by Candy Rae
CHAPTER 15 (Northern and Southern Continents)
In the southern continent, another meeting was taking place. All Murdoch’s colonels were present and the agenda was a serious one.
It had not been an easy time for Murdoch and his men. He had enforced many rules, some of which had not been universally popular. Dissent was rife.
Henri Cocteau talked of his problems down in the encampment beside the river, an undercurrent of warning in his voice as he spoke.
“It is as you predicated General. I’ve got ten thousand men down there. As expected, they are having to organise themselves in order to survive. They appear to be forming into groups. Just yesterday a bunch of would-be shoemakers approached me for permission to open a shop and quite a number have formed hunting groups. In addition there are over fifty based at the river who have the laudable intention of becoming fishermen. They’re even building boats although I have no idea if any of these so-called boats are capable of remaining above the water for any length of time.”
“Hope they have life-jackets,” interjected a voice from the back. There was a general laugh at this sally.
“Any more signs of these giant wolves?” asked Sam Baker. There had been no sightings, a fact that was making him and the other commanders not a little nervous.
“None,” stated Cocteau. “The hunters are keeping a wary eye open but have seen nothing at all, not even any tracks.”
“Don’t drop your guard.”
The others agreed. They were not finding any signs either even after sending out reconnaissance parties in force, partly to watch and partly to keep their men in training and occupied. Now that the immediate fighting was over, some soldiers were finding time weighing heavily on their hands. Their officers were sometimes hard-pressed to find them something to do. Murdoch would not allow any of the seven remaining regiments to be disbanded, not with what was known as the wolf threat on their doorstep. He also felt more secure with three and a half thousand supporters up at Fort with him, trained and ready to rise in his defence if necessary.
Henri Cocteau’s men in the encampment were being encouraged to shake off the regimental discipline of the march north in order to organise themselves to provide the goods and services that both they and the army up on the hill at Fort needed. Many were making a concerted effort to do so and varied were the petitions to form this or that trade, to open a shop or to learn another occupation. There were unfortunately, a very fair number who did not want to do any such thing. These men were becoming the troublemakers and riff-raff of the encampment, and even their ex-blockmates were getting annoyed.
“The main problem is the women, or lack of them,” stated Cocteau, determined to get his point across.
In the south, women were becoming chattels, to be bought and sold, with no rights outside the house and bedroom and little even there.
It was a serious point Cocteau was making. Discontent was becoming more vocal and there were fears that the angry words would turn into acts of violence. The commanders were worried.
Murdoch and his circle were at a loss to find a solution. No matter how often the matter was discussed, the facts spoke for themselves. There were just not enough women to go round. Those who owned one were targeted for vilification by those who did not and it was just a matter of time before the discontent turned into something more serious.
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