es time. A
waste of good liquor, really. Please. Sit down." Brunner approached
hesitantly, sat in the wooden chair opposite.

"Besides," the man continued. "Didn't you know that all good field
commanders were drunks? Take the famous Ulysses S. Grant. They say
that on the day of a battle he was rarely sober by mid afternoon.
Probably why he was so successful: he could send his men off to the
slaughter without a second thought. Some even go so far as to say he
tried to end all his battles in a single day, so that the next morning,
when he was apt to be sick, he could sleep and give no orders. But you
look surprised. Is all of this new to you?"

"I was never much on the American Civil War," said the young man
evasively, not liking (or understanding) the tone of sarcasm in the
older man's voice.

"Oh, really? That's too bad. It is filled with such irony. For
example, the saying, 'War is hell.' Very true, but do you know who
said it? The equally famous General Sherman. And he should know,
since he did everything in his power to make it so---burned and
pillaged like a regular barbarian. A nation of 'heroes'." He cleared
his throat, continued.

"And these same, gentlemen soldiers---Grant (then President, no less),
Sherman, Sheridan and Custer, next turned their expertise upon the
pesky Native Americans, who had the gall to defend their land, their
women and their children. Wasn't it Sheridan who said, 'The only good
Indian is a dead Indian?' Massacred and starved an entire population
into submission, innocents slaughtered without a second thought."

"Colonel....."

"But here, I'm boring you. What did you want to discuss---literature,
fine art?" He took another drink from the glass, hurting his throat
with too large a gulp, showing that he really was not a drinker, or not
a practiced one.

"Two things," said Brunner stiffly. "First as an officer of the
bridge. Then as a man."

"It sounds serious. Well. What is your report as my analysis officer?"

"Yes. I only wanted to reinforce what I said earlier: that the
enemy's strategy, ever since the main engagement began, makes no sense.
He had attained a strong attacking position; his weaponry is at least
the equal of our own; and yet he attacks without design, and trades
forces with no apparent gain. I know, from my studies (this last he
added almost as an apology), that battles are often chaotic.
Commanders become confused, lines of communi