“Reading a book again, Mikkel?” asked Sigrun, throwing herself down onto one of the folding chairs arranged by the fire. “Have you been having trouble falling asleep?”
Mikkel stretched. “This one might interest you, actually. It’s called, ‘The Art of War’.”
“What, like pictures of war? Let me see.” Sigrun shifted her chair closer and grabbed the item in question. “Ugh, no, it’s writing. With some extra-small writing on the side.”
“Annotations, yes.” Mikkel retrieved the book. “And it’s not an art book; it’s a book about how to be a good general. A very ancient one, apparently.”
“A good general, hmm? Well, what does it say? Anything interesting?”
“Let’s see…” Mikkel leafed through the pages. “How about: ‘All armies prefer high ground to low and sunny places to dark.’”
“What? Is this a book for complete idiots? Even Braidy knows that.”
“You are right, it does seem rather obvious… Although, I would not have expected that to be so important back in ancient times. Perhaps they--” Noting Sigrun’s glazed-over expression, Mikkel searched the book again. “So, what would you say to: ‘In war, the way is to avoid what is strong, and strike at what is weak.’ That, too, seems obvious, and yet…”
“Right,” Sigrun nodded. “That’s a tricky one. Took even me a while, and a few scars, before I learned it. Want to see?”
“Maybe later,” said Mikkel. “Oh, here’s one you might like: ‘Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt.’”
“You are right, I do like that! A thunderbolt. Makes me think of Thor. And, you know, my plans have been called impenetrable before.”
“I… do not doubt it. So then, how do you feel about: ‘Ponder and deliberate before you make a move.’?”
“Sounds fine, as long as you don’t deliberate too long.”
“Oddly enough, the book agrees: ‘Cleverness has never been seen associated with long delays.’”
“What’s odd about that? It seems like a pretty clever book. Maybe you should show it to our young warrior; he might learn something. Hey, EMIL!” Sigrun shouted.
There was a loud crash from the other side of the tank, followed by a second, quieter crash. “I’ll be there in a minute!” shouted Emil’s voice.
Mikkel kept leafing through the book. “Oh, here’s a good one: ‘If there is disturbance in the camp, the general's authority is weak.’”
When Sigrun failed to reply, he glanced up to see her disappearing around the vehicle. Sighing, he turned back to his reading. What he found gave him pause...
‘At the critical moment, the leader of an army acts like one who has climbed up a height and then kicks away the ladder behind him. He carries his men deep into hostile territory before he shows his hand. He burns his boats and breaks his cooking-pots; like a shepherd driving a flock of sheep, he drives his men this way and that, and nothing knows whither he is going. To muster his host and bring it into danger:--this may be termed the business of the general.’
Could it be… Could it be that General Trond had made it his general’s business to damage that bridge, locking them in the danger of the Silent World?
