Read Black Guard, The for Free Online Page B

room. Two guards are
roaming the grounds, and one guard at each entrance: front, back, and service."
    "Good," I said as I continued
down the hallway.
    Corporal Glick nodded as I passed the
study. On guard duty, a nod was sufficient acknowledgement. At the game-room
door Private Nadel stood guard. Inside, Private Ganz and Corporal Judt stood
against opposite walls.
      "Good day, Mei Lew."
    Mei looked up from where she sat at a
small table with her two children playing a game with tiles. The table had a
leather top with a map-like design and the tiles contained beautifully painted
pictures. Three dice appeared to control the movement of the tiles.
    "Are guards necessary in the
room?" she asked, in a manner one would chastise a servant.
    "I have detailed one Guard for
each family member. They are experienced guards and under orders to protect
your lives. Their positions will depend on circumstances but always to ensure
your safety." Worth it or not, I mused.
    "That can be very invasive. What
if I don’t like it?"
    "In that case, I would assign you
and your children’s guards to your husband and his mother. But then they won’t
be available if the rebels manage to reach the estate, and your fate would
depend upon their goodwill. Most are kind to children."
    "Who do you think you’re talking
to? I’ll report you to—"
    "Mei Lew, you either want security
or you don’t. If you do, the Guard will decide how best to provide that
security because that is our job. Your husband can certainly tell us he no
longer wants the Guard, in which case, we will leave. But we are not your
servants. We do not fetch or carry or provide entertainment."
    I nodded and turned on my heel. She was
still muttering as I closed the door behind me, leaving Judt and Ganz fighting
to maintain a bland expression. I took the stairs to the second floor and found
Private Lipkin outside of Li Ming’s suite. She nodded as I approached and
knocked at the door.
    "Who is it?"
    "Captain Sapir."
    "Come in."
    Li Ming sat in a lounge chair with a
book in her lap. A pot of tea, a cup and saucer, and some small cakes sat on
the table next to the chair. She was a small frail lady with sparkling eyes
that suggested a sharp mind. The study was a restful room. One wall had shelves
which contained a large collection of books of every shape and description. A
large picture window with maroon drapes dominated the far wall and looked out
over the front lawn. Paintings hung on the other two walls.
    "Lady Li Ming, I just stopped in
to answer any questions you might have."
    "What do you think, Captain? Will
the rebels overrun the city and this estate?"
    "The rebels out-number the Jax
army, at least, ten to one, so it’s unlikely the army can contain them without
help. So, it will depend on the ability of the Yuan military to stop those that
break off from the main force to attack the estate."
    "Well then, Captain, can you hold
a hundred or two? Because the Yuan military is no better than the rebels and
less motivated."
    "We could hold, but we couldn’t both
hold and protect you if hundreds manage to reach the estate."
    "So you’ll desert us?" she
said without emotion, but her eyes had an amused sparkle.
    "The Guard does not abandon those
they protect. That would not fit with our tradition or our duty. We are the
Guard, not an army who the rebels can expect to meet them on the battle field.
Then because our numbers are few, they will rely on force to overrun us. And
finally, they will believe we are standard military trained and their equal. No
tactic can survive that many mistakes."
    "I almost look forward to seeing
the rebels." She smiled.
    * * *
    I left the governor for last. When he
said to enter upon my knock, he was sitting behind a large redwood desk, which
had papers spread out over half its surface. He looked up and frowned.
    "Good day, Governor. I just
stopped in to see if you had any questions."
    "Shouldn’t your troops be outside,
not guarding the rooms we’re