Ventus by Karl Schroeder

Karl Schroeder / Ventus / Page 688
was hoarse and feeble. "What is happening?"
Hesty let out a great sigh. "We've been getting word
from back home along the semaphore lines. Apparently the
Winds are marching everywhere. They've obliterated cities,
sir! The skies are full of swans and Heaven hooks, and in some
places the cities' gates are closed because morphs are snatching
travellers off the roads. Rivers have dried up. It's insane!
"The priests here are in a panic. The Winds... the Winds
are not what they thought..." To Lavin's great surprise, Hesty
shuddered.
"Sir, they're using us, then they're going to kill us. I'm
sure of it. So are some of the others, but not the field
commanders. The men have faith in the Winds, but... a lot
more of them were secretly sympathetic to Galas than we
thought. There’s rumors that the Winds are angry with us over
her death. Overall, the rank and file believe we’re on some just
crusade dictated by the Winds. But really we're marching to
our deaths, and a lot of them have guessed."
"Yes." Lavin swallowed. "Yes, we are." His mind was
wonderfully clear all of a sudden. He could picture the entire
situation in his mind--everything save the object of the Winds'
wrath, which lay somewhere on or about the Titans' Gates.
His negligence had brought them to this, too, he was
sure. Galas had been right in everything she'd said. He should
have fought at her side. Instead he had laid the groundwork for
a holocaust.
Hesty sat there for a while, dejected. Lavin stared at him,
thinking of all the men who had fought under him, some of
whom he had ordered to their deaths. They had trusted him-and
thousands still placed their faith in him alone.
He might deserve to die--but they did not.
Lavin managed to lever himself up on one elbow. "Bring