"part4" - читать интересную книгу автора (Keith Brooke - Lord of Stone)

Bligh looked away, still reluctant to argue with an officer.

"Belief is for the individual," said Domenech. "And who is to
say that there is no truth in such an interpretation of the
class struggle? Perhaps I am merely a tool of the Lords ...
perhaps they speak through me."

Bligh suppressed a shudder. Domenech was smiling as if at a
joke, but his expression bore the look of a well-practised
mask. With a heavy sense of sadness, Bligh wondered exactly
what this revolution was becoming and whether he even had a
place in it any more.

"Now," said Domenech. "To the matter of reinforcements ... "

As runner, he guided the advance Section of thirty UPP
militia men along the road to Pigeon Ravine. Despite
hurrying, it was still dark by the time they arrived. They
bunched up at the bottleneck as Bligh explained the position
to the officer in charge. When they arrived tonight the
defences would be almost back to full strength and by morning
the rest of the 182nd Company of the UPP would come to
relieve what remained of the 34th LAs.

They were as quiet as possible, but the passage of thirty men
at night can never be completely silent. As they followed the
road down past the crag and along the fringe of no-man's
land, Bligh heard an indistinct 'phut' from nearby and
seconds later a crimson flare lit up the valley. The Army
must have posted listeners near to the road, knowing
reinforcements would have to come this way.

A distant thud was followed by the metal crash of a mortar
bomb going off nearby. The reinforcements scattered as
another landed in their midst and a clatter of rifles rose
up.

Bligh hit the ground and instantly his gun was at his
shoulder and he let off two shots at where he thought the
listeners might be concealed. Then, as the flare began to
fade, he leapt to his feet and ran. The rough ground of the
valley bottom was treacherous in the dark, but it would be
safer than the road at the moment. In this respect he was
fortunate, as the UPP soldiers would have to stick to the
track, not knowing the territory.

Another flare went up and the firing, which had abated
slightly, came again with renewed vigour. Bligh ducked but
continued to run. It was no good firing back: the Army were
dug in and Bligh was exposed. All he could do was flee.