143: The Second Wave Approaching

By the small specific accumulating reading at the dusk of the first day of the seventh moon of the twenty-second year of Da-ye, a runner came up the path from the cold-spring camp with the small accumulating *second wave's accumulating mobilization-completion* news.

Pang Yu's *second wave* had — by the small specific accumulating reading at the past two weeks at the southern garrison — completed its accumulating *mobilization* at the small accumulating *six-hundred-strong* shape Lao Wen had named. The wave was — by the small specific accumulating reading at the past peddler at the dusk of the past three days — perhaps eight days from the southern fold.

By the small specific accumulating reading at Yan Wenshu's coordinated arrangement at the past three days — the cold-spring brigade was at the *full preparation* shape. The brigade had — across the past four months since the *first wave's accumulating end* — laid in the small accumulating *recovery and *moment*-teaching* at the small accumulating *combined drilling ground*. The seven non-fatal wounded of the *first wave* had — by the small specific accumulating reading at Ah Chou's accumulating salve at the past three months — returned to combat-shape. Three further recruits had been laid at the brigade at the past two months from the small accumulating *Wagang's accumulating new-headquarters' relay* (one further reinforcement from Li Mi). The brigade was, at this dusk, at the small accumulating *one-hundred-and-fifteen* shape.

Yan Wenshu's accumulating arrangement for the *second wave* — by the small specific accumulating reading at the past three days — was at the small accumulating *modified staggered fall-back* shape:

The *forty-two of Geng Quan* (now at *thirty-eight* — the *first wave's cost-of-eight* less the small accumulating *four returned wounded*) at the *first cut*, with two of Wei Quchang's *forty Li Mi reinforcements* at the small accumulating *forward support* (forty plus two, by the small specific accumulating reading at Yan Wenshu's arrangement; the brigade was, by the small specific reading at the past month, at the small accumulating *cross-unit reinforcement* shape).

The *forty Li Mi reinforcements* (now at *forty-one* with the past three months' three new recruits less two of the past two months' two casualties at a small accumulating training accident at the *combined drilling ground*) at the *second cut*.

The *thirty cold-spring original* under Yan Shaozhong (still at *thirty*) at the *third cut*.

By the small specific accumulating reading at Yan Wenshu's accumulating arithmetic — Lu Mengtai and Wei Tongzhi's combined *six hundred* would, against the small accumulating *modified staggered fall-back* shape, take the small accumulating *cost-of-perhaps-two-hundred-and-thirty* across the three cuts. The brigade would take the small accumulating *cost-of-perhaps-fifty*.

The brigade would hold but at the small accumulating *real strain* shape Lao Wen had named at the past peddler's reading.

Heizi at the small clear ground at the dusk of the first day of the seventh moon nodded.

He filed it.

He laid the small accumulating *quiet preparation* at the brothers' accumulating evening fire at the *nineteen-and-master's* shape.

The *nineteen* would, at the small accumulating *second wave's accumulating engagement*, hold the master's hut at the small accumulating *quiet* shape — as at the *first wave*. The cold-spring brigade would lay the *real engagement*. The master's hut would not, by the small specific accumulating reading at the past four months' arithmetic, be at the *second wave's* accumulating reach.

By the small specific accumulating reading at the dusk of the seventh day of the seventh moon, the *second wave* came.

The engagement laid in across five days, by the small specific accumulating reading at the past five days' runner-relays.

By the small specific accumulating reading at the runner's accumulating saying at the dusk of the seventh day — Lu Mengtai and Wei Tongzhi's combined *six hundred* had, at the noon of the seventh day, arrived at the small accumulating *first cut's outer arrangement*. They had — at the past three hours — laid in the small accumulating *real Sui campaign-engagement* at the small accumulating *coordinated two-senior-sub-officer's accumulating arrangement* shape that was — by the small specific accumulating reading at Yan Wenshu's accumulating eye at the past three hours' watching — at the small accumulating *more disciplined* shape than Lu Mengtai's accumulating *first wave* of the past third moon.

The *first cut* held through the seventh and the eighth and into the morning of the ninth.

By the small specific accumulating reading at the runner's saying at the dusk of the eighth — the *first cut* had taken the small accumulating *cost-of-fifteen-of-thirty-eight* (six dead, nine wounded with seven at the small accumulating *non-fatal wound* shape). Lu Mengtai's *six hundred* had taken the small accumulating *cost-of-perhaps-one-hundred-and-fifty*. Geng Quan had — at the small specific accumulating *one-third-of-thirty-eight's* accumulating fall-back-trigger — fallen back at the *second cut* at the noon of the ninth.

