Dengizga mart (roman) - March to the Sea (novel)

Dengizga mart

Birinchi nashr
Muallif	Devid Veber & Jon Ringo
Illustrator	Jon Ringo (xaritalar)
Muqova rassomi	Patrik Tyorner
Mamlakat	Qo'shma Shtatlar
Til	Ingliz tili
Seriya	Inson imperiyasi Rojer MakKlintok seriyasi
Janr	Ilmiy fantastika
Nashriyotchi	Baen kitoblari
Nashr qilingan sana	2001 yil avgust
Media turi	Chop etish (Qog'ozli qog'oz ) & Elektron kitob
Sahifalar	631
ISBN	0-7434-3580-X
OCLC	50822888
Oldingi	Mart Upcountry
Dan so'ng	Yulduzlarga mart

Dengizga mart ning ilmiy fantastika seriyasidagi ikkinchi romanidir Inson imperiyasi tomonidan Devid Veber va Jon Ringo. Unda shahzoda Rojer MakKlintok va uning kemasidagi sabotaj harakati tufayli begona Marduk sayyorasida marooned bo'lgan va imperatorning o'z polkining qolgan qo'riqchilari haqida hikoya qilinadi va ular sayyoraviy kosmik portga qarab o'z yo'llarini davom ettirishlari kerak. uyga qaytish Yer. Kitob paydo bo'ldi Nyu-York Tayms eng yaxshi sotuvchilar ro'yxati.^[1]

Yangi belgilar taqdim etildi

Rastar Komas Ta'Norton Vasdan tushgan Terdan shahrining so'nggi shahzodasi. A sivil chavandoz va pistoletchi Rastar to'rtdan-dekstruksiyali va eng kuchli jangovar sharoitda ham bir vaqtning o'zida 4 ta to'pponchani aniq o'qqa tuta oladigan nodir mardukaliklardan biridir (xuddi shu narsa uning qilichdan foydalanishiga ham tegishli). Boman Terdan shahrini qamal qila boshlagach, uning amakisi Terdan shohi o'z joniga qasd qilish ayblovini boshlagan edi. sivil Bomat ayolni va bolalarni shahar tashqarisiga olib chiqishi uchun Rastar va uning soqchilari uchun yo'lni ochish. Rastar vatanining yo'q qilinishidan qasos olish istagi bilan yonadi, hali ham bejiz emas. U va uning qo'shinlari Rojer va dengiz piyoda askarlari bilan juda yaqin ishchi va shaxsiy munosabatlarni o'rnatadilar (garchi ularning birinchi uchrashuvi do'stona bo'lmagan bo'lsa ham) va ular safari davomida ulardan ko'p narsalarni o'rganishadi, u esa o'z navbatida yangi uchun qo'llanma bo'lib xizmat qiladi. dengiz piyodalari o'tadigan mintaqa.

Honal C'Thon radalari Vasin shahar-Sheffan shtatining zodagonlari (Boman qo'shinlari tomonidan vayron qilingan) va Rastarning amakivachchasi. Odamlar tomonidan "issiq turtki" sifatida tavsiflangan Honal g'oyat g'azabli jangchi bo'lib, jangovar vaziyatlarda g'alabaga erishish uchun tez-tez aqldan ozish imkoniyatidan foydalanadi. Ammo u biroz aqldan ozgan bo'lsa-da, u hech qanday ahmoq emas va tezkor hayvonlarga minishni juda yaxshi ko'radi va undan ham tezroq odamning transport vositasini sinab ko'rishni xohlaydi. Uning Bomanga bo'lgan nafrati va o'z vatanini yo'q qilish uchun qasos olishni xohlashi, amakivachchasidan ham kattaroqdir, chunki uni imkoniyat kelib chiqqandan keyin Bomanni shafqatsizlarcha ularni yo'q qilishga intiladi. U amakivachchasi singari, u ham odamlar bilan yaqin munosabatlarni o'rnatadi va inson hazillarini yoqtiradi (hazil kamdan-kam hollarda turli xil turlarga yaxshi tarjima qilinadi).

Oliy ruhoniy Gratari Diaspra shahar-davlatining ruhoniy-qiroli. Ko'pchilik Diaspra aholisi oldida kamdan-kam munosib shoh va avliyoning tengdoshi deb hisoblagan Gratar dindor - bu uning e'tiqodi va shahar Xudo ulug'lashda Xudoga ma'qul keladigan suv Xudosiga ishonishi. Uning g'azabini oldini olish uchun U uchun ishlaydi. Ammo uning sadoqati, shaharni uzoq vaqt turg'unlikda qolayotganini va oxir-oqibat unga qarshi fitna uyushtirganini his qiladigan kengash a'zolarining tobora ortib borayotgan noroziligini e'tiborsiz qoldirdi. Ushbu beparvolikka qaramay, u hiyla-nayrang va qobiliyatli hukmdor (bir darajaga qadar), imkoniyat kamligini bilganida noqulay va ziddiyatli siyosatni qabul qilishga tayyor.

Yepiskop Rus From Badiiy Yepiskop va kengashning eng keksa a'zolaridan biri va Gratarning qadimgi do'sti. Juda iste'dodli, mohir, innovatsion va aqlli shaxs (Kosutich uni Leonardo da Vinchiga tenglashtiradi), From Diaspraning turg'unligini boshqalardan ko'ra yomonroq his qiladi, chunki u Xudoning asarlarini loyihalashtirishning qiyin vazifalari bilan kundan-kunga shug'ullanishga majbur. Suv va "nasoslar, nasoslar va boshqa nasoslar". U Gratarga qarshi fitnaning etakchisiga aylanadi va buni amalga oshirishda odamlardan yordam so'raydi. O'zining xatti-harakatlari uchun u Diaspradan surgun qilingan va dengiz piyoda askarlari bilan K'Vaernning Koviga sayohat qilishda qo'shilib, u erda K'aernian armiyasining bosh jangovar muhandisi bo'lib, odamlar tanitadigan qurol va moslamalarni loyihalash va ishlab chiqarishda yordam beradi.

General Bogess diaspran armiyasining qo'mondoni, Xudoning qo'riqchisi. Shahar kengashidagi ikkita suv ruhoniylaridan biri Bogess yuqori malakali askar va qo'pol qo'pol qo'mondon bo'lib, o'ziga xos xususiyatga ega va katta kinikka ega. U Diaspraning to'xtab qolayotganini his qiladigan va bu haqda biron bir narsa qilishga urinib ko'rgan hukmron kengash a'zolaridan biridir. Rus From singari, u ham Diaspra jangidan so'ng yordam berish kuchlari bilan birga shaharni tark etib K'Vaernning Kov shahriga jo'nab ketishga majbur, bu erda uning tajribasi unga K'Anernilarni yanada katta jangga tayyorlashda yaxshi xizmat qiladi. .

Grath zanjiri Diaspradagi ba'zi savdogar manfaatlarini ifodalovchi kengash a'zosi. Gratar hiyla-nayrang va jirkanchlik qilar ekan, Gratarning asl mohiyatini ko'r-ko'rona ko'rmasligini yoki uning kengashini qabul qilmasligini anglash uchun Gratarga ma'qul kelishini umid qilib, fitna qopqog'ini puflamoqda. Jang oldidan kutish davrida Grat Bomanni tinchlantirish uchun lobbi qiladi, bu esa Gratarni va boshqa kengash a'zosini turish va jang qilish uchun dengiz kuchlarining harakatlarini jiddiy ravishda susaytiradi.

