At the Sign of Triumph Page 7

  He’d demonstrated that in experiments like the one Green Valley had just watched. Worse, he, Wind Song, and Rainbow Waters between them were in the process of formulating an entirely new doctrine to use those fortifications. It was one the Imperial German Army of 1916 would have recognized: a deep zone of successive belts of trenches and fortified strong points designed to absorb and channel an attack, diverting it into preplanned defensive fire zones. And just as Rainbow Waters had been prepared to modify the Mighty Host’s hand grenade design to produce a weapon his slingers could launch to extraordinary range, he’d signed off on the local production of the equivalent of Charis’ landmines. He didn’t have barbed wire—yet, at least—and the Mighty Host’s mines were less powerful and less reliable than the current-generation Charisian product, but within those limits, he was well on the way to producing something Erich von Falkenhayen would have recognized only too well. Neither Rainbow Waters nor Rungwyn had quite gotten to the point of deliberately allowing the attacker to advance until he’d outrun the effective support of his own artillery before throwing in a crushing counterattack. Given the way their current discussions were trending, the competent bastards were almost certainly going to arrive there eventually, though … and quite probably before the Allies were prepared to resume the offensive.

  Perhaps just as bad, Rungwyn had been devising ways to attack his own fortifications. Some of his notions about combat engineers and demolition charges were unhappily similar to those the Imperial Charisian Army had worked out. Whatever Rainbow Waters might be telling his superiors in Zion, he clearly expected the Mighty Host and the AOG to be defending their positions this summer, rather than attacking. He wasn’t about to pass up any offensive opportunities that came his way, however, and Rungwyn’s mindset—and the mindset he was instilling into the engineers he was cycling through his training programs as rapidly as possible—was likely to provide Allied commanders with some very unpleasant experiences if that happened.

  And Zhyngbau’s no prize, either, Green Valley thought grumpily. The man’s spent entirely too much time corresponding with Maigwair and Brother Lynkyn, than actually thinking about the best way to use his new guns. And he’s done too damned good a job of analyzing what we’ve done with them. His tools won’t be as good, and he won’t have the advantage of Ahlfryd and Ehdwyrd’s new toy, so we’re still going to have a huge advantage in reach, range, and flexibility. But he’s damned well going to evolve the best technique he can for what he does have, and he’s got a hell of a lot more than they ever had before.

  If the new Balloon Corps worked as well as promised—or even only half that well—the Allies’ qualitative artillery advantage might well overbalance the Church’s numerical advantage. No balloon had ever been used in combat yet, though, and it was possible their carefully worked out doctrine wouldn’t work as well in practice as in theory. Even if it did, even the heaviest currently available guns would be hard-pressed to deal with the sorts of fortifications Rungwyn was designing. Charis simply didn’t have the high-explosive shell fillers needed to blast a way through deeply bunkered positions. Yet, at least. That might change if Sahndrah Lywys was able to expedite her progress, but the Allies couldn’t count on that. They had to fight a campaign this year, and even if Lywys achieved miracles, they’d still have to begin that campaign before the new shells could possibly become available, and that was likely to prove expensive.

  The ideal solution would be to go somewhere his men wouldn’t have to face Rungwyn’s fortifications or Zhyngbau’s dug-in and prepared artillery, and under normal circumstances, the ICA’s emphasis on mobility would have let him, Duke Eastshare, and the other Allied army commanders do just that. But the Church’s retreating armies had demolished the canal and road net behind them too efficiently, and weather was already shutting down Charisian and Siddarmarkian repair efforts.

  And, unfortunately, even the Imperial Charisian Army needs a supply line. The fact that we’ve managed to hang onto Spinefish Bay and Salyk this winter will help, and when the ice melts onthe Hildermoss—not to mention in Hsing-wu’s Passage—our logistics will get a lot better. But even then, we’re going to have to advance along depressingly predictable lines, and Rainbow Waters is obviously prepared to evade even Zhaspahr Clyntahn’s demands if he has to. We can’t count on sucking him into indefensible positions like Wyrshym’s or Kaitswyrth’s. And if it looks like we’re about to do that, he’ll damned well retreat, whatever Clyntahn wants, unless we can figure out a way to fix him in position.

