Chapter 71 – His Good Deed

Flik yawned hugely as he stood in the great hall, peering out through the windows that overlooked the city. It was a fine morning, and he wished that he were out enjoying the weather, rather than listening to Shu.

"So what exactly are his diplomatic credentials?" Shu asked Fitcher.

Viktor walked over next to Flik and nudged him in the ribs. "Someone didn't get enough sleep last night?"

Flik shook his head. "I thought we were supposed to have this day off," he muttered.

Meanwhile, Fitcher was answering Shu's question. "He calls himself a bandit. A Lampdragon bandit. However, his lack of diplomatic standing shouldn't be an impediment, but an opportunity. We might be able to use this to establish relations with the government of Tinto." Shu stared coolly at Fitcher, who rubbed the back of his neck and added, "Maybe."

"Why do we have to be here?" Flik whispered. "Surely they can do this without us?"

Viktor shrugged. "You never know; it might be important."

"I say we listen to him," Nanami opined, glowering at Shu.

"Thank you for your opinion," Shu responded dryly, glancing sidelong at her. Then he addressed the rest of the assembled generals. "Has anyone here ever heard of the Lampdragon bandits? Ridley? Teresa? Do either of you two know about this organization?" Nanami, now that Shu's back was to her, briefly stuck out her tongue.

Teresa shook her head. Her face was sunburnt, but she'd applied some sort of cream to hide the redness. Her hair was back in order, but she still looked exhausted. "I suppose they could've sprung up since I left Greenhill," she replied.

"I don't think bandit trash would have any official standing with Tinto's government," Ridley added.

Shu nodded. "I see. Is there anyone else who wants to offer anything? Viktor, Flik, you two are awfully quiet. I didn't invite you here so that you could stand by the windows and daydream."

Flik snapped to attention now that Shu's gaze was on him. He turned back to face the rest of the room. Besides those who'd already spoken, Kiba, Klaus, Apple, and Riou were in attendance. All of them were looking in his direction.

"Well, why don't we let him in? We could waste the rest of the day arguing about it, or we could hear what he has to say." Nanami gave Flik a winning smile. Even Riou appeared to favor that answer.

Shu put a hand to his forehead as if feeling at a headache. "Fine. Call this messenger in and let us hear what he has to say."

The messenger turned out to be a teenage boy. At first sight, Flik could tell that he'd come from poverty. His brown hair was an unruly mess. His sleeveless tunic and short trousers were of faded green. Scars crisscrossed his arms and legs. His feet were bare and blistered. It was a wonder that he had all his teeth.

For a moment, he stared around the room, completely in awe of all the famous people he was around. Flik, feeling pity for him, prompted, "What is your name, messenger from Tinto?"

The boy leaped into the air. When he landed, he went into a deep crouch, throwing his face to the floor. "Where are my manners? Sir Riou…no that's not it. Lord Riou - damn! Lord Riou, great and mighty-"

"Just Riou will do," Riou replied. "Please, look up at me when you talk."

The messenger's face was awestruck, but when he saw Riou more closely, he broke out into a friendly smile. "The name's Koyu, Lord Riou. It's a pleasure to meet you!" That last part came out as "tameetcha" to Flik's ears.

"And what is it that you want Lord Riou to do?" Flik continued.

Koyu jumped again. "Oh, yes! Let me tell you. We are the three Lampdragon bandits. There's brother Gijimu and sister Lo Wen and me and we were all living as best we could in the mountains and the Highland Army guys came and poked around so we picked up our weapons and we drove them out, yes we did! They were afraid of us, the three Lampdragon bandits. We got them to run away." He looked around for appreciation.

"You what? Who did what again?" Ridley asked. Flik could hear the skepticism and confusion in the kobold's voice.

"Me and my brother and my sister," Koyu answered, smiling. "But then, when we thought every thing was all right, these strange guys attacked. What could they be, we thought. They were these pale faced guys that looked like dead people and they attacked. They were so hard to fight. You could lop off limbs and they wouldn't even say 'ouch'!"

