PART ONE
The Chase
CHAPTER 1: NICK: PACKET AND CHANGE
The mutinies of the Army of Flanders spelt military and financial disaster for Spain.
The Army of Flanders and the Spanish Road 1567 – 1659
Geoffrey Parker
Nick rode towards the smoke.
And a pillar of smoke shall guide them during the day. The blasphemous thought brought forth wry humor. Not quite 40 years the Spanish have been wandering and warring through the Netherlands, but near enough. Though they are more akin to the plague of locusts than the Chosen People.
There were peasants working in the fields, but not many. They all knew that the smoke meant Spanish nearby and that those Spanish tercios were well pissed off.
Corpses swinging from gibbets, object lessons to the rest of the mutineers, stood sentry outside the village. Captain Velasco had put down the mutiny with his usual enthusiasm and bloodthirstiness. I hope he hasn’t sent the Irish to the dancing master. Long ride for nothing. Crows rose from the bodies as Nick rode past, then settled back to their meal. Continue reading “(Broken Instrument) CHAPTER 1: NICK: PACKET AND CHANGE”
