The Gods' Gambit Read Online Free PDF Page B

forest’s edge. They
will be able to see if any soldiers are moving this way,” Stephan suggested.
    “That’s not good idea,” Batka said, shaking his head in
disagreement. “The garrison and the police are quite jumpy now. They dispatch
patrols. Watching out for His Majesty’s safety. Someone may spot our men and
then we would be in trouble.”
    “Right. We need to stay attentive but without attracting any
attention.” Leonid tried to sound wise.
    “For now we’ll just put a few more sentries around the
village. That I’ll leave to you, Stephan,” said Batka.
     “The weather is good, but we’re running low on meat.
We’ll have to go hunting in the forest. Why don’t you join us, Batka?” said
Leonid.
    “I will. Get ready and wait for me at the stables.”
    By the time the hunters had got back to the settlement, the
day was half over. Their horses carried the carcasses of wild pigs and deer.
When they were dismounting, Stephan approached them. “I’ve got news,” he said.
“One of our scouts has spotted armed men in the forest. He thinks there are
about twenty-five to thirty of them.”
    “The Tsar’s soldiers?” asked Batka.
    “No, city people we think. Our man says they were hiding
behind an outcrop overlooking the bypass road to Vladimir.”
    “City people, you say,” said Batka.
    “Yes. They seem to be acting clumsily in the forest.”
    Batka frowned. “I don’t like it. Get a dozen men and the
scout. We’ll ride out there.”
    * * *
    The Tsar’s cortege of nine hussar riders and two troika
sleighs, each driven by three horses, travelled on the outskirts of Vladimir.
One of the sleighs, driven by a single coachman, was in the lead. The coachman
wore the uniform of a Poruchik of His Majesty’s Rifle Battalion, which was
garrisoned in Vladimir. Following this sleigh were four hussars, then the other
sleigh, and at the rear more hussars. The riders wore white and blue uniforms
and they waved white flags with golden eagle on them, indicating that they
belonged to the Tsar-Emperor’s elite Leib Guard. In the second sleigh, hauled
along by three giant white horses, sat two men: Tsar Nikolai II and his trusted
adviser, Semeon Laptin,a small, middle-aged man. Laptin was a high-ranking
secret-police officer. He had arrived in Vladimir the previous morning from Petersburg
with important news for the Tsar. His unexpected visit had prompted the Tsar to
change his schedule. Laptin wanted to have a private meeting with him, so the
Tsar had cancelled his morning appointments on the pretence that he would go
hunting.
    Although the hunting trip was a feeble and unconvincing
excuse, thought up at the last minute, the Tsar was secretly relieved that for
a few hours at least he would be able to detach himself from the sycophants
that had been following him and attending to him at every stage of his jubilee
trip.
    After about an hour into the private ‘hunting’ trip, the
Tsar’s cortege was already travelling through Vladimir Forest. The Tsar and
Semeon Laptin were still absorbed in conversation when the Poruchik who led the
first sleigh shouted, “Hai, hai!” and smacked the horses’ backs with the reins.
The sleigh tore off quickly, increasing the distance between it and the rest of
the cortege.
    “Poruchik, stop!” Commanding Hussar Rotmister yelled.
    Instead of complying, the Poruchik began smacking the horses
even more frenetically and they galloped away at full power. Then shots were
heard and bullets began to fly, killing and wounding some of the hussars and
horses. Two trees fell across the road simultaneously to halt the royal party.
From amongst the woods on both sides of the road, silhouettes of the attackers
appeared, running towards the trapped cortege, brandishing their sabres and
firing their revolvers. Shouts of, “Death to the tyrant!” tore through the air.
    Laptin, the Tsar, and the few still-standing hussars only
just had time to unsheathe their sabres before the first