the earphones from his head. His face bloomed with embarrassment. “Sir. Sorry, sir.”
“Now, son.”
The corporal got to his feet and scampered away.
“So.” The commander’s eyes settled on Greer. “Major. Is there something you neglected to tell me?”
“Three of the strags are women, sir.”
“Yes. Yes, they are. Thank you for letting me know.”
“Sorry, General.” He seemed to wince. “We should have called that in.”
“Yes, you should have. Since you found them, I’m putting you in charge. Think you can handle that?”
“Of course, sir. No problem.”
“Put together a detail, get them billeted. They’ll need their own latrine, too.”
“Yes, General.”
“Go.”
Greer nodded, glancing quickly toward Peter—Good luck, his eyes seemed to say—and exited the tent. The general, whose name, Peter realized, he had yet to learn, took another moment to look them over. Now that they were alone, his bearing had relaxed.
“You’re Jaxon?”
Peter nodded.
“I’m Brigadier General Curtis Vorhees. Second Expeditionary Forces, Army of the Republic of Texas.” A hint of a smile. “I’m the big dog around here, in case that was something else Major Greer neglected to mention.”
“He didn’t, sir. I mean, he did. Mention it.”
“Good.” Vorhees nodded, regarding them all another moment. “So, am I to understand—and forgive me if I seem incredulous on this point—that the six of you walked all the way from California?”
Actually, Peter thought, we drove some of the way. For some of it, we took a train. But instead he simply answered, “Yes, sir.”
“And why, may I ask, would anyone attempt such a thing?”
Peter opened his mouth to reply; but once again the answer, the true one, seemed too large. Outside, the rain had begun to fall in earnest, drumming on the tent’s canvas roof.
“It’s a long story,” he managed.
“Well, I’m sure it is, Mr. Jaxon. And I’d be very interested to hear it. For now, we need to concern ourselves with a few preliminaries. You are civilian guests of the Second Expeditionary. For the duration of your stay, you’re under my authority. Think you can live with that?”
Peter nodded.
“In another six days, this unit will be moving south to rendezvous with Third Battalion at the town of Roswell, New Mexico. From there, we can send you back to Kerrville with a supply convoy. I suggest you take this offer, but this is entirely your choice. No doubt it is something you will wish to discuss among yourselves.”
Peter broke his gaze away to look at the others, whose faces seemed to mirror his own surprise. He hadn’t considered the possibility that their journey might be over.
“Now, as for the other matter,” Vorhees went on, “which you heard me speak of with the major. I will need you to instruct the women in your party that they are not to have any contact with my men, beyond what is absolutely necessary. They are to remain in their tent, except to go to the latrine. Any needs they have are to go through you or Major Greer. Is this clear?”
Peter had no reason to refuse, other than the fact that the offer struck him as plainly ridiculous. “I’m not sure I can tell them that, sir.”
“You can’t?”
“No sir.” He shrugged. There were no other words for it. “We’re all together. That’s just how it is.”
The general sighed. “Perhaps you misunderstood me. I am asking only as a courtesy. The mission of the Second Expeditionary is such that it would be completely improper, even dangerous, for them to move freely among the unit.”
“Why would they be in danger?”
He frowned. “They wouldn’t. It’s not the women I’m thinking of.” Vorhees took a patient breath and began again. “I will explain this as simply as I know how. We are a volunteer force. To join the Expeditionary is to do so for life, by blood oath, and each of these men is sworn to die. He’s cut all ties to the world but this unit and the men within it. Each time a man leaves this compound, he wholly believes he’ll never come back. He accepts this. More than that, he embraces it. A man will happily die for his friends, but a woman—a woman makes him want to live. Once that happens, I promise you, he’ll walk through that gate and never come back.”
Vorhees was talking, Peter understood, about giving it up. But after all they had been through, it was simply impossible to imagine telling any of them, Alicia especially, that they would have to hide in their tent.
“I’m sure all of these women are fine fighters,” Vorhees continued. “You