The month of April was spent in crossing the Texas panhandle, Oklahoma, and then on into Arkansas. The horde grew and grew and the generals worried that if the Martians did come after them, there could be an incredible slaughter. The civilians outnumbered the soldiers by several times and it would be impossible to protect them. Becca and the other medical people spent most of their time treating civilians rather than soldiers. At night the prairie was lit by thousands of campfires.
Eventually they reached Little Rock and there they found that the city was not going to be abandoned. The Arkansas River flowed through the town, and since it was navigable much of the year, the place was being converted into a fortress which could be supplied by boat. Some of the civilians decided to stay there while others continued on by water. The remainder all spent a week there resting. When they resumed the march, the 77th Division was left behind to bolster the garrison. Their destination was Memphis, a hundred and thirty miles away.
And so now they were camped at the little whistle stop of Heth, Arkansas. The river and Memphis were only twenty miles off. Everyone was hoping they would get there today.
Frank and Becca were on a first name basis now and she was standing next to him with her fists on her hips. “I ask again: what are you doing on Ninny, Frank? Your leg’s not full-healed and you know it!”
“Just seein’ if I remember how,” he sighed. “I haven’t been off a horse for this long since I joined the army.”
“Well, I guess I can forgive you—if you get down right now.” He slowly swung out of the saddle and she helped him down to avoid jolting his leg. On the ground, they stood there very close together, looking at each other. She had grown an inch or two since he’d first met her and her face had matured. She wasn’t a girl anymore…
“Becca? Thanks for not sending me back with the wounded.” She blushed very red in the dawn light and turned her head. But she didn’t step away. “When… when I woke up, I knew the 5th was gone. The regiment had been my only home for near twenty years and I saw them die in that pass. Near all of them. The first thing I thought about was what the hell I was gonna do. But then I saw you there and, well, you’re the only friend I have left.” He clapped his mouth shut, amazed that he’d dare to say any such thing.
She turned her face back to him and opened her mouth to say something. But just then the buglers started sounding reveille and the moment was lost. They stepped apart and Becca took Ninny’s reins and Frank picked up the crutch he’d been using. The camp was stirring all around them and people were hurrying to get their breakfasts and pack up the camp. Everyone was anxious to get moving. Perhaps today the long journey would finally end.
Less than an hour later they were on the move, which was little short of a miracle for a mob that large. Or it was more accurate to say that the army was on the move. The civilians tended to straggle along on a looser schedule. Frank was now driving one of the medical wagons while Becca rode nearby on Ninny. There wasn’t anyone in the wagon right now. A train had delivered supplies yesterday and taken away all the sick and injured they had on hand. But there would probably be more before the day was over. The march was hard on people.
The spirits of everyone were good with the end so close, but there was a tension, too. The last couple of days they had noticed black smoke on the horizon behind them and to the northwest. It didn’t necessarily mean anything, of course. There had been a heat-lightning storm the other night and the smoke could be from a lightning strike. And there were plenty of stragglers all around and maybe some of them had gotten careless with their campfires. Even so, there was no doubt that everyone was also thinking it could be the Martians.
“I still can’t get over how flat the land is,” said Becca. “You can see forever and ever here!”
“Yeah, nothing like the mountains you grew up in.”
“The world is so big! I’d never been out of New Mexico before all this happened. I’ve looked at maps, of course, but they don’t really tell you what things are really like. Have you really been across the ocean, Frank? All the way to the Philippines?”
“I was there for a year fightin’ the insurrectionists. And believe me, you aren’t missin’ anything. I hate the jungle! I’ll take these wide open spaces any day, Martians and all.”
“What was the ocean like? I can’t imagine so much water!”
“That… was impressive. The Pacific just went on forever. But wait ‘til you see the Mississippi! Nowhere near as big as an ocean, but still pretty damn big.”
“Think we’ll see it today?”
“Actually, I think I can see it right now. Look over there.” He pointed off to the right.
“Where?” Becca turned her head and rose up in her stirrups. “I don’t see anything! Are you playing a joke on me, Lieutenant Dolfen?”
“No, I’m not,” said Frank with a chuckle. “Way over there. See that line of trees? Just beyond. See the sunlight reflecting off the water?”
“Oh! Yes! I see it!” She paused and then sounded a little disappointed. “Doesn’t look all that big.”
“Wait until we get closer. It’ll be big enough for you.”
But it didn’t get closer very quickly. Frank remembered from a map he saw that the railroad was heading northeast and the river was also bending that way, so they were almost paralleling it right now. Later, it would swing around the other way, almost across their path, and that’s where the bridge to Memphis was.
Other people had spotted it, too, and there was a palpable feeling of excitement sweeping through the huge column. The pace grew quicker as everyone began to move faster. By noon they were much closer to the river. It was just a couple of miles off to their right and Becca was properly impressed. “It is big! Look at that, it must be almost a mile across! And look at all the boats on the river! Dozens of them!” There were a lot boats and barges and larger ships there, spewing smoke from their stacks. Several of them were painted gray and Frank guessed they might be navy ships.
