Chapter Five - Luck
“Yes, I know he is a good general,” declared the Emperor Napoleon, when discussing whether to promote an officer. “But is he lucky? Give me lucky generals.”
“No more Boothroyd,” said Honey when Gideon got to the bottom.
“Hope not. Let’s get on,” the soldier replied.
They walked on in silence, as Gideon had requested. It was the first time they had been outside the Structure, but the landscape was not all that different to parts of Earth. The grass was brownish rather than bright green and the trees were slim and pine-like, interspersed with straggly bushes that could have been difficult to get through but for the fact that they grew in clumps, leaving natural, wandering paths between them.
The erratic path they were forced to take could have made navigation difficult but the Midi sentries kept two fires burning in front of the visitor’s centre. Gideon simply had to keep the fires on his left until he got past the dark mass of the visitor’s centre, then turn left to walk behind it. The two catapults would then be ahead and to his right, behind the centre. The only sentries were the ones making navigation easier for the human raiders by keeping fires alight. The human party did not encounter anyone.
Before going behind the centre, the soldier had his small group stand and watch for a minute. All seemed quiet. The Midi sentries were trying to keep awake watching the front of the structure. Then Gideon noticed that Honey and Colin were holding hands.
“Will you two stop holding hands,” he whispered. “This is meant to be a military operation, not a lover’s stroll.” Honey smiled and shrugged her shoulders but gently shook off Colin’s hand. Colin, as usual, said nothing. “Weapons out, guys.” The men opted to keep knives in their hands. Honey decided to keep her sword at the ready, lying on her right shoulder.
When they got to the catapults they found another sentry, just as bored as the two in front of the structure, standing twenty paces or so in front of the devices that he was meant to be protecting, facing outwards. Gideon’s little band found that it could wend its way through the undergrowth behind the Midi with minimal precautions.
“Take him out?” whispered Monster when they got to the catapults.
“Not yet,” whispered Gideon. “When these light up he’ll come rushing over. Come in behind him then.”
Monster nodded and crept off into the darkness while Gideon, Honey and Colin poured the flammable liquid they had bought over the bare timber frames of the catapults. Gideon noted that the timber used in the two completed and one unassembled siege engines seemed surprisingly well finished. They used Monster’s cigarette lighter, which had been found in his personal effects, to set off the liquid, then stood to one side watching the flames take hold, until even the sentry noticed that something was wrong. He ran up, spear at the ready, yelling in alarm but was pointing the wrong way. Monster crept up behind the Midi, as the creature stood yelling, wrapped on arm around him and used the other to bury a knife in its back. The former biker took the creature’s shield and spear and joined the others.
“Time to go,” said Gideon. The yelling and light brought the sentries from the main camp and these were joined by others who had seemingly rolled out of bed to take in the show. As far as Gideon could see, no-one in the growing crowd of onlookers was wondering why the catapults had suddenly caught fire. There was no move to grab arms and form strong patrols to scour the area. He thought that the Midis might not have the long history of raiding and sabotage, of which even the least military humans were aware. Maybe that meant the humans could simply walk back the way they had come, unhindered? It was not to be.
While walking to the catapults, the humans had unknowingly walked between the tourist centre, which housed a lot of Midis, and one of the camp’s designated bathroom areas in some bushes. They had not bumped into any of the creatures answering a call of nature coming out, but on their way back one of the taller, stronger officer-class Midis with a red band around his neck – which they soon started calling “Red Bands” as opposed to the “Black Band” soldiers - happened to be at the bathroom area. He saw the bonfire and walked towards it, straight into the two leading humans, Colin and Honey.
He just loomed up out of the darkness, Honey said later. Reacting quickly the Midi drew the knife which was another mark of his rank and stabbed Colin. Honey shrieked, swung her sword which she still carried across her shoulder with two brawny arms, and neatly severed the Midi’s head from its body.
“Jehoshaphat!” exclaimed Monster.
Honey knelt beside Colin but there was nothing to be done. He was already gone. She stood up again, just as Gideon noted that a trio of the Midis, drifting in to watch the unscheduled night time entertainment, had diverted to see what the yelling and group of unfamiliar figures were about.
“Honey, I’m sorry about Colin but we’ve attracting a lot of attention. It’s time to go.”
“I’m not going no place,” said Honey. Gideon was taller than Honey but now she seem to glare down at him with eyes that glittered in the firelight and a sword that gleamed, blood dripping from its edges. “This woman has listened to men long enough. Time to get to work.” With that she shrieked “for Colin” and charged at the inquisitive trio. All she knew about using the sword was swinging it but that proved good enough. The first Midi lost his head to a hefty swipe, as Gideon and Monster looked on, stunned. The second backed away clutching for the weapon left by its bed before being decapitated. The third turned to run, squealing for all it was worth, but wasn’t able to outrun Honey.
