because there was always a possibility of spies among them.
Coffman looked around at the others, disappointed by the small numbers, but encouraged that many of them were section leaders. Each section leader had about a hundred or more people under his command. All of this was a long shot, but his friends were scheduled to die the next morning, and something had to be done about it.
Ellis didn’t have to call the meeting to order, for everyone was already silent. Fear permeated the small crowd of people in a way that Coffman had never seen before. There was a sense of desperation among them, knowing that at any moment they could be killed. Yet they sat peacefully in front of a small fire, waiting.
“Well, I don’t really know how to start something like this, so I’ll just get to the point,” Ellis said. “We outnumber the enemy ten to one. That includes the recent addition of the Stühocs that came in two days ago.”
“They outnumber us ten to zero in arms,” a man said. “We’ve got no weapons at all. You speak of revolt, but we’ve got nothing!”
“Not true,” another man said. “They aren’t swords, but some of us have hammers and others have sharpened tools.”
“And surprise,” Coffman said. “The element of surprise is key.”
“That’s right,” Ellis said.
“You can’t forget that we’ve only got the thirty of us or so,” a man chimed in. “Even if the people under our command follow us, there’s no guarantee that more will join in the fight.”
“I think you underestimate the desire of everyone out there,” Ellis said. “All of them are ready to fight, with or without weapons. “I wager if they see us fighting, they are going to join in.”
“I don’t think it can be done.”
“You don’t think it can be done without losing lives,” Coffman said to the man. “If that is your thought, then you are right. People will die here tomorrow if we revolt. But if we don’t, all of us will be Soldiers of the Dead. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but the Pyramid is complete and the Sphere is ready. They don’t need all of us anymore. What do you think they plan to do with us?”
He let the words sink in, knowing that most had not thought of it that way. A reflective silence hovered around the group. They were in a small area of the slave camp. Their fire probably wouldn’t be noticed since there were many fires dispersed throughout the camp. In their silence, however, the sound of approaching footsteps jolted them to attention.
When the Stühoc appeared, none of them knew what to do. Almost all of them stood ready to fight, though they had nothing in their hands. The Stühoc held up its hands declaring his apologies. Upon closer observation they could see that he wasn’t a Stühoc at all. He was Human.
“Sorry about the disguise,” the man said. “It’s kept me alive for the past couple of days.”
“Who are you?” Ellis called out angrily.
“My name is Dink,” he said. “I came in behind the first caravan a couple of days ago.”
“What are you doing here?”
Dink looked around sheepishly. “I assumed this was your camp. I was looking for some decent food. The stuff they feed Stühocs is barely edible, and it’s all I’ve had to eat for a few days.”
“Sorry,” Ellis said. “No food here. Now be on your way, and tell no one of what you saw here tonight.”
“Wait a second,” Coffman said. “Did you say you came in with the caravan?”
“The first one,” Dink confirmed. “My wife is still in one of the carriages. They’re being given food and water, but I don’t know why they haven’t been released to the camps.”
“You mean the first caravan of Humans aren’t brainwashed?” Ellis asked.
Dink shook his head. “They aren’t from Mudavé like Anithistor’s caravan. These are fresh recruits. The Stühocs have been attacking villages up and down the Midland, taking as many prisoners as possible. They are moving them directly here.”
“The Stühocs will use them and us for their new army,” Ellis said.
“What’s that?” Dink asked.
Coffman briefly explained the weapon and how it was meant to create an army called the Soldiers of the Dead. Dink’s jaw dropped open.
“You mean, they plan to use that thing on my wife?”
“I would say that’s why they haven’t been released yet. They are going to use the Sphere tomorrow,” Ellis said, almost to himself. “They’ll start with your friends,” he nodded to Coffman. “They’ll