Chapter Twenty Two

over stacks of weaponry. Manny saw crates of guided mortars, piles of rocket launchers, boxes of high velocity ammunition, and enough firearms to equip every citizen a dozen times over. There was no discernible Rolling Fuck uniform that Manny could see. Some of the city's warriors wore powered body armor painted in garish colors and bedecked with various quotations. Fuck your Day seemed particularly popular. Many of them wore pieces of

pop culture costumery mixed in with their gear. Manny recognized Darth Vader's helmet, hell Boy's red right hand, and a surprise using number of people with Mickey Mouse's face spray painted on their chest armor. An equal number of Fuckians wore no armor at all. Some of them were dressed in their normal flowing lounge garments. The weapons they wore were the only signs that they had plans beyond debauchery.

Others were naked or mostly so. He saw one man wearing the helmet of a Greek hoplight and carrying two Viking axes on his back. He saw a woman with a Dragonov rifle on her back, an old German stallhelm on her head, an Ottoman mirror armor on her chest. She waved at them, excited. It took Manny a second to recognize Topas's face under the helmet. There here, there she stopped. Tullie had stopped too. She cast her face down. Many could see the shimmer of tears on her cheeks.

A crowd gathered around them. In a few seconds, they were encircled by dozens of heavily armed post humans in a dizzying array of war costumes. Schoofucker Mike pushed his way to the front and ran up to embrace Tulli. Manny was surprised when she started to sob. The big man held her tight. Looked to Rowland what happened. Roland gave him a look that said, you know, damn well, what happened? But then he spoke anyway, your friend didn't make it, Schoofucker. Mike's jaw went tight, his eyes bulged,

and he held on to Tulli a little tighter. Manny thought back to the night they'd spent in brain Breakers and the things he'd said about marigold Man. He hadn't really known the woman at all, but he could tell Mike had cared deeply for her. He looked around at the crowd closing in on them, the dozens of half human god monsters with helpless rage carved onto their faces. What happened, Mike demanded. Roland opened his mouth to speak, closed it and ran a hand over his bald head.

He opened his mouth again, managed to squeeze out an eye before he slumped his shoulders and hung his head. I wasn't fast enough, he said. Finally, they had better gear, newer suits than I had expected, Schoofucker. Mike stared at him. Behind him, Topaz slid down to the ground and buried her head in her kne ease. Murmurs swept the crowd, and then Sasha spoke up. Your friends saved my life. Mike looked over and seemed to notice her for the

first time, and who were you? His voice was not unfriendly, it wasn't exactly warm either. My name is Sasha, she said, her voice clearly on the edge of a sob. She looked from Mike to Tully, to Topaz, to the crowd, and then back to Manny. He saw a panic in her eyes, barely held in check by a cage of steely resolve. I made a mistake. I left my home for the Kingdom. I thought it was the right thing to do. I met Marigold while I was there, and she helped me see how wrong I'd been. She pointed

to Roland. I tried to help him free your people. We all tried, but they were ready for us. They shot him. She gestured to Roland. They shot him a lot. They had us all dead to rights. And then Marigold. I don't know how, but she got a gun. She shot two of them, and then they shot her. She died, saving us. The silence that followed was louder than any artillery barrage Manny had ever sat through. Finally, Skullfucker Mike

nodded at her. There were tears in his eyes, and Manny soon realized tears on every face in the crowd. Some people fell to their knees, others embraced and held their friends. One voice, hoarse and heavy with pain, howled out in anguish. It was met by another voice, and then another, and then another as Fucci and after Fucian tilted their head back and roared their grief out to the empty blue of the Texas sky. Rolling Fuck preferred

to mourn through activity. The wailing and gnashing of teeth over Marigold didn't stop the city's medics from taking Rick and Tully to whatever building served as their equivalent of a clinic. Topaz stayed behind with a gathering crowd of mourners while skullfucker Mike gathered up Manny, Sasha and Roland. There'll be time to process later, He'd said, as much to himself as to them. There's a war council soon and they'll be wanting to debrief you. Fine, Roland said,

but I'm stopping at the bar first. I need some opium and some godam tequila. Manny expected skullfucker Mike to be angered by that, given the circumstances, but the other chrombed man just nodded and said, I could use a drinker nine myself. They headed for the lift underneath the main roller. Manny started to prepare himself for the meeting with this war council, whatever that term meant. In a place like this, whatever happens, it's bound to be weird.

