Chapter 496 "Reunion" after a century and a half

  In the open wilderness on all sides, there is a fortress that is easy to defend and difficult to attack.

  The tunnels with a total length of 15.7 kilometers are connected with concrete bunkers and trenches. Hemispherical rotating armored turrets, anti-aircraft gun positions, anti-tank gun positions, and heavy machine gun positions are all available.

   This is the largest military base of the Legion in the No. 2 oasis, called Fort Horn, built by General Klass, the previous commander-in-chief of the Legion in Luoxia Province.

   It claims to be able to station millions of troops!

  In order to meet the huge material demand of the fortress, General Klass not only arranged for the construction of a diversion channel from the nearby embankment to the fortress, but also built a spacious six-lane road on all sides of the fortress.

  Supplies to Fort Horn can be transported by water, by road, or by air by plane or airship.

  Once the No. 2 oasis encounters the threat of invasion, the troops stationed in this fortress and the supplies hoarded can also be transported to the front line by road in the shortest time.

   But now.

  This fortress extending in all directions is blocked.

  The skeleton army of the alliance did not storm the fortress, but watched them withdraw to the fortress, and then cut off the aqueduct leading to the fortress.

   It is reasonable to say that a fortress of this size will at least have a reserve that can be consumed by an army of one million for more than three years. However, in Griffin's original plan, he never thought that this military base would be used as a defensive fort one day.

  Combined with the tense battle situation on the front line, most of the materials were sent to the front line, and the domestic production surplus of the Falcon Kingdom was not enough to complete the material reserves for this fortress.

  And this also resulted in the 50,000 troops withdrawing to the fortress with less than two months of food surplus, and the supply of fresh water was also in jeopardy.

  But this is not the most deadly.

   What really kills is the lack of ammunition.

  The nearest William industrial area has been occupied by the alliance army, and the supplies sent from the direction of Triumph City probably won't reach them.

  With the exception of Griffin and those not-so-intelligent clones, any Villant could sense that they were standing on the edge of a precipice...

   "I heard that the Arbiter is coming."

   "...Why the Arbiter? Shouldn't an offensive airship be sent over?"

"I heard that His Majesty the Marshal has no plans to use troops to the east of the Great Desert. The world across the sea, the extreme north, and the wilderness to the south are more important than the land thousands of miles away. The last expedition was General Klass's solo journey. ..."

"how so…"

   "No wonder...we haven't had reinforcements until now."

  The whispers of soldiers can be heard everywhere in the barracks.

  The soldier sitting at the door of the tent and eating a boxed lunch silently wrote it down, planning to post it on the forum as a fun today.

  His job is simple these days.

  The main thing is to mark the supply location in this fortress, wait for the bombs to fall from the sky, and then make an assessment report on the results of the Goblin Corps' air strikes.

  It is not easy to lock the warehouse where the materials are stored, especially now that there is a serious shortage of supplies, and the scarce materials are stored in a scattered manner, and they will be pulled for questioning as soon as they get close to the nearby area.

   This cannot be explained clearly by saying "I'm sorry I went to the wrong place".

   As a "non-Willanter", the Warfield guy is very self-aware about his nose, and of course he won't do that kind of conspicuous thing.

   Besides, there is no need for that.

   It is not easy to find a supply warehouse, and it is easy to find a canteen and a mobile kitchen.

   Just throwing a 100-kilogram aerial bomb nearby when those Weilante people are eating is enough to blow up all the pots, pans and people in line.

  As for the evaluation of the results of air strikes, it is easier.

  He doesn't even need to go to the scene to confirm, just listen to the content of other Willant people yelling and it's over.

   Thanks for this.

  His human language is now more and more like the accent in the west of the Great Desert.

  However, this trick has not worked well recently.

  The alliance's planes frequently visit, making the Willant people suspect that there are drones taking aerial photos in the sky. They not only take pictures with signal jamming guns every now and then, but also cancel the centralized dining and change it to "takeaway delivery".

   I don't know which genius came up with the idea.

  The warlords couldn't help but give that guy a thumbs up...

  Sitting next to the battlefield atmosphere group, Penny's face was a little haggard, and her brows were full of sorrow. Staring at the lunch box in her hand, she was silent for a long time, then suddenly spoke.

   "General Griffin has been assassinated."