Krindi Feyn Boman bosqini natijasida harbiy xizmatga tushirilgan Xudoning diaspranlik ishchisi. Dastlab askar bo'lishni istamasada (u va uning hamkasblari buni qilishga majbur), Fain o'zini juda yaxshi askar va undan ham yaxshi qo'mondon ekanligini anglab etdi. U Diaspra jangi paytida o'zini boshqalardan ajratib turadi, minglab baqir-chaqir barbarlar oldida o'zini tinch tutishga va pikmenlar tarkibini boshqarishga muvaffaq bo'ldi, keyinchalik Sindi jangida va oldingi to'qnashuvlarda ustunlik qildi. U oxir-oqibat ofitserga aylanadi va o'z kompaniyasi bilan birgalikda dengiz bo'ylab va noma'lum tomon sayohat qilishda odamlarga qo'shilib, shahzoda Rojer va Inson imperiyasiga sadoqat bilan qasamyod qiladi. U serjant Julian bilan yaqin do'stlikni o'rnatadi, u "buyruq xatosi" tomonidan tishlanganligini aytadi.

Erkum Pol Krindi Fain kompaniyasining serjanti. Ulkan Mardukan, hatto irqiga ko'ra, aql-idrokka (yumshoq qilib aytganda), cheklangan og'zaki mahoratga ega emas (u kamdan kam foydalanadi) va narsalarni oddiyroq ko'rishga intiladi. U nihoyatda kambag'al o'q otar (garchi u bu muvaffaqiyatsizlikni tan olishdan bosh tortsa ham), u inqiroz paytlarida tez-tez va samarali ta'sir ko'rsatadigan g'ayritabiiy qobiliyatini namoyon etadi (odamlar uni qo'llari bilan yaxshi deb aytishadi). U doimo soya qilib turadigan (va soya soladigan) va doimo orqa tomonini kuzatib turadigan Krindi Faynga juda sodiqdir.

General Bistem Kar K'Vaernning Kov qo'riqchisi generalidir. O'zining ulkan kattaligi bilan ham "Kren" (katta suv hayvonlari) nomi bilan tanilgan (Rojer u "skameykada bosish" mumkinligiga ishonadi flar-ta) shuningdek, tezkorligi va hiyla-nayranglari bilan, Kar dengiz piyodalari duch keladigan eng malakali ofitserlardan biridir (Paxner eng qiyin taktik muammolar topshirilganda ham g'alabaga erishishi mumkin deb hisoblaydi) va bo'ysunuvchilari tomonidan yuqori baholanadi. Kar yuragiga gvardiyachidir, u odatdagidek zirhli jerkin va gvardiya askarining jabduqlarini barcha zargarlik buyumlari va regaliyalarisiz kiyib yuradi va unvon huquqiga ega emas va dengizchilar kelishidan oldin Gvardiya uchun munosib byudjet olish to'xtovsiz kurash edi. B'omanning birinchi hujumlarini qaytarishga K'Vaern's Cove-ga ruxsat berdi. Kar, Diaspran faxriylarini mashg'ulotlarda ko'rgan holda, dengiz piyodalarining urush va harbiy texnika sohasidagi yangiliklarini ishtiyoq bilan qabul qiladi va o'z qo'shinlarini xuddi shunday qilishga majbur qiladi, hech qanday bo'ysunmagan xatti-harakatlarga toqat qilmay (juda xavfli, qobiliyatsiz qo'mondonni o'ldirish xavfini tug'diradi) urush o'rtasida urush harakati).

Tor Fleyn Bistem Karning ikkinchi qo'mondoni. Fleyn D'Sleyda tug'ilgan va bolaligida K'Vaern's Cove-ga ko'chib o'tgan, u erda uning oilasi baliqni qayta ishlashning kichik biznesidan taniqli hashamatli tovarlar etkazib beruvchiga, shu jumladan yuqori darajadagi restoranlar tarmog'iga ko'tarilgan. Voyaga etganida Flen oilaviy biznesda o'ziga joy topolmadi va shu sababli shahar gvardiyasiga qo'shildi, shundan beri bu lavozim oilaviy biznesga katta yordam berdi. Ushbu muvaffaqiyat natijasida (va shaharning umumiy muvaffaqiyati) Fleyn K'Vaernning Kovini yaxshi ko'radi va u uchun baxtli hayotini qurbon qiladi.

Turl Kam K'Vaern's Cove kengashining raisi. Noqulay yugurish chizig'i uni kesib tashlaganida oyog'ini yo'qotgan sobiq baliqchi (va o'sha paytda u och qolgandi), u qayig'ini sotishni va siyosatga kirishni tanladi. Ko'p yillik g'ildiraklar va muomaladan so'ng u Raislikka faqat Bomanning soatlariga bostirib kirishi uchun erishdi, bu esa uni oxirigacha puchga chiqardi. Kam Kengash tarkibida mahalliy baliqchilar va qisqa muddatli yuk kemachilarini (asosan ishchilar sinfining fraktsiyasini) anglatadi va Boman o'z shahri atrofida qamalni buzish uchun har qanday imkoniyatni ishga solishga tayyor. Shu bilan birga, u urushlarning yuzaga kelishi mumkin bo'lgan oqibatlarini ko'rmaydi va Pahner va dengiz piyodalari haqiqatan ham g'alaba qozonishimiz mumkin deb o'ylashlarini bilishni talab qiladi.

Wes Til K'Anernian Kengashining taniqli a'zosi va yirik dengiz tashish biznesining egasi. "Eski pullar" va shahardagi yirik korxonalarni ifodalovchi Til dengizchilar kelishi bilan harbiy g'alaba va iqtisodiy yutuqlar uchun imkoniyatni ko'radi va dengizchilar kemalarga egalik qilish evaziga okeanni kesib o'tishlari kerak bo'lgan kemalarni qurishga tayyor. sayohatdan keyin va yangi bozorda qulfni qo'lga kiritish va kema qurish texnikasi. Til, shuningdek, odamlar tomonidan har xil darajada qiziqqan, ammo Rojerdan odamning shahvoniyligi to'g'risida ochiqchasiga so'raydigan, "yuqori sinf" odami bo'lgan hiyla-nayrang va xarakterga ega. U O'Keysi bilan juda ko'p muomalada bo'lgan va fuqarolarni urushni Bomanga olib borish va o'z mavqei va mavqeining butun og'irligini urush harakatlarini ortga surib qo'yish g'ayratini jalb qilish rejalarini qabul qiladi.

Dell Mir Boman bilan urushda dengiz piyodalari o'ylab topadigan yangi qurol va moslamalarni ishlab chiqadigan qiziq, ammo ajoyib K'Vernian muhandisi. Mir o'z karerasini oddiy shogird ustasi sifatida boshladi, ammo o'sha paytda da'vogar ixtirochi va "qarama-qarshi sehrgar" sifatida tan olinib, Bomanga qarshi dahoni olib keldi. U porod qurollarini ishlab chiqishda Rus From bilan yaqindan hamkorlik qiladi, uning har bir so'zini yozib olgan yordamchilar guruhi bilan yomg'ir kabi g'oyalarni tashlaydi.

Fullea Li'it B'oman tomonidan ag'darilib ketganda, shahar tashqarisidagi barcha ayollar va bolalarni evakuatsiya qilish uchun muhr uyushtirgan D'Sley baliqchisining bevasi. Qattiq fikrli va g'ayratli ishbilarmon ayol (juda patriarxal D'Sleyda bunday narsa bo'lmagan), Liit o'z erini dengizda o'ldirganidan va ukasi uni egallab olib, erga tekkandan keyin o'z biznesini tiklashi kerak edi. Uning biznes akumini uni dengizni ko'tarishni tartibga solishga imkon berdi, bu shaharning aksariyat tinch aholisini qutqardi va u D'Sley-ga dengizga ko'tarilishni tashkil qilishda va operatsiyalar boshlangandan keyin shaharga yo'riqnomalar (asosan ayollar) bilan ta'minlashda muhim rol o'ynadi.

