Derek Vortimer MBA Manager of Worlds by Uncle Jasper - HTML preview

 

Chapter Twenty Eight

The trap

 

Two days later they were riding along a forest road seeking the enemy with ten thousand soldiers following in a long tail. Derek did not want to find the enemy any more than he wanted to ride a horse, though Shani cut up a blanket from Lord Hannibal's house and folded it on his saddle. That was better, but he still hated riding horses, and did not want to command an army.

Shani and Frederika were present. Derek had forbidden both to come but they came anyway. Frederika was in mail armor again and her hair was hidden by a helmet. Shani had left her new clothes back at Lord Hannibal's house. For the campaign she wearing her village cured leather jacket and pants, with a homespun blouse.

His officers were not keen either on having him as a leader. Derek was not from one of the noble families of the empire, and they did not know him. They had suffered too many defeats, lost too many men and too much territory. Their only hope was that this young general brought in from foreign parts might be better than the old ones. Another cause of uneasiness was the presence of women. It was bad luck to have women with the army.

Derek had seen roads like this before in Sultania. It was just a track through the forest which had been cut back on either side so that his soldiers marched eight abreast. Any wider and the men on the wings would be wading through forest regrowth

Derek was surrounded by his bodyguard, and staff officers including Hassan and Lord Hannibal. Mr. Codd had mysteriously reappeared and was part of the bodyguard, though no one seemed to notice him, except Derek.

Hassan led the cavalry A scout came back along the road in front of them at full gallop and pulled up with a slither of hoofs and creaking leather. He reported to Hassan who, after hearing what the man said, swung his horse around to lay it alongside those of Derek and Lord Hannibal.

'There's a Barbarian army waiting for us beyond the edge of the forest,' he said. 'When we get out into the open they'll take us on.'

'How many?'

'Hundreds of mounted warriors and an army of spearmen about a mile further back. The mounted men will retreat and try and lure us into attacking the spears head on. Then they'll close in on us. The Barbarians don't like this forest country, where we are now.' Hassan explained. 'Not with trees everywhere. They want to get us out in the open because that's where they're best. Our lads could bring them down with pikes, but they never come close enough for that. They keep their horses moving all the time while they shoot at us. They launch arrows from horseback at full gallop, and they're dead shots.'

'How far is it to the end of the forest, and what's it like after that?'

'This road leaves the forest about a mile from here, and after that it's flat country, just open empty grasslands, mile after mile. The scout was sure they know we're here and are waiting for us.'

'They must have known we would use this road,' said Lord Hannibal. 'Those damned women have been talking. I told you not to say anything in front of them!'

Both women were enraged at this remark. 'You'll take that back,' said Shani. 'We haven't told anyone anything. Besides you never said which road the army would take, not in front of us, anyway.'

Frederika, to prove that women could keep a secret as well as, or better, than men, challenged him to a duel on the spot, sword, against sword, fighting from horseback.'

'Be quiet,' ordered Derek. 'There must be plenty of spies in the city, perhaps even in your own house. Just hold the argument until after the battle I want to think.'

A plan was forming in his mind. He rode silently as he went over the outline in his mind until it was complete.

'Alright,' said Derek. 'We'll have to bring them here. For now we're going to march on until we're near the edge of the forest, then we stop, out of sight. I want about two hundred archers at the head of the line and an equal number of pikemen.'

'That won't be enough to fight them,' said Lord Hannibal as the bowmen and pikemen filed past them to the front. 'Hassan should go first with his horses to attack, and we'll follow him.'

'Not this time,' retorted Derek, 'That's how you lose battles. We'll try my way first.'

It was clear in his mind now, he knew exactly what needed to done.

He issued a series of orders to the staff officers who galloped away to carry his instructions to the officers in charge of different units of the army.

Twenty minutes later the scouts warned they were nearly at the edge of the forest, but still hidden from the riders out on the plain.

Derek halted the leading files. As other units of the army caught up they were ordered by Derek's staff officers to hide in the forest on either side of the road.