  Green Valley had become an intense student of Earth’s military history since he’d been recruited for the inner circle, and the situation, he thought, had some resonances with the last year or so of World War Two. In Zhaspahr Clyntahn’s eyes, Harchong held much the same position the Waffen SS had held in Adolf Hitler’s. He trusted Harchongese devotion to the jihad—or, at least, to preventing the success of the Church of Charis—in a way he trusted none of the other secular armies who’d answered Mother Church’s call. In fact, he trusted the Harchongians more than he did the Church’s own army, given his current relationship with Allayn Maigwair. That meant a Harchongese commander enjoyed far greater latitude when it came to Clyntahn’s demands, and Rainbow Waters had amply demonstrated that however intelligent and willing to think “outside the box” he might be, he was also a consummate practitioner of the Harchongese aristocracy’s ability to game the system.

  Not even he would be able to simply ignore Zhaspahr Clyntahn, and if the military situation began to crumble, his ability to manipulate Clyntahn would probably crumble right along with it. But he’d begin the campaign, at least, with a far greater degree of flexibility than any of the Allies’ previous opposing field commanders.

  And that’s going to be painful, Green Valley thought glumly. Even with the Balloon Corps, and even assuming it works perfectly, it’s going to be painful. Especially since he’s also going to begin the campaign with forward-deployed supply stockpiles big enough to support his operations all frigging summer long.

  Well, the Empire of Charis had confronted apparently insoluble problems before, he reminded himself. They’d just have to do it again.

  As soon as he or someone else came up with a clue as to how they did it.

  .IV.

  The Delthak Works,

  Barony of Lochair,

  Kingdom of Old Charis,

  Empire of Charis;

  Nimue’s Cave,

  The Mountains of Light,

  The Temple Lands;

  and

  Siddar City,

  Republic of Siddarmark.

  “So you’re happy about Ahlfryd’s latest brainstorm?” Cayleb Ahrmahk asked.

  “They seem to be working just fine,” Ehdwyrd Howsmyn, the recently elevated Duke of Delthak, replied over the com as he leaned back in his chair and gazed out his office windows at the bustling, never ceasing activity of the largest industrial complex in the world.

  “In some ways, I’d have preferred Ahldahs Rahzwail’s suggestion,” he continued, his expression a bit more somber as his eyes rested on the still incomplete roof and walls of the newly named Kahrltyn Haigyl Barrel Finishing Shop. “Compressed air for the burner isn’t really that much of a challenge and fire vine oil’s a lot less explosive than hydrogen, not to mention easier to transport than hydrochloric acid. Doesn’t have the same corrosive effect on the gas cell linings, either. But it’s also got about seven times the lift of hot air, and the varnish Rhaiyan’s people came up with to the steel thistle gastight also cuts down on the corrosive effect. Can’t completely stop it, but each cell should be good for at least a month or so of use before it needs routine replacement.” He shrugged. “Generating the gas will be easier for the Navy, and hauling around multi-ton lots of hydrochloric acid and zinc will present the Army with some significant safety hazards. On the other hand, they’ll be able to haul a lot more of both than a ship at sea can cram into its available volume.”

  “True, and I don’t
think anyone’s going to complain about the transport problems once they realize what it means to them,” Kynt Clareyk put in from Camp Mahrtyn Taisyn. “That look down from above will be huge for our forward observers, especially given what Runwyng’s done with their fortifications. And if we manage to turn it back into an open field battle, it may be even more important. For one thing, it’ll be a relief not to have to rely on ‘hunches’ and ‘guesses’ I can’t explain to anyone about what’s happening on the other side of the next hill! For that matter, we’ll be able to give Ruhsyl and the others some of the same edge without needing seijins to turn up fortuitously with critical information just when they need it. And God knows we’re going to need every edge we can get against Rainbow Waters.”

  “Amen to that,” Cayleb agreed fervently.