They reached the lift, skullfucker Mike opened the door and gestured for every one to enter, and so. Less than an hour after arriving back in the City of Wheels, Mannye, Sasha, and Rowland found themselves seated around the same red wood table where they had first met Nana Yazi and Donald Ferris. The room was more crowded this time around, with two

new people he didn't recognize. One was a shirtless man with writhing snake tattoos across his chest and a pair of chaps that did nothing at all to cover up his junk. It didn't help that the man's legs were spread as wide as possible. He seemed to be deliberately showing off. Manny looked away and found himself staring at a very tall, very muscular, young seeming woman with a mohawk made from thick chrome spikes. She had light brown skin.

Her cheeks were covered in several long, thin diagonal scars. The woman's eyes had no pupils. They looked gray at first, until Manny realized they were actually just filled with static. When Manny finally pulled his gaze away from her, he was met with the biggest surprise of the day. Deshaun Clark was seated two chairs down from Nana Yazzi Major Clark, Manny.

The Major's lips cracked open into a wide mouthed grin, the left side of his face was still covered in hemostatic gauze, and the edges of the skin around the gauze looked black and burnt. His right hand was a smooth, angry pink color, a sure sign that had been severed and regrown in the recent past. Major Clark was bloody

but unbowed. It's damn good to see you, Manny. I can tell you how proud I was to hear you'd volunteered for this mission, Mr Pirrone, Manny started to say, But Major Clark put up his hand, I know, he said. Donald Ferris ahemmed, which Manny took as a gentle reminder that now was not the time for personal business. The old brit gestured first to the man with the writhing snake tattoos. This is Jim Shannon, he said. He heads

up a small mercenary outfit. And the guy who roped Roland into helping, Jim said with a wink, and this cheery lass Donald pointed to the woman with a chromehawk is Kashore. She's been the city's elected warlly to for the past three years. And who might this young lady be, Nana Yazzi asked, nodding at Sasha. The old woman stood and stepped forward to greet Sasha with a hub. Sasha tensed up. She looked scared to return the embrace, so Nana Yazzi backed off and favored the girl with a

warm smile. I'm sorry, child, I didn't mean to pressure you. I'm just happy you'll hear with us. Sasha relaxed at that, but she still didn't step forward. Her name, Sasha said, Rowland. She used to be with the Kingdom, now she's not. He paused a second, considered his words, and added, she beat one of them to death with a helmet. Oh my, oh dear. Nana Yazzi tisked and shook her head. I'm so sorry, Sasha, that must have been a terrible experience for you. She enjoyed it, Jim said, with a harsh

bark of a laugh. I'm sure Rowland smells it too, Isn't that Radhun? You loved killing whoever the fuck you killed, and you feel shitty about that. Will let messuit stop right now, or you'll leave this room. Nana Yazzi's voice was firm, but devoid of any anger or heat. To Nanny's shock, Jim stopped the posthuman, nodded and said, I apologized, Sasha, that was a dick move, and then he lowered his

eyes just a little in contrition. Nana Yazzi offered Sasha a seat and then busied herself in the corner, making Sasha a cup of tea. Once that was done and they were all settled in, Nana sat back down and looked at Nanny. What happened, is all, she asked. Nanny started talking. He told her, and by extension, the whole table, everything that had happened since he and Rowland left rolling fuck. He told them about their trouble with the checkpoints on

the way into town. He walked them through the intake process, his and Roland's few days as martyrs, in training and what he'd seen in the few sections of Plano he'd been allowed to haunt during his time there. The woman with the Chrome Hawk was particularly interested in what he and Rowland had to say about the Kingdom's preferred assault tactics. They're not going to be kicking indoors and fighting house to house, Roland explained, No, just start shelling at the

