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children　to　sleep　with；　nothing　more。　Put　it　from　your　mind。”
At　that；　they　became　silent　and；　looking　at　the　faces　of　his　companions；　Larn　saw　the　same　thing
there　as　had　been　hidden　in　the　whispers　of　the　men　he　had　heard　discussing　The　Big　Push　to　begin
with。
He　saw　fear。
And　he　was　not　reassured。
95
CHAPTER　FOURTEEN
21：15　hours　Central　Broucheroc　Time
Bookkeeping　and　the　Tragedy　of　War　—　Matters　of　Tactics　while　Waiting　for　an　Eternity　to　Pass　—
Preparations　and　Preludes　in　the　Trenches　—　Holding　the　Line　—　Shot　in　the　Head　and　Saved　by
Davir　—　Last　Stand　by　the　Dugouts　—　The　Sound　of　Salvation
For　Captain　Arnol　Yaab　it　had　been　a　long　and　tiring　day。　A　day　spent　like　every　other　day　of　the
last　ten　years　in　a　cramped　windowless　office　in　the　lower　levels　of　the　General　Headquarters
building　in　the　centre　of　Broucheroc；　ceaselessly　compiling　the　twice…daily　Imperial　Guard　casualty
statistics　from　the　reports　and　logs　of　the　various　Sectors　Command　throughout　the　city。
Sector　1…11；　he　wrote　in　a　neat　and　ordered　hand　in　the　pages　of　the　ledger　before　him。　12th
Coloradin　Rifle　Corps。　Commanding　Officer：　Colonel　Wyland　Alman。　Previous　Strength：　638　men。
Total　Casualties　in　Last　Twelve　Hour　Period：　35　men。　Current　Adjusted　Strength：　603　men。
Percentage　Loss：　5。49％。
Sector　1…12；　he　continued；　carefully　allowing　the　ink　time　to　dry　so　as　not　to　risk　smudging　the
previous　entry。　35th　Zuvenian　Light　Foot。　Commanding　Officer：　Captain　Yiroslan　Dacimol
（Deceased）。　Previous　Strength：　499　men。　Total　Casualties　in　Last　Twelve　Hour　Period：　43　men。
Adjusted　Strength：　456　men。　Percentage　Loss：　8。62％。
Sector　1…13。　902nd　Vardan　Rifles。　Commanding　Officer：　Sergeant　Eugin　Chelkar　（Temporary
Appointment）。　Previous　Strength：　244　men。　Total　Casualties　in　Last　Twelve　Hour　Period：　247　men。
Current　Adjusted　Strength：　…3。　Percentage　Loss：　101。23％。
Abruptly；　gazing　down　at　the　entry　he　had　just　written；　Yaab　became　aware　that　there　seemed　to
be　some　problem　with　his　figures。　101。23％？　That　cannot　be　right；　he　thought。　How　can　a　unit　have
lost　more　than　one　hundred　per　cent　of　its　original　strength　and　be　reduced　to　a　current　adjusted
strength　of　minus　three？　It　is　an　impossibility。　How　can　you　have　minus　three　men？
Pursing　his　lips　in　annoyance；　Captain　Yaab　re…checked　the　figures　in　the　Sector　Command　Beta
casualty　log。　There；　in　black　and　white；　the　same　statistic　was　confirmed。　Out　of　a　total　strength　of
244　men；　the　902nd　Vardan　had　somehow　conspired　to　lose　no　less　than　247　of　their　number　in　the
last　twelve　hours。　Then；　just　as　deep　in　his　pen…pusher’s　soul　he　began　to　fear　he　had　made　an　error
that　would　see　him　reprimanded　—　or　worse　—　posted　to　the　frontlines；　Yaab　noticed　a　sheet　of
paper　clipped　to　the　back　of　the　log　and　realised　he　had　perhaps　found　the　source　of　the　mistake。
It　was　a　supplementary　report；　recording　that　a　lander　had　crash…landed　in　Sector　1…13　at　around
midday　and　deposited　an　additional　235　Guardsmen　into　the　sector。　Ah；　now　that　would　account　for
the　discrepancy；　Yaab　thought；　making　a　quick　series　of　mental　calculations。　An　extra　235　men
would　put　the　total　strength　of　the　sector　at　479。　Then；　the　loss　of　247　men　would　leave　us　with　a
current　adjusted　strength　of　232；　constituting　a　percentage　loss　of　51。57％。　All　in　all；　a　much　more
acceptable　figure。
Happy　again；　Captain　Yaab　adjusted　his　ledger　in　line　with　the　new　calculations　only　to　find
himself　aggravated　once　more　as　he　noticed　the　unsightly　mess　the　alterations　had　made　to　the
clean；　well…ordered　columns　of　his　figures。　Sighing　as　he　returned　to　compiling　his　statistics；　Yaab
tried　to　take　comfort　from　the　thought　that　it　could　not　be　helped。　It　was　the　tragedy　of　his　life　that
certain　amount　of　unsightliness　was　to　be　expected。
War；　after　all；　could　be　a　messy　business。
96
“Switch　your　comm…bead　to　our　command　net　on　frequency　five；”　Bulaven　told　Larn　through　the
roar　of　shellfire　shaking　the　ground　above　them。　“You　will　know　we　are　about　to　go　when　the
