The Temporal Knights (54 page)

“Of course, never fear on that account. We will protect him as one of our own,” he answered thinking of the lad, who now had commandeered Dr. Rice’s tent in his absence and
spent most of his days on the computers or in class with Privates Guon and Osage. The classes were growing by the day, and Leoforic was their star pupil.

“How long will your sister
bestaying with us?” Murphy Giles asked and Æthelf
læ
d smiled at him. Giffu, ever the reluctant Abbess, was very pleased by the man’s interest…if only they could persuade father to share their enthusiasm.

The Countess shrugged. “The Abbey at Shaftesbury is
na yet finished…an if’n me sister has her way twill never be finished…but father’s na likely to forgive or forget.”

Murphy raised an eyebrow, not truly understanding the complexities of the statement. “We’ll look after Leoforic,” he told her to cover his confusion.

“He has taken to ye well, and for that I thank ye, but I’ve lands to see to and protect meself,” she told Giles as the Lady Merwinna approached to offer her condolences.

Æthelf
læ
d hooked her arm through Matt’s and led him off a ways. Matt went willingly, curious about the beautiful woman’s intentions.

“Ye watch after Captain Giles...he be taken the killin’s verily hard,” she added softly, staring at the Captain as he talked softly to Merwinna and Beatrice Lochlin.

“Yes, he was fond of Selby, and we’ve already lost so much,” Matt answered and the Countess nodded her understanding.

“Me sister may be able to help in the healin’,” the Countess replied, surprising Matt. “She’s confided a great interest in Captain Giles.”

“Oh?”

“Tis a secret to be kept on yor honor Mayjor,” Æthelf
læ
d warned.

“Of course,” Matt stammered, “but I thought she was to be a nun?”

F
læ
d laughed. It was a pretty sound to Matt.

“Na…not a nun ‘nd a verily reluctant Abbess,” she explained. “Father was
na happy ‘bout her refusal to marry Charles the Fat,” she added with a laugh.

“Ah…” Matt said, getting the gist of the point.

“I also be wantin’ ye to know that ye have a friend in Mercia,” she said and then moved back toward Giles. Matt watched as she approached and touched him on the arm and spoke to him. Giles smiled and bowed, and then the Countess leaned over and hugged the kitchen woman before moving off toward the manor hall. Matt was touched by how much poise and grace the woman showed and was once more impressed by the resiliency of man...and woman.

The afternoon passed solemnly and quietly until Blish strode into the Hall with a smile on his face. Almost at once Matt was overcome with a feeling of dread, believing that the alien ship was finally online. But that was not to be; instead the Sergeant announced that a message from General Peebles was coming weakly over the ship’s radio. Rochester had been taken, Sir Eadwulf was dead. Stuart Greybon had been avenged.

“He wants to speak with you,” Blish added with a smile, as a young serving woman sauntered by and treated the Sergeant to a soft caress on the arm.

“Gyt
hæ
d,” the Sergeant greeted the woman and returned her touch. It seemed odd to Matt that someone as hard as Blish could look so softly on someone else, but he said nothing, just smiled and led the way back to the ship, since it had the only receiver powerful enough to pick up the signal. The Ealdorman, Lady Merwinna, the Countess and her sister were in the entourage that followed, along with nearly all the Americans and Leoforic, who emerged from Rice’s tent at the sound of the passing crowd. In short order the alien ship was very crowded.

“General Peebles,” Matt said sitting before the console, the cockpit packed with people.

“One moment,” came the reply, very dimly, through the static. Matt could barely recognize the voice of staff officer Newton though all the interference. They all waited a long moment.

“Major Thane,” the General finally said. The signal was still very faint.

“Yes Sir. I’m surprised you can reach us during the day like this.”

“We’ve erected a tower on the roof of the keep at Rovescester...one of the tallest structures in the land I would think,” Peebles replied, his voice breaking up slightly. “I’d like you to erect a similar one on the highest hill within sight of the Ealdorman’s...Sergeant Blish will know what to do.”

“Yes Sir. We’ve buried Lieutenant Greybon this morning...full military honors,” Matt replied, wanting the General to know.

“I see...I’ll be up when I can, to pay my respects. I’m sending a contingent of seventy-five men west to collect the rest of the trucks and supplies. We will be making our permanent base at Rochester. No
offense to the Ealdorman, but his lands are too far west to have a real impact on the fighting with Danes.” His voice was interrupted by a loud burst of static, then “Private Hamilton was killed at Doncaster by Eadwulf. They’ll retrieve his body...I’d like it to be buried with Stuart’s.”

“Yes Sir,” Matt said with a frown. Hamilton was a shock. The man was a superb soldier.

“And Major, Captain Hersey has volunteered to lead the group. When he arrives I’ve granted him three days leave...see that he gets it.”

“Yes Sir...the ship?”

“It’ll be a bitch to tow it all the way down here...we need it fixed. For the time being I think we will leave it there. The group is going to stop south of Reading and erect an additional communications tower. Lemay says we’ve brought five in all, which leaves one for Winchester, and a few for the north if need be, once they’re all up and operational we should be able to communicate quite easily through most of the country...as long as the solar generators are not vandalized. We won’t be able to guard them for a while.”

“Yes Sir.
Anything else?”

“Get that ship repaired,” the General said harshly. “Send the Bots. You’ll have the UAV’s for reconnaissance...I wish you could come also. I’d like to show you our new castle. Rovescester is something to see.”

“Yes Sir,” Matt said with a grin, but before he signed off he glanced over at Murphy and the rest that were near him.

“Any news of Ellyn?” he asked and he could almost see the general cringing.