The *second cut* held from the noon of the ninth through the dusk of the tenth.

By the small specific accumulating reading at the runner's saying at the dusk of the tenth — Wei Quchang's *forty-one* had taken the small accumulating *cost-of-perhaps-eighteen-of-forty-one* (eight dead, ten wounded with eight at the small accumulating *non-fatal wound* shape). Lu Mengtai and Wei Tongzhi's combined *six hundred* had taken the small accumulating *cost-of-perhaps-eighty-further* across the *second cut*. Wei Quchang had — at the small accumulating *fall-back-trigger* — fallen back at the *third cut* at the early morning of the eleventh.

The *third cut* held through the eleventh.

By the small specific accumulating reading at the runner's saying at the dusk of the eleventh — Yan Shaozhong's *thirty* had taken the small accumulating *cost-of-twelve-of-thirty* (five dead, seven wounded). Lu Mengtai and Wei Tongzhi's combined *six hundred* had taken the small accumulating *cost-of-perhaps-fifty-further* and had — at the small specific accumulating *cost-of-two-hundred-and-eighty-of-six-hundred* (the *first cut's* one-fifty + the *second cut's* eighty + the *third cut's* fifty) — laid the *real campaign-decision*.

They had withdrawn at the noon of the eleventh.

The *third cut* held.

The cold-spring brigade had taken — across five days — the small accumulating *cost-of-forty-five-of-one-hundred-and-fifteen* (nineteen dead, twenty-six wounded with twenty-two at the small accumulating *non-fatal wound* shape).

The brigade was, at the dusk of the eleventh, at the small accumulating *seventy-four combat-shape* with the *twenty-two non-fatal wounded* expected, by the small specific accumulating reading at Ah Chou's accumulating *salve-and-recovery*, to return to combat-shape at perhaps the small accumulating *eight to twelve weeks*.

The dark catalog took nineteen further named names at the dusk of the eleventh. The catalog stood at sixty-one named names plus the *unnamed thousand* plus the small accumulating *unnamed Sui dead* (perhaps nine hundred and forty so far across the past seven years' engagements).

The lighter catalog stood at perhaps a hundred and forty-five items.

Heizi at the small clear ground at the dusk of the eleventh day of the seventh moon laid the *one-mark-knowing* of the nineteen new dead at the dark catalog at the small wooden bench.

The brothers were quiet.

He went to the cot's-side at the dusk.

He said in the small low voice: *master. The second wave held. Brigade forty-five. Lu Mengtai and Wei Tongzhi two-hundred-and-eighty.*

Lao Wen at the cot looked up.

He said in the small low voice: *yes, lad.*

He paused.

"By the small specific reading I am giving at this dusk — the brigade has, at the small accumulating *real strain* shape, held the *second wave*. The cost is — by the small specific reading I am giving — at the small accumulating *real* shape. The *seventy-four combat-shape* with twenty-two returning at perhaps the small accumulating *late autumn* will, by the small specific reading I am giving, become the small accumulating *ninety-six combat-shape* by the small accumulating *winter*. By the small specific reading I am giving — the *third wave* of *eight hundred* or *nine hundred* will, against the *ninety-six combat-shape*, break the brigade. The cold-spring brigade will, at the *third wave*, take the small accumulating *cost-of-perhaps-eighty-of-ninety-six* and will not, by the small specific accumulating reading I am giving, hold."

He paused once more.

"By the small specific reading I am giving — the *third wave* will lay in at perhaps the *eleventh moon* of this year, perhaps the *first moon of the next*. The small accumulating *real moment* of the master's accumulating end is, at this dusk, at perhaps four to six months ahead."

Heizi nodded.

He filed it.

He could not — at the small wooden stool — say more.

That night Heizi at his watch sat at the small banked fire.

He listened.

The shape of the silence on this watch was — by the small specific reading at this evening — the shape of a small specific *senior sub-officer-and-apprentice* whose accumulating cold-spring brigade had — across five days — held Pang Yu's accumulating *second wave* at the small accumulating *real strain* shape, and whose accumulating master had, at the dusk, named the small accumulating *real moment* at four to six months ahead.

He filed.

He sat his watch through.