After a little instruction, Jav tries to ride the motorcycle. His first attempts are a bit shaky, but he quickly masters the art of balancing the motorcycle. His first attempt to turn the motorcycle results in Jav crashing and falling off the device.

The military officer calls to Jav to find out if Jav is hurt.

Jav picks himself up, dusts himself off and replies, "As I lad I learned to ride a horse. I was thrown off, shall we say, more than one time. I found that the only thing to do was to get back on and try again."

After a few more tries, Jav is able to turn the motorcycle. He leans a bit and the machine responds by turning in the direction in which Jav leans. Jav says, "This is much better machine, you now obey my instructions. You can't judge the ground as well as my horse could. However, you can run faster, even much faster. We will have to learn how I might best use you, machine."

After a while, the military officer tells Jav, "That should do it for today. You have done well for a beginner, but you have a great deal to learn."

Jav says, "The longest journey begins with a single step. In addition, the novice traveler may find himself on the ground after a mistake. However, travel I will and learn I will. Machine and I will soon have the art of travel mastered. It is simply a matter of getting to know each other better."

* * *

The soldier speaks to The Lady Quianna. He reports, "My Lady, the Duke can now operate motorized vehicles from motorcycles to aircraft. He is a good, if slightly reckless operator of each of the vehicles. However, there's one thing that I will mention, in strict confidence, if My Lady will allow."

The Lady Quianna seems puzzled, but directs the soldier to continue.

The man says, "My Lady, The Duke always talks to the vehicle as he operates it. Much as a man might talk to a horse as he guides it through some course. I'm not entirely sure that The Duke realizes that mechanical devices aren't alive. Ah, ... My Lady will not tell The Duke what I have said?"

The Lady Quianna laughs and then asks, "I won't discuss your confidence with the Duke. Do you fear the Duke's anger?"

The soldier thinks for a few moments. He then says, "The Duke may lead troops into battle in the future. I would be among those troops. The Duke will select only the very best troops and those who are personally loyal to the Duke. I would not have the Duke think me disloyal."

The Lady Quianna thinks for a moment then looks sharply at the soldier. "Then, soldiers would willingly follow a man of five centuries ago into a modern battle?"

The soldier replies, "Fighting men will always follow a true leader into battle. The Duke is such a leader. Men who come into contact with him see him at first as a sort of strange character out of history. Once they see the Duke train, they realize that the Duke was and is a cunning, savage warrior who will lead men to victory from the front of the battle. Fighting men ask for nothing more."

The Lady Quianna quickly asks, "Then the Duke's strength is what impresses the soldiers?"

The soldier smiles briefly, "That too, My Lady. The Duke has been given tactical exercises to conduct. He can visualize the whole battlefield in his mind. He had developed the talent back when the only information available was fragmented reports from a horse cavalry screen. With modern information systems he appears to have an almost magical grasp of what's happening over an entire battlefield. He can quickly develop tactical maneuvers that will win, given even forces or delay superior forces if he doesn't in fact defeat the superior forces."

The Lady Quianna again asks, "I'm amazed. Have tactics not changed considerably in five centuries?"

The soldier leans forward animatedly. "The Duke has been tested with tactical situations from both ancient and modern wars. He devised the same tactical plan that General Folor used at the Battle of Ovoon Crossing. That last is considered to be perhaps the finest tactical battle plan ever devised. The General held a force of at least 10 times the strength of his own force for three days with very light casualties among his defenders."

The Lady Quianna asks, "Is it possible that the Duke learned of the battle somehow?"

The soldier continues, "Not likely. The battle occurred a century and more after The Duke disappeared. In other cases, the Duke has developed tactical plans considered even better than the master classical plans still taught at the military academies. The Duke is much more than just an unusually strong man."

The Lady Quianna dismisses the soldier and then sits lost in thought for a long time. She then summons several more military personnel, including both officers and men. She discovers that the viewpoint of the soldier she first interviewed is common among the men she talks to.