"Zombies!" Viktor shouted, anger on his voice.

"Yeah…uhh…zombies," Koyu affirmed. "That's what Marlowe was saying too. He said he read it in a book but I don't read a lot of books so I wouldn't know. But there were too many of them…zombies that is, not books. They're crawling all over the mountains and getting closer to the big city. That's why my brother sent me here." He bowed his head again, though he remained standing. "I, Koyu, beg Lord Riou to hear our request and help my brother and sister. That is my request."

"Damn, it must be Neclord," Viktor said. "The damn coward's always hiding behind his ghouls."

"It is possible," Apple replied, in a detached tone. "During the Liberation War in Toran, Neclord also employed zombie soldiers to try and take over a province."

"Riou, we've got to check on this," Viktor appealed. "I can't wait to get my hands around his neck and squeeze the life out of him. He got away from me here, but I'll pay him back for good this time." Flik glanced over at his friend. His habitual smile had become closer to a snarl, and his eyes shone with an intense fervor.

Shu coughed to get their attention. "We cannot deploy the New State Army recklessly. The terrain in Tinto is broken and mountainous, full of ravines where an army might get caught and torn to pieces. Furthermore, there is nothing to gain by doing this. The government of Tinto has made it perfectly clear that they intend to sit out the war. Right now, we have the strategic initiative; we can't afford to waste it by frittering away our resources."

"People are suffering," Nanami shouted back. "You don't care about anyone!"

Red anger began to creep its way up Shu's face, but he controlled it. "Now is not the time or place for this argument."

Viktor walked towards the dais, spreading his hands out in a pleading gesture. "What about a small group? Riou, Flik, and I could go into Tinto together. Neclord's got to be stopped, don't you think so, Riou?"

Riou had been studying Koyu throughout the discussion. "I've been wondering, why hasn't Gustav sent soldiers to help you?"

"Who knows?" Koyu shrugged his shoulders. "I don't bother much with the city folk and as long as we don't bother their mining they don't bother us." Ridley was left scratching the top of his head trying to sort out all of those "bothers."

"So they don't care about you either?" Nanami asked.

"I guess not, pretty girl," Koyu answered, blushing a little at the words.

Ridley growled in displeasure. "Nanami is not some 'pretty girl,' pup! She is the sister of Lord Riou, leader of this army." For her part, Nanami was blushing too.

"Si-sister," Koyu gasped. "So, she's like your older sister?"

Riou nodded. "I think we should help them, Shu. I intend to go with Viktor and Flik to Tinto."

"And what about my meticulous plans, Lord Riou? There are operations that must commence while the weather is still good." Shu appeared more exasperated than angry, sighing heavily at the end of his argument.

Riou face him. "You must trust me on this, Shu. The people of Tinto need help, and we are able to give it. Don't we have a duty to do this?"

"That's my little brother!" Nanami interrupted.

"There will be time to do battle when I return," Riou vowed. "I promise."

Shu looked as though he'd bit into something unpleasant. "Then I will support you in this. Ridley-" the kobold general snapped to attention "-ready your kobolds for immediate departure. I'm also attaching Freed's South Window infantry to you for the duration. You will proceed to Tinto via Drakemouth and place yourself at Lord Riou's disposal."

Ridley bowed at the waist. "Yes, Lord. It will be an honor."

Shu scanned the room. "Klaus, I would like you to go along with Lord Riou and serve as his strategist for this campaign."

"You will not be going?" Klaus asked.

"There are things that must be done here to prepare for the coming campaign to liberate all of Dunan. I am certain that you will be more than adequate in my place."

Kiba put a hand on his son's shoulder. "You will do fine, my boy. Now is your chance to prove yourself."

Klaus swallowed. "Of course, father."

