08/02/2026 10:30

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Part ThreeWINTER WAR52The leaves had mostly fallen in Linnasteth when the T'swa arrived. They'd been there formore than four weeks; the general routine was familiar. Also, theintensity of those contacts has increased: Our patrol casualties rose from61 to 239, with 81 killed. The general's words had been delivered quietly, coldly.

And conscious of his aloofness onthe trip, Varlik made a point at breakfast of going around the officers' messshaking the hand of every man there, thanking them for the voyage. By nextspring they'd be very hungry. Going to stay with 'em while you're here? Varlik's misgivings were gone, leaving only a light unease in its stead. It was jerky and so was his stop,but not bad at all for the first time.