first sign of resistance. They don't care about civilian casualties. When Manny explained what the Kingdom had been doing at the old Tesla factory, almost everyone looked horrified. Donald Ferris spat at the ground. Most of the others cursed or at least shook their heads. Nanni Yazi teared up. Jim, though, seemed almost enthusiastic about the revelation. Fascinating, he muttered, just loud enough for Manny to hear. Once everyone was caught up the table, fired off a few questions at him

and more towards Rowland. They seemed mostly curious as to what they'd been able to glean about the number of recruits in the Heavenly Kingdom. Manny didn't have much you full there, so he shut up, leaned back, and let Rowland to give the answers. An awkward silence descended on the table. After a few minutes, well Donald Ferris said, finally, I suppose we were fools to hope for much more

than what you've got. As it stands, we're left grappling to try an account for the sheer number of men the Kingdom has deployed to assault Austin twenty thousand Mardas Jim spoke up and give a take a grand Manny's blood went cold. The SDF at its height hadn't been more than six thousand fighters, and those were spread out across the serried battle grounds of North Texas. The whole free city of Austin didn't have more than five thousand people in its full time defense corps. Twenty thousand men

was impossible, he said, That's just fucking impossible. I'd be inclined to agree with you, kid, said Jim, if my own men hadn't double checked the count for us. The Kingdom's already marshaled half of that force on the outskirts of d f W near Lancaster. They'll be in Wakeo tomorrow, no one stops him. Hell, they could be pound in Austin with artillery. Bad Doc Donald Ferris nodded. Mr Shennon Here, he gestured to Jim as agreed to lend a hand,

along with several dozen of his mercenaries. Add that to the warriors of Rolling Funck, and we've got seven hundred ish post humans. It's a large enough force to hold Waco and badly bloody their nose. But Kushori spoke for the first time. She had a deep, gravelly voice that sounded like she'd been eating cigarettes for the last ten years. Rolling Funck is not in the business of volunteering for our own Vietnams. My people aren't signing up for a war.

I can guarantee our presence on the battlefield for up to forty eight hours, enough time for vengeance, she continued. After that, you're hurting cats? Is that a problem? Manny asked, I mean I saw Roland lay waste to half a city, six hundred of him. There's only one of him, Kishori said. Jim nodded an agreement and fixed Manny with his uncomfortable gray eye ice and see here, he said me. Any one a rolland Fox warrior is as good for a few dozen normal troops in a straight fight. More off.

We're talking half trained partizans, but nobody is like Roland. Many looked over to Roland. The big man seemed distinctly uncomfortable with all the attention. He stared down at his hands, which seemed to be occupied with tearing up a paper drink coaster. The Matas have a lot of half trained partizans, but they've also got tanks, artillery, suits, the resources of a nation state, or close enough, rolland fuck can hold that off for a while. But without rolland the best

they can do is delay the inevitable. Now with Roland, Jim continued, this is a two hour fight, tops. We set up our troops in some little chunk of the city and start dropping mortars and rockets on the van guard. They pull up and circle us and start deploying their artillery to bombas to kingdom. Come. Then, when they are good and packed together, we dropped Roland on the asses Kashure. He nodded, yes, She said, he'll hit them and disrupt their whole order of battle while our cavalry rolls around

their flanks and charges. That should be enough to make them panic. Then we'd chase them down until they lose cohesion. Roland's heads stayed down. He didn't speak. Manny looked from him to Jim, to Nanna Yazzi and Donald Ferris. So what's the problem, Manny asked. If Roland and Rolling Funk are all in, there should be a walk in the park. Rowland, Nanny Yazzi said, prefers not to fight. But I just saw him. You just saw me break a long streak

of not killing people. Roland's voice sounded odd, hollow and dry, and utterly without any of the mirth or mischief Manny had come to expect from the chromed man. I did that to get my memories back, Manny, he shrugged. And I did it for you because you're my buddy. But I got no stake in Austin. But you know what the Heavenly Kingdom will do if they take the city, Manny protested. You've seen what they did to Plaino. They'll do that to millions of decent people if they can.

