He arrived at the Somali capitol to find some of The Republic's forces preparing to leave. The seasoned fighters were withdrawing and young green troops were being brought in to replace them. Samuel didn't like the look of this at all. A day or so before he had overheard a conversation between General Pershing and Warlock Eisenhower.
"Look," Pershing had been saying, "I know that nephew of mine is off planning some hush hush operation. I can't imagine what would've kept him away from a fight like we just had. We know you're working on something in Europe that we can't imagine what it might be.
Tell that nephew of mine his mother wants some pictures of the new baby. She doesn't care if he's incommunicado or not. There are some things that cannot be withheld."
Eisenhower laughed. "I have no idea what Pershing is working on," he answered, "but I assure you, I'll get word to him and have this important matter taken care of. That young man is one of the finest tactitions I have ever come across. Runs in the family I guess!"
Both men had laughed and moved off. Somehow Samuel knew Warlock Eisenhower was lying. He knew what was going on and it was something big!
What was going on in the capitol only increased his suspicions and worries. When he finally got to see Warlock Hightower he asked what was going on.
"I have no idea what you're talking about," Hightower answered, "merely some redeployment. Some of these troops have been here for quite a while! They need to be transferred to new duties and appropriate promotions handed out. Warlock Gandhi shall take charge of your old sector. You are being made overall commander of all forces in Somalia. I'm sure you can keep everything here under control. After all, recruits should be broken in on the easy assignments, and you've made conditions here so quiet we have virtually nothing to do except what you like to do, BUILD things.
Now, if you don't mind we've got to get this celebration over with, so all these foreign troops that aren't hanging around to give us a hand can go home. Have you expressed our thanks to The Russians, French, and, Americans for taking some of the children?"
"Repeatedly!" Samuel answered. "You would have had to kill Kosinoff to get those two girls away from him after they saved his life. And the French general calls the ones his people are taking their little Joan Of Arcs.
Sir, I don't like to question my superiors or to doubt their word, but can you tell me how long before I could be expecting serious trouble?"
Warlock Hightower stared at Samuel for a moment, then answered, "Within nine months you better be ready for HELL! Things are going to get bad, real bad, real fast. But there's nothing we can do about it. I don't know all the details. I've just been told it's going to be nasty."
"Thank you, sir!" Samuel acknowledged.
"Well, come on!" Hightower snapped, "Everybody wants to know you and your friends. Let's get this parade over with."
The parade was a grand affair televised around the world. Every military unit put on a grand performance. Each country's soldiers joined in the singing, as they passed the reviewing stand. When the last of it was done children came up on the stage dressed in native costumes waving the flags of Somalia, The Republic, The United States, France and Russia. Samuel moved towards the Speaker's stand to give a few words of conclusion. When he was almost there he heard a thud and felt something strange. He looked down to see a flagstaff with a razor sharp metal point protruding from his abdomen! He turned to see two men struggling with a young girl. He managed to say "Don't hurt that child!" then a warm darkness overwhelmed him.
A long while later he awoke in a hospital, his wives stood on either side of his bed showing looks of absolute joy.
"I take it I haven't been doing too good," he remarked, "but now I'm getting better."
Sharon answered "If not for the skill of the doctors we would have lost you. You've been in a coma for almost a month. You lost an horrendous amount of blood. They had to operate on you twice to remove infected parts of your intestines. You're several feet short, but they say you hardly notice."
"I've got a vague memory," Samuel explained, "a child attacked me. Do they know why?"
"She's one of Solassie's people," Suzie explained. Her sister had been sterilized and sent away. She was angry because she couldn't see her any more. They had been very close. She put the blame on you, personally. She made the weapon herself, even the flag, a Republic one, simply joined up with the other children. They're pretty sure she was working alone. They've held the dispensation of her case 'til..." Suzie stopped.
"'Til they knew if I was going to live or die," Samuel finished. "Well, where it appears I'm going to live, I think we'll just see to it the young lady is sent off to be with her sister. Permanent exile with no sterilization should be sufficient. I'm sure if I speak to the prosecutors it will be arranged. Who's handling my duties?"
"Warlock Hightower," Sharon answered, "he's stayed at his post 'til you recovered, or needed to be replaced."
"Then as soon as I can," Samuel insisted, "I'd better get back to work!" The doctors insisted he take a few more weeks, then they let him gradually resume his duties. The wounds healed, but they would still ache at times, a soldier's legacy, which predicted the change in the weather, and these didn't like the weather AT ALL!

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