"And how!"  somebody cried.  
    "Well," the major remarked, "I guess everybody here understands your feelings sergeant!  And we're more than glad to have you with us.  Thank goodness there ARE a few of us the bastards never had a chance to get at!  They sure got at enough people!  How about you, Sgt. Rivers?  You got a tale of woe about The Spir?"
    The black sergeant spat on the ground.  "If there's any man that hates them," he snapped, "it's ME!  If there's anybody they ruined, it's me!  See, I used to be a minister, a minister of The Church Of True Believers Of The Sons Of Africa."
    "Oh WOW!"  one of the men cried, Were you at The Siege?  Were you at Dawson Creek?"
    "All two years of it!"  the sergeant answered,  "All damned two years of it.  I was with the last ones they blasted out of the bunkers.  The only reason they took me alive was that I was hurt so bad I couldn't move, couldn't use my death bomb.  The Spir had no business revealing our secrets.  The women we had taken to increase our numbers weren't being mistreated.  They were our wives.  We kept them out of the drugs, kept them pure, so their babies would be healthy.  We weren't doing anything wrong.  And no matter what some of us testified to at the trials we NEVER sacrificed no white babies!  I swear to God that never happened!  All the things The Spir said were all lies!  None of it ever happened.
    Yes, I hate The Spir, I hate the lying bastards, I sure as hell do!"
    "You'll get your revenge tomorrow, brother!"  somebody cried.
    "Amen!"  another answered, "they'll pay for every damned lie they told tomorrow!  We'll break 'em, tomorrow.  This is where we turn 'em around.  This is where The Union starts winning!"
    The major cut in.  "I've heard you got quite a story, Sgt. Phipps,"  he asked, "How about sharing it with us?"
    The heavy set sergeant sat down with his fresh plate of beans, and looked around.  "Well, he muttered, "everybody else is telling, I suppose I might as well.  Any of you ever heard of Three Rivers?"
    A murmur went up among the gathered men, indicating that they certainly had.

 

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