He continued, “First, the promotions! Mickolai, you are no longer a tanker first class, brevetted to general. Your permanent rank is now general in the Human Army, and you are in command of all of the forces on New Yugoslavia. Your seven direct subordinates are now promoted to colonels in the Human Army. In addition, as commander of the entire army, I have created three new ranks, for use by the electronic people among our ranks. Your electronic lady, Agnieshka, is now a major in our army, and the metal people assigned to your colonels are now captains. All other tanks whose observers have graduated from basic training will be given the rank of tanker class A. These new ranks are real, and include substantial pay and benefits.”
The crowd went wild over that one. All of us felt that the electronic people deserved recognition as human beings, and these promotions were a major step on the road to their complete emancipation.
When the cheering quieted down, the general continued, “Next, there is a matter of awards and decorations. We’ll start with your subordinates on those, and I’ll have my scribes read the certificates.”
It turned into quite a long afternoon, with some four hundred and fifty-one medals handed out. And every one of them was accompanied by a scroll stating where and why the action occurred that earned it. Our army wasn’t very heavy on ceremony, but some things you just have to go through. By the time they were through, we were all loaded down with golden trinkets, both us humans and our electronic people, and I was as weighted down with medals as a Russian war hero.
Finally, I had a chance to say, “Thank you, sir. But I have a number of questions I wanted to ask you.”
“Certainly, but save them for the business meeting tomorrow. For now, it’s party time!”
“Yes, sir. But what is happening with my Gurkhas?”
“They will be expanded from a battered battalion up to several full divisions, of course, depending on how many of them actually enlist. You don’t think that I’d pass up a chance to get as many of those magnificent warriors as possible, do you? All of the munitions factories are still operating at full capacity, and your Gurkhas have first priority on equipment and supplies. Now come on and have a beer!”
“Yes, sir,” I said, taking a stein of Russian honey beer from a nearly naked serving wench. These were just computer simulations, more decorations than people. If you talked to one, she could convince you that she was “alive,” but really, she wasn’t anything like Agnieshka, for example. “But, why are we expanding the army when the war is over?”
“The War with Earth is over. The next war will be a long one, and it has already started.”
“What?!”
“There’s plenty of time, Mickolai. We’ll talk it over tomorrow.”
“But!”
“Drink your beer, General Derdowski. That’s an order.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
FROM CAPTURED HISTORY TAPES,
FILE 1846583A ca. 1832 a.d.
BUT CONCERNING EVENTS OF UP TO
2000 YEARS EARLIER
A Pleasant Social Event
Kren took a book at random from the bookshelf within reach of the cot he was lying on. He had been quite sure that he could read, but he had never before actually had the opportunity to do so. He was delighted to find that the words and the thoughts came to him from the printed page without any difficulty at all.
The book he read concerned the history of a period eight gross thousand years before, when the planet had first become completely populated, and population pressures were forcing the first dukedoms into existence.
After about an hour, Bronki came in with a stack of books under her arm.
“Do you enjoy reading Koki?” she asked.
“Very much,” he said, somewhat confused. He had to look at the cover again to see what she was talking about. It was a moment before he realized that she was referring to the author of the book. He had never before considered that each book had some person who had written it. In all of his memories of them, books simply were. They somehow just came out of nothing, or perhaps had always been there.
“I think perhaps that Koki might be a bit specialized for you to start with. I suggest that you start your study of history with Samsid, here, which is a generalized overview of history. That is, of course, if you’ve never read him. I mean, it’s a very popular book, and you must have had a library available to you in the military.”
“Have you ever seen a military library?” he asked, sitting up, and putting his feet on the pleasantly decorated orange and red carpet.
“No. In truth, I have had very little contact with those in your profession.”
“Then let me enlighten you. A library suitable for an entire battalion would fit easily into this room. At least half of it would consist of military regulations. These books are feverishly read by miscreants who are looking for a way out of being punished for the crimes that they have committed.
“Perhaps a third of it will concern truly military subjects. Books on war, tactics, weapons, and so forth. These are often checked out by junior officers who carry them around, wishing to impress their superiors with their diligence. Few show any evidence of ever having been actually read.
“There will be a few shelves of so called ‘fine literature,’ donated by local literary academics who wish the soldiers to improve their minds, or by poets who are otherwise unable to dispose of their thin books of bad poetry. These are all in pristine condition, having been neither checked out nor read.
“Then there will be a half shelf of the crudest possible humor, usually left behind by dead soldiers. These books are inevitably worn to tatters.”
Bronki laughed.
“At least your literary impoverishment has not ruined your sense of humor! Look here. I’ve also brought you general books on the sciences, mathematics, and the arts, as well as a novel called The Soldier’s Life. It has been well reviewed, but perhaps you could tell me if it is really accurate or not. I’m considering using it in my contemporary literature class next semester.”
“I would be happy to give you my opinions on it, once I’ve read it.”
“Thank you. For myself, well, I usually live a sedentary life, and today’s long walk has left me tired. I shall read for an hour, and then go to sleep. Please do as you wish. My home is your home.”
“You honor me beyond my deserts,” Kren said. “I think that I will stay right here and read one of your books.”
Kren started to read The Overview of Mitchegai History, which started some three and a half million years ago, and stopped on this planet within a gross years of the present. It started with their earliest beginnings in the myths and the archeology of a planet over a thousand light-years away from the one he was living on. It discussed the beginnings of agriculture, and the strange animals that had existed back then, many of which the Mitchegai had actually eaten!
Kren shuddered at the very thought of it, but continued reading late into the night until sleep closed over him.
It was late morning when he awoke and went outside to relieve himself. He was drinking from the fountain in the living room when Bronki came in from one of the study dens.
“You slept late, my friend.”
“I was up late. Your history book was very interesting,” Kren said.
“We are a remarkable species. To think that we made it from living in primitive huts to launching ourselves into space in only a million and a half years! It was an amazing accomplishment!”
“I suppose it was, but actually, I haven’t gotten that far yet. I will read some more of it in the afternoon, if I may. I wouldn’t want to overstay my welcome here.”
“That is something that you couldn’t possibly do. I enjoy your company. You are someone as new and refreshing to me as I am to you. But for this afternoon, well, I haven’t eaten lately, and country grown food is so much better than what is available in the city. What would you think of a hunt? Have you eaten recently?”
“Not nearly enough. Yes, a hunt would be wonderful!”
“Good! And bring your spear along.”
“A spear? To hunt a juvenal?”
“I want to see if you are really as good with that thing as you claim.”
Only a half mile from the house, they spotted a large juvenal grazing, about a gross three dozen yards away.
“Could you hit her from here?” Bronki asked.
“It’s a long shot, even with a running throw. I’d only give myself half a chance of hitting her.”
“Try it anyway!”