[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
Then they ran through mounted maneuvers, before a midday dinner, and after the
midday meal, a glass of instruction in the Madrien tongue, and then back to
mounted practice in small group tactics. This was different, because a Matrite
company was made of ten eight-trooper squads, each led by a junior squad
leader. After group riding tactics came practice at the rifle range, under
very close supervision. The smaller Matrite rifle took some work for Alucius
to adjust to, but he could see the advantage of the magazine that carried ten
cartridges.
Then came another glass or so of hard exercise before supper. After supper,
there was time to wash up and take care of cleaning uniforms and stable
maintenance. Sometimes, there was time to read the Ma-trites had a small
library, and there was little else to do, except talk or game, and neither
appealed to Alucius. The only problem was that the books were printed in
Madrien. Alucius forced himself to start with the easy ones, telling himself
that the more he knew the better his chances for eventually escaping.
Of all the work, he liked the class sessions the most. Alucius had never been
in a classroom and usually enjoyed the learning, if not the circumstances. The
instructors varied. Some were officers, always women. Some were senior squad
leaders, and some were men or women whose backgrounds the trainees were never
told. At times, the lectures were more than informative. They were disturbing,
particularly one of the early lectures, with an older gray-haired woman.
'Our world has one large continent that is Corus and four small continents, as
well as a number of groups of islands. The history of Corus is long, and much
of it has been lost. Most of that you don't need to know. What you do need to
know is what was lost, and what the Matrial has undertaken to reclaim and
why."
Page 158
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
Alucius had his doubts, but he had listened. He also noted the reference to
"the" Matrial.
'There were four major cities of the Duarchy. Three of them lay in what are
now the lands of Madrien. Those were Elcien, Ludar, and Faitel. Here, here,
and here." The woman used the thin wooden pointer to show where on the large
wall map each city had been. "Most of you should know that Ludar and Faitel
were totally destroyed, so much so that little more than swamp and scattered
stones remain. The isle on which Elcien was built sank so deeply into the Bay
of Ludel that just the tips of a few towers are visible. Only in recent years
have the
Talent-forces subsided enough that the ruins could be investigated without
risking instant death. The other great city was Alustre, far to the east, in
the land now known as Lustrea, and Alustre was hardly damaged at all.
'In the time of the Duarchy, both men and women had great powers, and even the
lowliest lived free from want and fear& the Alectors of Justice knew who those
were who injured others, and justice was swift and fair. This is no longer
true in much of Corus. Talent-power, save for the Talent-officers of
Madrien, is rare and far less powerful&
'In Lustrea, women are blamed for the Cataclysm and may not own property, hold
coins, supervise men, or become artisans or traders. In Lanachrona, only those
who are born into the Ezerhazy may own land. In the Iron Valleys, vast tracts
of land are held by herder families who live on luxurious estates, and the
more lucrative businesses are held by merchants in Dekhron, while the majority
of people have barely enough to live on. Even in Madrien, the torques are
necessary to ensure that the violent are restrained& " The instructor smiled
coldly. "What does all this have to do with troopers? A great deal."
She stepped sideways to the map. "You all can see the blue lines here. Those
are the high roads of the Duarchy. Most of them still can be used. You can see
how they create a web across all of Corus. In the ancient days, when there
were the tireless sandoxes, food and goods and spices and people all traveled
the roads swiftly. Grain grown in the fertile valleys that are now north
Madrien was carried all across Corus. Fruits grown near Fola and Hafin
traveled the world. The wines from the Vyanhills went everywhere. The golden
rice and nuts of Lustrea came east. Great bison grazed the grasslands of
Ongelya, and were transported everywhere for all to have fresh meat& " There
was an other pause. "Today, each land hoards what it produces. Madrien must
either impoverish its people to buy goods or have enough troopers to take the
other lands for their goods because lands such as Southgate and now Lanachrona
will not trade with
Madrien."
The instructor pointed to Sazium. "Have you ever had a good glass of
Lanachronan wine?"
'No, honored one."
'I'd imagine not. In Krost, you can get a glass of it for a copper. A small
bottle, holding perhaps five glasses, costs two golds in Dekhron two silvers
for one small glass of wine. It certainly doesn't cost a silver and four
coppers to cart that wine from Krost to Dekhron& "
Alucius understood the argument, but wondered what he was missing, although
the woman felt she was conveying the truth.
'& and that is why Madrien has troopers. As you ride through Hieron, and
through any town in Madrien, look at what you see. You do not see masses of
poor people. You do not see hovels and huts, but comfortable dwellings for
all.
Yes, you and many others wear torques, but those torques also free you from
hunger, from want, and they allow you to walk anywhere at any glass in Madrien
without fear and without danger. That is the greatest boon of the Matrial& "
Page 159
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
Alucius knew what he had already seen, but it troubled him that everyone in
Madrien seemed to accept the idea that men had to wear torques so the land
could be free from poverty and danger. How could they believe so readily that
men were so evil?
On the fourth Quattri that they had been in Hieron, Jesorak the senior squad
leader who directed their training summoned all eleven to the stables at the
time of their first morning classroom instruction. They wore no weapons, since
those remained under lock except during weapons instruction.