You have the power to stop that. You're telling me you won't. Roland at his eyes and just said, yes, Hugh, son of a bitch. Manny felt the anger well up inside him. It merged with his grief over major Perrone's death, Oscar's death, and his rage at the Heavenly Kingdom, the martyrs, and every other group of assholes who had helped turn his young life into a parade of nightmares. Hugh Absolute, son of a bitch, You fucking coward. Manny didn't think,

couldn't think. He pulled back his fist and swung as hard as he could for Roland's face. The chrombed man didn't move, didn't even blink. Manny hit him right in the nose. He was softer than Manny would have guessed, didn't feel any different from punching a normal human. Manny swung again and again until he felt something crack in his knuckles. He cried out from the pain and pulled back to nurse his wounded hand. For a few seconds,

Manny forgot about the rest of the room. He closed his eyes and let his thoughts dissolve into an ocean of physical pain. The agony of his broken hand was almost soothing. It was better than thinking about mister Perrone. It was better than thinking about Alejandro or Oscar. It was better than thinking about his soon to be shattered home. Manny felt a hand on his shoulder. The sensation pulled him out of his spiraling thoughts. He looked up and

saw nanny Azzi. She smiled her sad smile and said, Manny, every one here understands your pain. Not me, said Jim, I've never been a big fan Austin. Two damn rolland threw his empty pint glass at the other post human's face. It shattered on impact, embedding shards deep into Jim's cheeks and forehead. His head snapped back and he blinked in shock A few times. Sorry, he said, I deserve that, and I deserved that. Roland said to Manny, no hard feelings I get while you're pissed, But kid, you gotta

understand something. Austin's home to you. To me, it's just another city held by just another side. Half my remaining memories are of one cause or another asking me to go murder in their name. I'm fucking done with it. Minnie looked to Major Clark. The STF officer's eyes were lit by a familiar cold fire. He spoke in a tone of barely controlled anger. That is, you're right, of course, you can choose to leave, just as I will choose to fight and die. I wonder what Manny will choose.

Mannie hadn't really settled on that himself. Before he could stumble through his response, Sasha spoke, I'll fight, She said. I don't know much about guns, but I'll do my best. Roland slumped back in his chair and tossed his arms up in a dramatic show of frustration. At too, Jesus, girl, I'll fight, Manny said to Major Clark, doing his best to talk over Rowland. I'll choose to fight too. This isn't gonna work, you know, Roland said, I'm not going

to be shamed into fighting again. It's just not going to fucking happen. Jim leaned in. He fixed Roland with a look that seemed almost hungry. I think it will happen. I think the peculiar arc of your moral compass won't let you leave these kids to die. He seemed surprised by the revelation. Huh, fascinating enough of that. Donald Ferris sounded angry. I won't stand to see this man badget

and press it into fighting against his will. We might as well dissolve the council for now and reconvene without Rowland. Good Roland stood up and stomped over to the exit. That's all you people need for me. I'm and I go get good and pissed and start my walk back to Arizona. He flipped his middle finger out at the room and slammed the door behind him. As he left, all eyes turned to Mannie. I should probably go talk to him. Don't do anything you're not comfortable doing. Emmanuel

Donald said, fuck there. Jim said the best it's on the ropes. Shame him, shame him good. As he headed for the exit, Mannie looked to Major Clark. The old soldier's one good eye was narrow and focussed Mannie. He said, if he didn't want to talk, he wouldn't a gone up to the bar. He'd have just left. There's no honor lost. In another conversation, another try, Roland was three beers in by the time Manny reached him, and knowing rolling fuck that could mean he'd already ingested enough acid

to kill a large octopus. Hey, mann he said, heybody, Roland replied in a voice that was just super stoned. Sorry about getting angry. Back there, the post human spun his empty pint glass around on the bar table. It was a strange sight to see. Manny had gotten so used to seeing Roland is something akin to a Greek god. He certainly wasn't omniscient or omnipotent, but he was unspeakably powerful and just as irresponsible to leave out around humans.