Shu's gaze swung back across the room landing on Flik. Flik couldn't help but feel a touch of nerves. "Unfortunately, I must beg that Flik remain here."

"No chance," Flik shouted. "I'm not staying behind on this one."

"Flik, I can recruit soldiers into your unit. I can make sure they have the proper training to fight. Only you can meld them into an effective force under your command. I need you to stay behind to do that, otherwise I'll have to strip you of your command and give it to someone else." Shu's tone was entirely business, but the threat was very real. "I need your scouts as a fighting unit, and I need them ready for the upcoming campaign."

Flik looked to Viktor, who gave him a slight nod and a smile. Heaving out a huge sigh, Flik acceded to the demand. "All right. Your words make sense, Shu. I'll stay behind this time."

"Don't worry, Flik, I'll save some of the fun for you. Maybe I'll bring back an ear or something." Viktor sounded positively eager to come to grips with Neclord, maybe too eager. Flik hoped his friend wouldn't do anything reckless when confronted with the opportunity.

With the decision made, the great hall started to clear out, but Flik remained behind, eyes on the floor. He heard Apple question Shu. "Do you really think it's wise to let Lord Riou go like that? He'll be going into tremendous danger."

"You told me once that you didn't want me pushing him into things. Perhaps it's time to give him some rein and see what he does. Honestly, there is danger in any direction he takes now, and I like it no better than you do." Shu and Apple's footsteps echoed as they walked down from the dais. "Flik, I'm glad you chose to remain behind." Shu's tone was friendly, and Flik looked up to see the strategist regarding him with a warm expression. "It shows that you have a sense of responsibility to your men. Soon, I shall be reorganizing the command structure of the army for the forthcoming campaign. That said, I will need responsible generals who are capable of independent thought, like yourself." He nodded and concluded, "Carry on, general. You have your men to see to." He and Apple walked on, out of the room.

Flik pondered those words for a moment. Was Shu telling him that he was in line for a promotion? Flik wasn't sure how he felt about that. During the Liberation War his unit had served directly under Tir McDohl. He was comfortable in the role that he had. Still, if Shu needed him for greater things, then all he could do was his best.

He left the great hall, his strides carrying him towards the barracks. It was time to go back to the business of leading his men. He bustled into the building, calling for his men to turn out for inspection. Before the inspection could begin, there was one piece of administration that Flik had to take care of.

Somewhere during the fighting against Luca Blight, the senior sergeant Tarrance had disappeared and never returned. Flik didn't know if he were dead, missing, or captured. He'd kept the slot open, hoping that the promising young man might show up. He hadn't and now it was time to fill that position. He called in a file leader by the name of Al, a tall, thin man that had joined his unit in Muse City.

As the candidate closed the door to Flik's office in the back of the barracks, Flik studied him one more time. Since joining, Al had always cut a dashing figure among the mercenaries, managing to stay immaculately groomed, almost to the point of being a dandy. His long, black hair was tied behind his neck by a green ribbon. Moreover, he'd provided his own mount and weapons upon joining Flik's men. The bored son of a noble, perhaps? It was a mercenary's prerogative to hide his past, so Flik didn't ask any questions now. Whatever this man's background, he'd proved his toughness by surviving to this point, including making it through the ride around Muse. To underscore this point, Al didn't move with his usual panache today, but shuffled stiffly to attention.

"You asked for me, captain?"

Flik nodded. No time for doubts. Hopefully this man would grow into his job. "Al, I'm giving you a raise. To go along with that, I'm giving you Tarrance's company. Congratulations, senior sergeant." He stood up and offered his hand.

As expected, the tiredness fell off the new sergeant's face. "Sir, yes sir!" He snapped a smart salute and then stepped forward to shake Flik's hand.

"Well, let's see how the men look." Flik and Al walked through the now empty barracks to the field beyond, where the mounted archers waited at attention. While Al went to take Tarrance's old position, Flik mounted yet another new horse, a mare with a brown coat that faded to white with brown spots along her back, quarters, and below her knees. He wondered how long this one would last.