   The soldier who was stuffing bread into his mouth was almost choked, and it took a lot of effort to hold back his character who was not too harsh.

   "...assassinated?!"

   "Well...someone planted explosives under his chair, and if he hadn't been a few minutes late this morning, the assassins of the Corporation and the Alliance would have almost succeeded."

  The warlord said that it might not be the people in the alliance who wanted him to die, at least the manager never gave him an order to assassinate the middle and high level of the army.

   "…has the Assassin caught?"

"No."

  Penny took a deep breath, put her head in her hands, ran her fingers through her hair, and opened and closed her lips in a low prayer.

  “…hope nothing happens.”

   What she was worried about was not Griffin's safety, but the future direction of this war.

  Because of the sudden change in Falcon City, she was not prepared at all, and she had no time to leave the front line, so she could only retreat here with the large army.

  Hope not to be caught by the Alliance...

  The barracks itself is a place full of violence, especially the front line closest to death. As a reporter for the Triumph newspaper, she was well aware of what the Willante had done to other survivors on the front line, and it was not surprising how the Willante's enemies hated them.

  Willant people who fall into the hands of the natives usually do not end well. She has seen photos from colleagues...that is simply cruel.

   Even thinking about it makes people shudder.

  The warlord wanted to comfort her casually. There is nothing to worry about being captured by the alliance. The discipline of the alliance is higher than that of the legion.

   Not even a prisoner.

   He didn't touch the slaves sent to his tent before, for fear of committing a violation of the article in the player's handbook about "forced" sex.

  But he thought about it again, he was an undercover agent, and it seemed inappropriate to say good things about the "enemy", so he changed his words when it came to his lips.

   "It's okay, I'm here."

  Being caught off guard by the words, her cheeks flushed, and the corners of Penny's mouth curled up in a smile unconsciously.

  This guy usually talks as little as a log, but he always pops out a sentence or two that makes people blush and heartbeat.

She has heard a lot of similar things, even more beautiful rhetoric than this, but those men often just say it verbally, and even just after finishing their nasty vows, they turned around and got into the tent where a foreign woman was kept in captivity... Instead of making her feel safe, it just made her feel sick.

   But this man named Pangolin is completely different.

  He is stronger than some Willanters, but he does not have a series of bad habits such as the arrogance and rudeness of the Willanters.

  Just like his simple and wild name, his pure mind is like snow on a high mountain. His life is only loyal to His Majesty the Marshal, loyal to the command of the chief, and the glory of being a soldier.

  Even though everyone was confused about the future and frustrated with the status quo, there was hardly a hint of frustration on his face.

  Even at this juncture when he was about to lose the battle, he was still able to say the phrase "it's all right with me" calmly.

  Only hearing this sentence from his mouth, she could feel the sincerity without a trace of falsehood.

   "...Thank you, I am very happy to have your words, but your sword should belong to His Majesty the Marshal, so you don't have to hesitate for me."

   Gently tossing her dark brown hair, Penny said in a proud voice.

   "Wilanters are natural fighters, whether men or women, I will take care of myself."

  General Griffin is still somewhat famous in Triumph City.

  No matter how bad the situation is, she doesn't think it will be so bad...

  Maybe I just think too much.

  The Zhandi guy didn't say anything, but nodded, but he was digesting the huge amount of information in his heart.

   Griffin was assassinated? !

what's the situation…

   At this moment, two people came not far away.

  One of them was Kerway, and the other was Kerway's immediate superior, and also his immediate superior after he was transferred to the officer team—Mr.

   Walking in front of the two, Verich looked at Penny sitting on the steps, and said in a gentlemanly tone.

   "Sorry ma'am, I have something to discuss with the pangolin, can I take a moment of his time?"

  Penny stood up and smiled politely.

   "It's okay, please go ahead."

  Perhaps seeing that there was something important to discuss, Penny did not stay here, but walked away wisely.

  Werich glanced at the back of Penny leaving, then looked around, and after confirming that there was no one around, he looked at Kerway.

   "Let's talk about it."

   "Okay, my lord..." Kerway nodded with a complicated expression, then looked at the battlefield atmosphere team who stood up, and said in a hesitant tone, "Let's go in and talk."

  The ground guy nodded, and followed the two of them into the tent.

  He didn't know why a commander of thousands and a commander of ten thousand wanted to find himself, a small officer adviser, but from the expression on Kerway's face, he could feel that something big was about to happen.