A rider came down the column and announced that the front of the army had reached the bridge, but warned them that with the huge numbers involved it was very likely they would not all get across today, so they should be prepared to camp out for another night. This brought a groan, but they perked up when they were told that the citizens of Memphis had made preparations to greet them and that there would be hot food and cold drinks waiting for them.
“Hard to believe we really made it,” said Frank. “Never thought I’d get out of that pass alive.”
“Thank God,” said Becca.
“Well, thank someone. Can’t say I’m all that well disposed toward the Almighty these days.”
“Don’t let Clarissa hear you talk that way. She’s been getting all Bible-reading and Bible-thumping lately. This is all God’s will according to her.” Frank grunted. He’d noticed that a religious revivalism seemed to be sweeping through the army, but it held no appeal for him.
They were getting quite close to the river now. There was a small town, West Memphis, if he remembered the map correctly, on the west side of the river and it looked as though it was being fortified. Large earthworks were being raised on either side of the railway. The ones on south side went right down to the river. The ones on the north side curved out of sight. The column was being funneled through the gap and progress was slowing down.
Suddenly there was commotion behind them. They looked back and there was a sort of ripple passing through the crowd, like waves on a pond. A growing sound of voices filled the air and some of those voices sounded almost like screams…
“What’s happening?” asked Becca, looking around in confusion.
“I don’t know.” Frank stood up from his driver’s seat on the wagon and looked west. West was the only direction that mattered right now. “Oh God, no!”
The land wasn’t quite flat here and gently sloped down to the river. There was higher ground to the west and on that high ground stood at least twenty familiar shapes.
; “Martians!” cried a thousand voices, almost in unison. “Run! Run!”
The shapes on the rise began to move. Frank could see that there were now at least thirty of the terrible things. Their red eyes blazed as they came forward.
In a flash, panic swept through the column. People began to run, riders and drivers lashed their horses, and any sort of order or discipline vanished. The mass surged forward toward the bridge, still miles away. Bugles began blaring and there was movement around the earthworks. In the column, officers tried to get their men to halt and turn around, but few listened. II Corps began to disintegrate.
They’ll just walk right down here and slaughter us all!
“Becca! Go on! Ride ahead! Get across the bridge!”
“No! I’m not leaving you!”
“Go, dammit! You can get away!”
“No!”
Frank cursed and lashed at the horses pulling the wagon in hopes of forcing a way through. If he could get through then Becca would get through. But it was hopeless, the mob was being compressed into a nearly solid mass; there was no way to move quickly and soon it might not be possible to move at all. People were already being trampled. If this went on, the Martians wouldn’t even need to do anything!
Was there any way out? What if he managed to turn aside and make for the river? Maybe one of the boats could pick them up! He looked toward the Mississippi. It was crowded with ships and boats of all kinds. He was looking right at a low gray ship when it suddenly erupted in flame and smoke!
A loud boom shook the air and simultaneously there was the sound of a runaway freight train roaring overhead. Frank’s head twisted around to follow the noise as it shrieked toward the Martians.
Later, Frank revised his opinion of the Almighty because there wasn’t any doubt that He - or someone - was guiding the hands of the gunners aboard USS Amphitrite that day. One of the ten-inch shells squarely hit the head of the leading tripod; an absolute bull’s-eye, that blew the thing to smithereens, the now-unconnected legs flying off in three different directions.
The Martians must have been as stunned as Frank, because they stopped, appeared to stare for a few moments, and then all of them turned and went back the way they had come!
The whole terrified, scrambling mob came to a halt and watched them go. Then people began to cheer and the cheers swept along the column as quickly as the original panic had. The tripods disappeared behind the high ground and were gone. Only the smoldering remains of their unlucky comrade proved that it hadn’t all been some sort of mass delusion.
It was almost an hour before the part of the column where Frank and Becca were stuck started to move again, but once it did, it moved along rapidly. Maybe the Martians were gone, but no one wanted to wait to see if they would come back. Even so, it was sunset before they reached the bridge. It was a long iron structure that amazed Becca and impressed Frank. Wooden planks had been put down over the railroad tracks to make it easier for people, horses, and wagons to cross. Memphis glowed pink and welcoming on the far bank.
“Safe,” said Becca. “Are we really safe?”
“Yes, I think we are.”
She twisted around in her saddle and looked back toward the setting sun. “But someday we’ll go back. Someday we’ll go back and kill those things.”
“Yes, we will. And we’ll take back what’s ours.”
Epilogue
Cycle 597, 844.3, Holdfast 32-2
“You understand the orders of the Colonial Conclave, Qetjnegartis? Offensive operations are to be halted, new holdfasts constructed, and our numbers built up until such time as the Conclave decides new offensives are warranted. Minor local offensives to maintain the security of your holdfasts are permitted, but nothing larger.”
“I understand Coordinator Glangatnar. This course of action seems wise.”
