Conqueror

eager to get it over with and go home. The Brigade doesn't have the sort of command structure which can ignore that type of sentiment.

'Third, one hundred thousand men are going to be camping here, in the middle of a countryside which we shall systematically strip of every ounce of food we can. You know the Brigade; they could no more organize a supply system from the rear on that scale than they could fly to Miniluna by flapping their arms.'

'There's the railroad to Carson Barracks,' Gerrin Staenbridge said thoughtfully. 'With that, they can draw on the whole Padan Valley.' He turned to whisper to Bartin for a moment. 'Yes, I thought so. Just capable of handling the necessary tonnage, but without much margin.'

Raj nodded. 'Something will be done about that. So they're going to be cold, and wet, and hungry, and after a while a lot of them will be sick, too. They'll be thinking of their nice warm manors and snug farmhouses and hot soup by the fire.

'They'll have to attack. And we have to be ready. Now, gentlemen, here's how we're going to do that. First, since we're not blessed with a contingent from the Administrative Service, I'm appointing Lady Whitehall legate for civil affairs. Next-'

CHAPTER FIVE

'Most should recover,' the Renunciate Sister said.

Suzette nodded, stopping for a moment by one man's bedside. His face glistened with sweat, more than the mild warmth of the commandeered mansion's underfloor heating system could account for. He gave her a weak smile as a helper propped him up and lifted the bowl of broth to his lips. The air was full of a medicinal smell, mostly from the pots of water laced with mint and eucalyptus leaves boiling on braziers in every room and corridor. A low chorus of racking coughs sounded under the brisker sounds of orders and soup-carts.

'Lungfever is most serious when the body is debilitated,' the Renunciate went on, as they walked out of the room. 'Cold, exhaustion, or bad food. With warmth, rest, careful feeding and plenty of liquids, most of these men should be fit for light duty in Holy Church's cause within a month.'

Which would give the equivalent of a whole battalion back to Raj. Suzette nodded, smiling.

'You've done wonderful work,' she said.

The Renunciate sniffed. 'The Spirit was with us, Lady Whitehall,' she said tartly.

Church healers accompanied any Civil Government army; these had been with Raj for going on three years now.

'But please tell the heneralissimo that men who sleep in cold mud while they're too tired to eat properly will get sick.'

* * *

'What is the meaning of this?' the merchant demanded. 'Out of my way, you peasants!'

He tried to push past the infantrymen standing in the doorway of his warehouse. The peon soldiers spoke no Spanjol and would have ignored him in any case. He walked into the crossed rifles as if into a stone wall, rebounding backward with a squawk. The morning sun glinted brightly on the honed edges of their bayonets as they swung up to present, the points inches from his chest. There was a four-dog carriage behind him, and two mounted servants armed with swords and pistols, as well as a crowd of his clerks and storesmen. None of them seemed likely to get him through into his place of business this day.

'Messer Enrike,' a soothing voice said.

Enrike turned; Muzzaf Kerpatik was coming around the corner of the tall building with an officer in Civil Government uniform.

'Messer Kerpatik, am I to be robbed, after all your assurances?' the merchant demanded.

Rumor had it that Kerpatik was Raj's factotum for purchasing, an enviable post. It was plain to see he at least was no Descotter-small and slim, dressed in dazzling white linen with the odd fore-and-aft peaked cap of the southern border cities of the Civil Government, along the frontier with the Colony. His Sponglish had the sing-song accent of Komar.

'Of course not,' the Komarite soothed. 'Just some precautions.'

'Precautions against what?' Enrike demanded.

Muzzaf whispered in the officer's ear. The man barked an order in Sponglish, and the squad sloped arms and wheeled away from the door. The others guarding the big wagon-gates of the warehouse remained, but the employees filed into the front section of the building.

Enrike snorted as he settled into the big leather armchair behind his desk. One of the clerks scuttled in to throw a scoopful of coal into the cast-iron stove in one corner, and a maidservant brought in kave and rolls.

'Precautions against unauthorized sales,' Muzzaf said. 'You'll find that all bulk-stored wheat, barley, maize, flour, rice, beans, preserved meats and so forth have been placed under seal. First sale priority goes to the authorized purchasing agents of each battalion, at list prices.' He pulled a paper out of his jacket and slid it across the desk. 'Soldiers are free to buy additional supplies retail, of course.'

'Outrageous!' Enrike said, scanning the list. 'These prices are robbery!'

'Reasonable for bulk sales,' Muzzaf replied. 'And payable in gold or sight-drafts on Felaskez and Sons of East Residence.' The latter were as good as specie anywhere on the Midworld.

'Not reasonable in the least, given the situation,' Enrike said. 'I hope your General Whitehall doesn't think he can repeal the laws of supply and demand.'

He gave a tight smile; the Brigade's nobles were mostly economic illiterates as well as actual ones. Enrike and his peers had done very well out of that ignorance, although it caused no end of problems when the Brigade tried to set policy.

'Oh, no,' Muzzaf said amiably. 'And in any case, he has in myself and others advisors who can tell him exactly how to manipulate supply and demand. Marvelous are the ways of the Spirit, placing to hand the tools that Its Sword has need of. Incidentally, Lady Whitehall has been appointed civic legate. Any complaints will be addressed to her.'

Enrike's face fell. Muzzaf went on: 'You'll note that after military requirements are met, each household is to be allowed to purchase a set amount once weekly. Also at list price.'

'How do you expect to enforce that?'

'Without great difficulty,' Muzzaf said. 'Considering that we know how much each of you has on hand.' Enrike's face fell again as Muzzaf reeled off figures. 'And what normal consumption is. Incidentally, ships will be coming in from Lion City with additional supplies of grain from the Colonial merchants' stocks which were forfeited to the State. . we wouldn't want anything like that to happen here, would we?'

'No,' Enrike whispered. The news of the massacre of the Lion City syndics had spread widely.

He had dealt with those men regularly; much of Old Residence's grain supplies were shipped in from the Crown in normal years. This fall the city's grain wholesalers had gone to huge expense to bring in more from the southern ports, or by railway from the Padan valley to the west. Everyone knew what the Skinner mercenaries had done to the Colonials of Lion City, and the unleashed common people to the wealthy.

'What the Army doesn't need, we'll hand out at the list prices in retail lots,' Muzzaf went on. 'Just to prevent baseless speculation and hoarding, you understand.'

'I understand,' Enrike said, between clenched teeth.

He would make a fair profit this year-but nothing like the killing he'd anticipated. Not even as much as he'd have made off the shortages caused by the fall of the Crown and Lion City.

Damn this easterner general and his minions! The Brigade were far easier to deal with. Grovel a little and you could steal them blind. Small chance that that would work with Raj Whitehall. He might pass for a simple honest soldier in East Residence, that pit of vipers, but a simpleton from the Governor's court could give lessons in intrigue to Carson Barracks.

As for fooling Suzette Whitehall. . he shuddered, and covertly made the Sign of the Horns with his left hand against witchcraft.

* * *

'Watch that,' Colonel Grammeck Dinnalsyn said.