Chapter 6: A Matter of Qualifications

The Lady Quianna summons the General officer who is the head of the Military College. She asks the man, "Suppose that I had Jav t'Regor develop a tactical plan for a small scale military operation?"

The General says, "At this time, there's no one I would rather have develop a low level tactical plan than Jav the Tiger."

The Lady Quianna then asks, "You say a low level tactical plan. Why a low level plan? And what other kind of tactical military plan is there?"

The General says, "If you want a squad, up to a few dozen men, to conduct a tactical military operation, Jav t'Regor can set up such an operation. Such an operation will be much like the kind of thing that Jav the Tiger did back in his day. Of course, the men will use modern weapons, but Jav the Tiger now knows a fair amount about modern weapon capability. Any tactical plan that Jav the Tiger develops will be a good, sound well developed piece of thinking and probably will contain elements of genius. Jav's tactical plan will be the best bet for the success of a modern, small scale military operation."

The Lady Quianna then asks, "You say that Jav the Tiger can develop a low level tactical plan. I take it that you think that he would have trouble with a higher level plan, Why?"

The General says, "In Jav's day, he would develop a low level tactical plan, mount his horse and lead his men into battle. There were really no concerns with transport, other than the horses the men rode. There was no concern with supplies, co-ordination with other friendly units, no concern with long range strategic weapons, things like that. Also a key element of Jav the Tiger's olden times tactical operation was the personal leadership and fighting ability of Jav himself. He did not gain the name Jav the Tiger because of a striped cloak or some such."

The Lady Quianna then asks, "Has Jav the Tiger not been well trained in modern weapons and tactics?"

The General says, "Yes, Jav has been trained. However, training is not really doing. I can't imagine that a man of Jav's day can really grasp the elements of modern warfare. On a small unit level, Jav's fighting ability and the loyalty of the men he leads will overcome almost any expected resistance. However, I would not trust Jav the Tiger, at this time, with a modern military operation at much above the level of a few dozen men. He simply does not have the necessary background."

The Lady Quianna then asks, "Then Jav the Tiger has failed when assigned larger scale operations?"

The General says, "No, Jav has been able to develop reasonable complex military operations on a theoretical basis. However, I wouldn't put my trust in a man with no real, practical experience."

The Lady Quianna then asks, "Then, you have men who have developed and led successful larger scale operations?"

The General says, "No. Varisso hasn't been at war for some time. The few military operations we have engaged in have been very small scale operations, mainly against savages in our colonies."

The Lady Quianna then thanks the General and dismisses him. She then calls in General Vormon.

General Vormon appears in response to the Lady Quianna's call. He says, "My Lady, how delightful to see you. It's not often that an old man like myself is called to the palace. How may I help you?"

The Lady Quianna replies, "I need an in-depth answer to a question. The matter is of grave importance to Varisso and I need some insight." She then asks General Vormon, "Suppose that I had Jav t'Regor develop a tactical plan for a small scale military operation?"

General Vormon says, "I'm now just a retired old man. However, I still have younger men call on me from time to time, mainly to discuss military matters. Those I talk with tell me that there's no one better at low level tactical plans than Jav the Tiger."

The Lady Quianna says, "So I have been told. However, I have also been told that Jav the Tiger isn't really capable of higher level tactical plans, much less strategic plans. I need to know your opinion of the latter elements."

General Vormon says, "I don't know who told you that Jav can't develop higher level tactical plans. I have studied some of Jav the Tiger's operations during his times. In the days of five centuries ago, supply was very disorganized. Many times supplies were obtained by looting. Jav didn't do that, if there was any other way. He had water wagons follow his troops into battle. He insured that his horses and men had good, clean water to drink."

The Lady Quianna asks, "Horses first?"

General Vormon chuckles, "To quote Jav the Tiger, 'First you water your horses. Dead horses do not run well. Then you water your men. Men dying of thirst or sick because of bad water do not fight well. Then you feed your horses. A well fed horse carries a man to victory! Then you feed your men so that they can fight well. You must have water and food for horses and men. However, you pay for your water and food, so that the farmers will continue to supply you.' Jav had a most enlightened view of supply, for the times."