The archers he had ordered forward were stationed out of sight in the trees, they were closer to the end of the forest than the rest of the Carthaginian army. Another company of archers were assigned to Lord Hannibal who commanded the pikemen

'You're the bait,' Derek said to Hassan. 'I guess those horse riders waiting for us out there would be young men, or boys who want to brag about all the Carthaginians they killed. Their general may not be able to hold them if they see a chance for a quick, easy victory, with lots of scalps to impress the girls back home.'

'Hassan, you will lead your men as close as you dare to the Barbarians and if they don't charge straight away have a fake conference with your officers. They're all to look scared and shake their heads a lot, then turn about and race back the way they came. Scream after them, call them cowards, then take off after them. With luck the Barbarians will be on your heels.'

'You and your men will ride hell for leather along the road with the Barbarians after you. At least I hope so! By that time, they will be totally out of control. '

'Hassan, I'm coming with you.' Frederika rode to Hassan's side.

'No you're not! Stay here!'

'I'm coming!'

'Alright, whatever.' cried Derek. 'Don't waste time, go! go!'

When they left Derek turned to Lord Hannibal. 'You know what to do, do it now!' Lord Hannibal turned his horse and rode, followed by his archers and pikemen to set up a trap.

The road appeared to be deserted. Derek's army was hiding in the trees either side of the road Twenty minutes later a drumming tattoo of hoofs was heard. Derek ordered everyone in his party to move off the road, into the trees to wait behind the men hidden in the margin.

Hassan and his troop were coming back, driving their horses as fast as they could. They were followed by a screaming, whooping horde of young men riding ponies and shooting wildly with their bows and arrows. Some had caught up with their quarry and the Carthaginian cavalrymen were hammering at them with swords as they galloped side by side in this narrow way.

Among the tail-enders were Frederika and Hassan. Hassan had been wounded and Frederika steadied him in the saddle while his men fended off the enemy riders.

The watchers saw this for only a moment as the cavalcade swept by, racing along the road, keeping ahead of their pursuers

Derek knew his plan was working when he saw the riders pulling back on the reins, Suddenly there was a traffic jam of horses in front of them. The leading horsemen had crashed around a bend into a four deep barrier of pikemen that Derek had ordered across the road.

The trumpeter put the instrument to his lips. Derek raised a hand to push it away from his mouth. He could hear the thunder of hoofs as more warriors flung themselves into the trap. Lord Hannibal was still letting them in. He was a poor general but an excellent officer.

The fighting raged on in the distance and the oncoming warriors started to rein in their horses because those in front had stopped. Within minutes the road was crowded, nose to tail, side by side, with horses and riders.

It was time to act. Derek nodded to the trumpeter. 'Now!' The young man drew in his breath and blew a mighty blast on the horn. Up and down the road other trumpeters heard the harsh note and joined in. It was the signal for the Carthaginians to burst out of hiding and attack.

The Barbarians, too late, realized what they had done. Soldiers erupted out of the forest on either side and started hauling warriors off their horses and stabbing them on the ground. For the first time ever the horsemen could not ride away when the pikemen went after them. The soldiers dragged their enemies down by reaching with their poleaxes and hauling back so the axe-head would catch neck or shoulder and drag the man off his horse. In this wild brawl there was no escape for the riders.

Their comrades, still outside the trap, could hear screams, the noise of ambush and battle. The Barbarian commander charged in with his men to do what he could for those caught in the killing zone.

Lord Hannibal had positioned his men on the road as instructed, after letting a few more Barbarians in soon after the trumpets sounded.

The Barbarian commander realized what was happening and led his remaining horsemen to rescue those who had fallen into the trap. His party was confronted by solid ranks of pikemen stretching across the road and into the trees on either side The front rank kneeled and presented their poleaxes so the spike on top would pierce the chest of a charging horse. The archers loosed arrows over the heads of the kneeling men. Horses whinnied and baulked at the sight of the row of spikes ready to impale them, and the archers did their deadly work.