There was a pause.... “He...they canna hear me...na....Hallo....Hallo...Mayjor Thane,” they all recognized the voice of Sir Oldalf.

“Yes Sir,” Matt replied, smiling.

“Me dottir, she be at court in Winchester,” he said. “I’m sure she be missin’ ye powerfully.”

“As I am,” he replied unembarrassed.

“I still have your letter,” Rice announced weakly, obviously not next to the microphone.

“Thank you.”

“Cheer up with any luck the King will invite us to court soon,” the doctor added.

“Na bloody likely,” they heard Oldalf as he moved away.

“Anything else Major?”

“No Sir.”

“Expect Captain Hersey and the others sometime late tomorrow evening...out.”

Matt clicked off. Everyone was excited by the news of the conquest but sad at the news of Private Hamilton’s death.
‘Christ,’
Matt thought,
‘we’re down to three hundred and forty-six...already.’

As the ship emptied Lee Robertson approached him, and Matt was almost surprised to see the man, he’d been around so little recently.

“Major, I’ve been riding with the Ealdorman these past few days as he has worked his lands, and he tells me of an oil deposit not ten miles to the northwest. I’ve checked coordinates with the maps of British Petroleum and sure enough it matches one of the country’s largest sources of oil...I’d like to go with him in the morning and look at the sight...maybe take Blish with me.

Matt considered this a moment, weighing the risks.

“This could be important Major,” Robertson argued. “The Ealdorman says the oil is on the surface and easy to get at.”

“All right, but Blish needs to erect a communications tower first…and remember, his main responsibility is still the ship.”

“If we can get to oil...easily, we can power this country,” Robertson replied but then smiled and clapped Matt on the shoulder. Matt smiled back as the scientist quickly exited the ship. Matt followed him down the ramp and was surprised to find the Lady of Mercia waiting for him.

“Hello,” Matt said, but came up short at the Lady’s angry expression.

“I be needin’ another word Mayjor,” she snapped.

Matt nodded but said nothing.

Æthelf
læ
d offered her arm once more to the tall man to soften her demeanor and Matt happily linked his with hers. The Countess then led him off toward the river.

“I have told me brother of yor good intentions and ye have treated all the people of Athelney verily kindly but I’d know forsooth if ye have designs of this land of ours,” she said as they moved under a pair of monstrous oaks. 

Matt smiled. “Of course not,” he replied at once.

“And yet yor General has destroyed Alfred’s most powerful ally and ye claim Rovescester for yor own,” the beautiful woman accused.

Matt blushed, knowing how this must look to the locals.

“Well…I…” he stammered trying to come up with the right words. They stopped at the banks of the river and turned north toward the town.

“I be needin’ the truth Matthew,” the Countess insisted and stopped. Matt pulled up short with her.

“Lady Aathelfled,” he began haltingly, butchering her name, “we only wish to protect this land and its people,” Matt finally answered but the words sounded weak even to his ears. “Sir Eadwulf attacked us…and would have used our power against the King.”

The Countess stared up into Matt’s face for a long moment, looking closely. Matt flushed, the woman before him was very beautiful and strong.

“Call me F
læ
d,” she finally said.

“Flayed,” Matt repeated and the Lady of Mercia laughed lightly.

“Tis close,” she admitted though the pronunciation was not quite correct. “Me father be na trustin’ ye,” she finally said and once more pulled him along the banks of the Tees.

“We will give up the castle,” Matt promised, “if the king so desires.”

They walked in silence through the towering trees for a time. “Mayhap he will, mayhap he won’t, but ye must na force his hand na more than ye already have if’n ye truly care for the peoples of Angland.”

“We do,” Matt answered and wondered just how they were going to keep from antagonizing the King further.

“Alfred twill be watchin’,” Æthelf
læ
d remarked as they entered the back gates of Athelney together, “and I be watchin’ as well.”

§

It rained softly the following day as Hersey and his men erected the tower outside the small town of Reading. Hersey selected the location carefully, choosing a site high on a hill and well off the road. The tower soared upward on a wide, solid base nearly one hundred and twenty feet into the air, slightly taller than the surrounding oaks but well camouflaged, at least from a distance. Of course any local hunting these woods could easily stumble across it, which was Hersey’s biggest worry. Hopefully anyone discovering the tower would be too superstitious to meddle with it. As it was, both the transmitter and booster were located at the very top of the tower along with the solar generator, so the delicate equipment should be safe enough unless someone actually climbed the thing. The generator was another worry since it needed plentiful sunshine to power the electronics inside, something that apparently was woefully lacking in this country, but that couldn’t be helped. At the moment the tower was up and working and would boost the signal considerably between the forces at Rochester and Athelney. Hersey tested the signal by contacting both General Peebles and Major Thane before moving out, still worrying absently about vandalism. It didn’t help when they caught about a half dozen young boys, watching them from behind a thicket of thorn bushes. Hersey concocted a story of imminent beheading for anyone caught climbing the tower. He hoped the threat would work with the boys, but had serious doubts that it would. Boys would be boys...always. He just prayed they wouldn’t damage any of the transmitting equipment.

The group reached the town of Athelney right before sunset, just as planned. Hersey, after a slight detour, went directly to the alien ship and reported to Major Thane.

“Good to see you Captain,” Matt said and truly meant it. The extra soldiers would take a good deal of worry from his shoulders. Hersey nodded and they shook hands.

“It feels funny to be back, almost like this is home,” Tom answered but then got to the point. “I’ll be leaving at first light for Mortehoe, a small village just south of Pilton.”

Matt frowned. “The General said you were due leave?”

“Yes, I had to fight for it though. I’d hoped to spend it around here, but she’s already left for home.”

“She?” Matt said surprised.