   And 80% of it has something to do with me!

   "...What's the matter?" Looking at Kerway who hadn't spoken for a long time, the field guy asked.

   "This morning, General Griffin was assassinated during the morning meeting."

  The Battlefield guy held his breath for a moment.

  Seeing that both of them were looking at him, he immediately showed a worried expression while his thoughts turned.

   "I just heard... the general is okay."

   "It doesn't matter." Coleway shook his head.

   Before Comrade Pangolin could hypocritically say 'that's good', he continued with a complicated expression, "...but that's the problem."

   Battlefield guy: "...???"

   "Enough, let me do it."

   Seeing that Kerway was still going around in circles, Verich couldn't wait, took the conversation from him, and continued talking while staring at the native who didn't speak much.

   "Let me just say it, Griffin betrayed His Majesty the Marshal, and the appearance of the Arbiter on the front line is the best proof!"

  The field man held his breath.

  He felt that such an association seemed a bit far-fetched, but thinking of the situation of these people at the moment, he understood everything in an instant.

  Griffin's arbitrariness drove these middle-level officers to a dead end.

   Now they're going to do the same thing...

   “…what do you need me to do?”

  Verich stared intently into his eyes.

   "I need to confirm your loyalty to His Majesty the Marshal, look into my eyes and tell me, are you loyal?"

  Loyalty?

   That must be done!

   Not yet aware of the seriousness of the matter, he thought it was the warrior who triggered the branch, and reflexively raised three fingers.

   "My loyalty to His Majesty the Marshal can be learned from the sun and the moon!"

  Kerway's gaze drifted to one side.

   "Very good," Verich nodded in relief, looked at the pangolin and continued, "Now, the time has come for you to be loyal to His Majesty!"

  …

   That night.

   "Wasteland OL" forum.

   "In short...that's how it happened. The captain of the 50,000 team hoped that I would kill Griffin."

  The battlefield atmosphere group briefly described what happened.

  Including the low morale in the Horn Fort Fortress in the past two days, the fluctuating hearts of the soldiers, the doubts about life after being bombed by air strikes, and so on.

  Tail: "Oh! Do you want to fight the boss? (ω

  Fujito: "Korway, he... woohoo, **** it, he hit it. (ω

  Battlefield Atmosphere Group: "What a ghost!!"

  Night Ten: "Exciting. (Funny

  Old Bai: "Isn't it a good thing to say? Kill Griffin, and his adjutant will take over. Maybe he just raised the white flag and voted. (Show teeth

  Battlefield atmosphere group: "What a hammer! The manager asked me to go undercover in the legion, and didn't let me kill Griffin."

  Guangfeng: "Well, it's true... It's okay if you can kill Griffin without anyone noticing. Once you are caught, even if everyone thanks you, you will have to be punished on the spot."

  Irena: "Not necessarily, depending on the progress of the strategy, Kerway may give you a chance to run by yourself. (Funny

  Battlefield atmosphere group: "Hey! What about my power armor?"

  Ye Shi: "Then I have to ask the dog to plan. (Funny

  WC really has mosquitoes: "How about this, you can directly transfer Griffin's itinerary to us, and we will help you, once and for all, and the cure will be cured. (smirk

  Fang Chang: "Convenience is convenience, and pangolins are really hammered by senior agents. (Squint eyes

  The mole on the run in the canyon: "The key is whether Griffin's death is good for the alliance."

Fang Chang: "After a rational analysis, the 50,000 people who are willing to surrender is of course the best result, but in terms of the weight of the chips, the 50,000 army surrounded by water and food is obviously more important than the captured 50,000 army. value."

   Spring Water Commander: "+1, so for the sake of maximum benefit, if you plan to do it, it's best after the negotiation has a result. (squint eyes

  Battlefield atmosphere group: "I'm **** cracked! T.T"

  It's really hard to be an undercover agent!

  …

  Chu Guang naturally noticed the discussion on the forum, but he did not give new instructions to "Comrade Pangolin".

   At this point, no matter whether Griffin is dead or alive, the alliance will not lose money, it's just the difference between winning more and winning less.

   Therefore, he gave the battlefield atmosphere group full autonomy in decision-making.

If you want to continue acting as an undercover agent, then put in some effort to act more. It doesn’t matter if you don’t want to. For a long time in the future, it will be difficult for them to have a large-scale military conflict with the Legion. With so many High-value information, this undercover agent can be regarded as a complete success.