The Barbarian commander knew he could not break that line with charging horses, and time was running out for the trapped warriors. He pulled his men back beyond the reach of the pikes and ordered them to shoot down their opponents.

Lord Hannibal obeyed the orders Derek had given him and stopped the pikemen from going after the enemy. He knew what was to happen next.

As the Barbarians drew off and regrouped they themselves were caught in a storm of arrows. To their front the archers, standing behind kneeling pikemen, were shooting steadily and bringing down horses and riders. From their left, where Derek had stationed a whole company of archers among the trees, came a deadly, stinging crossfire. The Carthaginian war bows were bigger and heavier than those of the Barbarians, and their arrows had a longer range.

The Barbarians had no armour except for the occasional rider wearing a helmet or breast plate that had been plucked from dead Carthaginian soldiers, but they were of little use against heavy arrows shot from longbows.

The torrent of missiles from front and side was whittling away their numbers until their commander turned right and led his men to plunge after him into the forest. It was a desperate attempt to get round Lord Hannibal's line and break it from the side.

As soon as the horsemen disappeared into the forest the captain of the bowmen led half of his men across the road to follow and harass the enemy.

They came running with arrows on the string ready to shoot the instant a target presented itself The half company of men remaining spread out in the forest searching for stragglers.

The first part of the Barbarian commander's gamble paid off. He managed to bring his mounted warriors round Lord Hannibal's line to attack it from the side but was overwhelmed by soldiers appearing from the forest. They swarmed around the rescuers , hauling them off their horses, hacking, stabbing.

The riders who had been trapped earlier realized the dreadful plight they were in and those that could still ride and fight came tearing back in a panicked attempt to escape.

Lord Hannibal, cool under pressure, about-faced the back ranks to meet this challenge while the archers, as before, loosed off their arrows and scarcely one missed its mark.

The first frantic riders were unable to break through Lord Hannibal's line and were cut down. Those following were confronted by fallen warriors and dazed horses where a violent melèe was raging across the road.

All the time more Carthaginian soldiers were running from their hiding places, eager to find enemies to kill.

While the battle flooded along the road the archers in the forest were also reaping a grim harvest of death, hunting down horsemen who had escaped the first onslaught. Blundering among trees and bushes, trying to avoid massacre, desperate to break out into open country, they made easy targets for the arrows of their enemies.

The fight along the road died away, the trapped warriors and their rescuers had all been killed. Troops of trembling horses were standing above their masters, who all lay still, disfigured with deadly wounds

Carthaginian soldiers running along the road looking for new enemies to fight waved weapons and shouted joyfully at this sudden and unexpected victory. After so many defeats it was difficult to realize that, from start to finish, they had destroyed part of the Barbarian army in less than an hour with almost no loss to themselves.

Derek decided it was safe for him and his party to come out into the open. He was appalled at what he had done.

Fallen young men lay everywhere, bloodied and still, while frightened, horses, crowded in groups, waiting for their dead masters to get up and ride again.

Their shock was made worse by crowds of shouting, cheering soldiers, and the horses huddled together, heads hanging down. There was nowhere they could run

The soldiers saw Derek and rushed towards him in an ecstasy of noise. They knew who had organized their battle, who had given them victory after a long tale of defeats. They were ready to follow him anywhere, obey every command.

Derek looked at the red, screaming faces around him, and beyond them were young, dead bodies lying all over the road. He felt sick.

 

Chapter Twenty Nine

The Phalanx

 

Frederika forced her horse through the jubilant crowd surrounding Derek and his party .'Is Hassan alright?' Derek shouted as she approached.

She grinned. 'He'll get over it. He was shot in the bum while fleeing from the enemy. I won't let him forget that in a hurry, and it's not a battle wound he can show his friends. The doctors got the arrow out and they're looking after him.'

'Tell them to wash his wound in clean, hot water, and to use clean fresh bandages.'

Frederika stared. 'Why would they have to do all that? Hassan'll be alright unless the wound goes bad.'

'I know about wounds festering if they're not treated properly, and it's dirt that causes it.'

