.
For a while, they marched inside a bank of thick fog, with nothing but the dim mass of the trees ahead. Each man could see only his immediate neighbors. Admiral Heuze was bringing up the rear, with a party of four guards and Combliss. Polluk had gone forward with his own staff, since he had to keep in direct contact with the force.
The admiral's confidence was high, and he worked hard to keep up a good walking stride. He could not trot with the peg leg, but he could walk, even though the stump would get sore after a while. But he wanted to stay in touch with the assault force just in case.
The mists were exceedingly thick, muffling sound, trapping each man in
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