John Carr - Kalvan Kingmaker

"Also, Chartiphon-despite all the stories about gallant pike companies fighting to the last man, isn't it true that in more than half the battles the pikemen drop their pikes and run hell-bent-for leather the minute the cavalry reaches the front ranks? In our histories there is the story of Great King Maximilian who created the first pike armies in his Kingdom's history. Knowing his pikemens willingness to drop their pikes at push-of-pike he created double-pay soldiers to man the front and last ranks-those in the last rank to kill any of those who sought to escape by dropping their pike and running. That's why Styphon's Red Hand are as often deployed in the rear ranks, as in the front."

General Baldour nodded in agreement. "It is done that way in Hos-Ktemnos too. The veteran bill and shot troops are paid double to man the first and last rank, which may be why they are among the finest in the Great Kingdoms." The general was an exceptional soldier and proud of his former employers in Hos-Ktemnos. Kalvan expected that the last part of that statement was a sop to Hostigi egos rather than his measured opinion.

"There is no need to double-pay a Hostigi pikemen to get him to do his job," Chartiphon stated bluntly.

Seeing Baldour's face begin to burn, Kalvan quickly interjected, "It's not our place here to judge the quality of either Hostigi pikemen or Ktemnoi billmen. Both are among the finest soldiers I have ever fought with, or against. By the Wargod's Mace, musketeers are infamous for running the minute cavalry or enemy pike approach. The point with the 'New Model' Army is to put out enough firepower that no one will ever reach the Hostigi lines. But if they do, the bayonets will hold them until we can bring in cavalry or artillery support."

Kalvan made a slash with his arm that said the arguing was over, but he noted from the set of Chartiphon's face and Prince Ptosphes furrowed brow that he'd not yet won over the opposition. Ptosphes had refused to retire his own Princely pike even when Kalvan had offered him the muskets and bayonets to do so. It would probably take a field demonstration to change their minds and that he intended to give them more than one such this spring.

He nodded to Harmakros and his top officer began to give a breakdown of the capabilities of Kalvan's 'New Model' Army, with four one hundred and ten man companies per brigade rather than two, which meant a full strength regiment now mustered a thousand men-counting the headquarters units, too. "There are now eight foot regiments, including the new Hostigos Rifles-a line regiment with, four hundred riflemen and six hundred arquebusier. They're not at full strength now-not enough rifles, but they will be come spring. By the winter after the one coming up, they'll all have rifles."

That got their attention, Kalvan was happy to see, and even put a smile on old Chartiphon's face. Price Ptosphes practically beamed, although the name Hostigos Rifles had been Rylla's inspiration rather than his own. "The other three new regiments are the Third and Fourth Regiments of Foot and the Cordoba Regiment of Swords-named after a famous Captain of our Great King's homeland."

Machiavelli had always believed, based on the classic Roman legion versus the Greek phalanx model, that the sword-and-buckler man was the perfect counter to the Swiss and Landsknecht pike armies that had vanquished the Italian armies and brought ruin to the land during the French-Italian Wars. The Spanish sword-and-buckler men-although never in the numbers proposed by Machiavelli-went a long way to proving him right under Gonzalo de Cordoba, the Great Captain. Since Providence had given him a plenitude of sword-and-buckler men, mostly from Ulthor where the sword was favored, Kalvan had decided to test Machiavelli's theory on the field against a pike block or two.

He'd added two companies of musketeers to the Cordoba Regiment as insurance, though. Theories had a disarming way of going awry on the battlefield.

Kalvan had also doubled the size of the cavalry regiments, otherwise there would have been more colonels in the cavalry than captains, still adding eight new cavalry regiments. "The best news," Harmakros finished, "is that we've tripled the size of the Royal Mobile Force. We can now field two thousand dragoons armed with muskets and bayonets, and two full companies of the King's Mounted Rifles."

There was a loud whistle of appreciation from General Baldour who'd learned to respect the Mounted Rifles at the Battle of Phyrax, where he'd been a mercenary under the flag of the now deceased Captain-General Leonestros.

Kalvan next asked General Alkides to report on the Royal Artillery. The former mercenary ran his fingers nervously through his ginger-brown hair, which Kalvan noticed was beginning to gray at the sides. One of the penalties of high command. Rylla reminded him of his first gray hairs every time he complained about Princess Demia's crying in their bed when he was trying to sleep. The words Demia's wet-nurses used to exclaim this barbaric practice of letting an infant sleep with its parents would have made a gathering of infantry sergeants blush-fortunately, for his health and the respectability of wet-nurses, Rylla didn't indulge in this fancy too often. But she demonstrated no shame by referring to his few gray hairs as signs of incipient senility, whenever he did complain.

"By the Grace of Dralm and the Battleaxe of the Great King," Alkides opened, "we now have fifty four and six-pound demi-cannon or sakers, all mounted on carriages, for a total of five mobile light batteries. The Royal Artillery also has one complete battery of twenty-four and thirty-two pound brass guns for heavier work."

"Like the besieging of Tarr-Harphax and Harphax City, Praise Galzar!" Rylla cried out.

Her voice was echoed by a dozen cries of "Down with Hos-Harphax!"

The cat was out of the bag. Kalvan grinned and said, "This time we're not going to hit and run. We're going to blast Harphax City down to its foundation, if that's what it takes!"

Sarrask of Sask had his sword out and raised it to the sky. "Kill the Harphaxi devils. Burst their tripes! Down Styphon! Hail Great King Kalvan!"

When the hubbub had run its course, Harmakros continued, "We also have one new regiment of Sappers and Engineers to help with that siege work, By Galzar!"

When another round of "Down Hos-Harphax!" a short chorus of "Marching Through Harphax," and "Down Styphon!" had died down, Kalvan-realizing that little more in the way of work was going to be done this day-had Cleon bring in a cask of winter wine and goblets and led a toast "To Victory Over Styphon and All His Minions Wherever They Be." This toast soon led to more and Kalvan found himself in as bright a mood as he'd been in for some time.

And why not? This new crop of mercenaries was every bit as good as their predecessors-and they were the core of the victorious Royal Army-so there was every reason for high spirits. With hot lead and Galzar's help, this time next year they'd be making their rounds of toasts to the new Great King Phrames, King of the Great Kingdom of Hos-Harphax. Then let Styphon's House try and beat the team of Hos-Hostigos and Hos-Harphax!

Despite the early winter chill in the air, Grand Master Soton felt his tunic grow wet from the exertion of guiding his pack horse along the series of switch backs that cut through the cliffs of the south bank leading up to Harphax City. The rock-paved road was lined with swarms of beggars and hideously scarred veterans of the war with Hos-Hostigos. The fact that last year's maimed and their poor cousins kept their curses under their breaths showed that the Order's banner-a large white flag bearing a black, broken sun-wheel with curved arms was still feared in the Great Kingdom of Hos-Harphax, if not always respected.