Derek turned to a staff officer. 'You heard what I said. Go to the medicos and give them these orders, "Wash your hands between each patient, bathe and clean the injuries with hot water, and use new bandages". If they disobey these instructions they will be punished. Repeat what I said and then go.'

Everyone present thought he was being fussy with all this bother about water, and being clean. But he had just won the Carthaginians a quick and easy victory and no one was about to challenge his authority.

'Who's in charge of the cavalry now,' he asked as the officer galloped off to carry his orders to the medicos.

'I am,'Frederika was grinning again 'Hassan can't lead his men into battle unless he lies on his belly across the saddle. I told the men that you ordered me to take command if anything happened to Hassan.'

'Did they believe you?'

'I said I had my orders from you and if anyone didn't like them they'd be on a charge to appear before a court martial.'

Derek didn't remember giving any such order, but there was another battle to fight and probably she was as good a commander as the cavalry would get.

Someone else pushed through the throng to speak to Derek. It was Lord Hannibal, and his horse was followed by a group of pikemen surrounding a tall blonde man, a bearded man with long, greasy hair. He was wounded and bruised, but still defying his captors, and stood a head taller than any of the men guarding him.

'This is the commander of the Barbarian horse fighters,' said Lord Hannibal. 'He killed three of my men before he went down, and he asked us not kill him before he saw the general who destroyed his command.'

'Don't kill him,' said Derek. 'Make him a prisoner of war.'

'These Barbarians don't surrender, they prefer death to being a prisoner.'

The big man had been pushing step by against his guards. At each step he was closer to Derek, drawing his guard with him A sudden movement and a knife appeared in his hand. He roared and lunged at Derek pushing aside the men in front.

Mr. Codd was ready, and quicker. His Colt "Peacemaker" was aimed at the man and he pulled the trigger as the Barbarian struggled closer, striving to stab at Derek.

The bullet crashed through the Barbarian's face and out the back of his head, showering the pikemen with brain tissue and splintered bone.

The crowd around Derek was instantly silenced, and everyone heard the thump of the big man's body hitting the ground, they saw smoke drifting away from the revolver.

Mr. Codd spoke calmly to Lord Hannibal.'I should kill you too,' he said, 'And I will if you do anything like that again. My actions, and my misjudgment brought him here, and I will defend him as long as I am able.'

'Lord Hannibal said nothing, but his face was set in anger. He wheeled his horse to gallop away, and took no notice of those who were nearly run down as he left.

Mr. Codd put the gun back in his pocket before anyone could crowd even closer. The hardened soldiers wanted to see this small weapon up close, one that could destroy a warrior with a loud noise and a little smoke.

Shani was trembling and clinging to Derek, white-faced from shock and fright. Her own reaction had been too slow. She had snatched for her knife as the Barbarian chief lunged forward, but knew that it would have been too late.

Their horses were side by side and she clutched his hand. 'I thought I was going to lose you. Please hold me.'

He put an arm around her and kissed the top of her head. The gesture was for his comfort as much as hers. He was a far grimmer man now after a battle and attempted murder He hated war and needless deaths, but had set his hand to the plough and would not turn back.

Gus had drawn his sword but he too knew that he would not have saved Derek. He was deeply ashamed of his failure.

'Your worship,' he said, I failed you, say the word and I will kill myself.'

Derek smiled a little. 'Not now, Gus. Don't do that. I'd miss all the stories you tell us. Save me another time and then you'll feel better.'

Derek turned in the saddle. 'Thank you for that, Mr. Codd. I could have been dead now if you hadn't acted so quickly.'

'My dear boy, I'm so thankful I was here to do it. And watch Lord Hannibal all the time. I believe he brought that savage here because he thought the man might make a fatal attack. He's jealous because you're doing what he couldn't do.'

'Well, whatever happens we have another battle to fight. The sooner we start the sooner it'll be over.'

Derek sent scouts ahead to see what the enemy army in the open was doing.

'My compliments to Lord Hannibal,' he told an officer. Tell him to march his pikemen out into the open and form them up for battle, but he is not to engage the enemy until I give the order.'