Turning his attention away from the horse, he looked out over his unit. As Shu had said, there were plenty of new recruits. A quick glance suggested that he was probably back to full strength – five hundred men. Here and there had could pick out the faces of his veterans, men who'd been with him in Toran and East Muse, before the burning of the fort. They were just a bare handful now. There were others, too, men like Al who'd been recruited in Muse City and South Window Province. They'd seen action against Kiba and Luca Blight. Altogether, they amounted to sixty men.

The recruits looked fresh and young. Flik wondered what they would do if they were faced by Culgan's veterans. "Gentlemen," Flik said, pitching his voice up to carry, "welcome to the mounted scouts – first into battle and last to retreat!" The men, raw recruits and old veterans, cheered at that. Flik maintained a tight smile. Nobody needed to tell him that his unit had the highest casualty rate of any in the army. Many of these eager faces would become death masks in the battles ahead. When the cheering subsided, he continued, "We are the eyes and ears of the New State Army! We ride further and fight harder so that the army might have victory!" More cheers. The young men looked eager to meet an opponent, the veterans smiled with pride.

Flik drew his sword, an action quickly followed by the four senior sergeants, then the file leaders, and finally the regular men. The rising sun reflected off of a veritable field of glistening metal. "Now, prove to me you have what it takes!" Flik shouted. "We ride, in column, by company, follow me!" He turned his mare and trotted down the line, past Al's new company, heading for the street leading out from the mustering field. Al's men swung into column, not perfectly, but in good time. They were followed by the other three companies, Jerrim's, Danel's, and Rossgard's bringing up the rear.

People stopped to watch as the procession made its way through the streets of the city, heading for the south gates. Flik had to keep the pace slow out of respect for the civilians who shared the streets, but once beyond the city limits, he put the men through a series of maneuvers. At one point they even shadowed the long column of kobolds and infantry marching south out of the city – Ridley's soldiers heading off to support Riou in Tinto.

In total, there were only four falls severe enough that the men wouldn't be able to return to service. As the sun was setting, Flik led his men back through the streets of the city and pronounced himself reasonably satisfied with the day's work. Dismissing the men, he ate dinner, and climbed into bed with every intention to do more of the same tomorrow.

So they did, but a surprise awaited Flik as he led the men back to barracks for a second day. A soldier from another unit and a civilian were waiting for him on the mustering field.

The soldier spoke first. "Captain Flik, this man has a concern-"

"Bloody hell I have a concern," the civilian interrupted, striding towards Flik. He was a young man, younger than Flik, with blond hair and good clothes. He would've been handsome except that his face was sporting a black eye and his cheek was swollen. "Your lot of scoundrels came and abducted my sister, roughed up me and my father, and damaged our property. I demand satisfaction!"

All activity in the yard stopped. "Hold everyone here!" Flik commanded. "Senior sergeants, no one is dismissed without my authority. The men are to form at attention." As the mercenaries started moving again, Flik pondered the allegation. He hated to think that his men might've done this, but it was within the realm of possibility.

"Let's go into my office," Flik suggested, trying to calm the young man. "I want to hear the details."

"No!" he shouted. "I want the perpetrators brought to justice. There!" He pointed to the assembling men. "There's the ringleader! Arrest him!"

Flik's eyes followed the line the fingers described, leading to one of his men, who shifted nervously in his saddle. Flik sighed; it was one of the veterans, a ranker in Rossgard's company. "John, if you would come over here." The veteran slipped out of his saddle and slowly walked over. He was one of the ones from Toran, a man Flik's age with reddish hair and a scar on his jaw. He looked shamefaced at first, but, seeing his accuser, his expression changed to anger. "Did you kidnap this man's sister?" Flik asked

"Let me explain, captain."

