Rudolf road his horse downstream towards Glenburg. The village was situated near a fork in the black deer river, at the very center of an idyllic valley. Rudolf had not seen many places which made him drop his jaw in awe. The nature was spreading itself in front of him as if nothing had happened. Nevertheless, something had happened as Glenburg was walled. Car wrecks, furniture, wooden logs and metal plates. The walls, defenses of a community where made up of all sort of things. This was the only stain on a place which could have represented paradise itself. But, Glenburgs valley was no paradise and Glenburg was not a peaceful, happy village. It had been through a lot since the foundation by one or another man called Glen. Now, as the annual tax-patrol arrived at its gate, Glenburg was ready for another change, another step into an unknown and uncertain world.
The gates where opened, two massive doors, studded, spiked and covered with rust, swung outwards. Rudolf, the lieutenant and a four of the Colonels men, the 'riders', entered the village, the remainder relaxed outside on the broad grassy plain besides the river. To the left and right of the gate spread the village square, a tidy place lined with some nice wooden houses. Here and there a few patches of flowers could be seen. The lieutenant sighed: “What have they been doing, have these madmen become all faint in the head?”[/i] No one answered but all thought the same. Glenburg did not look like a beleaguered, suffering, medieval town. Glenburg prospered. Its people looked happy, they where well fed and healthy. Rudolf, and his comrades as well, had the feeling he was stepping into another world.
As the lieutenant waited for the villages mayor to arrive and point him at the cartload of goads which should be Glenburgs tribute to the Colonel groups of people assembled to look at the soldiers on horseback. Some of them smiled, others snigered. Something was going on. The lieutenant looked left and right, afraid he would be ambushed but he could see nothing and as the mayor, mister Harris approached him he felt assure nothing was the matter, Glenburg just had a good harvest. He envisaged himself already back at headquarters with a good supply of fresh food. He would wrinch as much out of the mayor as possible.
The lieutenant dismounted and waited for the mayor to approach him as a vassal should to to the representative of his overlord. Then they shook hands and greeted each other.
”From the looks of it you have had a good year Harris. The Colonel will be pleased. Some healthy new recruits and a good supply of food, Glenburg will be on the top of his list. You are doing well for us.”
Mayor Harris looked around and smiled as the lieutenant continued.
”I wished to speak on the predetermined amount of supplies, considering the.....” But before he was able to finish his sentence and tell the mayor his new demands he was interrupted. “
Indeed, let us talk about the supplies. I have a simple proposition for you and your Colonel. Turn around and never show your faces here again and we will be able to live in peace.” The mayor looked at the officer in front of him, whom suddenly lowered his hand and put it on the but of his revolver.
The lieutenant had been dumbstruck. Had his ears lied to him, did this man just tell him to get out of here, to hit the road? This could not be true. “
Now Harris, old guy. Don't be silly or the boss will be stampeding all over Glenburg within a weeks time. That would not be....” And yet again he was interrupted.
”Let him come if he likes to, let him come. It is his choice after all and I am sure our new guardians will be too happy to meet him.” “New guardians?” the lieutenant asked in wonderment. “
Whom could that be. The warlords from Reno are fighting amongst themselves. Those of Oregon....” “Don't bother yourself, there are more then those. “ And at a signal of his hand a massive figure stepped from the porch of one of the homes. The man was tall, taller then anyone Rudolf had ever seen. His muscles where enormous and the lines in his face where like canyons. This man, or was he a man, could certainly pack a lot of punch.
”What on earth is that?” Rudolf whispered at his comrades whom shook their head in disbelief as three more massive figures stepped from the porch.
The lieutenant grabbed himself together and continued to the mayor, almost stuttering.
”So, this are you new guardians. All right. And, tell me do you really want a war?” But the mayor did not speak anymore he turned around walked at the leader of his new guardians and waved at the lieutenant and his comrades to leave. So they did, mounting their horses and leaving Glenburg.
Instead of finishing their round of taxation, which should have taken them four more days, the group returned to the Colonels main base at once. The collected slaves where left to fend for themselves
and so the mounted group was able to pick up a reasonable speed and rode 'home' in utter wonderment at the new developments in the west.
