Far Horizons: Tales of Sci-Fi, Fantasy and Horror. Issue #19 October 2015 | Page 69

Once they were all present he spoke.

“Here and now. There could be three hundred
or more of these walking corpses in the fort or there
could be none. But unless we stop this here there
could be hundreds more buried in the grave yard by
the camp and there are thousands more in the grave
yards of Cairo. I have been speaking to the doctor and
I don’t think we have to worry about bones, just the
recent dead who still have enough flesh and muscle
left to move them. But there are more than enough of
those in the city. Also if the victims of these corpses
can also rise and walk again then there is no way the
garrison in the city could hold, or this entire country
for that matter.

“Gentlemen, we have no choice. We must take
the fort.”
Captain Charterhouse looked the general in the
eye. “It will be tight quarters up there general, against
these walking corpses we will take fearsome losses
most like. They were all by the gate in the town, that’s
why they all came at us down the same street. They
may not make that mistake again”
“I am fully aware of that Captain; just as I am
aware that the native levy will not fight and that the
East India soldiers will not leave that damn mortar of
theirs. It will be red coats and red blood that takes the
fort and no mistake.”
Captain Charterhouse spoke again. “What
about a bombardment, try to kill as many of those
things as we can with the artillery?” He glanced across
the table to see Lieutenants Houseman and Engler
both shaking their heads.
Lieutenant Engler spoke first. “Sorry Captain,
we came ready to support an infantry action, it would
take ten or twelve days to get an ammunition train up
here with enough rounds for my six pounders to take
out the entire fort. I can breach the walls but to level
the place would take far more explosive rounds than I
have.”
As soon as he finished Lieutenant Houseman
spoke. “If you turn the fort into rubble you will go in
without Greyhound, we would turn a track as soon as
enter. We can support from the town but if you level
the fort we will be unable to move in there.”
General Summerby silenced the officers with a
gesture.
“But I do not believe we can wait. We are facing something I have never heard of before, the very
dead are walking and fighting against us. The Arab
says it is because of a German and a magic book. Let
me be clear here. I do not care what is doing it, I care
about stopping it.

“No we go in and we destroy every one of
these unholy things. I would like this German taken alive if possible, there are a lot of questions to be
answered. But if he is killed then so be it. If we find
this book we burn it along with all the bodies, ours
and theirs. Then we smash this town, poison the wells,
and salt the earth. I want this place destroyed utterly.
Nothing is to remain.”
General Summerby turned and looked through
the open window at the fort, judging the wall and towers. Carefully studying the sloping path that led to the
hilltop and the small area where wagons could turn to
enter the gate.
“Lieutenant Houseman, can Greyhound make
it up that path, turn and get through the gates?”
“The path, certainly. That turn at the top, that
may be a little interesting. Still never let it be said that
the Navy had every failed to try, England expects and
all that.” Houseman grinned at the other officers. “Besides, if I can make that turn and breach the fort I will
never need to buy a drink in the officer’s mess again.”
The other men chuckled at that.
“Fine, Greyhound leads, I want a platoon right
behind her and through the gate as soon as she breaks
in. Ironsides right behind them for support then the
other two platoons behind them. Simmons I want
some of your men with reloads ready to go, crates

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