Kny Camsan birlashgan Boman barbar qabilalarining eng muhim urush rahbari. Terdan shahrini egallashga qaratilgan birinchi halokatli urinishlardan va oldingi eng katta urush boshlig'ining o'limidan so'ng, Kamsan lavozimga ko'tarilib, Bomanni uzluksiz g'alabalar zanjiriga olib bordi. Uning Tam va Chasten Valli mintaqasidagi Boman qabilalari uchun imperiya tuzish niyatida va Sindini o'z poytaxti sifatida tanlaganligi sababli uning uzoq muddatli rejalari ancha shijoatli. Kamsan hiyla-nayrang va shafqatsiz, chunki u barcha Boman ayollari va bolalarini Sindiga "ularni himoya qilish uchun" buyurgan, shu bilan birga ularni boshqa qabilalarni boshqarish uchun garovga olgan. Biroq, KVaernning Kovi qamalining davom etishi qabilalarni tinchlantirganligi sababli, Kovni tugatib, uylariga qaytishni istaganligi sababli, uning yengilmaslik aurasi susay boshladi.

Mnb Trag Boman boshlig'i va Sindindagi Kamsanning eng yaqin ittifoqchisi. Kamsan o'z xalqi uchun yakuniy rejalari va u bilan to'liq kelishgan holda, Trag Kamsanga zaif rahbarlar har doim o'lik bo'lib qoladigan Boman qabilalarining xavfli siyosatida yurishda yordam beradi. U ko'pincha turli xil qabila rahbarlari va Kamsan o'rtasidagi ziddiyatli vaziyatlarni yumshatish uchun boshqalarning g'oyalari va ehtiyojlarini (hatto Kamsen bo'lmasa ham) yaxshi qabul qiladi. U o'z fikrlarini Camsanga halol aytadi, ba'zida unga eshitish kerak bo'lgan noqulay trutlarni aytadi, ammo Kamsan unga ishonadi, chunki u o'z qo'shinlarini olib chiqib jang qilishga majbur bo'lganda Sindida qoldiradi.

Qalay qalay Boman boshlig'i va Kamsanning eng katta raqiblaridan biri. U Boman urushining "eski maktabining" boshlig'i (jangovar g'azabning yuksak kuchiga ishonish) va Camsan o'rnini egallagan oldingi ustun urush rahbarini qattiq qo'llab-quvvatlagan, Camsanning yoshligidan va u chetga chiqib ketganligidan qattiq g'azablangan. jiddiy taktik qarorlar. U va uning qabilasi Kamsan boshchiligidagi eng notinch.

Tor Cant Tam va Chasten daryolari atrofidagi mintaqani boshqarishni istagan Sindi Despoti edi. Biroq, uning ambitsiyalari uning imkoniyatlaridan ancha ustun edi. U o'zaro shubha uyg'otish uchun shahar-davlatlarning sabotaj harakatlari bilan Shimoliy Ligani beqarorlashtirishga urindi. Ushbu reja amalga oshmagach, u Boman qabilalari va Janubning shahar-davlatlari o'rtasida tinchlik shartnomasi tuzish orqali Ligani ahamiyatsiz qilishga intildi. Biroq, u Boman boshliqlariga haqoratli talablar bilan murojaat qilgan va ular rad etilganida, u taxt xonasiga fitna tashlab, ularni o'ldirishni buyurgan (garchi bu ham rejalashtirilgan bo'lsa). Natijada Boman Janubning barcha shahar-davlatlariga qarshi urush e'lon qildi. Kant Liga Bomanga qarshi tura oladi, ammo uni o'z navbatida zabt etishiga imkon beradigan darajada zaiflashishiga ishongan edi. Biroq, u o'zlarining boshliqlarini o'ldirish g'azabini noto'g'ri hisoblab chiqdi, chunki ular janubning barcha shaharlarini yo'q qilishga qasamyod qildilar va buni misli ko'rilmagan darajada birlik bilan qildilar. Oxir oqibat Liga Bomanning qo'liga tushdi, keyin u Sindida davom etdi, u erda ular shaharni o'ldirib, uni va uning vazirlarini tortib oldilar. U oxir-oqibat Bomanning qo'lida vafot etdi, u mintaqadagi shaharlardagi avvalgi sabotaj urinishlari haqidagi ma'lumot bilan o'z hayotini barter qilishga urinishlariga qaramay, uni o'ldirish uchun alohida zavq oldi.

Uchastkaning qisqacha mazmuni

Marshaddagi voqealardan so'ng (avvalgi kitobning oxirida) Rojer va uning dengiz piyodalari Hadur mintaqasini ozgina voqea bilan bosib o'tib, qit'ani ajratib turuvchi tog'larga ko'tarilishni boshlaydilar. Ular bir kuni ertalab uyg'onib, harorat yoqimli 23 darajaga tushib ketganini va havo endi nam emasligini aniqladilar. Odamlar yoqimli ob-havodan zavqlanib (ular uchun) va qahvani tormozlayotganda, Mardukanlar deyarli koma holatida. Ular isinib bo'lgach, Paxner qanday harakat qilishni aniqlash uchun urush kengashini chaqiradi. Kord, Rojerga sharaf bilan bog'liq bo'lib, davom etishi kerak va undan foydalanib omon qolishi mumkin dinshon mashqlar (u qisman o'qitilgan jiyanlariga o'rgatishi mumkin). Ammo D'Len Pah va uning mahovlar qabilasi u qadar o'qimagan va davom eta olmaydi. Beri dengiz piyodalari uchun muammo tug'diradi flar-ta to'plam hayvonlar mahovalarga tegishli. Ba'zi muzokaralardan so'ng dengiz piyoda askarlari D'Len Pah va uning odamlaridan faqat bitta hayvonni sotib olishga qaror qilishdi, ular dengiz piyodalari bilan yo'llarini ajratib, bir Kordning jiyanlari bilan pasttekislikka qaytib kelishdi. Birozdan keyin dengiz piyoda askarlari tog 'vodiysidagi katta shaharni ko'rishadi, ammo yovvoyi podalar ularga hujum qilishadi flar-ka u erga borishdan oldin. Ular podani o'ldirishga muvaffaq bo'lsalar ham, qurbonlar katta va Pahner shaharga etib borgach (Ran Tai deb nomlanadi), dam olish vaqti kelganiga qaror qiladi. D'Len Pahdan hayvonlarni sotib olib, dengiz piyoda askarlari naqd pulga jiddiy ravishda mahkum bo'lmoqdalar va Rojer dengiz piyoda askarlari tarkibini olishni va nisbatan xavfli, ammo yuqori maoshli ish qidirishni taklif qilmoqda. Paxner o'z qo'shinlarini yollanma askarlarga aylantirish g'oyasidan hayratga tushgan bo'lsa-da, agar ular dengiz qirg'og'iga charter olish yoki kemani qurish uchun yetarli mablag 'bilan yetib borishni umid qilsalar, imkoniyatlari kamligiga rozi bo'lishdi.

Tez orada Rojer yuqori maoshli ish topadi: mahalliy shaxta egasi kon ishlarini pasttekisliklardan "barbar" bosqinchilari qabul qilib oldi va kim ularni haydab chiqarishga qodir bo'lsa, bir oy davomida oltin bilan ishlab chiqarishni taklif qiladi. Kechasi Julian guruhni minaning orqasidagi tog'ga olib boradi (Mardukanlar omon qolishi mumkin bo'lmagan joy juda sovuq) va tog 'yuzini pastga tushirib, to'g'ridan-to'g'ri kon atrofidagi lagerga kirib, kam sonli soqchilarni jabrlanuvchilarga bo'ysundirishga muvaffaq bo'ldi har ikki tomon. Keyin Rojer bosqinchilarning etakchisi Rastar Komas T'Nortonni qurol-aslaha bilan uyg'otib, unga narsalarini yig'ib, ketishini aytdi, Rastar «iltimos» bilan istamay rozi bo'ldi. Ammo, shaxtadan oltin qayerda (dengizchilar olishlari kerak edi) deb so'rashganda, Rastar kuladi va ularga ham oltin topmaganligini aytadi. Minalarni qidirib topgandan so'ng, hech narsa bermaydi, Rojer va uning jamoasi ko'ngli qolgan Paxnerga qaytib kelishdi, u mahalliy tavernalarda ichimlik ichishni buyurdi. Kosutich kapitanning nimadir bilan bog'liqligini tushunadi va uni minaga kuzatib boradi, u erda konning oldingi ustasi toshbo'ronlar kelishidan oldin u oltinni yashirgan joyida suv bosgan valni chiqarib tashlayotganini ko'radi. U Paxner va Kosutichni sotib olmoqchi bo'lsa-da, Paxner oltinni olib ketishni rad etadi va Kosutich avtomat chiqarib, uni o'ldirishga majbur bo'ladi. Ular oltinlarini yig'ishganda, Paxner Rojerga qanday qilib uning vazifasi muvaffaqiyatsiz bo'lmaganligini aytishni o'ylaydi va Kosutich unga Rojerga hozircha aytmaslikni maslahat beradi (o'quv tajribasi doirasida).