And yet here he was fiddling with an empty pint glass like a nervous college freshman standing at the back wall of some house party. Many felt a surge of sympathy. It's okay, man, I think I actually get it, he said, like I've had plenty of chances to join either the SDF or the Austin Defense Forces. I never did. Maybe some of that's because I'm scared help. Up until like a few days ago, my plan was to get the funk off this continent as soon as I could afford it.

Minnie paused and bit his lip. It was an instinctive gesture, his gut's reaction to a sudden burst of self awareness. Mannie hadn't thought about any of this before. I don't know, he said. This ship's been going on basically my whole life. I can't remember a time when I wasn't scared of something like this happening. I didn't understand any of it. As a kid. But I can remember being seven or eight years old and just being so angry at the soldiers,

even our soldiers. I thought, if all you assholes would just refuse to be led into battle, none of this could happen. You know that's not how it works, ran Roland asked, as he turned away from Mannie and waved at the bartender. We loved this war ship, at least some one us due those of us who were Oh the bartender arrived, Roland ordered my time mixed with the margharita and one of those what you got him column? Oh yeah, a fucking mohito, Roland. Mannie's voice was gentle

but firm. How many beers did you drink before I got here? No beers, Roland said in a casual voice. Mushroom room sweet but not bad. He licked his lips as he watched the bartender work through the herculean task of crafting his requested beverage. Roland Manny said, and the chromed man turned back to him. Ah, sorry, it's just been too long a stretch of sober for me. I got excited. What the funk was I saying? That war is fun? Oh? Yeah, as long as you don't think

you will die. That's why all throughout history he had so many generals and politicians kicking off conflicts because they felt safe. And when you're pretty sure you'll live, war is an absolute hoot. That's the problem with me and fighting the problem as you like it too much. Roland grabbed his hand. The chromed man moved so fast Manny didn't even see the motion blur. Roland's hand was just wrapped around his wrist, immovable. He squeezed hard enough that

it hurt. Roland's eyes bulged out and stared into Manny with a manic intensity that was frightening. Oh, I fucking love it. It's like sex on heroin and bungee jumping and getting rammed in the ass and that first shut a lick or synake when you're fourteen, all at once, and mixed with the best actual battle drugs, the most bloated military budget and history can buy. He loosened his grip and turned half away from Manny. That's why I shouldn't do it, because I'll get carried away like I

got carried away in Dallas. Maybe this time I won't be able to stop when it's time to stop. Manny kept his eyes on Rowland's. The big man turned a little further to the left, but he didn't look away. How do you know that your intervention won't make things better, Manny asked. Maybe if we can kill enough in the martyrs, their power will be broken forever. Maybe your intervention will be the first step towards making this a more livable

part of the globe. Roland laughed. It started as a low chuckle that then cascaded into a series of rolling, rib cracking howls. Manny didn't get the joke, and he couldn't find any humor in his words, so he sat tight until Roland's mirth subsided and the chromed man had recovered enough to explain himself. All right, sorry, he said, between chuckles. It's just a ship. Kid, you're too young to know how funny that is. Roland straightened up and

wiped a tear from his eye. So you're talking about me the exact same way people talked about the U. S. Military back when I was a kid. The bartender came by and sat down Roland's drink, an enormous jug filled with a multi hued mix of alcoholic beverages. The post human took a deep poll from his my Tai Garito. Manny took the chance to ask a question. I thought you didn't remember anything further back than a few years ago.

I don't remember anything clearly, Roland said, But I do remember bits and pieces, and I remember being a young man and watching the news break in an off base bar. Some election had gone bad in Bolivia. The president announced he was sending in soldiers to keep the peace. Did it work, Manny asked, I don't, no kid, would your school teach you about Bolivia? That there was a genocide at oh, Manny said, as Roland's points sunk in right yep.