shelling　stops。　Then；　when　we　get　the　order；　we　run　back　to　our　firing　trench。　No　crouching　or　trying
to　stay　in　cover　this　time；　new　fish。　You　just　sprint　there　as　fast　as　you　can。　We　have　to　be　back　in
the　trench　and　ready　to　shoot　before　the　orks　reach　the　kill　zone　at　the　three　hundred　metre　mark。”
They　were　standing　with　the　rest　of　the　Vardans　next　to　the　steps　leading　from　the　dugout　up　to
the　surface。　As　his　fingers　fiddled　to　change　the　frequency　of　the　comm…bead　in　his　ear；　Larn’s　mind
turned　to　a　lesson　he　had　learned　in　his　last　battle。　This　is　the　worst　time；　he　thought。　While　you　are
waiting　for　the　attack　to　start；　before　the　battle　even　begins。　Once　the　fighting　is　underway　you　are
still　afraid。　But　it　is　having　time　to　think　about　what　is　coming　that　makes　the　fear　worse。　And　the
orks　would　seem　to　know　it。　They　are　giving　us　plenty　of　time　to　dwell　on　our　fears。　Right　now；　it
feels　like　waiting　for　an　eternity　to　pass。
“All　right；　new　fish；”　Bulaven　said。　“Now；　I　have　told　you　everything　you　need　to　know　about
what　we　are　going　to　do　after　that。　I　want　you　to　tell　it　back　to　me　now　so　I　can　be　sure　you　have
understood　it。”
Can　he　see　that　I　am　afraid；　Larn　thought。　Is　that　it？　Is　he　trying　to　keep　me　busy　and　take　my
mind　off　the　fact　we　could　all　he　dead　in　a　matter　of　minutes？　And　if　Bulaven　can　see　it　what　about
the　rest　of　them？　Are　they　all　standing　here　watching　me　wondering　if　I　am　going　to　turn　and　run？
Do　they　think　I　am　a　coward？
“Our　tactics；　new　fish？”　Bulaven　prodded。　“What　are　they？”
“Once　we　reach　the　firing　trench　we　will　hold　it　as　long　as　we　can；”　Larn　said；　silently　praying
to　the　Emperor　his　voice　did　not　sound　as　frightened　and　nervous　as　he　suspected。　“Then；　if　it　looks
like　we　are　going　to　be　overrun；　Scholar　will　set　the　demolition　charge　to　buy　us　enough　time　to　fall
back。　You　will　be　carrying　the　flamer；　I　will　be　carrying　a　spare　fuel　canister　for　you；　Davir　and
Zeebers　will　give　us　covering　fire　with　their　lasguns。”
“And　if　any　of　us　are　dead　by　then？”　Bulaven　asked。　“Or　too　badly　wounded　to　move　on　their
own？　What　then；　new　fish？”
“Then　the　three　most　important　things　are　the　demolition　charge；　the　flamer；　and　the　spare　fuel
canister；　in　that　order。　Other　than　that　we　will　help　the　wounded　if　we　can。　If　not；　we　will　leave　them
behind。”
“Remember　that　one；　new　fish。　It　is　important。　Now；　where　will　we　fall　back　to？”
“To　the　sandbag　emplacement　above　this　dugout；”　Larn　said；　repeating　everything　Bulaven　had
drilled　into　him　while　they　waited　for　the　shelling　to　stop。　“After　that；　it　is　like　Sergeant　Chelkar　was
saying。　We　do　not　fall　back　any　farther。　Once　we　are　at　the　emplacements；　we　stand　or　die。”
“Very　good；　new　fish；”　Davir　said　sarcastically　from　the　side　of　them。　“It　sounds　like　you　have
got　it。”
Abruptly；　the　shellfire　stopped。　The　brief　silence　that　followed　it　felt　strange　and　eerie　after　so　long
a　bombardment。
“Go！　Go！　Go！”　Sergeant　Chelkar　yelled；　as　beside　him　Vladek　threw　open　the　door　to　the　dugout
and　the　assembled　Vardans　ran　pell…mell　up　the　steps　toward　the　surface。　“Get　to　your　trenches！”
Before　he　even　knew　it　Larn　was　above　ground；　emerging　blinking　into　the　cold　grey　light　of　the
sun　outside　to　turn　and　sprint　towards　the　firing　trench　with　Bulaven　and　the　others　beside　him　as
the　rest　of　the　Vardans　spread　out　to　run　for　their　own　positions。　Then；　with　barely　a　few　metres
gone；　he　heard　Corporal　Grishen’s　voice　in　his　ear　through　his　comm…bead。
“Auspex　reports　activity　in　the　enemy　lines；”　Grishen　said；　frantic　through　a　squall　of　static。
“The　orks　are　moving。”
97
Larn　could　already　see　them。　On　the　other　side　of　no…man’s　land；　a　horde　of　orks　had　risen　up
and　were　now　charging　screaming　towards　them。　For　a　moment　Larn　heard　a　still　small　voice　in　his
head　questioning　what　he　was　doing；　running　towards　the　orks　when　every　fibre　of　his　being　told
him　he　should　be　running　away　from　them　as　fast　as　his　legs　could　take　him　but　he　ignored　it。
Ignored　it　and　raced　instead　towards　the　trench　to　take　his　place　with　the　other　members　of　the
fireteam　as　they　made　ready　to　repel　the　assault。
“Five　hundred　m