‘Now you can go back to the men and tell them that as our perimeter’s been doubled, so has sentry duty. Perhaps then, tomorrow, they’ll appreciate the value of observing the Duke’s orders and lay the camp out as a proper defensible enclave. And if there’s any complaining, we’ll put stakes around it... or a ditch... or both. Dismiss.’
Do them no harm, he thought later, as he extinguished the lamp and lay back in his blankets. In fact, it had been very useful; given him a chance to display his authority quite legitimately. And he’d done it quite well, he decided.
He toyed with the idea of waking early and making a spot inspection of the doubtless negligent sentries, but his aching legs and admittedly not unpleasant fatigue told him that this was little more than idle dreaming.
He yawned a
