The Master of Muscigny (The First Admiral Series Book 5) by William J. Benning Page A

perched on the edge of a rise for defensive purposes. This gave the estate two levels, with two sides of the Citadel perched on the edge of a fairly steep two hundred metre drop.
    To the west of the Citadel, the ground sloped more gently to the lower level, whilst to the east, the ground formed a flat plain that stretched to the horizon. This gave the southern part of the estate the long foot of the L-shape. Whoever had built the Citadel knew exactly what they were doing. The broken down fortified building dominated the north and west of the territory. The main road that ran from Acre, on the north-west coast, to Jerusalem would always be under the watchful scrutiny of the Citadel. The Citadel would also be a good base camp for any military action to the north and east in the direction of Damascus. Looking at the bigger picture, Billy realised that the broken down estate of Muscigny was likely to be very important strategically in time of war. To the south of the Citadel, the shattered Star Cruiser lay at the end of the deep gouge it had torn in the dusty, yellow ground. Beyond the shattered pale-blue spaceship, the hills of Jerusalem shimmered in the afternoon sun.
    Looking down at the map of the estate, Billy considered that this place that was very defensible, even if they only had the weapons and technology of the time.
    “So.” Billy began examining the L-shaped map in more detail as two of the Landing Troopers returned from searching the outbuildings. “We have water, here and here?” he indicated what appeared to be two circular structures at either end of the estate.
    “Yes, Sidi.”
    “Anything?” Billy asked the Landing Troopers
    “Nothing, sir,” the muffled voice from one of the visored-helmets responded.
    “So, Ibrahim, we have land and water here, so where are the people and the farms?” Billy asked.
    “Sidi, there are no farms and the people have...” Ibrahim began and was interrupted by a loud animal shriek of pain.
    “What the...!?” a startled Billy exclaimed, and moved quickly to the large open window.
    Out on the estate, Billy could see a large, overweight man swinging something, possibly a stick, at a stricken donkey. The small grey donkey, yoked to a water wheel, had fallen and was braying and screaming in pain and distress as it struggled to stand up again. A small, thin boy in ragged clothing with chains on his ankles was desperately trying to protect the fallen animal.
    “STOP THAT!!” Billy Caudwell yelled from the window. “STOP THAT RIGHT NOW!!” he ordered as the boy flung himself at the raised arm of the fat man.
    The donkey screamed once more as it tried to stand up and failed. Falling over, the donkey brayed in alarm, and then pain as the fat man’s arm swung down once more; the young boy tried to hold him back with all of his feeble strength.
    “I SAID STOP THAT!!” Billy yelled once more, his anger and frustration starting to boil over.
    The donkey screamed again as the stick fell; the fat man pushed the young boy aside with his free arm.
    “He can’t hear you, sir,” Gummell observed as the fat man leaned over to deliver even harder strokes to the stricken animal.
    “Trooper, stun him!” Billy instructed and stood aside as one of the Landing Troopers stepped up to the window.
    Aiming carefully, the Landing Trooper let loose the lowest yield pulsar-bolt that the seven-barrelled weapon could produce. An instant later, the pale-yellow bolt streaked downrange and struck the fat man full on the chest as he raised his arm to the collapsed donkey once again.
    The bolt struck clean and true, knocking the fat man from his feet and flat onto his back on the ground, where he started to tremor and spasm.
    “Good shot, Trooper,” Billy said and ran for the doorway.
    Followed by Ibrahim, Gummell and the two Troopers, Billy darted out of the Residence across the courtyard and out of the Citadel. Scampering down the gentle western slope, Billy quickly covered the ground down onto