his bayonet； Leden？”
“Then； he should use his lasgun as a club； sergeant。”
“A club you say？” the sergeant asked； suddenly placing both his hands at the end of the lasgun’s
barrel and lifting the butt of the weapon above his head。 “What； he should hold his lasgun above his
head as though it were a bat…stick and he was playing shreev…ball？”
“Oh no； sergeant；” Leden replied mildly； apparently unaware that with every word he was
digging a deeper hole for himself。 “He should hold his lasgun horizontally with his hands widely
spaced as though it were a short…staff and strike the enemy with the butt。”
“Ah； I see；” the sergeant said； bringing the lasgun down and holding it in front of him with his
hands in the positions Leden had indicated。 “And to best disable the enemy； what target should the
Guardsman aim at — the face； the chest； or the gut？”
“The face；” Leden said； an idiot smile on his face； while every other Guardsman in the company
winced inwardly at what they knew was coming。
“I see；” Sergeant Ferres said； bringing the butt of the lasgun up quickly to smash Leden in the
bridge of the nose。 Screaming； a gout of blood geysering from his nose； Leden collapsed to his
knees。
“Get up； Leden；” the sergeant said； tossing the lasgun back to him as Leden shakily rose to his
feet once more。
14
“You aren’t seriously injured。 Much less disabled。 Look on it as a lesson。 Perhaps next time
you’ll remember to clean your lasgun more carefully。 The power node on this one is so filthy；
chances are it’d burn out after a few shots。”
Turning away from Leden； the sergeant resumed his inspection。 Standing three men down the
line； Larn felt weighed down by the expectation of impending disaster。 Ferres is really on the
warpath today； he thought。 There’s no way he’ll let me pass muster。 He’ll find something I’ve done
wrong。 Some little thing。 He always does。 Then； his heart rising in his mouth； Larn saw the sergeant
pause in his slow procession down the line and turn to face him。
“Your lasgun； trooper！” the sergeant said。 Then； as he had done with Leden before him； he
checked the safety before inspecting the rest of the gun in turn。 Sights； barrel； stock； holding lugs —
for long seconds Ferres pored minutely over the lasgun as Larn felt sweat gathering at the back of
his collar。 Next； pressing the release catch Ferres pulled the power pack free to check the contacts
and the cell well were clean。 Then； glowering as he snapped the power pack back into place； Ferres
raised his eyes to look at Larn once more。
“Name and number！” he barked。
“Trooper First Class Larn； Arvin A； sergeant。 Number： eight one five seven six dash three eight
nine dash four seven two dash one！”
“I see。 Then； tell me； Trooper First Class Larn； Arvin A； why did you join the Guard？”
“To defend the Imperium； sergeant。 To serve the Emperor’s will。 To protect humanity from the
alien and the unclean。”
“And how will you do those things； trooper？”
“I will obey orders； sergeant。 I will follow the chain of command。 I will fight the Emperor’s
enemies。 And I will die for my Emperor； if He so wills it。”
“What are your rights as a member of the Imperial Guard？”
“I have no rights； sergeant。 The Guardsman willingly forfeits his rights in return for the glory of
fighting for the just cause of our Immortal Emperor。”
“And why does the Guardsman willingly forfeit his rights？”
“He forfeits them to better serve the Emperor； sergeant。 The Guardsman has no need of rights —
not when he is guided by the infinite wisdom of the Emperor and； through Him； by the divinely
ordained command structure of the Imperial Guard。”
“And if you should meet a man who tells you this things are wrong； Larn？ If you should meet a
man who claims the Guard’s command structure sometimes makes mistakes and needlessly wastes
the lives of the men under its command？”
“Then I will kill him； sergeant。 That is the only way to treat with traitors and dissenters。”
“Hnn。 And if you should hear a man spout heresy； Larn； how will you persuade him of the error
of his ways？”
“I will kill him； sergeant。 That is the only way to treat with the heretic。”
“And if you should meet the xenos？”
“I will kill it； sergeant。 That is the only way to treat with the xenos！”
“Very good； Larn；” the sergeant said to him； tossing Larn’s lasgun back to him before turning to
inspect the next man in line。 “You’re learning。 Perhaps we’ll make a Guardsman of you yet。”
“No bruises； no extra laps； not even a demerit；” Jenks said。 It was an hour later； and Larn sat with
the other men of his fireteam at one of the long tables inside the mess hall as their company waited
for the midday meal to be served。
“You passed muster with flying colours this time； Larnie。 Looks like Old Ferres is starting to
like you。”
“Like me？ I don’t think he likes anyone。” Larn replied。 “Still； I can hardly believe it myself。 The
way he glowers at you； you always think he’s going to put you on report no matter what you do。”
15
“Ah； the sergeant isn’t so bad；” said Hallan； the squad medic； from nearby as he busied himself