Roland grunted and took another deeper pull from his ridiculous beverage. They were quiet for a while. Manny took the opportunity to take a long look at Rowland. His face held only a few lines around his eyes and lips, and yet he still looked old, positively ancient. There appeared to be a tremendous weight to the man's eyes, accentuated by

the deep wrinkles underneath them. It looked as if the chromed man's face was sagging underneath the weight of what he had seen Roland, Manny asked, do you have any idea of where you came from? I think I was born around Mississippi. But no, Manny interrupted, not like where you were born, but how you became what you are today. You said, you've been disconnected from the internet for the last ten years. I've got a guess your implants or even older than that. But the way everyone here talks

about you, you're still king shit. Oh, Roland said, yeah that. I got no real idea what happened there. I know I was in the army. I'm pretty sure that's when the tankering started, sure, Manny said, but didn't A lot of the road people start as ex special forces who went rogue? Why are you special? You had no clear answer to that, buddy, He smiled, as if he just remembered something good. I guess I've got that surgery coming up. Once I get my memories back, I'll let you know

what I find out. Manny laughed too, but his was cold and bitter. Sure, I'll probably be in a refugee camp at that point, or dead, damn kid. Roland said, yeah, Mann, he said, I'm really not trying to manipulate you here. It's just now I get it, I get and Roland waved him off. It's fair, you get every right to be piste. I just can't. He trailed off. Manny put a hand on Roland's shoulder. He didn't understand how the

post human felt. How could he. Manny couldn't even conceive of having that kind of power, But he could see why it was a difficult choice. There was a part of Manny, a dark, manipulative chunk of his soul, that knew he was on his way to changing Roland's mind. This was essentially the same strategy he used on the job. You built empathy with people through a combination of shared experiences in regular engagement. That empathy paid dividends when you

needed some lieutenant's approval to cross the check point. It would pay dividends here if he was careful and consistent. 's fucked up, man He thought, you're manipulating your friend into killing a bunch of people. You know what, Manny said, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to Roland drain the rest of his mug, belched and looked over at Manny. He looked unsteady, half conscious. The chrombed man put his left hand over Manny's hand, while it rested on his shoulder.

He fixed Manny with his half focused eyes and nodded. FuG it. Roland said, I'll fug' Helpia and be a dick off. It didn't, thank you, Manny said, with a nod. I know, don't say anything else, kid, I don't really want to think about what I just promised to do. Manny found Sasha sitting around a fire pit outside the city, proper deep in conversation with Donald Ferris. She sat on the ground, legs splayed out wide with her button the grass.

Donald sat in a folding chair. It wasn't cold outside precisely, but it had cooled off a great deal from the heat of the day. The air held just the barest tint of winter. It was shaping up to be one of those odd September days where Texas seemed on the verge of an actual seasonal shift. One look at Sasha's face told him that she was at least as unsettled as Rowland. He didn't want to crowd her, so he

squatted down on the other side of Donald Emmanuel. The old man's voice was as smooth and rich as Manny remembered from the narration of his documentary. It's good to see you. Sasha's been telling me her story. She actually just turned to the subject of you. Yeah, Manny asked, yes, she was telling me how she met you and Marigold and how you both helped to find her way free of the Kingdom. Oh, he said, and looked at Sasha. I never really met Marigold. I didn't realize you knew

her well. Sasha shook her head. I only knew her a little while. I was just supposed to be administering tests to her. But I couldn't stop her from talking, and she made sense. She made more sense than what was going on out in the Kingdom every day. Sasha stared down into the fading embers of the fire. I feel stui, but forever believing in that place. And what do you believe now, Donald asked, I don't know, she said.

It seems arrogant to decide that God doesn't exist just because I let myself get taken in by a cult. M the old man nodded. The good news is you're young. You've got plenty of time to figure things out. Again, His cheeks turned up into a smile and his face blossomed with wrinkles. Now. He looked up at Manny. What have you been up to, my dear boy? Talking to Roland? Manny said he agreed to help. By the way, he's going to fight. Donald Ferris's smile turned into a frown.

