After giving appropriate instructions to Jeremiah, Stoner left the mansion and sought out the commander of his garrison, Kurim. Kurim was a tall, bulky native who had received his training from the U.S. Army, specifically the Ranger School. It was part of a program left over from the Cold War for training the armed forces of former colonial countries so that they could resist communism. Apparently it didn’t matter that these forces were used more often for cementing a local dictator’s control over his populace or hunting down authentic rebel movements seeking political and social justice.
Kurim had fought his way up the military ladder by the combined results of ruthless conduct in the field and adeptness at political intrigue. Stoner had hired him away from the government and had him tra