putting a dressing on Leden’s damaged nose。 “I mean； granted he can be tough； but he’s pretty fair
with it。”
“Dair？” Leden said； outraged。 “Da dastard doke by dose！”
“It could have been worse； Leden；” Hallan said。 “Usually when Ferres thinks a trooper’s gun
isn’t clean enough he kicks him in the balls。 At least this way I haven’t got to get you to drop your
pants to tend your injuries。 And besides； next time the sergeant gives you a choice between face；
chest； or gut maybe you’ll be smart enough to say ‘toe’。”
“Ha； say that and you’ll definitely catch one in the balls；” Jenks laughed。 “No； once Ferres has a
burr riding him he’s going to hurt you one way or another。 You ask me； only thing you can do is
take your lumps and tough it out。 Unless you’re like Larnie here； of course。 The perfect
Guardsman。”
At that； they all smiled。 Even though the jibe — such as it was — was directed at him； Larn
smiled with them。 Even without the light tone in his companion’s voice； he would have known
Jenks was only joking。 The perfect Guardsman。 Larn might well have just passed muster； but he did
not have any pretensions in that regard。 Even after two months of basic training； he felt no more a
Guardsman now than he had on the day when he had first been drafted。
For a moment； while the others continued their conversation around him； Larn considered how
much his life had changed in the space of a few short months。 The day after his conversation with
his father in the cellar he had taken the landrailer to the town of Willans Ferry； and from there on to
the regional capital Durnanville to report for induction。 From Durnanville he had been sent two
hundred kilometres east； to a remote staging post where for the last two months they had trained him
to become a Guardsman。
He found himself looking at his comrades。 Hallan was small and dark； Jenks tall and fair； but
despite the differences between them he realised they did not look any more like Guardsmen than
either him or Leden。 Himself included； they all still looked like what they were — farmboys。 Like
him； they were all the sons of farmers。 So for that matter were most of the men in the regiment。
They were all of them farmboys； fresh from the fields and accustomed to lives of peaceful obscurity。
The arrival of the induction notices had changed that forever。 Now； for better or worse； they found
themselves conscripted as Guardsmen。 Two thousand green and unproven recruits； sent for basic
training at this staging post before they left Jumael IV for good。 Two thousand would…be
Guardsmen； given over to the tender mercies of men like Sergeant Ferres in the hope they could be
made into soldiers by the time they got their first taste of action。
“Anyway； if you ask me； Hallan is right；” Jenks said； his voice breaking into Larn’s thoughts。 “I
mean； hard as Ferres is； at least you know where you stand with him。 Besides； I suppose he’s earned
the right to be hard。 Unlike the rest of us； I hear he was regular PDF back before he got drafted。 He’s
probably the only man in this entire regiment who knows anything about soldiering。 And； believe
you me； when we make our first drop and the lasfire starts flying we’ll be glad they gave us a man
like that to lead us。”
“Do you ever think about it； Jenks？” Larn asked。 “Do you ever think about what it will be like
the first time we see action？”
In response the others fell silent then； their faces troubled and uneasy。 For as long as the silence
lasted； Larn worried he had said too much。 He worried that something in his voice； some tremor
perhaps or even the very fact he had thought to ask the question at all had been enough to cause the
others to start to doubt him。 Then； finally； Hallan smiled at him： the smile telling him that all of
them felt the same nervousness he did at the thought of seeing combat。
“Don’t worry； Larnie；” he said； “Even if you do get hit I’ll be on hand to patch you up。”
“Lot of comfort that is；” Jenks said。 “I thought you said the only reason they made you a medic
was because you were a veterinary back home。”
16
“Actually； it was my father who was the veterinary — I just used to help him out；” Hallan said。
“So not only do I know how to mend wounds； Jenks； but if we come across a pregnant grox I’ll be
able to assist with the birthing as well。”
“Just so long as you don’t get the two mixed up； Hals；” Jenks said。 “Bad enough if I should get
wounded； without having to worry about you trying to put your hand up my backside because you
think I’m about to calf。”
They all laughed； the sombre mood of a few moments before gratefully forgotten。 Then； seeing
something at the other end of the mess hall； Jenks nodded towards it。
“Hey oh；” he said。 “Looks like dinner’s here at last。”
Following the direction of Jenks’ nod； Larn looked over to see Vorrans — the fifth member of
their fireteam — hurrying over towards them with a stack of mess trays balanced in his hands in
front of him。
“It’s about time；” Hallan said。 “I swear my stomach’s so empty I w