“Chick’s gone nuclear!” said Monster.
She paused and turned. “Are you men coming to the party?” she asked, sword up, her two hands just fitting around the handle. The crowd that had gathered for the bonfire had now turned to see what the noise was about. Two of the Red Band Midis, as Gideon could just see in the light of the bonfire, had produced knives, the rest had nothing in their hands and were eyeing the action uncertainly. The Midis had mostly rolled out of wherever they had been sleeping and had wandered over to watch the fire, Gideon realised, without bothering to bring their weapons. Humans had previously proved as harmless as earth sheep and a few rocks from the structure did not mean much. Why bring along heavy implements?
Gideon made an instant decision. Time seen to slow. “Sam, one side of Honey, half pace back and start thrusting!” He grabbed the Android, as Honey jogged off, gathering pace. The Midis watched her come, bemused. “Monster, same with Fred on the other side. Half pace back. Push him there. We protect the rear.” Gideon raised his sword. “Charge!”
“She rides with me,” said the biker, getting the idea. He drew his sword with one hand and put his other hand on Fred. “Charge!”
They started running, just as Honey, now also running full tilt, crashed into the Midi crowd. Two heads flew immediately. A Red Hand with a knife, use to compliant humans, held up a hand with a knife in it commanding her to stop and submit. Instead of swinging her sword, Honey thrust it instead, screaming “Colin!” as it bit deep. She kicked at the now gurgling Red Hand to unstick the sword and the creature dropped to the ground, spurting blood. Just as humans and androids arrived, yelling.
Sam went to the left of Honey, Fred to the right, where they were pushed by Gideon and Monster, then they started thrusting – a regular back and thrust motion as they had been taught – at anything that came within range of their makeshift spears. Predictable but effective. Honey kept moving, swinging at any Midis within range. Gideon grabbed Monster who showed signs of wanting to wade in to the crowd himself.
“Protect the rear, keep them off Honey!” he said. Monster nodded.
Then the battle proper started.
A Red Band Midi with a knife appeared to Gideon’s right intent on knifing someone in the back.
“Kill! Kill!” yelled Gideon. It was something to yell. He thrust hard at the Midi who reared back and tried to block the thrust with his knife, but the edge of Gideon’s sword still found the creature’s throat. The Midi fell away, clutching at spurting blood. Another Midi, a Black Band appeared. Gideon swung at him, yelling “Kill! Kill!”. The Midi, who had no weapon at all, jerked away, avoiding the sword but falling over the still twitching Red Band body. Gideon was aware of Monster beside him yelling “Pythons” and swinging his sword. Honey was yelling “for Colin!” Then the humans became aware that the crowd was shredding, the Midis scattering in all directions, squealing. With no victims in range, Honey also started running. None would escape.
Gideon looked around and realised that they were close to the visitor’s centre and the Midi camp. This was a collection of shelters ranging from lean-tos through to odd-shaped canvas structures on the gorge side of the visitor’s centre.
“Honey make for the bridge,” Gideon shrieked. “Road ahead. Follow that.”
He thought that Honey would go around the camp. No. Midis were in there, grabbing weapons and that could not be allowed. She waded straight in, Fred and Sam by her side, stabbing repeatedly, even when there was nothing to stab at, scattering canvas, wood, pots and pans and assorted camp gear in front of them. Another Midi lost his head. They hit the road. Honey spotted a group of Midis, some with weapons, that had been rallied by a Red Hand to face the raging monster that had suddenly appeared. She was having none of it.
“For Colin,” she shrieked.
“Kill! Kill!” yelled Gideon and Monster, pushing Sam and Fred.
They crashed into the Midi group, Honey’s sword swinging. She slew and spared not. The Red Hand leader was skewered by a thrust from Sam, the android ignoring a return sword chop. Two more heads flew. The rally group broke apart and ran for the bridge which could be seen in the light of the burning siege engines. Honey sprinted after them making her support group run to keep up. Two more Midis were too slow and fell victim to Honey’s swinging sword. Then they were at the bridge, and Honey was out of energy. She stopped, panting, leaning against one of the bridge supports. She started sobbing, sliding down the support, dropping her sword and falling on her side onto the deck of the bridge.
“Colin!” she said, between sobs.
Gideon was suddenly aware that he was also weary to the point of collapse, and he sat down on the grass beside the bridge gasping. So did Monster. The soldier looked around. Apart from corpses scattered on the ground and two Midis silhouetted by the light of the burning siege engines, running for their lives from the head-chopping monster, there was no sign of the detachment that had been besieging the structure. No enemy. The battle was over, and it was a Honey-fuelled victory.
Monster also looked around, awe evident in his face.
“Honey,” he told the sobbing figure on the bridge deck, “I’m never, ever gunna piss you off.”