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.It might be dangerous to admit such a thing, but it was the truth."Well, yes, Admiral.We have studied them very carefully.There are differences in the faces and ears.The eyebrow tufts are often different, too.""Peel 'em and fry 'em, that's what I say.They're all the same when they're cooked, eh?""Yes, Admiral.Do unto them as they would do unto us, so it shall be.""Have you been able to scout?" Heuze touched on a difficulty faced by all the fort commanders."Not very well.The enemy always seems to spot our men.They hardly ever get back."Heuze nodded.Like everyone else he wondered what happened to men who were captured by the monkeys.If they behaved the way Heuze and his men customarily did with captive monkeys, then the scouts would have been killed and eaten."Horrible to think of being captured.They eat their prisoners, no doubt.""Disgusting animals, daring to eat human flesh.We must exterminate them."Heuze chuckled."May the gods give us strength!""Sing the praises of He Who Eats!" General Polluk spoke loudly from the habit of a lifetime of truckling to the goddamn priests.Heuze sighed and waved a hand."Yes, yes.But the fact remains you have little information about what lies out there.""We have seen their camp.Just a few primitive tents.They don't seem to use wood for construction.""Only one camp?""Well, there are others, but as I've said, our scouts rarely survive to tell us what they've seen.""A pity.But you're sure that you're seeing the same pack of monkeys day after day?""There's only a few hundred of them, it seems.""Good.So, tell me, General, what are you planning to do when you capture these infernal towers of theirs?""Burn them and retire into the fort.""I see."Heuze had finished his mug of ale.He held it up for Polluk to refill from the jug on the table.It was poor stuff compared to the wine and rum they'd had when they set out from Shasht, but it would have to serve."Here, General, let's drink to victory!"Relief surfaced on Polluk's simple face.It looked as if he was safe.One could never be sure with the admiral.He had a harsh reputation among the generals of the army.Heuze was watching him carefully, waiting for just the right moment."But, I must say, General Polluk, this plan of yours is not especially ambitious, is it?"Polluk goggled for a moment.The general felt that he was taking a huge risk.He planned to attack both towers at the same time, using surprise as his weapon.That wasn't ambitious enough for the admiral?Heuze put a hand on the general's shoulder while favoring him with a patronizing smile."You see, General, if the enemy is as weak as you think, then it may be possible to trick him into a confrontation that we can win without much loss to ourselves."Polluk stared back, puzzled."And if we can kill a lot of them, it will help us take control of this region.We need victories.We need the taste of meat!"Polluk still stared."So we will attack only one tower.Do you see?"Polluk remained silent, irresolute, fearful of some trickery on the part of the admiral.He remembered Dashun, who'd been hanged after the loss of his fort."I'm not sure," he finally replied."Well, it stands to reason, if we capture one of these towers, the enemy will reinforce the other one.""Yes?" Polluk was still full of questions."So then we will kill more of them when we attack that tower with all our force."The creases on Polluk's brow vanished."Oh, I see," he said.The admiral had a plan! In that case, Polluk would be happy to abandon his own.He preferred executing someone else's orders.Let someone else take the blame if things didn't go right."If his numbers are as low as you think, then we may be able to rub out his entire force.""Yes, yes, an excellent plan!" Polluk nodded his head vigorously in agreement, another trait that had helped his rise through the ranks."And it is less risky than mine.Because only half our force will be used in the initial attack."Heuze nodded heavily.The generals were all obsessed with conserving their forces.After the casualties they'd suffered since they'd first arrived, such conservative thinking was inevitable."Yes, of course, caution is quite understandable.But when a first-class opportunity comes our way, we must seize it."Polluk had a question."What if the enemy is more numerous than we believe at this moment?""Then he will have to reveal his strength and we will still destroy one of those damned towers.After that they will have to reinforce the other one more strongly, and that will risk increased losses.""Yes, yes," said Polluk with enthusiasm.Heuze took another gulp of the ale."There is another matter.We aren't going to burn the tower when we capture it.""Not burn?" Polluk looked so dumbfounded that Heuze had to struggle not to burst out laughing."Yes.We're going to dismantle it and take the materials.The monkeys are very good at finishing off beams and planks.Haven't you noticed? Well-sawn planks they make, with even sides and smooth finishes.We can use that sort of quality material on the island.""Oh, uh, yes, Admiral.Of course."Heuze sighed inwardly.Really, the general staff was made of poor stuff.That had been very plain on this accursed expedition.Heuze wondered where his old confidant, Filek Biswas, was at that moment.Filek had gone back to Shasht, with his daughter Simona and that eerie message she'd brought from the monkeys.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 FOURThe 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 [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]