‘You are right, Fitzwilliam.’ von Stralick took the binoculars from Aubrey and focused them carefully. ‘This is no ordinary unit.’
The next morning, Aubrey and von Stralick were lying, prone, looking over the village of Korsur. The troops were still in place and still uncomplaining as they made breakfast. Extremely businesslike was the best description he could come up with, and he recorded that thought.
‘I’m not heartened by that,’ he said.
‘You shouldn’t be. The commander is the extremely well-connected Colonel Kirchoff, once head of the Imperial Household Guard. In a trade where brutality is tolerated, he has a fearsome reputation.’
‘Which makes me wonder why he and his troops aren’t at the front instead of guarding a village full of old people.’
‘A point that may be of some interest to you. I heard that after Kirchoff left the Imperial Household Guard he formed an elite unit under the direct control of your Dr Tremaine.’
‘You haven’t mentioned this before.’
‘If I tried to tell you everything I’ve heard of Dr Tremaine doing, we’d be here until doomsday.’
The awkwardness of that figure of speech struck both of them at the same time. Von Stralick shrugged in apology before going on. ‘Kirchoff’s unit has undertaken a number of tasks for Dr Tremaine. Unpleasant tasks. Unsavoury tasks.’
‘It must be useful, having a special unit you can order around when you need it.’
‘Exactly. Where a spot of violence was needed, or someone needed to disappear, Kirchoff and his boys were the ones to do it.’ Von Stralick grimaced. ‘I suspect something dire is going to happen here.’
‘When?’
‘Soon, to judge from the way Kirchoff is checking his watch.’
‘He was doing that yesterday.’
‘He is a patient man, from all accounts. Not a lot of imagination, which is a blessing considering some of the things he’s reputed to have done, but patient.’
Aubrey scratched at a patch of dirt on his cheek. ‘Is he disciplined?’
‘He is the model of Holmland military discipline. There are no distasteful orders, as far as Kirchoff is concerned.’
‘So he won’t argue when you and I go down there and tell him to take his troops and leave?’
Von Stralick didn’t reply. For some time, he didn’t even move. He kept the binoculars trained on the spare figure of Colonel Kirchoff, standing with his hands behind his back in the middle of the road, in exactly the same place Aubrey had seen him the previous day.
‘Fitzwilliam, this is a bad plan.’ Von Stralick put down the binoculars. ‘Kirchoff won’t take orders from a traitorous ex-Holmland spy and the traitorous son of the Albion Prime Minister.’
‘True, but will he take orders from Dr Mordecai Tremaine?’