"SM Stirling - Change 02 - Scourge of God" - читать интересную книгу автора (Stirling S. M)

Counsel they took, evil in shadow
Against the hero, the Witch-QueenТs sonЧ
From:The Song of Bear and Raven
Attributed to Fiorbhinn Mackenzie, 1st century CY
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TWIN FALLS, OCCUPIED NEW DESERET
SNAKE RIVER PLAIN, IDAHO
AUGUST 20, CY23/2021 AD
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УNo, we shouldNot kill them all, General Walker,Ф Sethaz said, without looking away from the window.
Twin Falls had been the northern anchor of New Deseret, a rich city with many fine craftsmen, thrifty merchants, and surrounded by irrigated fields the Saints tilled with skill and ceaseless labor. Now . . . from four stories up, he could still smell the cold ash and the bodies trapped under the rubble, or hanging from crosses outside the ruined walls. Survivors were rebuilding the fortifications.
Much had been lost in the sack. That had been regrettable but necessary; both as an example, and for the sake of the troops, whoТd had a long frustrating campaign until then and needed to . . .
What did they say in the old days?Sethaz thought. Then:Ah, yes, Уblow off steam.Ф
He had no mental picture to go with the proverb. Supposedly certain types of low-pressure steam engines still functioned after the ChangeЧthe large, heavy ones theyТd calledatmospheric engines Чbut such were banned in the Church Universal and TriumphantТs territories. He could feel a certain coldsomething moving at the back of his mind, a lowering rage at the very thought. With practiced ease, he forbade his mind to imagine the forbidden thing.
Odd,he thought.I donТt remember what Idid in the sack, either. Just . . . flashes and glimpses. Nobody else will talk about it unless I command them. That was right after the old Prophet died.
Something hadhappened to him then. He didnТt like to think about that, either. Instead he looked at his triumphant soldiers in the avenue below. A caravan of loot was shaping up; the soldiers guarding it were a mixed lot, range-country levies equipped in everything from standard CUT lacquered-leather armor to mail-shirts to vests of boiled cowhide to simple sheepskin jackets sewn with a few washers. They were all well mounted and armed, though, and they seemed cheerful.
Cheerful enough to sing from the Dictations as they mounted up and got things going with a crackle of whips and waving lariats:
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УKeepers of the Flame!
Sons of Dominion are we!
From before the crux of TimeЧФ
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УThe men are in good spirits,Ф he said calmly.
General Walker ducked his head; Sethaz could see the motion faintly reflected in the glass.
УMy lord Prophet, that battalionТs from Havre DistrictЧФ
УThe Runamuk, Rippling Waters and Sweetgrass levies? Rancher Smith commanding?Ф
УYes, my lord Prophet,Ф Walker said, blinking a little at the younger manТs grasp of detail. He went on:
УAnd theyТre being released from active duty. Of course theyТre cheerful; theyТre going back to their home ranges and their herds, with a couple of girl-slaves each to screw and do the camp chores, and as much booty as their packhorses can carry. ItТs the ones whoТre stuck here I worry about.Ф
The Prophet of the Church Universal and Triumphant was a man of medium height, sharp-featured, with a swordsmanТs wrists and a bowmanТs broad shoulders, his cropped hair and chin-beard brown and his eyes an unremarkable greenish hazel . . . until you looked deeply into them. He turned from the window and looked at him across the antique plainness of the room, which could have been pre-Change, down to the broadloom carpet and Home Depot office furniture.
The alien surroundings made Sethaz inclined to snap; he restrained himself with a practiced effort of will, pushing away the image of the soldier hanging by his ankles over a slow hot fire.
Walker was a little independent minded . . . but then, with slow communications, you didnТt want a general who referred all his decisions to headquarters, either. His family had been among the first in the Bitterroot country to accept the Dictations, and they had prospered mightily.
And since the . . .
Since the old Prophet died,Sethaz thought, his mind shying away from the memory of that day.Since my stepfatherТs lifestream rejoined the Ascended Hierarchy.
. . . Since then heТd been more than properly respectful. There was even a little fear in the bony face with its close-cropped head and tuft of chin-beard, worn in imitation of SethazТ own. And a film of sweat on his forehead, but it was summer and the man wore armor and padding.
УOh Heir of Sanat KumaraЧФ
The Prophet made an impatient gesture. Walker shrugged and went on more naturally:
УThe damned Mormons just arenТt giving up, lord Prophet. WeТve beaten their field armies and formally speaking we occupy everything north of Salt Lake City, but weТre getting constant harassment from guerillas and the remnants of their armies lurking in the mountains and deserts. We donТt dare split our troops up into small enough parcels to plant a garrison in every hamlet, weТd get eaten alive in little pieces if we did. But their civilians are the guerillasТ source of food, shelter and information. Our lines of communication are longer than I like, too.Ф
УGranted,Ф Sethaz said. УBut the population here are a potentially valuable resource, far too valuable to kill off for the sake of mere convenience. As it is the ChurchТs dominions include too much unpeopled wilderness, without creating more here. The so-called Saints add another million to our population, which about doubles it, and more than that to our cropland and weapons production. With them, we can really get the breeding program going too, the more so as they kept such careful records. Much easier to identify subaverage mentalities, the mark of the NephilimТs soulless minions, and set them aside to reconcentrate the strain in service to True Men.Ф
УBut IТm losing troops to pinpricks every day!Ф Walker cried. УAnd lord Prophet, we canТt keep our men away from their homes and ranchesforever . We canТt keep the Sword of the Prophet concentrated here forever either, theyТre our full-time cadre and best striking force. We mustЧФ
He halted, flushing in alarm, and carefully keeping his hand from going to the hilt of his shete in a reflex born of sudden fear. Sethaz smiled inwardly, keeping his face grave.
УMustis not a word used to the Prophet of the Church Universal and Triumphant,Ф he said softly. УI am the viceroy of the Ascended Masters and the Secret Hierarchy.Ф
The General started to drop to his knees, then froze at the ProphetТs gesture.
УYouТre an intelligent man, brother Walker,Ф Sethaz said, almost genially. УYou know the standard tactics for counterinsurgency work. And we do have a lot more cavalry than they do; itТs why we beat them, after all. Take hostages. For that matter, the ones weТve shipped East as slaves can double as hostages; make plain that their safety depends on the obedience of their relatives. Patrol vigorously, use your scouts, use our spies and collaborators and informers, chase every group of bandit rabble into the ground; and by all means, crucify any village that can beshown to be supporting the enemy. Except for the children. In those cases, weТll transfer them East to be raised in the Church. Many of our best and fiercest come from the Houses of Refuge.Ф
УI thought . . . lord Prophet, we could sequester all the food supplies, and the seed corn, and dole them out in strictly rationed allotments. That would help with our own logistics, too. Administratively complex, but worth it, if youТll authorize me.Ф
Sethaz stepped forward and slapped the older man on one armored shoulder.
УSee? The Ascended Ones will speak truth to your soul, if only you open yourself to the Dictations! We have the mobility and striking powerЧuse it, and the last of the bandit gangs will be dead, or gelded and working in the salvage teams by this time next year.Ф
УIТll begin at once, my lord. Although altogether too many of them are escaping over the border with Boise, as well. Could we induce the new ruler there to seal the frontier?Ф
УNot yet. That is a delicate situation, one which needs careful nurturing. We cannot afford to fight Boise seriously. Yet.Ф
УI doubt he is loyal to the Dictations. Even if he claims he must be discreet at first.Ф