Manny hadn't been expecting that. How did you do it, he asked, in a somber, grave voice. We just talked for a while, Manny said. He explained why he didn't want to fight. It sounded very reasonable. Manny paused, and then made the choice to lie just a little. I wasn't trying to change his mind. I didn't ask him to help. That last part was true. At least. I do feel bad, though, I'm sure he changed his mind because of me. Is it really on you if he

chooses to fight? Sasha asked, I killed two men. Both of those deaths are on me. But you didn't order Roland to do anything. No. Donald Ferris agreed, But I doubt Roland would have made the decision to intervene if Manny hadn't pressed. That's probably true, Manny admitted. Donald looked from Manny to Sasha. There's a war ritual peculiar to the men and women in whatever's of this community. I

think you'd benefit from seeing it. A ritual, Sasha asked, not a religious one, I assure you, but yes, they call it their war ritual. He extended a hand out to the field around Rolling Fuck. Many looked out at it for the first time since coming out here and realized that people seem to be packing up right now. Donald said, the citizens are packing up their tints and their arvis and preparing the city for departure. It's moving

out with their army. They'll drive that thing. He jerked a thumb in the direction of the city of Wheels, right up to the damn battlefield. It'll be behind them the whole time they're fighting. I think they've stole the idea from the ancient Celts. Anyway, he said. Once the cities in position, they'll open up these little boxes that look quite a lot like bee hives, and they'll let out a swarm of about a thousand little drones. Those are mostly just facial recognition cameras attached to wings and

a wee engine. They'll record everything and send data on the faces of every enemy fighter to a central computer in the city. What did does that do, Manny asked, It gives us a chance to identify those men or women, so we can scrape their social media profiles and display pictures and videos from their lives. Once they die, the whole city, everyone who isn't fighting, turns out to watch that. That sounds fucking terrible, Manny said, what do we gain

from watching the home movies of dead men? A memorial? Manny didn't understand, but he could see that Donald Ferris was revving himself up for an involved explanation. He let the old man speak. I was a small child when my country invaded a Rack, along with the United States and a few other nations. The war was news, yes, but that's all it was. Even our own soldiers were

more numbers than real people. I'd hear that two Royal Marines had died in a roadside bombing, and it meant less to me than when my neighbor broke his legs slipping down the stairs. War isn't like that for us, Manny said, I don't know anyone in Austin who hasn't lost a friend or family to the fighting. It affects us all, So it does, my boy, So it does. And if any of our warriors die to day, you can bet it'll affect everyone in this social experiment we

call a city. But you didn't let me finish. The first thing that was truly toxic about my childhood knowledge of war is that it erased the other side. Our boys didn't do body counts, so there were seldom reports on how many civilians we killed, how many enemy fighters died. That information was out there, but you had to look hard. Most people never did. Donald Fairish shrugged and then winced

from the motion. It's easy to get people to care about their own soldiers, but if you want to stop wars, or at least make them less common, you've got to get people to give a shit about the soldiers on the other side. That, my young friend, is where your people are even worse than my own. You're close enough to the war to not just feel indifferent about these martyrs marching off to die. You actively want them to die. That's understandable, but it's also poisonous. When you dehumanize others,

you become less human yourself. Many nodded, not sure of what to say. In my youth, Donald Ferris continued, the country that occupied this continent was the most powerful nation on earth. They held the keys to the deadliest military machine ever constructed. It was easy to get Americans to support involvement in a thousand little conflicts because each only required a small fraction of the nation's military power and

only risked a few American lives. But millions of people around the world died, women and children and old men and dumby young boys, from Yemen to Turkey to Guatemala. To justify those murders, Americans had to make those people less than human. And once they've done that, it wasn't such a great jump to do it to their neighbors. He stared up at the setting sun, and Manny saw tears in his eyes. What you're going to see tomorrow is the best attempt I've seen so far to bridge

the empathy gap between the people and their folds. Hey, I'm Robert Evans. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I hope you enjoyed the chapters to come. You can find the free e pub of every chapter and eventually the whole book at a t r book dot com, complete with illustrations. If you want to support me in writing the sequel, you can crowdfund me at After the Revolution The Sequel at go fund me just type and go

fund me after the Revolution the Sequel. Um, I'd like my books to always be free, so I'm just going to try to crowdfund the next one and see how that works. So after the Revolution the Sequel on go fund me. You can all so find the community of fans of this book online at our slash after the Revolution on Reddit. So after the Revolution the Sequel and go fund me and our slash after the Revolution on Reddit. A t r book dot com for the whole book. Thanks