   Just when the warlord was in a dilemma, the airship from Triumph City had already arrived at the western suburbs of Falcon City, and anchored at a distance of only 20 kilometers from the nearest embankment.

  The two airships confront each other across the air.

  The atmosphere was tense for a while!

  Looking at the huge monster above his head, King Menggot kept praying in his heart, hoping that this thing would not fall.

   Or don't smash your own castle even if you fall.

   Fortunately, the situation that the old man was worried about did not happen. Neither the Legion nor the Alliance took the lead in firing the first shot.

  Obviously, not only he and the nobles around him don't want to continue fighting, but also the legion far west of the desert doesn't want to fight anymore...

  Leading a group of players standing at the west gate of Falcon City, Chu Guang narrowed his eyes slightly as he looked at the elevator slowly descending in the distance.

   "It seems that the Legion has two brushes."

Along with the elevator, it is a four-legged robot with a height of three floors. Its cuboid body and hoof-shaped feet look like a mule with its head buried in the distance. It is similar to the Empire in "Star Wars". Walking machines are slightly similar.

  However, this thing is not a means of transportation. The 200mm cannon towering above the head emits a cold light under the scorching sun.

   Of course, what is more eye-catching is the chimney with a diameter of tens of centimeters.

  It is like a walking locomotive. The huge steel body perfectly interprets the violent aesthetics of the Willant people. The towering chimney swallows black smoke, driving the powerful limbs to slowly step forward.

  The ancient internal combustion engine power and the epoch-making avant-garde design are organically combined on him, just like the surreal diesel punk, every frame of the picture is a work of art.

Not surprisingly, it should have deflector shields and even anti-gravity devices on its body, and the energy source of these advanced devices should be precious nuclear fusion batteries... It can be seen that the Legion has indeed inherited a lot of things from pre-war civilizations .

  Even if it's just parts.

   And this thing also gave Chu Guang a feeling of déjà vu, as if it was an improved version of the "Titan" in the Lost Valley.

   "Damn it..."

  Looking at the huge monster, Ye Shi, who was wearing a light cavalry exoskeleton, couldn't help swallowing, and muttered.

   "What the **** is this?"

  Compared to the astonishment of the players, Earl Cromway's already dead heart rekindled his confidence in the Willanters, and he couldn't stop talking.

   "Bison! It's a bison!"

   "Bison" all-terrain armored walker!

   Diesel and Fusion hybrid war monsters!

   I heard that this thing is called a "quadruped train gun" in the west of the Great Desert. With a 200mm cannon equipped with an automatic loader, it can crazily pour the firepower of an artillery brigade into the target area within one minute!

  It can not only be used as support equipment, but also replace tanks as the vanguard of the attack. The combination of deflector shield and aerospace alloy is enough to resist all direct or indirect firepower.

  As long as tens of thousands of these land mechas attack the alliance at the same time, plus the crowd of clones charging...

  All declines will be reversed!

  But Cromway's head obviously didn't turn the corner, why is there only one "bison" here.

  Chu Guang knows.

  The governor from Triumph City is giving himself a blow.

  In order to install this thing on the airship, the legion had to dismantle 20 cannons to make room for it, but if they wanted to let this thing unleash its full firepower, it would have to build an industrial park in the desert first.

  So he didn't panic at all, and he didn't take the steel giant in front of him at all.

  The quadruped robot walked slowly forward with heavy steps, and stopped less than 500 meters away from the embankment.

  I saw it slowly bend its four legs forward, pressing its boxy body on the weedy wheat field.

   Surrounded by a group of tall and burly elites, a man with a protruding nose stepped out of the cabin door and stopped in front of Chu Guang.

   "Your Excellency is the manager of the alliance?"

  Opening the mask of the power armor, Chu Guang looked at him and said.

"Who are you?"

   "Korn," the man raised his chin slightly, and continued, "The Governor of Luoxia Province appointed by His Majesty the Marshal."

  The five-star ten thousand commander is second only to the legion commander who is under one person and above ten thousand people. If he wants to go further, he can only leave the territory of the legion and expand the territory for the legion.

  In fact, the five-star ten thousand commander is already a quasi-army commander in the legion itself.

  The reason why Klass launched the expedition was to a large extent to be able to go one step further and be promoted to the fifth head of the legion.

