Kingdom River

is uniformed in plain dark-brown wool or leather, black cloaks, and black boots – high-topped in the cavalry, cut low for the infantry.

In each cavalry regiment, one hundred persons serve as farriers, armorers, remount herders and fodderers. The nine hundred fighting men and women are divided into three squadrons, first, second, and third. Each squadron then divided further into three troops of one hundred, A, B, and C.

The infantry regiments are each made up of two battalions of four hundred men and women, the battalions then being divided into four companies. The two extra companies in each regiment are assigned special duty as engineer-laborers, assault formations, headquarters detachment, scouts, and cooks.

It should be noted that while the other units often consist of both full-time paid regulars and veteran reservists serving annual duty, Supply is always fully maintained. And noted also, that the structure of 'Supply' includes the army's intelligence, police, and security functions as well as its field medical personnel.

Originally organized by Catania Olsen, the army's medical service is also available to any citizens nearby and in need, a useful component of Monroe's administration, which still tends to be a government-in-the-saddle, to be found alongside units of the army as often as in their capital, the undistinguished small town of Better-Weather, south of Chihuahua City.

Finally, I understand there exists a competent volunteer militia of well-armed men and women organized in each of the five states – and in each, numbering approximately a thousand – intended as the cadre around which a much greater force of irregulars would be organized at need. Since almost all men, and many women, go habitually armed in this country, with weapons play and archery their habit, this irregular force would likely prove formidable.

Military History: Elements of the army have fought five major battles, seventeen to nineteen minor battles and skirmishes. They have, until very recently, never been defeated. This single loss – and only two days ago – has been of more than three hundred Light Cavalry from a regiment unwisely sent down unsupported to meet a weightier imperial force venturing north. An extremely unusual misjudgment by Monroe, and something of a shock to his army, perhaps more disturbing than the casualties resulting from it. In this battle, Ned Flores lost his left hand, but is expected to survive.

A note of interest: Monroe's army is required to submit payment vouchers for any food, fodder, or materiel requisitioned, and the soldiers' behavior on maneuver or campaign is strictly governed. By this, the army's popularity with the people – and Monroe's popularity as well – is preserved.

The army is known for fighting in silence. No cheers, shouts, or battle cries. No sounds but infantry bugles or cavalry trumpets, then the clash of arms when the enemy is met.

And no crying out after, not even by the wounded, a custom apparently descending from the silence and sudden ambushes of mountain banditry, once a principal occupation here.

Commerce: North Map-Mexico is an agricultural and stock-raising area. With a seven-week summer so far south of the ice-wall, they grow cabbage, kale, broccoli, and onions… and trade with the Empire for the tomatoes, planted potatoes, yams, cotton-wool, tobacco and corn grown farther south.

Livestock are sheep, goats, chicken-birds, and to a lesser extent, pigs and spotted cattle.

For trade, as well as convenience, the Empire's silver peso and copper penny are allowed to circulate as North Map-Mexico's currency.

Intentions: Sam Monroe's probable long-term intention: a reasonable and well- administered peace – with local officials now elected every five years by those locals they rule. Territorial defense being sustained by a compact, capable, and veteran army, with the east and west Sierras flanking any invading force.

My Opinion: If placed under sufficient pressure – as for instance by the Khanate – Monroe will certainly seek alliance with either the Empire or Middle Kingdom… and more likely the latter. All New Englanders are despised here, perhaps in some cases unfairly, because of those ruling few who use their minds' rare talents – for warming themselves, and walking-in-the-air – also to make monsters in women's wombs. On occasion, people of this territory have galloped after the few fliers that appear – chasing those individuals by relays for many Warm-time miles – until the New Englander wearies or loses attention, and descends or falls… to be seized and burned alive.

Monroe has put an end to that rough sport.

Finally, my lord Khan, a personal note. I had thought that Trapper cooking was shocking, and Caravanserai's little better – mutton, mare's milk, and more mutton. I did not know when I was well-off. Broccoli and goat-gut sausage… I'll say no more.

To you by my hand only – and otherwise unseen.

Neckless Peter Wilson

CHAPTER 3

Dieter Mayaguez, nine years old, heard singing in the sky. The sun dazzled him when he looked up. His sheep shifted to left and right down the steep hill pasture as a shadow that might have been an eagle's came out of the sun and raced up along the grass.

Dieter saw, a sling's throw high in the air, a girl wrapped in a long dark-blue coat, singing as she sailed along the rise of the hill's slope. She flew sitting upright, yellow-booted legs crossed beneath her. A curl-brimmed, blue hat was secured with black ribbons tied in a bow under her chin.

She held something across her lap, and flew slowly, steadily over him and away, her coat's cloth ruffling as she went higher… then higher, to cross the ridge.

Dieter could still hear her singing. It was a song he didn't know. 'Mairzy doats… dozy doats…'

Excited, he did a little dance in frost-browned grass. – Certainly a Boston person! He would tell everybody, though only his mother would believe him. People were always saying they saw Boston people, and usually were lying. Now he really had seen one, but only his mother would say it must be true.

The sheep – so stupid – baaa'd and began to scatter. Dieter yelled, ran to circle them and hold the ram. If his father had given him the dogs for high pasture, he wouldn't have to be running after the fools.

A shadow came out of the sun – and he thought for a moment it was the singing girl come back. But this was a much bigger shadow…

Patience Nearly-Lodge Riley, her song ended, settled into herself and Walked-in-air over the hills – that 'pushing the ground away and behind' that fools called flying, as if fine-family New Englanders were birds with wings.

True wings, an occa's, were following her, carrying her strapped baggage-packs and Webster's basket. An occa stupid as all of them, but still an impressive result of mind-work on some debtor woman's fetus. Cambridge-made in Cambridge Laboratory, Harvard Yard…

Patience closed her eyes a moment to better feel the slopes and outcroppings a hundred or so Warm-time feet beneath her. She felt them rumble and bump, rough as she went over. But so much soldier, so much better than the Gulf's shifting surface had been, its waves wobbling below her as she went. That had been uneasy traveling – as had the whole several weeks of air-walking south from Boston Town, when sailing a packet down and around and up into the Gulf would have been easier.

'Safer, too,' her Uncle Niles had said. 'But you will go the difficult way, and air-walk – or, by Frozen Jesus, ground-walk – every mile south. It'll be good for you, Patience, knock some of the Lodge-Riley hoity-toity out of you.'

Her Uncle Niles loved her, just the same. She was his favorite niece.

And it had been good for her, those weeks of air-walking. The first weeks were on the ice-sheet, then off it and down over warmer snowfields and sedge willow, past caribou ranches and little towns. Air-walking, and when her mind grew tired, ground-walking. Then, the occa, too baggage-burdened for her to ride, had circled overhead, hooting and honking as she strode along.

She'd hunted for herself and the occa when the smoked seal was eaten up, swooping – while remaining mindful of the ground she kept away – to snip the heads off wild turkeys or ptarmigan with her scimitar, to hack the necks of deer. Then landing, settling into snowy woods, she'd gathered dry branches for her fire, started it with her flint