Ran Tai vaqti boshqa yo'llar bilan ham foydali bo'lib chiqadi. Doc Dobrescu mahalliy meva deb nomlanganligini aniqladi targ'alar (Apsimon deb nomlangan) tarkibida dengiz piyodalari va Rojer nanitlari tomonidan o'zgartirilishi mumkin bo'lgan S vitamini analogi mavjud. Pahner, sayyoramizning dastlabki tadqiqotlari achinarli darajada tugallanmaganligini tushunib, Dobreskuga boshqa har qanday parhez ehtiyojlari uchun duch keladigan har qanday ovqatni sinab ko'rishni buyurdi. Pahner shuningdek kashf etadi Bisti ildiz, mahalliy aholi tomonidan chaynalgan, u tugagan saqich o'rnini bosadigan shpik o'simlik. Tugash vaqti, shuningdek, Julian va Kosutich o'rtasida va Rojer va Nimashet o'rtasida bir nechta romantikaning rivojlanishiga imkon beradi (qat'iyan qoidalarga zid). Afsuski, Rojer konga qilingan reyddan keyin juda mast bo'lib, Nimashetga "aldanmasligini" aytishga urinib ko'rmoqda, bu jarayonda uni haqorat qildi va ular orasidagi muhitni tozaladi.

Odamlar oxir-oqibat Ran Taydan Diaspra tomon yo'l olgan katta karvon boshida ketishadi va tez orada Boman qabilalari hujumiga duch kelishadi. Mardukan soqchilari karvoni hujum paytida yiqilib tushganda, dengiz piyodalari qalqon va qilichlar devorlari bilan o'zlarini ushlab turishga muvaffaq bo'lishadi, ammo hujumni buzishga qodir emaslar. Biroq, yordam kutilmagan manbadan kelib chiqadi, qachonki ular Ran Taydan chiqarib yuborilgan qo'shinlar ularni qutqarish uchun zaryad qilsa. Hujumchilar yo'q qilinganidan va o'ldirilgandan so'ng, Rastar kapitan Paxnerga taklif bilan murojaat qiladi: uning qo'shinlari qo'shinlar va tinch aholi uchun oltin va oziq-ovqat bilan to'lash evaziga karvonga soqchilar sifatida qo'shilishadi. Biroz kelishmovchiliklardan so'ng, Vasin odamlarga qo'shilib, Boman bosqini tashqi tomonlarining qo'shimcha hujumlaridan karvonni himoya qilmoqda. Vasin guruh bo'lib jang qilishga odatlangan uyushgan qo'shinlar bo'lib chiqdi sivil orqa va ular odamlar bilan yaxshi birlashadi. Oxir-oqibat ular Diaspra shahriga etib borishga muvaffaq bo'lishdi, ular shahar darvozasi tomon yo'l olishdi va ularni ko'rishdan juda xursand bo'lgan mahalliy aholi ularni juda yaxshi kutib olishdi.

Diasprada Rastar bir necha ming Vasin otliq askarlarini topadi, ular uni va ularning oilalarini ko'rishdan xursand bo'lishadi va zudlik bilan unga sodiqligini o'tkazib, unga hukmronlik kengashidan joy berishadi. Ammo Diaspraning ruhoniy-podshosi Gratar ularga Bomanning Wespar qabilasi shaharni o'rab olgani va arpa-guruch dalalariga yaqinlashishlariga yo'l qo'ymayotgani haqida xabar bergani kabi, bu yaxshi yangilik. Bundan ham yomoni (dengiz piyodalari nuqtai nazaridan) asosiy Boman qo'shini ular bilan dengiz o'rtasida bo'lib, u erga sayohat qilishning iloji yo'q. Kengash yig'ilishida Vasin qo'mondonlari va Diaspran kengashi a'zolari o'rtasida o'tgan shikoyatlar va mavjud vaziyat yuzasidan his-tuyg'ular ko'tarilib, Paxnerni aralashishga majbur qildi va ularga omon qolishni xohlaysizmi yoki yo'qmi degan qarorga keling. Gratar omon qolish istagini bildirganda, Paxner bunga erishish uchun ko'p noqulay qarorlar qabul qilishlari va oddiy biznesning o'ziga xos xususiyatlarini unutishlari kerakligini aytadi. Shu maqsadda u kengashga shaharning xususiy don omborlarida qo'riqchilarni tayinlashni, belgilangan miqdordagi va narxlarda oziq-ovqat mahsulotlarini tarqatib yuborishni, mahalliy kuchlar va chaqiriluvchilarni odamlarning yangi uslublari bo'yicha o'qitishni boshlashni va bir vaqtning o'zida Wespar bilan shartnoma tuzishni buyuradi. va ularni tanlash joyi. Kengash a'zolari odamlarning texnikasi ushbu urushda g'alaba qozonishi mumkinligi haqidagi va'dalariga shubha bilan qarashadi, ammo oxir-oqibat rozi bo'lishadi va Diaspraning harbiy qo'mondoni general Bogess Xudoning mehnatkashlarini askar sifatida chaqirilishini so'raydi. Kengashdagi ko'pchilik, shu jumladan Gratar, bu iltimosdan mamnun emas, chunki bu mavsumiy Hompag yomg'irlari boshlanishi arafasida Diaspraning toshqin himoyasini saqlab qolish uchun hech kim yordam bera olmaydi. Rojer, o'z navbatida, bunday yomon kunlarda Diaspra katta va kichik yomonliklardan birini tanlashi kerakligini va "Xudoning ishlari" ni saqlash muhim bo'lsa ham, ularga etkazilgan zararni tiklash mumkin, ammo faqat shahar tirik qolgan taqdirda. . Gratar Xudoning ishchilarini Bogessga qaytaradi va ozod qiladi.

Dengiz piyoda askarlari zudlik bilan yangi chaqiriluvchilarni, birinchi navbatda, qanday qilib askar bo'lishni o'rgatishadi va nihoyat, paykak va qalqonga qarshi kurash usullarini o'rgata boshlashadi. Shu bilan birga, Vasin otliq askarlari Diaspraning doimiy safdoshlari bilan mashq qilar, dengiz piyodalari esa jang uchun zarur bo'lgan materiallar va qurollarni ishlab chiqarish uchun Diasprani hunarmandlari va ishbilarmonlariga qo'pol yo'l bosib o'tishadi. Biroq, dengiz piyoda askarlari Bomanni joylashtirish orqali "odatdagidek biznesga" qaytishga harakat qilayotgan ayrim siyosiy guruhlar tomonidan tahdid qilinayotgan Bomanga qarshi kurashish uchun harakatlarini topmoqdalar. Grath Chain ushbu guruhlarning vakili bo'lib, ruhoniy-qiroldan Bomanga Diaspraning ba'zi boyliklarini taklif qilishlarini iltimos qiladi, shunda ular shaharga yolg'iz qolishlari mumkin. Ariza topshirish marosimida ushbu chorlovga tayyor bo'lmagan Rojer, baribir javob berishga muvaffaq bo'lib, "bir marta Dangegeldga pul to'lasangiz, siz hech qachon daniyaliklardan qutulmaysiz" deb aytgan. Agar Diaspra "Boman" ni sotib olishni tanlasa, ular shunchaki qolishga qaror qilishlari mumkin, toki hech kim qolmaguncha ko'proq oltin talab qilsinlar, shunda ular baribir shaharni tugatishadi. Ichki siyosiy muammolar butun urush harakatlarini xavf ostiga qo'yishi mumkinligidan qo'rqib, dengiz piyodalari shahar kengashi a'zolarini xato qilishga qaror qilishdi. Ular kashf etgan narsalar uzoq vaqtdan beri davom etib kelayotgan fitnaga ishora qilmoqda, uning a'zolari hammasi "yaratuvchiga" javob berishadi va juda xavfsizlik bilan yashirin, bularning barchasi dengizchilarning kun tartibini kashf etishlariga xalaqit beradi.

