United States or United Kingdom ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Balt Haer had been looking back and forth between his father and the newcomer and becoming obviously more puzzled. He put in, "Well, what in Zen motivates you if it isn't the stock we offer?" Joe glanced at the younger Haer to acknowledge the question but he spoke to the Baron. "Sir, like you said, you're no fool. However, you've been sucked in, this time.
She must have caught in his tone that he wasn't needling. She frowned at him. "I don't know man's goal, if there is one. I'm not even sure it's important. It's the road that counts. The endeavor. The dream. The effort expended to make a world a better place than it was at the time of your birth." Balt Haer said mockingly, "That's the trouble with you, Sis.
"I'm an engineer by education, and this is really in my line. It's the other part that has me guessing." "Balt can handle that." "But why doesn't he come?" he questioned, crossly. A score of times he had voiced his impatience, and Cherry was hard pushed to soothe him. Nor was she the only one to note the change in him; Fraser followed him about and looked on in bewilderment.
Thus while the busy dame bustled about the house or plied her spinning-wheel at one end of the piazza, honest Balt would sit smoking his evening pipe at the other, watching the achievements of a little wooden warrior who, armed with a sword in each hand, was most valiantly fighting the wind on the pinnacle of the barn.
Joe Mauser, suppressing his frown, made with the usual amenities. Balt Haer without answering them, finished his drink in a gulp and stared at the newcomer. The old stare, the aloof stare, an aristocrat looking at an underling as though wondering what made the fellow tick. He said, finally, "I see you have been raised to Rank Major." "Yes, sir," Joe said. "We are obviously occupied, major.
The older Haer went back to the map, scowling still. "I don't see what he expects to do, working out of Saugerties." A voice behind them said, "Sir, may I have your permission " Half of the assembled officers turned to look at the newcomer. Balt Haer snapped, "Captain Mauser. Why aren't you with your lads?" "Turned them over to my second in command, sir," Joe Mauser said.
By the looks of things at this stage, Captain Mauser's squadron would be going into this fracas both undermanned with Rank Privates and with junior officers composed largely of temporarily promoted noncoms. If this was typical of Baron Haer's total force, then Balt Haer had been correct; unconditional surrender was to be considered, no matter how disastrous to Haer family fortunes.
But the Baron wasn't blind to reality any more than he was a coward. He dismissed Balt Haer's defeatism from his mind and came back to Joe Mauser. "As I say, you're the only officer recruit today. Why?" Joe said evenly, "I wouldn't know, sir. Perhaps freelance Category Military men are occupied elsewhere. There's always a shortage of trained officers." Baron Haer was waggling a finger negatively.
Joe Mauser's facial expression indicated that he had expected this. He kept his voice level however, even under the chuckling scorn of his immediate superior, Balt Haer. He said, "Sir, I will be able to tell you where Marshal Cogswell is, and every troop at his command." For a moment there was silence, all but a stunned silence.
Most experienced veterans in the field." "I know who he's got," Haer growled in irritation. "Stop reminding me. Where in the devil is Balt?" "Coming up, sir," Balt Haer said. He had entered only moments ago, a sheaf of signals in his hand. "Why didn't they make that date 1910, instead of 1900? With radio, we could speed up communications " His father interrupted testily.
Word Of The Day