Grayson was unconvinced. "You need more than a popular leader, sir."

"And you, Carlyle, are becoming an obstructionist!"

"I beg your pardon. General. I'm trying to be a realist."

"Then be realistic by fulfilling your contractual obligations, Captain. The assault on Regis begins after sundown three days from today. The Free Verthandi Rangers have a crucial role to play in this operation. On their shoulders will ride the success of our revolution! See to it that they are informed and prepared. I might suggest, Captain," Thorvald added with a wry smile, "that you put them through some additional night maneuvers between now and then."

"And during the attack itself? Where do you want my people?"

"The Gray Death will remain in quarters here at Fox Island. I see no reason to risk your men or equipment in this operation. You know already, Captain Carlyle, that we cannot afford to have you participate as combatants. The Regis assault will be strictly a Verthandian affair.

"Dismissed."

16

"Move it, people, move it!" General Thorvald ground his teeth in frustration, and his fist came down on the arm of the control seat in his Warhammer'scockpit.

A plaintive voice sounded in his earspeaker. "We can't move him, General!"

"Clear a way! I'm coming up there!"

The Warhammershouldered past a Stingerand a Phoenix Hawk,moving rapidly up the gravel-paved road. They were still surrounded by jungle, but stars showed through gaps in the trees further up the hill. They had almost reached the crest of the rim basin when thishad happened.

One of the cumbersome LoggerMechs was down on its front knees, the hindquarters of the four-legged machine protruding into the air in an ungainly and somewhat vulnerable position. The shoulder of the road had given way under a careless misstep. The ‘Mech's right foreleg had gone off the road in a rattle of stones and dirt, leaving the ‘Mech on its knees with no way to achieve the purchase necessary to right itself once more. The pilot's attempts to raise the machine on just its left leg had only sent a fresh avalanche of loose rock down the slope. The ‘Mech now leaned heavily on its shoulder against the embankment to its left, unable to move and completely blocking the road.

Thorvald read the numeral on the stalled machine's flank."Adams!"

"Yessir!" Adam's voice was tinny and quick with fear. "Should I punch out, sir?"

"No, no! Don't eject! Everything's going to be all right! Just sit tight"

"Yessir! You... you’re not going to push me off the edge, are you, sir?"

"No, Adams, we're going to get you off of there. Stay calm. Don't touch anything."

"Yessir!"

Thorvald considered the problem for a moment. There was still plenty of time to reach Regis before their confederates in the city created the planned diversion, and he wanted to arrive with every ‘Mech intact. To lose one here and now would be to admit that the merc commander was right, and Thorvald still harbored a simmering resentment against the man. The General had been opposed to seeking professional foreign help from the start, believing that a large enough rebel force could slip into the University and bring about the rising called for in the plan. It had been that fool Ericksson who had volunteered his AgroMechs and suggested the underground tunnels from the Ericksson-Agro plant.

He locked the Warhammer'slegs and disconnected from his helmet. After pulling on his tunic against the relatively cool night air, he opened the hatch and dropped down the chain ladder to the road. The LoggerMech loomed just ahead. He picked his way up the hill and walked under the Mech's belly, examining the ground where the leg had broken through the shoulder. Three other ‘Mechs, another LoggerMech, the Dervish,and the Locust,had been ahead of Adams' machine in line and were waiting just ahead.

He pulled out the hand comlink clipped to his tunic. "Adams? This is the General. Unlock your lead chain and let it drag, will you?"

"Yes, sir."

There was a sharp rattle from above, then a clank and a thud as the carballoy chain composed of fifty-kilo links trailed onto the road between the LoggerMech's forelegs. Thorvald signaled the lead LoggerMech. "Gunderson, back your machine down here. We'll use you to tow Adams out. Montido, we'll have to use your Dervishto lift the chain to Gunderson's tow ring."

There was a moment's blind shuffling in the darkness. "Uh, General? This is Montido. How do I get hold of that chain?"

"Good God, man, pick it up!"

"Uh, sir? My Dervishdoesn't have hands."

Thorvald closed his eyes and sagged back against a tree. Around him, ground troops who had gathered to watch looked at one another with carefully masked expressions. Of the three lead ‘Mechs, only the Dervishwas remotely humanoid. Somehow, Thorvald had assumed that it was equipped with hands, forgetting that its forearms ended in paired laser projectors and SRM launchers. Why hadn't he put one of the Phoenix Hawksin the lead?

"O.K., Montido. Stand down." He thought furiously, rubbing his eyes with both hands. He needed a ‘Mech with hands to lift the massive chain from the ground between the knees of Adam's LoggerMech and to connect it to the tow ring on the belly of Gunderson's LoggerMech. All of his hand-equipped ‘Mechs were further down the road and couldn't get past because of Adams' stalled machine.

The obvious alternative was for one of the Phoenix Hawks, Wasps,or the Stingerto fire its jump jets and vault over the blocking ‘Mech to the far side. All were jump-capable, and all had hands. The problem was that jumping was a tricky maneuver, one that could get even experienced pilots into trouble on occasion. An inexperienced pilot could come down wrong and wreck his BattleMech, perhaps killing himself in the process.

A second alternative was to have one of those ‘Mechs go around the LoggerMech True, the hill was steep and the jungle growth was fairly thick here, but Waspsand Stingerswere designed to be maneuverable. One of them should be able to slip around downslope from Adams, climb the hill farther up, and get into position to connect the chain. Nadine Cheka was the Stingerpilot, a young woman who seemed to have a real knack for handling her ‘Mech.

General Thorvald raised the comlink to his lips and began giving the necessary orders.

* * * *

Grayson, Ramage, McCall, and Lori stepped out onto the lighted floor of the cave. Around them, the ‘Mechs of the Gray Death loomed huge and shadowy. As they started toward the maintenance area, a wide-eyed young rebel stepped out to block them. "Halt!" he said, cradling his hunting rifle awkwardly at port arms.

"Hello, son," Ramage said. "Stand easy."

"Oh...uh, good evening, Sergeant. Oh, Captain Carlyle!" The boy snapped to an impression of attention. "Good evening, sir!"

Grayson smiled at him, and nodded. "It's Willoch, isn't it?”

“Yessir!"

"We're going through to inspect our BattleMechs, Willoch." Grayson started forward, but Willoch shifted the rifle uncertainly in his hands. "Uh...Captain, I'm afraid I can't let you.”

“Eh?"

"Colonel Brasednewic gave me orders, sir. Said he'd have my hide if anyonewent to those ‘Mechs!"

"The Colonel couldn't have meant us..."

"Uh...he said especiallyyou...uh...sir!"