to try to salute, but it was of little use; he was too tired even to raise his hand.
‘Lieutenant, I report that the investigator has arrived from Alexandria with reinforcements,’ the messenger gasped. ‘They’re at the port and preparing to cross the lake.’
‘Quick,’ muttered Bleist, realising that his report must have sent the African headquarters into quite a panic. They’d acted much faster than any army procedures would have dictated. ‘How much support did they send?’ he asked, wondering how the additional troops would help him with his ongoing tasks.
‘A battalion, Colonel.’
Darius was surprised by the number of troops the generals had managed to deploy to such a remote location in such a short time. It meant they were either extremely well organised, which Bleist doubted, or the unit was stationed in a nearby enclave, serving as a reserve force intended to be sent to Bushtabhar. Another unusual factor. Earl was beginning to seriously wonder to what extent the army commanders were aware of what the situation in the enclave under the current governor’s rule actually looked like. The only question was whether they were waiting for a pretext to act, or whether there were silent supporters of Count Murphy among them?
Bleist leaned against the battlements and looked out over the city from the gate. The arrival of further military units caused quite a stir among the inhabitants and the merchants staying in Bushtabhar. The mere appearance of the Guard was an event whispered about throughout the metropolis, but it seemed that everyone who could move had come out onto the streets to see the column of infantry. There were no cheers, no joy, nor any palpable optimism, however. The crowd simply stood and watched in silence as the soldiers marched towards the citadel.
Inside the fortifications, there was a frantic rush of activity. The garrison bustled about like headless chickens, trying to hastily prepare accommodation for the reinforcements. They had little time and an enormous amount of work – they had to find space for a battalion of six hundred soldiers by the end
