Zarout coughed. “Do you think the general would be willing to offer his personal assurance on that? For the men as well as the officers?”

“I suspect so, yes.”

“That would be . . . useful.” Zarout looked over his shoulder, back toward his own men. “It occurs to me that, positioned as we are, our left flank is unprotected. Since the Ministry of War has neglected to assign me a cavalry force, a threat in that direction would force us into a tactical withdrawal, probably over the river at the nearby crossing.” He nodded in the direction of the river. “If the bridge were subsequently destroyed, it would be many days before we could reach another.”

Braes was laughing again, and Winter found herself smiling in spite of her best efforts.

“I think,” she said, “that something like that could be arranged.”

*   *   *

When Janus did arrive, his conference with the two colonels was brief and to the point. A few minutes later, Give-Em-Hell led a force of laughing, whooping cavalrymen on a ride around the end of Zarout’s line. Winter, standing beside Janus on a roadside hill, could see the long lines of blue-uniformed troops already beginning to leave their positions, headed for the bridge over the Ost and safety.

“A pity that they couldn’t be persuaded to join us,” Janus said. “But one can’t have everything.”

“I don’t blame them for being cautious,” Winter said. “These are strange times. Zarout seemed like the sort who wanted to do the best by his men, whatever happens.”

“No doubt. Strange times indeed when the best a loyal officer can manage is to step aside and let a mutinous army through.”

Winter shifted uncomfortably. “I don’t like to think of myself as mutinous, sir.”

“What else can you call it?” Janus waved down at the road, where the Army of the East was marching on toward the day’s camp. “I’m certainly disobeying orders.”

“Maurisk had no right to give those orders,” Winter said. The story of the coup in Vordan had become common knowledge in the past few days. She guessed that the soldiers passed it round so eagerly in part because many of them shared the same uncomfortable feeling she had; it made things easier if the government they were disobeying was a treacherous one. “He’s shut the queen up in the country and locked up anyone who speaks against him. That’s hardly the revolution we signed up for.”

“No doubt when the histories are written, that’s what they’ll say,” Janus said. “Assuming we win. If we lose, of course, we’ll be a lot of dirty traitors.” He flashed his summer-lightning smile at her. “But tell the truth. If Maurisk had been content to leave us alone, would you be marching against him?”