An infinite world has been invaded, and the war is going badly. But how do you lose a war when you can retreat forever, marching towards the unreachable horizon, oceans beyond count and continents filled with people ready to fight for the undisputed ruler?
The Emperor of All.
"The beach is made of white sand and fine black mud, but the blood is what catches the eye -- red and clotted, the largest splotches connected to severed limbs and the soggy, deflated remains of other men's vitals. Immune to the carnage, our emperor walks slowly down to the water and half-falls, half-sits, and then slumps forward, fighting to catch His breath. Moments such as these are rare and ruled by exhaustion. Soldiers wearing our colors died at this place, yet no one asks about the units involved or the names of lost officers. All that matters is this delicious opportunity to do very little. If the great man rests, His court is free to do the same. Even the busiest of us sit while accomplishing our work, conferring quietly, using yesterday's maps and each other's friable memories to determine what our next step should be, assuming that we ever possess enough energy to move again."
Robert Reed is the author of quite a few published science fiction stories. Several hundred, in fact. He has been nominated 8 times for the Hugo Award, winning it in 2007 for his novella "A Billion Eves."
His latest novel is THE DRAGONS OF MARROW, available only through Kindle Unlimited.
Genre: Science Fiction
The Emperor of All.
"The beach is made of white sand and fine black mud, but the blood is what catches the eye -- red and clotted, the largest splotches connected to severed limbs and the soggy, deflated remains of other men's vitals. Immune to the carnage, our emperor walks slowly down to the water and half-falls, half-sits, and then slumps forward, fighting to catch His breath. Moments such as these are rare and ruled by exhaustion. Soldiers wearing our colors died at this place, yet no one asks about the units involved or the names of lost officers. All that matters is this delicious opportunity to do very little. If the great man rests, His court is free to do the same. Even the busiest of us sit while accomplishing our work, conferring quietly, using yesterday's maps and each other's friable memories to determine what our next step should be, assuming that we ever possess enough energy to move again."
Robert Reed is the author of quite a few published science fiction stories. Several hundred, in fact. He has been nominated 8 times for the Hugo Award, winning it in 2007 for his novella "A Billion Eves."
His latest novel is THE DRAGONS OF MARROW, available only through Kindle Unlimited.
Genre: Science Fiction
Used availability for Robert Reed's The Long Retreat