"I didn't ask for an explanation, soldier! I asked for an answer. Did you or didn't you?"

The veteran crumpled under Flik's gaze. "I did, sir." Flik was actually grateful for the quick confession. Interrogating his men wasn't something that he liked, not when they were likely to put up a wall of silence to protect their own.

"He wasn't the only one!" the accuser shouted. "There were a whole bunch of them. They all need to be hanged. And my family needs compensation!"

Flik was liking the accuser less with each passing moment. "What is your sister's name?"

"Natalie!" This from both men.

"How dare you speak her name!" the accuser roared.

This brought John to anger. "How dare you pretend to care for her! You're only here for the potch!"

"Silence!" Flik commanded, stepping between the two of them before they could come to blows.

Only his soldier complied. "Now he lies!" the accuser yelled. "String him up!"

Flik turned to face him fully. "Shut up. Why don't you stop agitating my men and let me finish my investigation, thank you very much."

About ten soldiers had gathered behind John. All of them were veterans. "We were with him, captain," one of them said. "You shouldn't make everyone else suffer for what we did."

Flik sighed. "Thank you, but I'll take my own counsel." He looked back at John. He didn't see the face of a rapist there, but faces could be misleading. "Where is Natalie now?"

"We left her with Leona and Barbara."

Flik called Rossgard over. "Did you know of this?"

"No, sir. I heard them talking about someone getting 'what was coming to him,' but I didn't think to make any connection."

Flik nodded. "Get to Leona's. Find this girl. Bring her here. I want to hear what she has to say." Rossgard rushed off to follow the orders. Flik shook his head and tried to calm down. "What's your name?" he asked the accuser.

"Andrew." He seemed very uncomfortable now, frowning deeply and shaking his head. "Look, all I want is for Natalie to come home and for my family to be compensated. There's no need to bring her here. The fact that she's not at home is evidence enough."

"I think there is a need," Flik replied. "Her testimony is critical." The sun was setting, casting long shadows that contrasted with yellow light against the white walls of the compound. A cool wind was picking up off the lake. "Why don't we go inside?" Flik asked.

"No!" Andrew practically shouted, his teeth and eyes clenched tight in anger. "You're not getting me inside there, alone with you…barbarians!"

Flik tried hard to suppress his growing dislike. He was sorely tempted to throw this whole controversy up to someone with more authority. But who? Neither Riou nor Shu would want to be bothered by this. He sighed. He was the commanding officer; it was his responsibility.

Rossgard was returning, escorting a slim, blonde girl in a green dress and white apron through the gates. She was young, possibly ten years younger than Flik, and was wide-eyed at having been summoned so urgently. Her eyes found her brother and her expression changed. Was it fear? Distaste? Or just a trick of the shadows? Flik wasn't sure.

Andrew rushed over in her direction. "Natalie, is that you? Thank the heavens you're all right. We can put this whole silly business behind us and go home." He reached out to grab her arm.

She snatched it away and backed up, nearly retreating right back to Rossgard. "I don't want to," she answered. "I'm not going home!" There was movement in Flik's peripheral vision. John was walking forward.

"You silly girl, don't you know what kind of scandal this is for Father?" Andrew pleaded, his voice deceptively gentle. "It's time to stop this game of yours, playing at romance with a mercenary." She drew a step further away from her brother, shaking her head. His face contorted with anger. "Stupid bitch! You will come home this instant!" His hand darted out, open-palmed, in her direction. Flik's legs twitched into motion. He wasn't the only one.

Rossgard caught Andrew's hand before it reached its intended target. "Perhaps you should reconsider," he said.

"Unhand me, mongrel!" Andrew swung his other hand, balled into a fist, at Rossgard.

The senior sergeant dodged the blow easily, then took Andrew's legs out from under him. "Wrong move," Rossgard declared menacingly, pinning him on the ground.