  Chu Guang stared at Cohen twice, and briefly reported his family history.

   "Chu Guang, the manager of Vault 404, is also the manager of the Alliance."

  The strength of this five-star ten thousand captain is not outstanding, but at the level of ordinary people, but the more than twenty Weilante people behind him are all powerful awakeners without exception!

  According to the algorithm of No. 404 Vault, their level should be at least 30, and the strengthening direction should be in the two aspects of muscle and reflex nerve.

  The strongest one might be level 40!

   Of course, this is just how he feels.

   Besides, the strength of the body doesn't explain everything. The green-skinned mutants are still level 30 per capita, and they are also beaten to the ground by the novice players.

   While Chu Guang was looking at Cohen, Cohen was also observing him.

  However, what Cohen couldn't see through was that the legendary manager of the alliance was no less powerful than the soldiers behind him.

   Could it be that even the managers of the alliance are awakened?

   Cohen, who realized this, was surprised.

  Although some drugs can help untalented people squeeze out the potential in the genetic code to forcibly awaken them, almost no high-ranking person will choose to take this path.

   There are many ways to prolong life, and there is absolutely no need to take this path.

  Compared to the increased lifespan and physical functions, awakening not only has many side effects, but also has uncontrollable risks at the genetic level.

   No one knows what will happen after the awakening level reaches 100%.

   This is the "singularity" that the era of prosperity has not yet completed.

   Restrained the contempt in his eyes, Cohen looked at the crazy guy in front of him, and said in a joking tone.

  “…The Triumph described you as a three-headed and six-armed beast, but I didn’t expect you to be a young lad.”

  Chu Guang said with a faint smile.

   "Young man is not, but I am not as old as your marshal."

  Cohen chuckled, with a cold look in his eyes.

  Chu Guang looked at him with a smile on his face, not weak at all.

   The players standing not far away were watching the excitement, while whispering in the communication channel how many levels the boss was, and how many levels the elite monsters behind him were.

  Where King Montgomery and a group of nobles were further away, they were sweating nervously, fearing that these two guys would suddenly kill each other.

  The probability of this is actually very small.

   But by no means nothing.

   Right at this moment, blue lights flashed in the distance, and under the **** of ten Orca orca transport planes flew towards this side one after the other.

  They took off from Bicester Town and planned to land in the square in front of the castle, but they obviously saw that this side is more lively, so they flew over.

  Looking at the ten Yunfly oropters, Chu Guang couldn't help smacking his lips secretly.

   Good guy.

  In the entire war, the enterprise support did not give him ten orthopters!

  As soon as I heard that the old enemies from the west came to negotiate a ceasefire, these guys took out the treasures at the bottom of the box!

   However, this is also a good thing for the league.

  The more chips they have, the more they have to weigh the consequences of the breakdown of the negotiation.

   Sure enough, there was a trace of solemnity on Cohen's face.

  Especially after seeing the Enterprise's Orca dropship.

   "Plasma Engine..."

  The guys on the east coast even directly abandoned the more advanced anti-gravity devices, and instead used cheap and cheap "outdated technology".

   It is hard to say that this is not aimed at those epoch-making equipment inherited by the Legion, including the "Phase Cannon".

  It seems that people on the east coast have never forgotten what happened a century and a half ago. They talk about letting go of the past and facing the future, but they always regard them as imaginary enemies in their hearts.

  Cohen's eyes narrowed slightly, but he didn't express anything.

  Escorted by the orthoplane, the killer whale transport plane landed steadily on the golden wheat field, and the light blue plasma plume was drawn back along with the conical nozzle.

   Through the opened hatch, a group of heavily armed soldiers and a middle-aged man came out.

  Chu Guang unexpectedly discovered that the person who came was not Yi Chuan, but Wu Changnian, the deputy director of the General Management Department who had greeted the alliance delegation in Ideal City before!

  I saw the middle-aged man with his hair neatly combed back, and a long silver-gray gown that was as straight as a mirror. There is no wrinkle on his body from head to toe, nor is there a kind smile on his face when he is in front of the camera.

   It is more than 3,000 kilometers from Ideal City to Qingquan City, and it is no less than 5,000 kilometers to get here... Chu Guang calculated, this trip is really far enough.