Jang kuni yaqinlashganda, Rojer Gratarga chaqiriladi, u Bomanga nisbatan qanday yo'l tutish borasida jiddiy qarama-qarshiliklarga duch keladi. Gratar o'sha shiddatli Gompag yomg'irlari va tabiatning ulkan qudratiga nazar tashlab, qaysi dushmanni qo'yishini bilmaydi: Torrent Xudosi yoki Boman. Rojer Bomanni sotib olish to'g'risida tinglovchilarda aytganlarini takrorlaydi va agar ular Boman tomonidan yolg'iz qolsalar ham, Xudoning Ishlarini ta'mirlash uchun to'lash uchun mablag 'etishmasligini ta'kidladi. Keyin u Gratarga qadimiy Angkor-Vat shahri haqida aytib beradi, u ham ruhoniylar tomonidan boshqarilgan, shaharni barbar bosqinchilariga qarshi etakchilik qila olmagan. Rojerning so'zlariga ko'ra, bu ruhoniylar o'zlarining dunyosi o'zgarganligi haqidagi haqiqatni qabul qilmaganliklari va ular bilan o'zgarishi kerakligini va shu bilan o'z xalqlarining hukmdorlari sifatida o'zlarining javobgarligini bajarmaganliklarini aytishadi. Qattiq yurakli Gratar Rojerga Gompag yomg'irlari oxirida an'anaviy "Quritish marosimida" qarorini e'lon qilishini aytadi. Kuzatuv harakatlarini davom ettirayotgan dengiz piyoda askarlari, o'lik tomchilarda, kabel dengiz piyodalariga yaqinlashishga va ularning qo'llab-quvvatlashiga harakat qilishlari haqida xabarni topadilar.

Ammo marosimdan biroz oldin Rojerga Rus From murojaat qilib, "ijodkor" bilan uchrashuv tashkil qilishni taklif qiladi. Rojer ikkala dengiz piyodalariga o'z navbatida xabar berganidan so'ng, uchrashuvni kuzatishni buyurgan Paxnerga xabar beradi. Dengiz piyoda askarlari jihozni o'rnatayotganda Rojer va uning soqchilari yer ostiga olib borilayotganda, eshitish moslamalarini yo'q qilish uchun dubulg'alarini echib, palapartishlikdan o'tishlari kerakligi aytilgan (garchi From Toots, ularning uzatilish qobiliyatidan bexabar bo'lsa ham). Rojer va uning soqchilari bunga bo'ysunib, palapartishlik ostidan o'tib, o'zlarini boshqa tarafdagi g'orda topadilar. U erda ular kaput kiygan bir nechta Mardukanlarni topadilar, ular Kengashning "qorong'i oynasi" sifatida tanilgan. Kaput kiygan raqamlar va From, Gratar ularni xarobaga olib borishidan qo'rqishgani uchun Diaspraning yo'nalishini o'zgartirishni xohlashlarini tushuntiradi. Xudoning Asarlaridagi yagona fikrli e'tibor bilan, kamroq va kamroq yosh Diaspranslar hunarmand bo'lishga moyil. Bundan tashqari, guruh boshqa shahar-davlatlar ularga ochko'zlik bilan qarashadi va agar Boman birinchi bo'lib ko'chib o'tmagan bo'lsa, hujum qilishlari mumkin edi. Bundan tashqari, u narsalarning "yaratuvchisi" sifatida o'zini xafa qiladi, chunki uning qurishi mumkin bo'lgan narsa - bu nasoslar, nasoslar va boshqa nasoslar. Shunday qilib, guruh odamlarning "Yangi Model Armiya" ni jangdan keyin shaharga aylantirishini va ma'badni egallashini istaydi. Suhbatni kuzatib borgan dengiz piyoda askarlari har bir kaput kiygan odamni aniqlashga muvaffaq bo'lishdi va kengashning aksariyati va bir nechta taniqli savdogarlar kabala a'zolari ekanliklarini aniqladilar (O'Keysi "Rim senati kvorumi" deb izoh berdi). . Rojer qo'lini uzatib, kabinetga ularning kimligini bilishini, jamiyatdagi har qanday muammoni hal qilish ularning maqsadi emasligini va ular urushda g'alaba qozonishlari va fuqarolar urushini boshlamasliklari kerakligini aytadi. U qo'shimcha ravishda ular quritish marosimiga tezda etib borishlari kerak, aks holda ularning yo'qligi e'tiborsiz qolmaydi.

Yomg'irlar susayib, Quritish marosimi boshlanganda, dengiz piyoda askarlari kostyum kiyib, barcha operatsion kostyumlaridan foydalanishga tayyorlanmoqda (bu ularning so'nggi ehtiyot qismlarini ishlatishni anglatishiga qaramay) va Gratarning nutqini katta kutish bilan tinglang. Biroq, ularning tashvishlari behuda: Gratar Bomanga qarshi kurashishni afzal ko'rmoqda. Aynan o'shanda qayta ishlash guruhlari Boman harakatga kelgani haqida xabar berishadi.

Yangi model armiyasi va Wespar qabilasi shahar tashqarisida bir-birlari bilan uchrashadilar va Boman shahar himoyachilarini ko'nglini olish uchun o'zlarini tuta boshlashadi. Diaspranlar o'zlarini xotirjam tutishga muvaffaq bo'lishsa-da, Rojer xotirjamlikni yo'qotadi va Paxnerning unga qilgan g'azabli chaqirig'iga e'tibor bermay, Patni ikki kuch o'rtasida No Mans mamlakati bo'ylab yurib, Vespar boshlig'i Spir Mot bilan yakkama-yakka uchrashadi. Xavfga qaramay, Rojer tezda boshliqni mag'lubiyatga uchratadi va bu Bomanni ko'nglini ko'taradi, ammo Rojer nomini aytishni boshlagan diaspranlarning axloqini ko'taradi. Bir necha daqiqadan so'ng Boman muvozanatni tiklab, Diaspran chizig'i tomon yurishga muvaffaq bo'ldi. Raqamli kamchiliklariga qaramay, diaspanlar qatorni bir necha soat ushlab turishadi, Bomanlarning ko'plari esa o'zlarining sayohatlarida o'lishadi. Dengizchilarning qayta ishlaydigan guruhi Bomanni orqadan urish uchun o'zlarining zamonaviy qurollaridan foydalanmaguncha to'xtab qolish holati davom etmoqda. Orqadagi Boman ushbu yangi tahdidga yuz o'girganda, Diaspran chizig'idagi bosim susayadi va Pahner umumiy avansni buyuradi. Bomanning oldingi saflari hali ham ushlab turiladi va Pahner Julianning zirhli otryadiga Boman qanotini urishni buyuradi. Boman safi nihoyat buziladi va Vasinning otliq qo'shinlari - Rojer bilan birga Pattyga minib - Bomanni shafqatsizlarcha ta'qib qilib, juda oz omon qolganlarni qoldiradilar.

