The Guns of Empire by Django Wexler Page B

be soldiers. It’s hardly fair to the rest of us.
    â€œVery good,” Janus said. He swept some of the maps aside with a theatrical wave of his arm and laid a large sheet of virgin paper on the table. “Now. If we may begin?”
    Marcus and Ihernglass said “Sir!” in unison and bent over the table. Janus picked up a grease pencil and drew a long straight line down the center of the page.
    â€œI’ve asked you here,” he said, “because the two of you have the most important parts to play in tomorrow’s engagement. This is the river Ytolin, and this”—he drew a circle on the river—“is the town of Gilphaite, on the south bank. The Duke of Brookspring has his headquarters there, and his army is camped around the town. It’s good ground. The town is on a rise that commands the surrounding country, the river provides a secure anchor for his flanks, and Gilphaite has an excellent bridge. Dorsay knows we have the numbers, and he’s no fool. No doubt he hopes we’ll obligingly throw ourselves against his front as we come up, so he can bloody us and pull back over the bridge before his line gives way.”
    â€œWe could get around him,” Marcus said. “He doesn’t have the strength to defend the whole river line.”
    Janus nodded. “It would take time, but yes. If we outflank his position, Dorsay will have no choice but to retreat. The trouble is, that would not particularly inconvenience him. We would gain a single town, and he has all of Murnsk to trade for time if he needs to. The emperor’s armies are on the move, and when they’re fully assembled they will outnumber us. Before they can reach the field, Dorsay must be destroyed.” He tapped the page. “Remember that. Territory is irrelevant. The objective is the enemy army. Eliminate it, and everything else will fall on its own.”
    Cyte looked on, apparently rapt. Ihernglass said, “I assume you have an idea?”
    â€œIndeed.” Janus made an
X
on the map, directly south of where he’d put Dorsay’s camp. “This is Vaus, on the most direct route to Gilphaite. The four divisions here are nearly as strong as Dorsay on their own. In the morning, Marcus, you will take them north and attack the enemy camp.”
    Marcus had listened to enough of these briefings not to ask the obvious question, but Bobby did it for him. “I thought we weren’t going to attack them directly?”
    â€œThe duke must be convinced that we’ve fallen for his bait.” Janus made another
X
, to the east. “Your Second Division and the Sixth Division are here, Ihernglass.”
    â€œYessir.”
    â€œDorsay has two weaknesses we can exploit. One is a lack of really effective cavalry. Borel has always relied on mercenary light cavalry, and their quality is poor. No doubt he hopes the emperor will make up for that, but the emperor is not here yet. Our own cavalry should be able to make an effective screen for our movements.
    â€œThe second weakness is that his line of retreat is dependent on the bridge at Gilphaite. If it is captured or destroyed, his strong position becomes a trap.” Janus sketched a line running northeast from Winter’s Second Division to the river, then turning west on the north bank toward Dorsay. “Ihernglass, you will begin the march before dawn. Division-General Stokes’ patrols assure me that the Ytolin is fordable here, at least for men and horses. You’ll leave behind your guns and wagons and anything else that might slow you down. Your cavalry will go first, driving back the enemy patrols. By midafternoon, I want you in position to attack the Gilphaite bridge from the north. The main attack will have drawn Dorsay’s reserves south, and I expect it will be lightly defended.”
    He drew a final
X
, somewhat west and south of Vaus. “Division-GeneralWarus is here, with the balance of our forces.