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We ll be setting down close to the northwestern section of the contested
area, in mountainous terrain.
Local Vasarih fortunate enough not to have been caught in the cross fire have
long since moved away.
We have a major base there, dug into the foothills. That s where you ll have
the chance to talk with your own kind.
Fine, Will replied in S van, startled to realize that circumstances were
making him into something of a linguist.
J hai glanced forward. We monitor constantly during descent. You d be
surprised how much simpler it is to shoot down a vessel from the ground than
from out in space. The vessel which brought us here has long since returned to
the safety of Underspace.
War is much more of a mental than a physical contest. In that we can be a
help to the Massood. It s participation in actual combat that we and the
Hivistahm and the rest cannot stomach. Behind the dense black beard the
S van s expression was unreadable.
I m personally glad I don t have to get any closer to the fighting than
this. What are you? Will realized he d simply accepted J hai s presence
without ever inquiring about his companion s profession.
Military intelligence, if that s not a contradiction in terms. I thought you
knew.
No. They just told me I d have a guide.
They came in low over mountains so rugged that Will s breath twice caught in
his throat. The strip of land on which they touched down terminated in a sheer
granite cliff which unexpectedly parted to admit the compact craft. Once
inside the immense excavated cavern the warning lights dimmed, and Will was
able to release himself from his seat. A dull thump echoed through the vessel.
Attack. J hai eyed the ceiling. I expect we had a seeker on our tail.
Must ve blown up outside. Someone will be spending the afternoon cleaning up
gravel. A perspiring Will followed the S van outside and into a bustling
underground world. Aliens and vehicles were moving in all directions, intent
upon unknown tasks. Their individualized attire was spotted and slashed with
colorful insignia, some of which Will recognized, much of which he did not.
Massood and Hivistahm, O o yan and Lepar were familiar to him, but there were
also several physical types he had never encountered before. J hai provided
names and translator settings. Will fingered the unit that dangled from his
neck. As they made their way through the complex he searched anxiously for a
recognizable Human face, saw none.
Not many are assigned here, J hai explained. Most are out in the field,
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where their unique talents can best be utilized.
But there are plenty of Massood here. Will pointed out a trio of the tall
fighters.
Their presence is a function of numbers. The Massood populate a dozen worlds.
Only a very few of your kind have been trained.
I was told I d see Humans here.
So you will, and soon, J hai assured him. I said they re out in the field.
That s where we re going.
Into combat?
J hai looked up at him. Isn t that what you wanted? To see how your people
were reacting to actual fighting? If that s what you wish then you ll have to
take the risk of being shot at. I have no sympathy for your reluctance. Only
my specialized psychological training allows me to accompany you beyond this
point. Consider my situation for a moment. I am neither Human nor Massood.
We won t be going to the front lines. Training or no, I couldn t handle that.
If you want to change your mind we can depart on the next shuttle. J hai
sounded hopeful.
No, said Will, dashing the S van s hopes. I hate war also, but I came here
to see how the people who were recruited are doing. I m not leaving until I ve
done that.
Very well. J hai made a disconsolate joke in his own language which had Will
grinning. You could always depend on the S van to leaven a tense situation
with humor. Your people operate from a forward base which is not far from
here. It s located astride the route the Crigolit are using to advance
westward toward an important Vasarih town. Humans were pressed into the
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