Daur thanked his driver and got down. He felt a slight twinge in his thigh and belly. The wounds he’d taken at the Reach were healed enough for him to be back on his feet, and he’d been exercising regularly, but just getting down from the cab reminded him to take things at a gentle measure. Curth and Kolding had saved his life and repaired his damage, but it was up to him to make sure that work was not undone.
He paused to chat with Obel, and shot a wave across the crowd to his old friend Haller. The site the regiment had been given was clearly dismal, but there was a decent mood. Open air, a breeze, daylight. They’d missed those things.
Mohr, his adjutant, wandered over with Vivvo as soon as he saw him.
‘Company present, captain,’ Mohr said.
‘What does it look like?’ asked Daur.
‘Basic as feth, sir. What did you expect?’
‘No hero’s welcome for us, eh?’ asked Daur.
‘I think this is a hero’s welcome,’ said Vivvo.
‘Then I don’t want to know what the Munitorum does if your service has been poor,’ replied Mohr.
‘We’ll make the best of it,’ said Daur. He noticed that Vivvo had his eyes on the distance. Vivvo was the chief scout of G Company, and one of the regiment’s best, trained by Mkoll himself.
‘Something on your mind?’ Daur asked him.
Vivvo screwed up his face.
‘I don’t like the layout much, sir,’ he said. ‘Our driver mentioned insurgents, even this deep in the old city. A lot of derelict sites in the vicinity. A lot of line of sight.’
Daur nodded.
‘Find the chief and express your concerns,’ he said. ‘Tell him I’m asking.’
‘He’s probably on it already,’ said Mohr.
‘No doubt, but we have families here, and civilian staffers. Let’s make sure we’re thinking in a straight line. Vivvo, it wouldn’t hurt to get a detail on watch while you’re finding Mkoll.’
Vivvo nodded, and hurried off.
Daur wandered through the crowd. He passed E Company unpacking from the backs of their transports. The bulk of the material being unloaded by all the companies that had arrived so far was in the form of long metal munition crates, but it wasn’t ammunition. The Reach mission and the boarding repulse between them had run the regiment’s munition supply down to almost zero. They were awaiting a full restock from the Munitorum now they were on-planet. But the long munition cases, sturdy and khaki, made robust carry-boxes for all kinds of kit, clothing and personal effects, and both the companies and the retinue had salvaged crates in bulk for reuse during the disembarkation phase.
Daur nodded to Banda and Leyr, but ignored the cocksure smile that Meryn sent his way. He saw Meryn turn away, laugh, and make some private remark to Didi Gendler.
At the door of the nearest unit, he found Criid, Domor and Mklure.
‘Your mob’s in unit six,’ Criid told him. Daur took a glance at the layout on the screen of her data-slate.
‘You’ve got everyone arranged?’ he asked.
She nodded.
‘No favours, no privileges,’ she said. ‘So no arguing about who’s got the best billet. Orders from the top. Everyone takes what they get.’
‘Not that there’s a lot of choice,’ said Captain Mklure. ‘There aren’t any plum facilities. It’s all much of a muchness.’
‘It’ll do,’ said Domor.
Daur nodded. He could smell mildew-laden air exhaling from the doorway.
‘I’ve sandwiched retinue blocks in the middle floors of each unit,’ said Criid. ‘Seemed like the best way to secure them and the buildings. There’s a cookhouse, but we can’t find any fuel for the stoves.’
‘Munitorum says that’s on its way,’ said Domor, ‘along with the fething ammo restock. Supply trucks should be here by late afternoon.’
Criid made a note.
‘Excuse me,’ she said. She pushed a way through the lines of troopers lugging cargo into the unit, and crossed the yard. She’d just spotted Felyx Chass and his minder.
Felyx saluted her as she came up. Maddalena just eyed her sullenly.
‘Before you ask,’ said Criid, ‘I’ve assigned your charge a room of his own. Two bunks. Unit four, with the rest of E Company. I hope that’s sufficient.’
Maddalena nodded.
‘This place is unfit,’ she said.
‘We get what we get,’ said Criid.
‘I didn’t mean the venue,’ said Maddalena. ‘I meant the site itself. It’s open. Wide open.’
‘I agree. We’re setting up a perimeter,’ said Criid.
‘What’s that way?’ asked Maddalena, pointing. East of the hab units, there was rubble waste around the ruins of an old cement works, with another row of shabby worker domiciles beyond. Through the rusty chain-link fences, they could see Guardsmen in grey fatigues playing campball and sacking out in the feeble sun.
Criid checked her slate.
‘That’s another billet section,’ she said. ‘Seven Hundred and Two. Helixid Thirtieth. Someone should wander over later and greet their CO, just to be neighbourly.’
She glanced aside and noticed Dalin loitering nearby, his pack on his back.
‘Need something?’ Criid asked.
Dalin shrugged.
‘Then I’m sure you’ve got something to do,’ said Criid.
‘Yes, captain,’ said Dalin. It was obedient, but Criid was amused by the wink of pride she saw as Dalin said it.
‘Get on then,’ said Criid.
‘He’s your son, isn’t he?’ asked Maddalena abruptly.
Criid looked at her.
‘I raised him, yes. Him and his sister.’
Maddalena pursed her lips.
‘He is attentive to Felyx,’ said Maddalena. ‘Very attentive. Always around.’
‘I think that might be because Gaunt ordered him to be,’ replied Criid. ‘To keep an eye on him. They’re about the same age.’
‘I keep an eye on Felyx,’ said the lifeward.
Criid forced a smile. She didn’t like the woman. She’d known too many of her breed – aristo or aristo staff – in Vervunhive, back in the day. Snooty fethers. She could feel that Maddalena didn’t like her high-born charge mixing with the son of a common habber. Worse, an ex-ganger still sporting the crew tatts. Tona Criid couldn’t quite understand what Gaunt saw in her… Except she could. Thanks to juvenat work, Maddalena looked very much like the beautiful Merity Chass, whose high-hive image had been such a common sight in the Vervunhive data-streams. The most famous and celebrated woman in Vervunhive, heir to the city.
That was a life Tona had left a long time behind her, a life she had been glad to leave. Now she had to look at its most famous face every day.
‘Dalin?’ Criid called out. Dalin had been walking away, but he turned back.
‘Maybe you could show Felyx and his lifeward to their billet?’ Criid said. ‘Help him with his bags. Get him settled in.’
Dalin nodded. Criid showed him the location on her slate.
‘This way,’ said Dalin. Felyx picked up his kitbag and followed. Maddalena walked after them, casting Criid a dirty look that Criid enjoyed very much.
Criid spotted a lone figure down by the chain-link fence overlooking the Helixid compound, and jogged over.
‘What you doing here, Yoncy?’ she asked.
The little girl was watching the soldiers playing campball.
‘You should get indoors, sweet,’ Criid said. ‘Go find Juniper and Urlinta.’
‘My head itches, Mumma,’ said Yoncy, scratching her scalp. Criid took a look. Lice again. The close quarters of the Armaduke had never let them get free of them. There’d be carbolic and anti-bac showers for the whole company, and a few heads shaved, otherwise this new billet would be infested too.