  “At any rate, all the first-wave aeronaut detachments should reach Transhar within another three or four five-days,” Delthak continued, still gazing at the barrel shop. “I’d really prefer for them to be able to go on training—hydrogen doesn’t respond well to sparks, and I worry about safety precautions that get rusty—but I suppose that’s out of the question?”

  “I’m afraid so,” Merlin replied. “Oh, they can train in the basic procedures, but they can’t deploy for real field training until it’s actually time to use them. This isn’t something we could hide from the casual observer—like anyone within, oh, twenty or thirty miles—and somebody like Rainbow Waters would recognize the implications of it just as quickly as anyone on our side. I don’t know how much good that would do him, but if it would do anyone any good, he’d be the one. So the detachments will just have to stay undercover until it’s time to move up to the front. I know you’re worried about accidents during the inflation phase, but we’ll be generating the hydrogen on demand, not hauling around huge pressurized tanks of it, and it’s a lot more likely to just burn—violently as hell, I’ll grant you—if it catches fire when it’s not pressurized. And given the way it rises, it won’t hang around at ground level even if they have a major leak. Those sparks you’re worried about are a lot less likely to ignite it than you might think just because they can’t catch it before it gets out of range!”

  “Which I’m sure will be a great comfort to the survivors if one of them does catch it!” Delthak said a bit tartly. But then he inhaled and shook his head.

  “I don’t like it, but that may be because I’ve been extra skittish about potential accidents—and especially ones that involve things like flammable gasses—since our fire. It’s only been about four months, and a thing like that … tends to stick in a man’s mind.” He grimaced and swiveled his chair back around, looking away from the nearly completed replacement barrel finishing shop. “And I may have done just a little too much reading about Lakehurst, I suppose. Either way, I can’t argue with the ‘military logic,’ Merlin. And I have to admit I’m looking forward to the Temple Boys’ reaction when they see it for the first time!”

  “I think you can safely assume all of us are,” Cayleb observed dryly. “When you come down to it, it’s probably our biggest hole card for this summer’s entire campaign. Timing or no, though, I’m not really looking forward to explaining to Hauwerd Breygart why he didn’t get any of them.”

  “I’m sure he’ll forgive you … eventually,” Merlin said soothingly. “He understands the value of surprise better than most. Besides, Ehdwyrd’s gotten him all that splendid new artillery, and he’s doing just fine the way things are.”

  “Can’t argue with that,” Cayleb said approvingly. “In fact, he’s doing well enough I think it’s time to start the process of elevating Hanth to a duchy.”

  “Seems to be a lot of that going around lately,” Merlin observed with something suspiciously like a chuckle, and Delthak’s image made a rude gesture in his direction.

  “That’s because as nasty as this campaign’s looking, we’re not worried about whether or not we’re going to survive it.” Cayleb’s tone was considerably more sober. “When you’re confident you’ll still be here at the end of the year, you’ve got a lot more leisure to think about handing out tokens of appreciation to the people who’ve made sure you will. People like you, Ehdwyrd.”

  “It’s been a joint effort, Cayleb,” Duke Delthak replied with a hint of embarrassment. “I won’t pretend I haven’t worked my arse off, but so have a lot of other people. And at least no one’s been shooting at me.”

  “True, but there’s not a single man in uniform who doesn’t realize this war will be won just as much on the manufactory floor as any battlefield,” Merlin said. “And the truth is that beating the Group of Four’s the easy part. You and your people are what may let us win the war against the Proscriptions in the end.”

  “But winning the war against the Group of Four has to come first,” Nahrmahn put in from his computer in Nimue’s Cave. “And I think our little psychological warfare campaign is starting to wear on friend Zhaspahr’s nerves. His agents inquisitor are spending an awful lot of time tearing all those broadsheets off of walls all over the Temple Lands, and they seem to be getting just a bit frustrated by it.” The portly little prince smiled seraphically. “The word’s getting out, too. None of his city and borough bishops inquisitor can pretend they’re only a local phenomenon anymore.”