Jangdan keyin Pahner Gratarning oldiga chaqiriladi, u unga Grath Chain (u ham mavjud) unga qarshi fitna haqida xabar berganini va odamlar bu haqda bilishini aytadi. Pahner buni tan oladi va agar Gratar Bomanni tinchlantirishni tanlagan bo'lsa, dengiz piyodalari to'ntarishni qo'llab-quvvatlagan bo'lar edi. Gratar bundan g'amgin va g'azablanmoqda va fitnachilarning boshlariga ega bo'lishlarini aytmoqda, ammo Paxner kengashning aksariyati, shu jumladan, g'alaba qozongan urush rahbarlari ham bunda bo'lganini ta'kidlamoqda. Shuningdek, u fitnachilarning ko'pchiligini (Gratni ham hisobga olmaganda) Gratarga yoki Xudoga nafrat emas, balki Xudoning ortiqcha ishlariga qarshi chiqishlari va shaharning turg'unligi sabab bo'lganini ta'kidladi. Keyin u Gratarga ushbu jang va fitna ortidan endi duch kelgan barcha o'zgarishlar va muammolarni qanday hal qilish kerakligi haqida maslahat beradi. Eski ishlariga qaytishni istagan Xudoning mehnatkashlari qaytib kelishlari kerak, urushni ta'mini topganlar esa armiyada qolishlari kerak. Diaspraning qo'shnisini bu notinch paytlarda yordamchi qo'shnilar bo'lishni niyat qilganliklari va uni Gratar o'zining ichki muammolari bilan kurashayotgani uchun uni tenglamadan olib tashlashi uchun yangi kuch armiyasi K'Vaernning Koviga jo'natish kerak. Pahner shuningdek, Bogess va Fromni ular bilan birga mukofot sifatida emas, balki Diaspradan surgun sifatida yuborishni taklif qiladi, shuning uchun urush davridagi eng taniqli ikki rahbarni olib tashlaydi, ularsiz boshqa kengashdagi fitnachilar barcha qonuniylikni yo'qotadilar va bir-birlariga hujum qiladilar. chunki ularga Xudoning ko'chirilgan ishchilari bilan muomala qilish vazifasi berilgan. Xudoning ishlarini qisqartirish haqida Paxnerning maslahati shuki, Gratarni g'azabdan qo'rqib, uni bezovta qiladigan Xudoning ishchilarining ko'pini yo'qotishga olib keldi. Shunga qaramay, Paxner kanallar va suv o'tkazgichlarining ko'pi ortiqcha ekanligini ta'kidlamoqda. Va nihoyat, Pahner unga Grathni Diasprani tahdid qilishi mumkin bo'lgan har qanday shahar-davlatni beqarorlashtirish uchun agent sifatida ishlatishni va unga fitna uyushtirishda ko'rsatgan xizmati uchun maslahat beradi "30 dona kumush ".

Dengiz piyodalari Diasprani yordam kuchlari va Vasin otliq askarlari bilan jo'nab ketib, Nashtor tepaliklariga yo'l olishadi va u erda minalarni jimgina egallab olishadi (ehtiyot chorasi sifatida), konchilar u erda bo'lgan barcha ishlov berilgan temirni Gratar tomonidan to'lovni kafolatlash bilan sotib olishadi. Ayriliqni From tomonidan o'qqa tuting) va ba'zi qo'shinlar ularni himoya qilish uchun orqada qolishi haqida brigadaga xabar bering. U erdan ular K'Vaern Koviga sayohat qilishadi, u erda ularni ulkan Bistem Kar va uning muovini Tor Flayn tashqi darvozalar oldida kutib olishadi, ular Rastar va Vasinni tirik holda ko'rganlaridan hayratda, ustun olib kelgan barcha temirdan xursand bo'lishdi. va odamlar haqida juda qiziquvchan. Shaharga kirishda Kar shahardagi vaziyat Rastar dastlab ishonganidek sanguine emasligini aytdi: Boman bilan urush ularni hamma kabi hayratda qoldirdi (shuning uchun ular zaxiralanmagan), ular ham Sindi zolimi tomonidan sabotaj qilingan va ular mintaqadagi qulagan shahar-davlatlardan kelgan barcha qochqinlarga g'amxo'rlik qilish yukini olgan. Kar shuningdek, odamlarning ushbu urushga aloqadorligini so'raydi va Rojer unga okeanni kesib o'tib, boshqa tomonga materikni qaytarib olish uchun qaytib kelishini aytadi. Bu Karni eshitganida, okeanni kesib o'tishga harakat qilganlarning birortasi kemaning halokatga uchraganida qaytib kelganini, aqldan omon qolgan odam boshqa tomondan kelib, uning kemasini dengiz hayvonlari yirtib tashlagan deb da'vo qilmoqda.

The humans and the Diasprans are brought before the K'Vaernian Ruling Council to give an account of the Battle of Diaspra and to present their intentions. General Bogess' account of the battle is met initially with stunned silence and then derision and disbelief. From then addresses the council and the citizens in the gallery, chastising them for being so close-minded, when their city was known for its acceptance of new ideas and concepts and offering the council assistance of their troops as training cadre and the iron for weapon-manufacturing. Finally, Roger speaks for the humans, stating that they need to get back home within a limited time frame, by crossing the ocean. He offers the K'Vaernians advancements in seafaring technology (piquing the interest of local shipping mogul Wes Til), their institutional knowledge in tactics and designs for new weapons for the war against the Boman. The council is still somewhat skeptical of all this, telling Roger that such a voyage would be both risky and costly. In a meeting afterwards, Portena returns with the bad news: the K'Vaernians' ships are unsuitable for deep-water travel which means they'd have to design new ships from scratch which will take time. Kostas then delivers his bad news: they only have enough dietary supplements for another four and a half months at most, even with the Apsimon fruits, leaving them with no margin for error. The meeting is interrupted by the arrival of many messengers from various powerful or influential Mardukans in the city with various dinner invitations for the Prince. Rastar informs them that securing the necessary political support will depend more on the success of these dinner parties than on anything else.

While O'Casey tries to decide which dinner invitation are the most important and whom to send to them, Roger dumps the job of getting the necessary clothes for all the marines attending on Costas with barely a day's notice. In retaliation, Kostas asks to join O'Casey to dinner she plans to attend, which leaves Roger with Nimashet as his escort. Roger, despite the discomfort of being around a very well-dressed Nimashet and the Mardukans' questions about human sexuality and his relationship with her, manages to conduct himself well at the dinner with Wes Til and Tor Flain. O'Casey and Kostas also have a successful dinner engagement with Fullea Li'it and Sam Tre, who press for the humans' support for the retaking of D'Sley and are eager to here O'Casey's opinions on how to secure the necessary capital to rebuild and reorganize a new government. After all the dinners are concluded, the marines and their Mardukan allies meet to decide on how to proceed. Everyone agrees that they need to help K'Vaern's Cove fight the Boman to secure the necessary political capital and physical materials to build the ships they need. It also becomes clear that being on condition red for several months now is wearing down the troops. Despite this, everyone is in favor for fighting the Boman for different reasons and Pahner decides to lend their assistance to the K'Varenians in exchange for building the ships they need as quickly as possible. After the meeting is concluded, Pahner asks to speak to Roger in private for a 'professional development' counseling session. He points out to Roger that while he has all the traits of a good leader (caring for the troops, not undercutting his NCOs and leading from the front), both to the marines and the Mardukans, he personally cannot put himself out on a limb since everybody will be trying to protect him as he does so. He also points out that his pursuit of barbarians gains little and risks too much and that he needs to let others do it. Roger understands this and reluctantly agrees.

Wes Til and Turl Kam meet to discuss the humans' terms and agree to them, bringing the rest of the council around and the city is thrown into frantic preparations for war. O'Casey begins her propaganda campaign by sending Mardukans into the local taverns to spread around silver and tales of loot from the Battle of Diaspra (to encourage the K'Vaernians to sign on) and generally causing fights (mostly by accident). Rus From teams up with Dell Mir to design and produce the necessary weapons and equipment the marines have sketched out while Julian, Krindi, Erkum and their squads keep an eye on the manufacturers to ensure decent quality (and threatening some of them when necessary). Kar teams up with Bogess to introduce the New Model Army's combat techniques (fighting with some conservative officers along the way) while some of the marines are sent off on reconnaissance missions against the Boman and others are sent to start training the K'Vaernians on the new weapons as they come out and oversee their production. Portena completes his "technology demonstrator" ship and awes the local shipwrights with its performance and begins construction of the actual ships needed for their voyage and recruits locals for the voyages. As the troops prepare to ship out, Turl Kam voices his innermost concerns to Pahner about the upcoming campaign and Pahner does his best to allay those concerns. Finally, when all is ready, the troops, with the assistance of Fullea Li'it and her organized sealift, embark on boats towards D'Sley and set up camp there and begin transferring the timber and ore still left in the city back to K'Vaern's Cove. The command staff assembles for the last time before moving out to discuss the latest intel regarding the Boman, the next stages of the operation and the role Roger's reserve force will play. Finally, Pahner orders them all to get as much sleep as possible since "there won't be much from here on out".