'This morning, you're going to learn something in a different way. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl fopke.keep.pl
Then they ran through mounted maneuvers, before a midday dinner, and after the
midday meal, a glass of instruction in the Madrien tongue, and then back to
mounted practice in small group tactics. This was different, because a Matrite
company was made of ten eight-trooper squads, each led by a junior squad
leader. After group riding tactics came practice at the rifle range, under
very close supervision. The smaller Matrite rifle took some work for Alucius
to adjust to, but he could see the advantage of the magazine that carried ten
cartridges.
Then came another glass or so of hard exercise before supper. After supper,
there was time to wash up and take care of cleaning uniforms and stable
maintenance. Sometimes, there was time to read the Ma-trites had a small
library, and there was little else to do, except talk or game, and neither
appealed to Alucius. The only problem was that the books were printed in
Madrien. Alucius forced himself to start with the easy ones, telling himself
that the more he knew the better his chances for eventually escaping.
Of all the work, he liked the class sessions the most. Alucius had never been
in a classroom and usually enjoyed the learning, if not the circumstances. The
instructors varied. Some were officers, always women. Some were senior squad
leaders, and some were men or women whose backgrounds the trainees were never
told. At times, the lectures were more than informative. They were disturbing,
particularly one of the early lectures, with an older gray-haired woman.
'Our world has one large continent that is Corus and four small continents, as
well as a number of groups of islands. The history of Corus is long, and much
of it has been lost. Most of that you don't need to know. What you do need to
know is what was lost, and what the Matrial has undertaken to reclaim and
why."
Page 158
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
Alucius had his doubts, but he had listened. He also noted the reference to
"the" Matrial.
'There were four major cities of the Duarchy. Three of them lay in what are
now the lands of Madrien. Those were Elcien, Ludar, and Faitel. Here, here,
and here." The woman used the thin wooden pointer to show where on the large
wall map each city had been. "Most of you should know that Ludar and Faitel
were totally destroyed, so much so that little more than swamp and scattered
stones remain. The isle on which Elcien was built sank so deeply into the Bay
of Ludel that just the tips of a few towers are visible. Only in recent years
have the
Talent-forces subsided enough that the ruins could be investigated without
risking instant death. The other great city was Alustre, far to the east, in
the land now known as Lustrea, and Alustre was hardly damaged at all.
'In the time of the Duarchy, both men and women had great powers, and even the
lowliest lived free from want and fear& the Alectors of Justice knew who those
were who injured others, and justice was swift and fair. This is no longer
true in much of Corus. Talent-power, save for the Talent-officers of
Madrien, is rare and far less powerful&
'In Lustrea, women are blamed for the Cataclysm and may not own property, hold
coins, supervise men, or become artisans or traders. In Lanachrona, only those
who are born into the Ezerhazy may own land. In the Iron Valleys, vast tracts
of land are held by herder families who live on luxurious estates, and the
more lucrative businesses are held by merchants in Dekhron, while the majority
of people have barely enough to live on. Even in Madrien, the torques are
necessary to ensure that the violent are restrained& " The instructor smiled
coldly. "What does all this have to do with troopers? A great deal."
She stepped sideways to the map. "You all can see the blue lines here. Those
are the high roads of the Duarchy. Most of them still can be used. You can see
how they create a web across all of Corus. In the ancient days, when there
were the tireless sandoxes, food and goods and spices and people all traveled
the roads swiftly. Grain grown in the fertile valleys that are now north
Madrien was carried all across Corus. Fruits grown near Fola and Hafin
traveled the world. The wines from the Vyanhills went everywhere. The golden
rice and nuts of Lustrea came east. Great bison grazed the grasslands of
Ongelya, and were transported everywhere for all to have fresh meat& " There
was an other pause. "Today, each land hoards what it produces. Madrien must
either impoverish its people to buy goods or have enough troopers to take the
other lands for their goods because lands such as Southgate and now Lanachrona
will not trade with
Madrien."
The instructor pointed to Sazium. "Have you ever had a good glass of
Lanachronan wine?"
'No, honored one."
'I'd imagine not. In Krost, you can get a glass of it for a copper. A small
bottle, holding perhaps five glasses, costs two golds in Dekhron two silvers
for one small glass of wine. It certainly doesn't cost a silver and four
coppers to cart that wine from Krost to Dekhron& "
Alucius understood the argument, but wondered what he was missing, although
the woman felt she was conveying the truth.
'& and that is why Madrien has troopers. As you ride through Hieron, and
through any town in Madrien, look at what you see. You do not see masses of
poor people. You do not see hovels and huts, but comfortable dwellings for
all.
Yes, you and many others wear torques, but those torques also free you from
hunger, from want, and they allow you to walk anywhere at any glass in Madrien
without fear and without danger. That is the greatest boon of the Matrial& "
Page 159
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
Alucius knew what he had already seen, but it troubled him that everyone in
Madrien seemed to accept the idea that men had to wear torques so the land
could be free from poverty and danger. How could they believe so readily that
men were so evil?
On the fourth Quattri that they had been in Hieron, Jesorak the senior squad
leader who directed their training summoned all eleven to the stables at the
time of their first morning classroom instruction. They wore no weapons, since
those remained under lock except during weapons instruction.
'This morning, you're going to learn something in a different way. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]