   Staring intently at Cohen standing not far away, Wu Changnian directly ignored the war machine not far away and the airship in the distance, and led a group of soldiers behind him to stop near the crowd.

   "...I am Wu Changnian, deputy director of the General Management Department. On behalf of the company's Supreme Council, I have lodged a solemn representation with you, asking you to release the Pioneer and its crew immediately!"

   "Otherwise, your actions will be regarded as a provocation to the ancient contract, and we will no longer hold back!"

  Looking at the angry middle-aged man, Cohen said indifferently.

   "You also arrested many of us."

  Wu Changnian laughed instead of anger, hehe.

"As long as you know."

   Cohen's eyes narrowed.

  The atmosphere on both sides is like a gasoline barrel with matches floating, as if a single spark can ignite the entire wheat field.

  The tense atmosphere was even stronger than when the Legion and the Alliance confronted each other before!

  Chu Guang suddenly found that he seemed to have become a little transparent.

   Neither that Cohen nor that Wu Changnian set their eyes on him, but stared straight at each other.

   But it's okay.

  Chu Guang hoped that they would never care about themselves.

  The grievances and entanglements of a century and a half ago had nothing to do with him, and he was even less interested in getting involved.

  He just wants to get his share.

   It is also the one that belongs to the owner of the alliance.

   At this time, another ray of light appeared in the northeast direction.

  Cohen frowned slightly, and Wu Changnian, who was looking at him, did the same. They both looked over there in unison.

  I saw a long shuttle-shaped aircraft approaching the edge of the river embankment at a speed of nearly one Mach, and then two clusters of flickering arcs were ejected from the bottom, and it stopped suddenly in the air with incredible acceleration.

   However, there is probably something wrong.

  The long shuttle-shaped aircraft failed to stop the car, and fell straight to the wheat field below, and the rear half of its buttocks shoveled directly on the ground.

   Fortunately, this is a wheat field outside the city, with soft soil and wheat ears as a buffer, but the aircraft was not crashed and scrapped.

  The guard behind him wanted to step forward to block Cohen, but was stopped by the latter raising his hand.

   "No need."

  The shape of this aircraft...

  He always felt a little familiar.

   It seemed to confirm his guess, a door was opened on the side of the aircraft.

  I saw a middle-aged man in a uniform with a white background and blue border, holding on to the door frame, and forced himself to come out calmly.

   "Cough! I'm a little late..."

   Behind him are two android bodyguards.

  It is obviously different from the bionics of the enterprise. Whether it is shape or temperament, they are closer to pure tools—or weapons.

   "Who are you?" Cohen frowned.

"My humble Li Ke, a B-level researcher of the college, you are the representative of the legion, right?" Li Ke showed a friendly smile on his face, cleared his throat and continued, "Everyone is tired after fighting for so long, right?" , let’s sit down and talk.”

  The atmosphere at the scene fell into silence.

Or…

   There is such a slight embarrassment.

   Li Ke himself obviously felt it too, so he looked around anxiously for a while.

  Finally, he found the man in the blue power armor, and immediately cast a look there for help.

  Of course Chu Guang saw this guy. After all, he was invited by himself, but he was still a little puzzled.

   This guy hasn't had contact with Cohen enough to understand.

   After all, he just got off the airship when he arrived in Luoxia Province.

  However, what he didn't understand was how even the people in the company were stunned by this guy's arrival, as if they hadn't expected it at all.

  Suddenly, Chu Guang suddenly realized something.

  Could it be that Comrade Li Ke never communicated with anyone from the company?

   Only unilaterally contacted Griffin and himself who were facing each other on the front line...

   Realizing this, Chu Guang was shocked.

   Good guy.

   Spend the least amount of money to do the biggest thing.

  This brother is talented!

  The identity of this person has been seen from the long shuttle-shaped aircraft, but Wu Changnian just didn't understand why the people from the academy were here.

  The board of directors has not discussed this matter, and he is not good at arbitrarily deciding the diplomatic stance with the academy by himself, so he coughed lightly and said ambiguously.

   "Academy... a rare visitor."

  As for Cohen's reaction, it was completely different, and it could even be described as unceremonious.

   Staring coldly at the Class B researcher who was standing there laughing awkwardly, he mocked in a sarcastic voice.

   "Tired? Huh, do you think we're slugs born in the swamp?"

   "It's none of your business whether we continue to fight."

  (end of this chapter)