The operation begins with a group of several hundred Vasin arriving at the gates of Sindi, who begin to taunt the Boman to come out after them. While the Boman Supreme Leader, Kny Camsan, smells a trap and wishes to ignore them, his most trusted ally, Mnb Trag, points out that if he fails to deal with them himself, the other Boman warriors will believe him to be weak and likely kill him before replacing him. Nor can Trag go out himself since without him, Camsan is unlikely to survive. Camsan relents and takes out a force of over 32,000 warriors to chase the Vasin. As he predicted, the several hundred Vasin they chase join up with 4,000 other Vasin who are all equipped with the new pistols and some of the new rifles, all of which fire far better and reliably in a Mardukan downpour. The front rank of the Boman quickly disintegrates under the Vasin's fire, with the survivors either fleeing or getting cut down by lances. The Vasin then turn tail and retreat through a narrow jungle track and are pursued by the Boman. The track, however, has been lined with crude claymores and directional mines that are detonated once the Boman are inside. Over six hundred die in a single instant and the Boman charge falters. The shock of the explosions causes the warriors to question Camsan's decision to pursue the Vasin, but Camsan kills the one chieftain who truly challenges his authority then chastises the other Boman for their timidity in the face of mere cleverness and after they had "whined" for months that they should go after the K'Vaernians. Camsan then orders messengers to summon all the other Boman clans and orders a general chase after the Vasin.

The allied forces then move in on Sindi, assembling outside the city's walls and setting up wagons loaded with 12,000 crude rockets, which are then fired into the city. The confused defenders, who've never seen such weapons and therefore continued to stand in the open, are decimated by exploding fragmentation warheads and blast weapons, including Mnb Trag. Then Julian's armored squad moves in and starts blasting their way into the city with plasma fire, opening it to the rest of the army. Kar, who is stunned by the power of the marine's weapons, asks Pahner why hasn't ordered their use to clear out the city, since they're likely take losses clearing out the city. Pahner comes clean about their ultimate objective and their need to preserve as much of their limited supply of ammunition for a battle against ularning enemies, who are equipped with similar weapons (a concept that terrifies Bogess). From's engineering teams then start repairing the D'Sley-Sindi road in order to better transport the truly enormous amounts of loot that the Boman had hoarded in Sindi (including desperately needed food).

The Vasin continue to evade the Boman chasing them by continually splitting off into smaller groups in the jungle, which makes Camsan even more suspicious. Roger briefs his forces near a stream, who are awaiting orders to move out. However, tragedy strikes when Matsugae, who is filling up Roger's camel bag in the stream, fails to pay attention to the water and is subsequently attacked by a damncroc. Roger's troops manage to kill the creature but not in time to save Matsugae's life. As Roger prepares to conduct a short ceremony over Costas' body, Pahner comms in and orders his troops to move further down South. Roger scraps the ceremony reluctantly and orders Costas' body cremated. Roger's forces return to the Sindi-D'Sley road to assist in securing the laborers working there, but Roger himself isn't paying attention to anything because of Matsugae's death and simply turns over command to one of his subordinates. Upon hearing about this, Pahner decides to violate every regulation in the book to get Roger to function properly and sends Nimashet to speak to him. While Roger initially doesn't want to speak to anyone, he eventually opens up to Nimashet. He admits that his initial rejection of her was due to his awareness of his position in the succession and his determination not to bring into the world a bastard just like him, so he never "fooled around" (and hasn't had sex in over 10 years) and that only Costas had guessed why he acted this way and that he feels responsible for his death and the death of all the other marines he fell along the way. He also confesses his love for Nimashet. Nimashet, who knows she loves Roger as well, tells him that they are willing to die for him, now more than ever because they all knew the risks when they signed on. She also makes him promise to have sex with her when they aren't in the middle of a battle for their lives, but Roger instead promises to marry her when they get home. With Roger tracking again, Pahner orders him and his units to stay put and secure the rear while the Vasin continue to draw out the Boman in pursuit as they head back for Sindi. The city and its surrounding areas are made ready for the final stage of the operation.

The Boman eventually manage to cut off the Vasin's escape route and Pahner sends out skirmishers to retrieve them. Down to the South, Roger's battalion finds itself under attack by waves of Boman. Krindi Fain finds himself promoted to an officer when his company commander displays a serious lack of leadership. He then goes on to lead one of the teams of skirmishers sent into the jungles. The Vasin manage to retreat towards Sindi, with Kar's troops forming square around them and holding off the Boman's advances. Roger and his troops, despite being outnumbered, manage to defeat wave after wave of Boman. They too eventually retreat to Sindi, and the stage is finally set for the last phase of the operation.

As the Boman assemble in sight of Sindi, they are astounded to find the Sindi under the control of their enemies. Kny Camsan opts to decides to assemble all of the Boman's troops and besiege the city, but his decision is challenged by Tar Tin, who believe that the only way to defeat the enemy (and retrieve their women and children) is to storm the city through the gaps left in the walls. Camsan fears this approach after witnessing the effectiveness of the weapons that were used by the Vasin, the losses they've already suffered and the thought of what could've made those holes in the walls to begin with. Tin, however, is not willing to try any more of Camsan's "better ways", challenges him for the leadership position and kills him. He then orders an immediate charge to overwhelm the city and its defenders.

The Boman enter the city amid heavy rifle fire that slows their approach. The defenders then begin a well-prepared retreat south towards the Great Bridge of the city until finally most of the Allied forces are on the southern bank in the houses surrounding a large plaza specifically broadened so as to lure as many Boman into it. As Tin orders his troops across the bridge, another series of claymore mines is detonated while 400 riflemen and 300 cavalrymen open fire leaving no boman alive or unwounded on the bridge. Then another explosion rocks the bridge and for a moment Tin believes that they have managed to destroy the bridge, but as the smoke clears he sees that the bridge stands firm and orders his troops across again. The explosion however, allows the Allies rearguard to disengage from the enemy for enough time to retreat behind the gates of the bastion set up when the plaza was enlarged. Once the Boman fill the plaza, Eva orders the artillery to open fire and the riflemen and cavalrymen all open fire as well. Within minutes thousands of his warriors die under the onslaught and the Boman attempt to retreat across the bridge. Unfortunately for them, Julian's armored squad, which managed to evade them while staying on the other side of the bridge, opens fire into the retreating forces. The tidal wave of flechettes, cannon beads and plasma bolts finally breaks the back of the Boman's morale. Tar Tin, realizing the gross mistake he committed and the massive defeat suffered because it, commits suicide by throwing himself and his ax of office into the Tam River.

The Allies return victoriously to K'Vaern's Cove and the humans prepare for their transoceanic journey. However, the marines pick up on some radio chatter that might indicate that someone has gone in to investigate their abandoned shuttles. O'Casey and Cord manage to translate the log found aboard the shipwreck, which only confirms what Kar had told them about the ship being torn asunder by some sea monster. As the K'Vaernians celebrate the victory and the human's impending departure, Roger sits on the docks watching the sunset and scatters some of Costas' ash into the sea, before being called back by Nimashet.

