"David Weber & Linda Evans - Hells Gate" - читать интересную книгу автора (Weber David)

Garlath up short six weeks ago, when the man was first transferred from Baker Company to Charlie
Company as an emergency medical relief for Fifty Thaylar. But he'd told himself it was only a temporary
arrangement, just until Thaylar returned from hospital and he could pack Garlath back off to Baker. So
instead of sorting the idiot out—or getting rid of him—then, Jasak had let things slide. And now, as his
father had always warned him, he was discovering just how much more difficult it was to correct a
problem than it would have been to prevent it in the first place.
"I regret that the Hundred is dissatisfied with my efforts," Garlath had said in a cool voice when Jasak
finished. "I believe, however, that my deployment of the men under my command has been both prudent
and adequate."
Despite everything, Jasak had been flabbergasted.
"I don't believe you quite understand my point, Fifty Garlath," he'd said after several seconds, once
he was confident he could control his own tone. "My point is that we were very slow getting started this
morning and that I disagree with your assessment as to the adequacy of our formation once we did get
moving. I want it changed."
"I believe, Sir, that—as my report will make clear—the reasons for any delay in our departure time
were beyond my control. And my understanding of Regulations is that my chosen formation and interval
fall within my own discretion, as this unit's commanding officer, so long as my deployment meets the
standards laid down by Army doctrine and general field orders."
"This isn't about standards," Jasak had replied, trying to keep the anger out of his tone as he realized
Garlath truly intended to defy him. "And it certainly isn't about regulations, Fifty. It's about getting the job
done."
"I understand that, Sir. And I would point out that First Platoon, under my command, has
successfully accomplished every task the Hundred has assigned to it."
"Whenever you finally got around to it." Jasak's response had come out a bit more icily even than
he'd intended, but the defiance flickering in Garlath's eyes—the challenge, which was what it amounted
to, to officially reprimand him, despite his patrons, when there was no overt failure in the field to point
to—had infuriated him. As, he'd suddenly recognized, it had been intended to. Garlath, he'd realized, was
actually attempting to provoke him into words or actions which the fifty would be able to claim proved
the hundred's no doubt scathing endorsement of his efficiency report stemmed solely from the fact that
Jasak nourished some sort of private vendetta against him.
It was the kind of cunning which proved the other man's fundamental stupidity, but that hadn't
changed the parameters of Jasak's current problem, and he'd inhaled deeply.
"Listen to me, Fifty," he'd said then, "this isn't a debate, and this isn't some sort of Ransaran
democracy. Tomorrow morning, you will place your point element the required two hundred yards ahead
of your main body. You will place a man between your point element and your main body, in visual
contact with each, and you will deploy scouts a maximum of one hundred yards out on either flank,
where they can maintain adequate contact with the main body. Moreover, you will maintain one squad at
immediate readiness, with its dragon locked and loaded. And when we return to base camp, you and I
will . . . discuss our little differences of opinion about the adequacy of your command performance. Is all
of that understood, Fifty Garlath?"
Garlath's already dark face had darkened further, yet he'd been left little room for maneuver. His jaw
had clenched, and his eyes had blazed hotly, but he'd drawn himself up and saluted with a precision that
was a wordless act of insubordination in its own right.
"Yes, Sir. Understood. And I assure the Hundred that his instructions will be obeyed to the letter. Is
that all, Sir?"
"Yes, it is."
"By your leave, then, Sir," Garlath had said with frozen formality, pivoted on his heel, and stalked off
to find Sword Harnak.
"I hope I'm not out of line, Sir Jasak, but you and Fifty Garlath don't exactly seem to like one
another."