  “No, they can’t,” Nynian Rychtyr agreed in tones of profound satisfaction, and Merlin smiled across the breakfast table at her.

  It must be driving Clyntahn and Rayno to frothing madness, he thought. For the better part of two years, they’d managed to prevent the majority of the Temple’s supporters from realizing how broadly Owl’s remotes had been distributing their broadsheets. To be fair, Nahrmahn and Nynian had been careful about ramping up that distribution. Clyntahn was going to blame it on demons in the end, whatever they did, but they’d wanted awareness of the bulletins posted on walls and doors to seep into people’s awareness slowly. To become an accepted part of their world gradually, giving them time to get over the “demonic” novelty of them as familiarity wore away the taint. To help that along, they’d strictly limited the number of “bombshell” revelations in each issue, filling out at least half—and more often two-thirds—of the space with homey local news items. News items people could check. Whose accuracy they could verify for themselves and which tended to validate the items they couldn’t check by a process of association.

  Once they’d pushed them into their readers’ awareness as an alternate source of information, they’d started broadening their attacks on Clyntahn’s version of events. In the last year or so they’d even started carrying statements from the Fist of God, including devastating lists of the crimes for which the Fist had struck down literally dozens of vicars and archbishops, almost all of whom had been Clyntahn allies or toadies. The damage that had done to the Grand Inquisitor’s credibility would be almost impossible to overestimate, and in the last five or six months, Owl’s remotes had begun distributing them even more widely. They were everywhere now, and little though anyone in the Inquisition’s reach would admit it, many of their readers had decided they were telling the truth … and that Clyntahn wasn’t.

  Another consequence of that greater saturation, however, was that people had become aware the same sorts of broadsheets were appearing everywhere. Despite the communication limitations of a pre-electronic civilization, the Inquisition could no longer pretend even to the average man in the street, much less to their own agents inquisitor, that they were restricted only to a single locale, or perhaps to one or two of the Temple Lands’ greater cities. Nor could they hide the fact that they were appearing despite everything Clyntahn’s minions could do to prevent it, which ground relentlessly away at the Inquisition’s aura of invincibility. Zhaspahr Clyntahn’s cloak of authority and power was growing progressively more tattered, and when it came completely apart.…

  “‘The moral is to the physical as three to one,’” he quoted. “Napoleon didn’t get everything right, but he nailed that one. The more we’ve got Clyntah
n’s bastards—and everyone in the Army of God and the Mighty Host, for that matter—looking over their shoulders, the shakier they’ll be when the hammer comes down.”

  “Yes, but I’ve been thinking we might want to look at a few ways to further improve our own people’s morale, as well as grinding away at the Temple Loyalists’ confidence,” Nahrmahn said.

  “I know that tone,” Cayleb said warily. “What have you been up to this time?”

  “Oh, I haven’t been up to anything … yet, Your Majesty. I do have a … call it a prototype morale booster for Ehdwyrd’s manufactories, though.”

  “My manufactories are just a bit busy with other things at the moment, Nahrmahn,” Delthak observed. “Like, oh, balloons, bayonets, hand grenades, angle-guns, armor plate, shell production, rifle ammunition, steam engines—you know, little things like that.”

  “Oh, I know that! And it won’t cut into your military production at all. In fact, you may want to farm it out to one of the plumbing manufactories. Or possibly to one of the ceramics works.”

  “What in the world are you talking about, Nahrmahn?” Nynian demanded with a smile. She’d had more experience than most of how the devious little Emeraldian’s mind worked.

  “Well, I don’t know about the rest of you, but back when I had to waste all that time breathing, I did some of my most profound thinking when I was enthroned in the privacy of my water closet,” Nahrmahn said with his most serious and profound expression. “The isolation, the quiet—the ability to focus upon my reflections secure from any interruptions or distractions—were always rather soothing.”

  “Should I assume this is going somewhere? Besides into the crapper—you should pardon the expression—anyway?” Cayleb seemed torn between laughter and exasperation, and Nahrmahn grinned at him. But then the prince’s expression sobered once more—a bit, anyway.