Natalie bounded over towards John, wrapping herself around him in a hug. Flik paused momentarily to study them. She absolutely adored him. He looked a little embarrassed by the affection. That was something else to consider, but not before dealing with the matter at hand. He walked over to where Rossgard stood over Andrew. The senior sergeant hauled Andrew back up off the ground so that Flik could look into eyes that blazed with rage.

"I think her desire to stay with us is pretty evident," Flik said. He was surprised at how calm he felt.

"Fine," Andrew conceded. "If she wants to whore herself out to mercenaries, then she'll never be allowed home. Just give me the potch!"

Flik's eyebrows jumped. "Potch?"

"Your men trashed our home! They injured me and my father!"

Flik stared at him coldly. A ring of soldiers had surrounded them now, all waiting for his next command. "Get me a string of potch. One string."

"What? What is this?" Andrew sputtered, as one of Flik's men ran off to follow the order.

Flik didn't answer until he had the potch in hand. He offered it to Andrew. "Here. One hundred potch. That'll cover the cost for some medicine down at the apothecary."

"Damn you!" Andrew shouted, wriggling in Rossgard's hold. "Damn you, my father's a barrister! He'll bring charges against you and your whole rotten army! We have our rights, you stupid mercenary. Unhand me!"

Flik nodded. Rossgard let the man fall. As Andrew was getting up, dusting himself off, Flik offered the potch again. Andrew slapped the string away, the coins bouncing and rolling through the dust. "Let it be known the injured party refused compensation," Flik commented. Andrew spat at him.

A dozen of Flik's men bore Andrew back to the turf. Flik waited just a heartbeat and ordered, "Off of him! Let him go!" After the soldiers let him back up, Flik could see that Andrew was sporting a bloody nose. "Why don't you leave?" Flik said, without rancor. Andrew didn't reply, but turned and sprinted away. Flik's men gave a hearty cheer.

Flik turned back to where John and Natalie were still locked in their embrace. One problem was solved, but now he'd just inherited another. He walked over to them and glowered until they acknowledged his presence. Both of them, by some minor miracle, had the sense to look ashamed.

"You two. My office. Now."

The cheering stopped, subsiding into quiet whispers. Flik heard somebody comment, "Old John's going to get it now. The captain'll tear him a new asshole for this."

"Rossgard! Dismiss these men to quarters!"

"You heard the captain!" the senior sergeant bellowed. "Get your asses off this field!"

Flik led the two lovers inside and back to his office. The two of them stood nervously in front of his desk while he took a seat and studied them for a moment. He decided that his initial observation was correct. Natalie, being much younger, was besotted with John. John liked her, and liked being with her, but there was nothing that suggested a firm commitment in his eyes.

Flik sighed, deciding to tackle the easier part of this problem first. He shifted to look at the girl. "Do you love John?"

"Of course," she squeaked, then blushed. She certainly was very attractive while blushing.

"Have you spoken with Leona and Barbara about staying with us?" Flik had seen enough to know that where there were soldiers, there would also be women. Many of them played a vital role, in fact. Very few of his men could sew or cook. His mercenaries would've ground to a halt long ago without their help. He and Viktor had decided, when they formed the unit, that any woman that remained with them had to have the approval of Leona and Barbara. Those two also made sure that there was no abuse of women by the soldiers.

"They said I could," Natalie answered. "Please, sir, can't I stay with John?"

John's eyes suddenly took on a worried look, as if he understood where this conversation was headed. Flik forestalled any complaints with a glance. Then turned back. "Thank you. If you'll excuse us, but I have some things to talk about with my soldier. Rossgard will take you back to Leona's. You'll find him at the duty desk, right by the front doors."

She was smart enough to recognize the dismissal and gave John a sweet smile before closing the door behind her. Flik watched him watching her, then waited until the soldier's head came back around to face him. "So, did you actually organize this little raid on her father's house?" Flik asked.

