Wagon Master

  A message from the Author:

  I hope you have enjoyed Wagon Master. I was inspired to write it by a friend of mine, whose uncle died and he discovered the uncle had been in the Royal Corps of Transport yet he knew nothing about his life. I do not pretend that Chad's life in any way reflects that of the real Chad, nor that Paul is as uncaring as Nephew Paul, but I hope I have managed to show the very different courage of the unsung heroes of an army. I was a soldier, and I remember how we looked down on the comfortable life of the truck drivers, secretly envious, and I could never show the type of courage they showed so frequently. Keeping on doing your job in highly dangerous situations. Leaving your personal defence to others. That last is the key to why I cannot comprehend their courage. Gentlemen and scoundrels of the Transport Corps of All Armies, I salute you.

  Historical note: at the sort of time that this story occurred, if it had occurred in our World, armies were beginning to form into recognisably modern affairs. There were regiments, consisting of companies raised by the local Lord. He was a Captain and he had Lieutenants, Sergeants and Corporals. All these English names derived from other countries. A Sergeant Major and Sergeant Major General were senior ranks, newly created, for administering the regiment. In future centuries, the 'Sergeant' would be dropped.

  I hope this story stirs some emotions in you - it certainly does in me! I hope it shows my writing style and that it appeals to you. In which case, I would invite you to visit www.harrhein.com where there will be news as I publish more works from the country of Harrhein, and you can follow the life of the Princess Asmara. Also, please review the story from the site you bought it and perhaps like my author page on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/harrhein.

  Over the coming months, I plan to publish several more short stories. Thief in the Night is already available, the story of a young soldier realising he is not alone in the armoury. As is Feeding the Dragon which introduces the reader to a remarkable young lady, Wu Nu, who as a young girl is chosen to feed the Dragon by monks from a remote monastery. At www.harrhein.com there is a blog which tells of inspirations for stories and forthcoming news. The next story will take us to the South Seas where poor Pat Connorson will find his girlfriend uses him as bait - for an octopus.

  You can find these stories for free in electronic versions from www.harrhein.com but also from many retailers.

  Late in the year 2014, In Search of Spice will be published. This is not a short story: with in excess of 150,000 words it ranks as a blockbuster. The seventeen year old Princess Asmara is forced to flee the Palace to avoid assassination, and enlists in disguise as an ordinary seaman on the Queen Rose. The first carrack to be built in Harrhein, it is on a voyage of exploration across the Eastern Ocean, looking for trading opportunities and the fabled Spice Islands. The crew hope to return with a cargo of pepper, cardamom and cloves which will make their fortune.

  This is not a coming of age novel. As you may have gathered already, if you read Thief in the Night, the Princess is somewhat precocious. She came of age when she was fourteen.

  It is a novel of culture clash, of warfare, of magic, sex, love, fighting, politics and trade. High adventure. Extensive research has gone into this book, and I have endeavoured to be accurate in such diverse descriptions as how to warp a carrack out of dock; the kava ceremony; forming a shield wall and the politics of fourteenth century India.

  There are several characters, many of whom are introduced in these short stories.

  Writing In Search of Spice has been a lot of fun. I can't wait to write the sequel. But that will involve a lot of warfare based on that of fourteenth century India, and for that I need to spend time there going over old battlefields and talking to historians. I am trying to get my head around the many variations of Hinduism which I need to understand in order to create suitable religions.

  Of course I need In Search of Spice to be a success for that to happen, so I am releasing these short stories as a blatant teaser to ensure you like my writing style and will buy it when it comes out. Please feel free to give reviews! And to tell your friends where to find the stories. I will appreciate that very much!

  Enjoy.

  Rex Sumner