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

"If the Hundred will recall," the chief sword continued even more tonelessly, "his last decision before
his own departure was to authorize Third Platoon's R&R. That leaves Fifty Garlath as the SO here at the
base camp."
Jasak winced internally as Threbuch tactfully (sort of) reminded him that leaving Garlath out here at
the ass-end of nowhere had been his own idea. Which had seemed like a good one at the time, even if it
had been a little petty of him. No, more than a little petty. Quite a bit more, if he wanted to be honest.
Chief Sword Threbuch hadn't exactly protested at the time, but his expression had suggested his opinion
of the decision. Not because he disagreed that Fifty Therman Ulthar and his men had earned their R&R,
but because Shevan Garlath was arguably the most incompetent platoon commander in the entire
brigade. Leaving him in charge of anything more complicated than a hot cider stand was not, in the chief
sword's considered opinion, a Good Idea.
"We'd have to recall Fifty Ulthar's platoon from the coast, if you want to use him, Sir," the chief
sword added, driving home the implied reprimand with exquisite tact.
Jasak was tempted to point out that Magister Halathyn had already dragged him back from the
company's main CP at the coastal enclave, so there was really no reason he shouldn't recall Fifty Ulthar.
Except, of course, that he couldn't. First, because doing so would require him to acknowledge to the man
who'd been his father's first squad lance that he'd made a mistake. Both of them might know he had, but
he was damned if he was going to admit it.
But second, and far more important, was the patronage system which permeated the Arcanan Army,
because patronage was the only thing that kept Garlath in uniform. Not even that had been enough to get
him promoted, but it was more than enough to ensure that his sponsors would ask pointed questions if
Jasak went that far out of his way to invite another fifty to replace him on what promised to be quite
possibly the most important portal exploration on record. If Magister Halathyn's estimates were remotely
near correct, this was the sort of operation that got an officer noticed.
Which, in Jasak's opinion, was an even stronger argument in favor of handing it to a competent junior
officer who didn't have any patrons . . . and whose probable promotion would actually have a beneficial
effect on the Army. But—
"All right, Chief Sword," he sighed. "My respects to Fifty Garlath, and I want his platoon ready to
move out at first light tomorrow."
***
The weather was much cooler on the other side of the base portal. Although it was only one hour
earlier in the local day, it had been mid-afternoon—despite Jasak's best efforts—before Commander of
Fifty Garlath's First Platoon had been ready to leave base camp and step through the immaterial interface
between Hilmaran swamp and subarctic Andara in a single stride. The portal's outbound side was
located smack on top of the Great Andaran Lakes, five thousand miles north of their departure portal, in
what should have been the Kingdom of Lokan. In fact, it was on the narrow neck of land which
separated Hammerfell Lake and White Mist Lake from Queen Kalthra's Lake. It might be only one hour
east of the base camp, but the difference in latitude meant that single step had moved them from
sweltering early summer heat into the crispness of autumn.
Jasak had been raised on his family's estates on New Arcana, less than eighty miles from the very
spot at which they emerged, but New Arcana had been settled for the better part of two centuries. The
bones of the Earth were the same, and the cool, leaf-painted air of a northern fall was a familiar and
welcome relief from the base camp's smothering humidity, but the towering giants of the primordial forest
verged on the overpowering even for him.
For Fifty Garlath, who had been raised on the endless grasslands of Yanko, the restricted sightlines
and dense forest canopy were far worse than that. Hundred Olderhan, CO of Charlie Company, First
Battalion, First Regiment, Second Andaran Temporal Scouts, couldn't very well take one of his platoon
commanders to task in front of his subordinates for being an old woman, but Sir Jasak Olderhan felt an
almost overpowering urge to kick Garlath in the ass.
He mastered the temptation sternly, but it wasn't easy, even for someone as disciplined as he was.