"Christopher Stasheff - Rogue Wizard 06 - A Wizard in Chaos" - читать интересную книгу автора (Stasheff Christopher)

Zutaine." Otto was as tactful as old noncoms have to be, when they're trying to
educate brash young officers-not that Cort was new to the trade anymore, having
survived a dozen battles. He was a veteran now, so Otto paid him respect as well
as tact. "Of course, if Zutaine besieges him, we won't be in on it."
"No, the boss will just use his household troops," Cort agreed. "Can't have a
mercenary captain taking Wicksley Castle away from him, can he?" He was very
much aware of the new soldiers behind him listening wide-eyed, soaking up every
bit of knowledge of soldiering that they could. "A captain does become a boss
now and then, but the bosses don't want to let it happen any more often than
they can help."
"Suits me." Otto made a face. "I hate siege duty. Give me a clean death in
battle, say 1, not a lingering one from disease or petty quarreling." He was
still aware of the learning going on behind him.
The bugle blew again, and Cort quickly said, "Halt," before Sergeant Otto could
turn and bawl it to the troopers.
It never occurred to Cort to wonder why foot soldiers were called "boots" if
they fought for a boss, but "troopers" or "soldiers" in a mercenary army, or why
their horsemen and junior officers were called "cavalry" and "lieutenants"
instead of "bouncers." It was just the way it was, just the way it had always
been, just as the men who commanded the mercenary armies were "captains," not
"bullies," and the men who ruled a whole district with its dozen or so bullies
were called "bosses."
It did occur to him to wonder which of the bodies on the ground were alive, and
which dead. "Winnow the bodies, men! Cart the live ones to the surgeons, and
bury the dead."
"Why bury them if they're not Blue Company troopers, lieutenant?" one of the new
men asked, frowning.
"Because their bodies will rot and spread disease through all of us! Plant them
and let them make next year's crops rich, men! And remember the songs your


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village sage taught you. Sing them while you lower their bodies down and cover
them up. We don't want their ghosts walking, any more than their diseases, or
the Fair Folk summoning them forth to be mindless slaves!"
The raw soldiers blanched, and turned to start hunting.
"It'll keep them from having the shakes for a little while, at least," Cort told
his master sergeant. "Yes, but the weakness will be worse when it hits, for
having seen so many dead bodies in a single day," Otto predicted. "At least they
should lose their stomachs pretty early on, so we'll have an excuse to send them
off to rest."
Cort remembered his first battle and shuddered. "I suppose they have to go.
through it all, don't they?"
"If they want to stay in this trade, they do," Otto returned. "Of course, after
today, all three of them may decide to resign and take their chances with their
boss's draft."
"I wouldn't blame them for a second," Cort said grimly.
"Then again, today they've seen how the boots were driven on in front of the