John Ringo Alldenata 07 Watch On The Rhine

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." To the south, at the German reclaimed city ofStrasburg, old fortresses held the People at bay.In the center, atMainz where human and Posleen remained locked in a death grip, the bridgesalso stood.Ro'moloristen had gifted his chieftain with a different stratagem for each.Chapter 17file:///K|/eMule/Incoming/John%20Ringo%20-%20Aldenata%2007%20-%20Watch%20On%20The%20Rhine.html (281 of 353)23-12-2006 20:00:36file:///K|/eMule/Incoming/John%20Ringo%20-%20Aldenata%2007%20-%20Watch%20On%20The%20Rhine.htmlHeadquarters, Commander in Chief West, Wiesbaden, Germany, 1February 2008Page 173ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlThe twenty-year-old-appearing M�hlenkampf did not quite catch the self-imposed irony.Ten years ago, he thought, selling used cars at the sprightlyage of ninety-eight, I would have enjoyed this.Now I am just too old.For the word had come down, from theKanzler through his chief of staff, GeneralfeldmarschallKurt Seydlitz, that the former CiNC West was deposed and that he, M�hlenkampf,was to relinquish command to his own exec and assume control of the battle inthe west.M�hlenkampf, personally, thought this unfair.The former commander had heldthe Siegfried line inviolate for longer than anyone should have expected.Thatthis defensive belt had ultimately fallen was due to nothing more than thesheer weight of numbers the alien enemy had thrown against it.Further, thenew field marshal doubted he or anyone could have done any better.In deference to his new position, M�hlenkampf had relinquished his SSuniform and donned the less ornate but more traditional field gray of theBundeswehr.Gone were hisSigrunen, gone his black dress.Well, no matter.My old comrades have their symbols back; their pride,traditions and dignity restored.What does it matter to me? I wore the fieldgray for many years before I joined das Schwarze Korps.Rolf, the aide de camp, interrupted M�hlenkampf's reveries."FieldMarshal, you have an appointment in half an hour, at the field hospital forCharlemagne."* * *There were no longer enough French soldiers left to keep the hospital filled.Instead, German wounded were being sent for what care and restoration could beprovided.Some wore field gray, others the black offile:///K|/eMule/Incoming/John%20Ringo%20-%20Aldenata%2007%20-%20Watch%20On%20The%20Rhine.html (282 of 353)23-12-2006 20:00:36file:///K|/eMule/Incoming/John%20Ringo%20-%20Aldenata%2007%20-%20Watch%20On%20The%20Rhine.html the SS.Isabelle found she did not much see a difference.They bled the same color, the same color as had the French soldiers she hadcared for.Some wept with pain while others bit through their own tongues to keep fromcrying out.Perhaps the black-clad ones wept a tiny bit less, but if so shecould not perceive much difference.The sufferer was the age of her own son, Thomas fifteen or perhaps sixteen atmost.Black clad he was, with a black-and-silver Iron Cross already glitteringby his pillow.Below that pillow the boy's body stopped about two feet shortof where it should have.SomeBoche high muckity muck had come by that morning and pinned it by the leglessboy.Isabelle had understood not one word that had been spoken, though she hadseen the beginnings of tears in the too-youngBoche general's eyes.She barely understood the semi-intelligible moans of the boy now.Only, "Mutti, Mutti, " came through clearly.Well, so what if he wears black? My own son does now, too.Am I to hate himfor that?The boy was by far the worst on the ward.None of the doctors expected him tolive.And his cries for his mother touched the Frenchwoman's heart.She pickedup a stool and sat down beside him, taking his hand in her own.Once or twice during the night the boy's eyes opened.Yet the eyes werePage 174ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlunfocused, he knew not where he was.He only knew he was in pain and that hewanted his mother to stop it.She whispered to him what littleGerman she knew, stroking his fever-wracked face.Just before sunrise the boy's eyes opened for a final time.This last timethey focused.Clearly, though in high school French, he said, "Thank you,madame.Thank you for taking my own mother's place."In Isabelle's hand the boy's hand went limp as the eyes lost their focusfile:///K|/eMule/Incoming/John%20Ringo%20-%20Aldenata%2007%20-%20Watch%20On%20The%20Rhine.html (283 of 353)23-12-2006 20:00:36file:///K|/eMule/Incoming/John%20Ringo%20-%20Aldenata%2007%20-%20Watch%20On%20The%20Rhine.html for the final time.* * *Weary with fatigue, Thomas De Gaullejac found it difficult to keep his eyesopen, let alone in focus [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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