Locations on Marduk Visited by the Marines

Ran Tai - The first city the marines reach on the far side of the Tarstan Mountains. Located in a valley high above sea level, the valley is a rather idyllic spot for humans as the temperature is around 25 degrees with little humidity (a break from the constant steam bath of the jungle). However, Mardukans find it almost unbarably cold and dry, forcing the natives to wear clothes that they keep constantly wet and swimming in the local lake (blessedly bereft of predators). The city itself is needed to support the Mardukans who grow spices and plants that need to cold and dry air to grow and for the gold, silver, iron and gems mined from the mountains.

Diaspra - A largely benevolent theocracy ruled by a priest-king and a council with the council having the authority to remove the priest-king if his decisions are proven to be bad for the city. The city itself is one of the oldest on the planet and seems to have survived a geologically-recent ice age (thanks to the warm springs around which it was built) and was believed to have been ruled by a people known as the Auteans. The current theocracy worships the God of Water who brings rains and floods and whom they believe destroyed the Autean Civilization because of their prideful ways. As such, the Diaspran Temple employs thousands of Laborers of God to build dikes and canals to please the God and channel his Wrath away from the city and its crops. O'Casey speculates that the creation of this labor force was meant as a temporary social welfare measure (that become permanent) to provide employment to Mardukans put out of work by some technological innovation.

Nashtor Hills - The location of iron mines located between Diaspra and K'Vaern's Cove. The ownership of the mines, prior to the Boman Invasion was contested by 3 different city states, a status that did not affect the miners there much. The mines had been cut off from supplies due to the Boman Invasion.

K'Vaern's Cove - A city located along the shores of the ocean the marines need to pass and the region's greatest sea port and naval power. The city is run by a democratically elected council that requires its citizen to pay a fairly small tax in order to vote, with the seats on the Council divided among the various professional groups or guilds of the city. Prior to the Boman Invasion, K'Vaern's Cove was the wealthiest and most powerful of the region's city-states, being the industrial center for the processing of raw materials into goods and selling them to the other city-states. The Cove is also the secular center of the region and is the most socially and technologically developed city the marines encounter. The city is undergoing a suffrage movement during the marines' time in the city, with females gaining a greater standing in the Cove socially and politically. The local custom is to have women present at state dinners and social gatherings to offer an "air of grace" to the proceedings (a custom which the Vasin find decadent).

Sindi - Located on the main crossing of the Tam River, Sindi was the largest city in the valleys of the Tam and Chasten rivers. Called the "Jewel of the Upper Tam" it was also a highly prosperous until the Boman hoards conquered it and used it as their central base in the region. It is the site of the decisive battle between the Boman and the allied forces of the southern city-states.

D'Sley - Located across the bay from K'Vaern's Cove on a delta of the Tam River, the city was previously ruled by a council of nobles and a weak king. Despite its proximity to K'Vaern's Cove, D'Sley women had little standing relative to men. When the Boman hoards approached the city, a sea lift was organized to evacuate all the women and children. However, as things worsened for the defenders, the nobles fled as well, causing the city guard to flee with it allowing the Boman to sack the city at last. The survivors at K'Vaern's Cove, while desiring a return to their city, have not the means to achieve this end and have no faith in the nobles to lead them in reconstruction (while they in turn are the only ones with the funds to do this with). D'Sley becomes the allies' advanced base in their campaign against the Boman, both because of its location on the Tam and because of the stores of timber that had been in the city prior to the invasion and which are required for the building of the ships the marines need to cross the ocean.

The Major Interstellar Players

The Empire of Man - Also called the Terran Empire, it is one of the major interstellar powers in the area of the galaxy explored by humans. Ruled by a monarchy (house MacClintock) and a parliament consisting of an elected senate and a house of lords, the empire encompasses a great many worlds with varying degrees of technological development. Recent political problems, beginning with the reign of Emperor Andrew (Roger's grandfather), have created a great deal of factionalism, unrest and inequality, particularly between the core worlds and the outer planets. The result is a brewing crisis that the Empress has been desperately attempting to prevent and which is the cause of the attack on Roger that strands him and his marines on Marduk.

The Caravazan Empire - The Terran Empire's traditional enemy. Following the ascent of Pierpaelo Cavaza - a devotee of the Church of Ryback (an organization dedicated to removing "humanocentric" damage from the universe) - to the throne shortly after the Dagger Years, the empire embraced the tenets of the church into law. The move had triggered a short civil war that Cavaza had won proving that he was just as ruthless as his ancestors. Now the empire is led by his followers, religious eco-freaks who seek to impose their belief on how nature should be handled. As part of this belief system, the Saints "reclaim" certain worlds by forcing humans to remove all human influence and pollution (including their own waste - which is why they basically starve the people sent to reclaim these worlds to death).

Raiden-Winterhowe - A revanchist empire that was once invaded and forced to defend itself and now continues to expand because it simply can't stop.

The Alphine Alliance - An alliance consisting of 12 worlds and populated by humans, Althari and Phenuers. The Althari are a female-dominated, stoic warrior race that resemble 3 meter tall koala bears while the Phenuers are a four-legged, lizard-like race of functional telepaths (among themselves) and empaths. The Althari, being descended from ground burrowing creatures prefer underground dwellings with clears fields of fire, making them more like sub-terranean bunkers than homes. In Althari society, males are definitely second-class citizens, untrusted by the females, many of whom consider them as being useful only for breeding and housework. Defined by O'Casey as "very shrewd bargainers" since they can't be lied to (the Phenuers being able to sense deception). The Alliance is on friendly terms with the Empire of Man.

Texnologiya

Tutorial Implants ("Toots") - An implanted computer processor that interfaces completely with human neural systems without adverse side effects. Used primarily for data processing, storage and training, the toot augments a persons learning capability, including the use of assassination programs (for better marksmanship) or translating alien languages. The device can, in fact, take over for the person and allow him to perform tasks more efficiently. However, it is a security planner's nightmare, as the toot can be hacked and the person forced to do a task against their will (as if they'd been possessed by a demon).

ChromSten - The hardest substance known to modern science, used both in ship's armor and in personal body armor. Only a plasma rifle (or something stronger) can penetrate ChromSten.

Tunnel Drive - The faster-than-light method of transport used for interstellar travel. Ships equipped with tunnel drives tend to be huge, as the drive takes up a lot of volume. Every star system, depending on the size of its primary star, has a limit within which entry into tunnel space is impossible (known as the Tsukayama Limit). Travel between star systems takes days and sometimes weeks.

Phase Drive - The drive used when the ship is in normal space.

Bead Rifles and Cannons - Projectile weapons that fire five-millimeter steel-coated, glass- or tungsten-cored beads "accelerated to phenomenal speeds" via electromagnetic lining in the weapon's barrel.

Plasma Rifles and Cannons - The main field energy weapon, capable of taking out powered armor. The plasma rifles utilize a magazine containing lithium-deuteride pellets and a power source to feed the laser compressors that initiate the fusion reaction that drives the weapon.

Chameleon Suits - The standard issue marine uniform that allows the wearer to fade into the background. The suits also offer limited ballistic protection and can be configured for work in vacuum environments.

Powered Armor - ChromSten made armor that offers even better ballistic protection and camouflage capabilities that chameleon suits and are susceptible to damage only from heavy energy weapons such as plasma rifles and cannons or the last-ditch, contact-range weapon called a "one-shot", which delivers a shock wave through the armor to the plasteel matrix supporting it, causing a scab to break free and ricochette inside the armor, killing the person inside.

Nanotexnologiya - Widely used throughout the story and in many ways. Prince Roger and the marines have nanites floating around in their blood stream whose function is to enhance the person's regenerative capabilities (even a lost limb, though this takes a metabolic toll on the body), process alien nutrients into something human anatomy can use, increase the body's endurance and protect against disease and foreign toxins. Roger's staff and the navy pilots do not have these advantages, and thus need more dietary supplements and protection. The marines also have nanotech recording devices used in an intelligence gathering function. These devices are the size of a small insect and can move like one so as to look innocuous.

Adabiyotlar

Tashqi havolalar

• Baen Free Library: Dengizga mart (online copy of the book)