"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.