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"He doesn't want to put too many eggs in any one state, I notice," Ahn-Kha said, removing a green dragon pair.
"I shoulda seen that coming," Valentine said.
"Colonel! Colonel!" someone shouted from outside.
Valentine stood in a smooth motion, as if he'd been pulled up by wires. He went to the tent flap.
"Yes, Yvaro?"
"There's been ... Sergeant M'Daw, he's stabbed, on the edge of camp. I mink he's dying."
The night turned cold and unfriendly. What in God's name? With Boxcars so close he'd been having M'Daw watched. Valentine still wondered if he wouldn't return to his old allegiance when the time was right.
"Ahn-Kha, tell Lieutenant Nail about this, and have him bring a stretcher. Let's treat him here. Okay, Yvaro, what happened?"
"He'd turned in for the night. I thought so, anyway. Then I hear a shout from the latrine. It was him, and I ran over and saw him. Someone stuck him in the back with one of those wooden spears the Smalls made."
"Your breath smells like coffee," Valentine said. "You got a cup to help you through the watch, I suppose."
"How-yes, sir, sorry sir."
"Just take me to M'Daw. We'll worry about it later."
Valentine ran to the NCO latrine and showers. The men still lived in tents, but Valentine saw to it they had huts for shower and privy. The corporal panted, trying to keep up with Valentine.
M'Daw was unconscious. He lay behind the showers. He'd pulled out the spear and lost a lot of blood. Soldiers were gathered around, and one had a bloody dressing held tight against M'Daw's lower back. Across the mounds of rubble, the lights of the other installations of New Columbia were alive. Valentine did a quick search from the top of a ruined wall, but whoever had stabbed him could easily get away without being seen among the smashed buildings.
Hank Smalls ran up one of the hills toward the camp, crying. Blood ran from his nose and drops covered the front of his shirt.
"Hank!" Valentine called.
"Captain!" Hank sobbed, sinking to his knees.
"Raintree," Valentine called over his shoulder to one of the medics. "Help me here. It's the boy."
Valentine went to his knees and hugged Hank. The boy was a sniveling mess.
"Sir, my folks are running. Decided to run and tell the others about y'all. I din't know about it. Mister M'Daw tried to stop him and Pa stuck him."
Good God. We're dead.
"Where's he gone?"
"They want to turn you in. Did I do right?"
Valentine couldn't tell a boy that turning in his parents was the right thing to do, no matter the circumstances. Even as his mind regained its equilibrium, he grew angry with himself for not just telling the Smalls the whole truth. They knew he was lying. They'd just misinterpreted his lies.
"If you thought it was right, it was right. This is important, Hank; do you know where they were headed?"
Hank rubbed his eyes and climbed a mound of concrete to get a better view. He held a reinforcing rod and pointed.
Please don't let it be the Kurian Tower , Valentine prayed.
"That building."
Valentine followed Hank's finger. He was pointing at Xray-Tango's headquarters.
"Raintree, get Hank and M'Daw to the first aid tent. Do what you can for both of them."