An officer came up and saluted. 'Sir, the Barbarians are all dead. We have three hundred and twenty horses, and the archers are bringing more in from the forest all the time. What do you want done with them?'

'Give them to the archers, they can ride instead of walking.'

'That's no good,' said Frederika. There's not a saddle among the lot of them.' She too had a guilty conscience because she had not been quick enough to defend Derek and was glad to talk about something else. 'Besides, the archers are not trained to ride and shoot at the same time.'

'They won't have to,' retorted Derek.

He turned to the officer. 'Give all the horses we have to the archers Make sure they have a commanding officer and a second in command riding with them. Do it now.' The officer saluted and left.

Frederika persisted. 'You're making a mistake. They couldn't shoot an arrow into a haystack, not while riding a horse and trying not to fall off. Besides their war bows are long and could get mixed up with the horses legs and bring them down.'

'Freddie, your job, leading the cavalry, is to protect the mounted archers, the ones that are not riding can stay with us and walk as they always do. Now go and see to it. I'll explain later.'

Frederika sniffed discontentedly and went away. Lord Hannibal rode past leading his pike men, and a company of archers. He did not look at Derek or his party which followed him protected by the marching soldiers.

Derek gave orders that the army was to come into the open and form up in battle order.

Once away from the forest they were joined again by Frederika at the head of the cavalry which was escorting over three hundred archers riding uncomfortably on captured horses and having some trouble with their bows.

'Well, I've got them here,' said Frederika crossly. What am I supposed to do now?' She was accompanied on horseback by the officer leading the archers.

'See that lot?' said Derek, pointing to the army of spearmen marching towards them. That's a phalanx. I've seen them at home on television, on the History Channel.'

No one present knew what television was, or what he was talking about.

'They're armed with spears and swords,' he continued. 'The guys at the back have spears, up to eighteen feet long. The ones in the front have the shortest, and all the spears face forward. That formation in front of us is nearly half a mile wide, and seems to be about four ranks deep. There are a lot of men there.'

'It's no good charging them sir.' advised the officer, the long spears used by the men at the back are just as dangerous as the shorter one's in the front rank.'

'You are not going to a frontal charge. The cavalry, under Lady Frederika, will escort you round the side of their formation and protect you from the Barbarian horsemen. When you are behind the enemy and within bowshot you can order your men to get off and start shooting. Off you go!

'The officer saluted. Frederika laughed. They both saw the simplicity and genius of his plan. Moments later the host of fighters was galloping away towards the right hand side of the enemy line.

The remaining Barbarian mounted warriors were assembled to protect the ends and back of the phalanx. There were not enough of them after their losses in the ambush and they had no commander. They were swept away by Frederika's cavalry. The Carthaginians turned left round the edge of the formation as the Barbarian riders scattered and then they were in position behind the enemy.

Their commander ordered the archers off their horses and the men ran to form a ragged line from where they poured a storm of arrows on the rear of the phalanx.

There was not enough of them to attack the whole of the formation so he concentrated on the half that was nearest.

The men in the phalanx were not used to an attack from behind. It was the job of their cavalry, clustered on either wing to stop that disaster from happening. Now, with over a hundred and twenty archers behind them, equipped with heavy war bows, backed by their own cavalry, spears were useless. Man after man was falling as the heavy arrows thudded home.

A Barbarian officer led his men in the rear ranks to turn and charge with spears and swords against the deadly archers.

The archers did not try and meet them, instead they were ordered to mount their horses and ride away, but turned as they gained enough ground, got off, and started shooting again.

Frederika launched her cavalry at the running men, cutting them down until many threw down their spears and surrendered. She ignored the fugitives after that and led her men and horses in a thunderous charge against that part of the phalanx which was now fatally weakened. They burst through and the line was smashed and scattered.

Derek knew a military disaster when he saw one. He sent Lord Hannibal, with the pikemen and the walking archers to where the rest of the formation had been untouched by the disaster on their left. The officers of the surviving wing, with enemies before and behind, were stunned by the tragedies unfolding around them. They were unable to give orders that would save the situation.

