Tirania

She was wondering why the captain had threatened to have her put under guard. Was he simply concerned for her welfare and being, as she saw it, overly protective? She had already seen that the attitude towards women here was very different from what she was used to back home. Or did he suspect that she was lying about what had happened, and think that she might have killed Henri or betrayed him to the enemy? Well, when Henri returned the captain would find out that she had been telling the truth.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the captain saying: "I haven't got anything that I need to be doing right now. Perhaps we can usefully pass the time until my men return with Henri and his prisoner by my telling you a little about this country and the political situation here. Most of Tirania is devoted to agriculture but, as you will have seen, the province that we are in, Kandaver, is very different in nature. It's wild country, mostly mountains and forests, and is only sparsely populated. It is also adjacent to the border with the neighbouring country of Esputa. Esputa claims, quite without justification, that Kandaver belongs to them. In furtherance of that claim they have raised a force of guerillas, who have been making a nuisance of themselves. That's why we, a unit of the Tiranian army, are here. Our brief is to protect the locals, of whom as I've said there aren't that many, and to track down and destroy the guerillas. However their numbers have greatly increased over the last year or so, and we have become rather over-stretched. I've been asking the government for more men, but so far without success."

1. Astra had a question.
2. The captain told her more about the situation.
3. The captain paused for a moment, then said: "You know, you're a very beautiful woman." Astra tensed. Was he going to make a pass at her?
4. They were interrupted by...

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