Wherefore a lion out of the forest shall slay them, and a wolf of the evenings shall spoil them, a leopard shall watch over their cities: every one that goeth out thence shall be torn in pieces:
-The book of the prophet Jeremiah 5:6
“I do not mind living off the land, taking the food of peasants,” said the older soldier, “but what they do is evil and will bring us bad luck.”
“Better them than us,” replied his younger comrade.
“Still, these creatures chill my blood. If they would do this, how do we know they will not turn on us, eh? I do not know how we can control them.”
“We cannot, but the prince can,” replied the younger man. “That is why he goes with us as the tip of the sword. The creatures obey only Rosh.”
They were in the vanguard of the army of the Magog, which was massed on the southernmost border of the empire. The men chosen for the vanguard had been selected from the northern and western provinces and now they knew why. The supplies had run out by the time they entered the southern provinces and now they must live off the land, taking food from grumbling peasants.
Then the Wehr-Creatures had become hungry.
Now, as the vanguard came to a village, the Wehr-Creatures were allowed to roam ahead, moving so fast that none of the villagers had a chance to raise the alarm. The creatures killed every living soul in these villages, but that is not what made the soldier’s blood run cold in their veins. Once all the villagers were dead, (and oft times when they were not fully dead), the Wehr-Creatures would eat them, men, woman, children, it mattered not. The creatures obeyed the words of their master and avoided the livestock and grain; in fact they seemed to prefer the flesh of humans to what they called ‘manfood’.
“Still this is an ill way to begin a war, eating our own people,” said the older soldier.
“Well, we shall soon be in the enemy’s land,” said the younger. “Then I say let the creatures eat their fill. The world will be better off without the Abramim stain upon it.”
The older man looked at the younger with distain. “There is no honor in this.”
“No, but there is food. The prince will call his pets off the village soon. Then it will be our turn to feast, and I didn’t get any of those pigs we took in the last village.”
“Is all you think of is food?” asked the older man.
“Is there anything else worth fighting for?” replied the younger.
From my novel Eretzel.
Copyright 2008 William R. McGrath
You must be logged in to post a comment.