As the truck toiled up the steep, crooked road gouged into the flank of the mountain, Aloj thought they must be nearing the stronghold. The presence of such a fortress somewhere in the mountains toward the northern border of the country had long been whispered about, though no one, of course, knew where it was. Now Aloj began to see small groups of men with machine guns just visible on points overlooking the road, and several times he heard sentries shout a warning, and the truck slowed down but did not stop.558Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOUFynG0bgB
At last they slowed to a crawl. The road ahead made a sharp turn and then was barred by a set of heavy post and wire gates set into a high wire fence. There were guard towers on each side of the gate and more towers at intervals in the fence, which stretched away on both sides to disappear in the oak forest.
Aloj stared at Tokar and his lips formed the words, "Fortress," but he made no sound. Tokar nodded ever so slightly.
Aloj took a quick look around. He could see that the fortress was located on an isolated ridge on sloping ground studded with patches of oak trees and was high enough to show a view of mountains on all sides. Far to the south, the direction from which they had come, the icy slopes of the alpine country thrust into the sky like a bed of nails from the lower lands. To the north, east, and west were more green folds of forest-clad mountains.
There was a sudden grabbing of brakes and the truck stopped. Now a soldier came forward and the sergeant and driver were identified, then the sentries came around to the back of the truck to look at the rest of the men very carefully. One sentry stood guard while the other climbed into the truck and searched it with a thoroughness that surprised Aloj. Not one inch of the truck nor of them was left unexamined.
At last the gates were opened, the driver shifted gears, and the truck rolled into the fortress. Seconds later the gates were closed and the sentries were at their posts again.
Aloj sneaked a quick look out through the side rails of the truck. They had come to a halt beside a row of canvas tents. Soldiers were everywhere, more trucks scattered here and there, some large guns he could not identify, piles of some kind of crates under black plastic sheets. Two jeeps sat nose to nose under a tree.
The sound of the truck's motor died, and Aloj, Tokar and Kszar sat frozen. Then the scar-faced soldier motioned them to dismount.
As his feet hit the ground, Aloj was conscious that several soldiers around the compound turned to stare at the newcomers. Some seemed faintly curious, some contemptuous, but most seemed only to have focused on moving objects and immediately looked away.
The three boys remained near the back of the truck. All of them were trying to see as much as they could as fast as they could. Aloj now saw long rows of oil drums behind the tents and one large water tank with a dripping faucet. Some distance from the entrance gate a sheet of black plastic had been hung from a clump of trees to afford shade, and under it stood a crude sheet-metal stove and two tables were men were working. A lot of the soldiers looked no older than themselves, although they wore uniforms and carried rifles.
Aloj urgently wanted to speak to these boys. They were like him---thin faces, spindly legs and arms, hungry-looking. Their uniforms hung slack on them, and their eyes had a curious, blank stare. It was the same blank stare he and Tokar and Kszar used in the packing shed when the foreman and the bosses were around. But he thought if he could get a chance to speak to one of these boys without the sergeant or officers nearby he might be able to learn something. He would ask about the food, ask which officer was to be feared, ask if anybody ever got to go home. He would not ask about the war. He already knew about that.
Behind him the truck door slammed shut and almost immediately the sergeant appeared.
"You..." said Barinovic, and poked the barrel of his rifle out like a cattle prod. "You---over there." He herded them toward the nearest of the tents, a long, low construction of canvas and wooden boards. "Stop. Stand here." The sergeant stuck his head in the door of the tent. "Sergeant Oluja. Out here." He stepped back as an older man emerged. "Three recruits," said Sergeant Barinovic. He and Sergeant Oluja turned to look at the boys.
"Good God!" exclaimed Oluja. "How old are they?"
"Same as the others," said Barinovic. "It's the best we can do."
Oluja stared bleakly at the boys. They stared silently back.
So this is the BCD, Aloj told himself. And we're part of it.558Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuSYoV2t2xO
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It was now well past noon, and none of the boys had had anything to eat since the night before. Aloj wasn't used to eating much at any time, nor were the others, but they usually had some cold meat dolmas or fruit to eat in the morning, and coffee now and then, with a little sugar.
Aloj was so hungry now that he was starting to sweat and his knees were weak. As they stood in front of the tent, waiting for whatever was to happen next, he realized that he didn't care what they told him to do as long as he got some food soon. Sergeant Oluja had vanished into the shack after ordering them to wait where they were, and they could hear him knocking things around inside and swearing at somebody. Aloj was trying to decide how dangerous it would be to ask for food, when Sergeant Oluja suddenly reappeared.
In his arms he carried a bundle of the faded and ragged mottled green uniforms the other soldiers wore. He threw the uniforms down on the ground. "Here," he said crisply, "get these on. Quickly. Quickly!"
They fell on the pile of uniforms like thieves. Jerking and snatching, each of them found a pair of pants, but there was only one shirt. It fit Kszar and he got it, but Aloj and Tokar had to keep their own shirts on. All of the pants were much too big. Aloj had seen immediately that the uniforms were made for men and that the other boys who were already uniformed all looked the way he did---the crotch hung inches too long, the legs had to be folded up, and the pants would have fallen off if each of the boys had not been given a length of cotton rope for a belt.
It didn't take long for them to make the change. Their own clothes were gathered up, and one of the boy-soldiers carried them back into the tent. Aloj wondered why they kept them---none of the items were much more than rags. Maybe they could find a chance to talk to one of the other boys later. There were a lot of things Aloj wanted to know.
They heard the sound of footsteps behind them and a crisp command. "Attention!" It was Sergeant Baronvic.
They stumbled around, struggling to straighten themselves into some kind of erect, soldierlike posture. Aloj knew, as the others also knew, that even though he was burning to escape, the first need was to survive. And that meant being a soldier, whether he wanted to or not. Tomorrow, the next day, every day, he would watch for a chance to get away. In the meantime, he had to deal with Sergeant Baronovic.
Baronovic surveyed them and shook his head. Then he said, "You are now privileged to become soldiers of the BCD. Raise your right hands. Do you swear to defend God, your country, and the BCD with all your strength, your will, and your life? Da? Da?"
They nodded hastily, mumbling "Da!" Aloj wondered what might have happened if they had said, "Ne," but he figured the army was like the packing shed. You could speak up any time, as long as all you said was, "Yes, sir!"
The sergeant nodded shortly. "Now you must learn about your rifle. You will learn to dismantle it and clean and reassemble it---in the dark as well as in daylight. You will learn to shoot to kill. You will learn tactics. You will become wolves in your hearts and you will never cease to struggle for the victory of Borduria. But first you can eat."
As one, Aloj and Tokar plunged forward. Instantly the sergeant lashed out with his rifle barrel. "Halt!"558Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8aQbGPKWw0
Aloj and Tokar---but not Kszar---caught blows in the stomach, face, and chest before they could catch themselves. Bleeding from a cut lip, Aloj realized that Kszar had expected this and had had sense enough not to bolt. He resolved to watch Kszar and move only when he did. Kszar knew a great deal about important things.558Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8w1024X9gj
"Now. That is better," said the sergeant as they stood still. "All right---march. In a line. Over there." He pointed them toward the area where the stove and tables were and jabbed the first one in line---it was Tokar---in the rear. Tokar stumbled into motion and the other two quickly followed, trying to keep the line straight and their backs upright.
"Ah, see," said the sergeant, "how quickly you improve. You will make fine soldiers."
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