"Sir, she wanted us to-"

Flik held up a hand to stop him. "I don't care what she wanted," he interjected, though not harshly. "Did you organize the raid?"

"Yes, sir."

John cringed, but Flik merely smiled. In fact, he was having trouble not chuckling. He gestured towards a chair and, in a casual tone, suggested, "Why don't you pull up a chair?" When John had finished pulling the chair into place, Flik continued, "It takes a lot initiative to organize a stunt like that and pull it off successfully. You know, a file leader has to have a lot of initiative. He has to be able to organize his squad on the field of battle."

John's eyes lit up at the mention of "file leader." Flik's smile deepened; there was potential in this soldier, potential that he didn't want to waste. He knew that sometimes the best thing to do with a troublemaker was put him in a position to make the most of his skills. "A file leader also has to be responsible. It's his job to make sure his men are ready to go and make it through the fighting. It's not unlike raising children, say." John's throat worked in a nervous swallow.

"And, if you can handle a little responsibility, you might be in line for greater things – maybe sergeant, maybe senior sergeant. Do you know how to read and write?" Flik asked.

"I…uh, a little, sir."

Flik pulled open a drawer and produced a pen and sheet of paper. "Try your name, first," he ordered. John scrawled it out. Flik read it and nodded. "Okay. Now write this: the company will march northwest for two miles to the town of Roxford and hold positions there." It was legible, but only because Flik knew what was on the paper. He set it down. "Work on your writing and you might even end up as a full officer. They'll need those, since the army's growing."

"You think so, sir?"

"It could happen," Flik hedged. "But only if you take responsibility and work at it. Think about this: you, your children, your beautiful wife, a house in the city, and an officer's pension. Sure beats the hell out of breaking dirt for the rest of your life, right?"

John was thinking about it. Flik could see him working it out in his head. "It does," John replied. "But, will a priest even marry us? All I ever hear them talking about is not stepping out of line or you'll get burned."

"Don't worry about that," Flik answered, trying to sound comforting. "Most of them are more concerned about what you're going to do than what you've already done. We'll find you some priest who's served with soldiers before. He'll understand what this is about."

Actually, Flik wasn't as confident as he sounded. He'd not had much to do with priests during his time in service. He wondered if he ought to speak with Gantetsu on the subject. Could Gantetsu perform the marriage? No, wait, he was a monk. Did that make a difference? Flik found he didn't know.

Those were concerns for another day. He pulled out another sheet of paper and started writing on it. "I'm issuing you a pass, John. Why don't you go down to Leona's and talk this all over with Natalie. I'm sure she'll be interested to hear what you have to say." He stamped the paper, stood up, and offered it, along with his hand, to John. "Congratulations, file leader. That's a very beautiful woman you've got waiting for you, so I won't keep you any longer."

In a daze, John accepted both the paper and the hand, which he shook vigorously. "Sir, I, sir, thank you, sir!"

Flik smiled. "Just be back here by roll call tomorrow."

"Yes sir!"

Once John was gone, Flik settled back down into his chair with a deep sigh. He really didn't like playing "father" for his men, but in this case, he felt it had to be done. He didn't want to leave a girl destitute because she'd chosen one of his men over her family. In a way, the life he'd described was an echo of the one he'd wanted to make with Odessa after all the fighting was over. Hopefully John would be wise enough to make the right choice.

He got up, excused himself from the barracks and returned to his room to sleep, feeling as though he'd done his good deed for the day. Many hours later, he awoke to the sound of someone knocking at his door.

It was Apple. "Flik, are you awake in there? Shu wants to see you, immediately!"

Flik groaned and rolled out of bed, stuffing himself into his shirt before opening the door. Apple had an intense, worried look on her face. "What's this about?" Flik asked.

She shook her head. "I'm not sure myself. He said something about someone named Andrew. He said you'd know what he was talking about. Whatever happened, Flik, I've rarely seen Shu this pissed!"