Derek's orders were to attack at the point where the formation had broken, and roll up the yet untouched section of the line.

He sent orders to Frederika to hold back while the archers did their work. That was to destroy the still standing remainder of the phalanx.

Within minutes the remaining part of the line was under attack from both sides. Lord Hannibal and Frederika obeyed orders and held their troops back while the archers softened up the lines of men still cowering in the formation that had let them down so badly.

Derek was watching closely. He could almost smell the fear of the men standing in line, unable to advance or retreat while flights of arrows descended on them, and they were out on a grassy plain with nowhere to hide.

It was then he ordered the trumpets to sound. The hail of arrows stopped. The trumpets roared again and that was signal to the pikemen and cavalry. Frederika, riding in front, hurled her cavalry against the appalled ranks of the phalanx.

On their front Lord Hannibal sent in the pikemen while Frederika's horsemen tore in from the rear.

The line broke and groups of enemy soldiers formed together in the chaos of a lost battle to make a fighting retreat towards the cover of the forest.

They were attacked all the way by Carthaginians to stop them reaching the shelter of the trees. Each group of retreating Barbarian soldiers left a trail of bodies and blood on the grass.

It was the archers who did the most damage. Each man from the phalanx carried a round shield and could ward off sword blows, but they were little protection against the heavy arrows that brought down man after man.

At last fewer than five hundred soldiers from the phalanx reached the forest and turned, with their surviving horsemen, ready to fight to the end.

Derek called off his troops. They didn't want to stop. They wanted to finish off this remnant of the phalanx, but his authority now was absolute. Not one officer or soldier would question the orders of their young, magic commander who had given them such outstanding victories, and at so little cost.

He sent a unit that had arrived too late for the battle to watch the edge of the trees to make sure no one escaped. To evade their enemies the refugees would have to go deeper into the forest.

A supply train of pack-horses and carts was seized also. The guards ran away and hid in the forest when the phalanx broke. Derek sent another unit to guard it against looting so the food it carried would be distributed fairly to his men.

Lord Hannibal came to him after it was all over. Shani, Gus, and Mr. Codd sat very still on their horses as he approached, and fingered their weapons. Hannibal paid no attention to them and said, 'We were right in choosing to make you the general of our armies, no one could have done it better, and I salute you.' He saluted.' I wish to beg your forgiveness for endangering your life. Your bodyguard accused me plotting to kill you. Not so, I want you alive to gain more victories for the empire. I was wrong, and put you in mortal danger, but it was not an act of treachery.'

Derek thought Mr. Codd may have been on to something, but he had no proof that Lord Hannibal wanted him dead. He said, 'Thank you for that. And thank you for your services today, you made a great contribution to our success. As for the remarks made by my bodyguard, don't worry about it. He had just saved my life and was overwrought. I must tell you Lord Hannibal, you have my highest regard. The only observation I would make is that in future you should search and disarm any captive before presenting him to your commanding officer.'

Hannibal saluted again and went away.

Shani, Gus, and Mr. Codd relaxed a little as he departed, but were still wary. Shani was gazing at Derek adoringly, still afraid of the dangers surrounding her beloved, but easier in her mind now the fighting had stopped.

'I haven't trusted that man from the moment I first saw him,' she said.

Gus nodded. 'I think, your worship, that I should sleep in your room until we are out of this,' he said.

'You can take the single bed,' suggested Shani, referring to a second bed that had been brought into the bedroom at Derek's orders.

His conscience had troubled him again and he insisted on sleeping in the new bed in spite of Shani's pleas and complaints that she was lonely in the double bed, and it was cold with only one person in it.

'I can sleep in the passage outside your door,' said Gus.

'No, an assassin might come through the window, your bed can be directly beneath it, and we'll bar the door. '

'Shani turned to Derek. 'You should be with me,' she said. 'I'll sleep with the knife under my pillow in case anyone broke in.'

He smiled. 'Oh yes, and what if you have a nightmare and think I'm a mu