“We are pleased that you approve,” said Glangatnar. “This is a decision of the entire Conclave. The prey-creatures are on the defensive almost everywhere. We will take this opportunity to consolidate and prepare for the future.”
Qetjnegartis could sense the sarcasm in the coordinator’s voice even over the long-distance communicator. “I understand and will obey,” it replied although privately it wondered who this respite would benefit more. The Race grew stronger, but so did the prey.
“Very well,” said Glangatnar. “And Qetjnegartis, I trust you have recovered from your wounds sufficiently to assume command of the Bajantus Clan?”
“I am completely recovered and fully capable of carrying out my duties. I have done this job before.”
“Yes, that it true. Most unfortunate for Valprandar to have been slain as it was at the very end of the offensive.”
“Yes, most unfortunate,” said Qetjnegartis. Glangatnar cut the connection and Qetjnegartis turned away from the communicator. Davnitargus was there watching it.
“I could be wrong,” said Davnitargus, “but I sensed a lack of sincerity in your last statement, Progenitor.”
“Really?” replied Qetjnegartis. “Sometimes your perceptions can be too accurate, Davnitargus.”
* * * * *
June 1910, Washington, D.C.
Leonard Wood stubbed his toe on the nightstand and muttered a silent curse as he slipped into bed. As usual, he was trying not to wake his wife and as usual, he failed. Louise rolled over and murmured, “What time is it, Leonard?”
“Almost midnight,” he lied. It was well after midnight.
“You are working too hard, dear. It’s been less than a year since your operation, you shouldn’t push yourself so hard.” This was a nightly ritual, too.
“It can’t be helped. There’s so much going on; cleaning up the mess out west, trying to guess what the British are going to do now with Edward dead and George the new king…”
Louise was silent for a few minutes but then said: “Did you see the letter from Leonard Junior? I left it on the kitchen table.”
“No, I didn’t. I’ll read it in the morning. What did he have to say?”
“He mostly talked about the changes to the curriculum at West Point. Is it really true he’ll be graduating in only two and a half years instead of four?”
“Yes. They’ve done away with everything except the purely military subjects. We need professional officers and we need them quickly.”
“So you knew all about it and didn’t tell me.” It wasn’t a question.
“I didn’t want to worry you.”
There was another long silence and then she said: “I’d hoped that with him there for four years the war would be over before he graduated. But now, with it only being two and half years it probably won’t be, will it?”
“Probably not.” He didn’t add that it probably wouldn’t be over in four years, either.
“But what about Ozzie? He’s only thirteen! Surely it will be all over before he’s old enough!”
“God willing.”
She didn’t say any more, but Wood was a long time falling asleep despite his exhaustion.
God willing.
* * * * *
June 1910, Memphis, Tennessee
Lieutenant Frank Dolfen strolled down the street in Memphis and glanced from time to time at the pretty girl in the nurse’s uniform walking next to him. He wanted to smile at her, but he knew she wasn’t in a smiling mood. “So, there’s no word about your aunt and uncle?”
“Nothing that I could find,” she replied. “That doesn’t mean anything, of course. If they didn’t check in at the refugee camp in El Paso there wouldn’t be any record. They might have gone on somewhere else.” She chuckled sourly. “I can’t see my aunt putting up with a refugee camp! And since they have no way of knowin’ where I am now, any message they might try to send would have to work its way through the whole army bureaucracy to find me.”
“Yes, that could take a while, Becca. Don’t give up hope.”
“And that’s only if they even try to get a message to me. They might not bother.”
“I’
m sure they will, you’re family after all.”
“Yeah, I’m family. But if they didn’t make it out…”
“Have you got anyone else?”
“I suppose I do, but I don’t know who or where. Back east I suppose. I never paid much attention to the things my folks said about their relations since I didn’t figure on ever meeting them. Any records are burned up now, I guess. But what about you, Frank? You must have some relatives beside that regiment of yours. You said you were from back east, right?”
“Yeah, Pennsylvania. I had a brother and a sister so I suppose I must have nieces and nephews by now. But anyone else would be back in Germany.”
“You never tried to keep in touch?”
Frank shrugged. “Not really. Writing’s a chore. But how are you doing here? The new hospital all set up?”
“Pretty much. It’s big and looks to be permanent. From what we’re hearing it doesn’t look like we’ll be moving west anytime soon.”
“No, we took a licking and that’s for sure. Got to raise more troops and re-equip the ones already here. And we need to figure out how to beat those bastards in the field. Right now they’re too fast and too tough. We need to get faster and tougher, too.”
“What will you be doing? Are they going to rebuild your regiment?”
“Not sure. I’m supposed to meet with some officer a little later today and find out what my assignment’s gonna be.”
“Well, I’m sure they’ll give you something important. You’ve got a lot more experience fighting them than most.” Becca paused and frowned. “At least you will be fighting them.”
“What you do counts as fighting, too, Becca.”
“Do you know how many times I’ve been told that?”
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