Plot introduction
Information given in the story indicates that humanity only developed space travel far enough to attract the attention of Central Control in the 37th century AD. Norton explains the implied retardation of human development through references to nuclear wars, which presumably caused so much destruction that civilization took an extra sixteen or seventeen centuries to achieve a level of development suitable for resuming humanity's reach for the stars. Presented in the guise of a history lecture at an alien university, Norton's introduction explains that in the 40th century the people of Terra (the Latin name having replaced the Anglo-Saxon Earth) can only go to the stars as mercenaries. On alien worlds Terrans fight brushfire wars and thereby help Central Control maintain peace within its vast interstellar empire. Archs, who fight with relatively primitive weapons, are organized into Hordes, which fight on underdeveloped barbarian planets, and Mechs, who fight with more modern weapons, are organized into Legions, which fight on advanced, civilized worlds. But then a Horde fighting on the primitive planet Fronn encounters a Legion of Mechs.Plot summary
In the year 3956 AD. Kana Karr, Arch Swordsman, Third Class, newly graduated from combat training, has come to Prime to obtain his first assignment. He signs up to join Yorke's Horde, which is headed for action on the planet Fronn. In the library adjacent to the Hiring Hall he checks out a record-pak, takes it into a booth, and goes into an induced sleep while the mechanism impresses all that is known of Fronn directly into his brain. As he leaves the library he notices, reflected in a polished surface, a Mech taking the record-pak off the return conveyor, which is strange because the Mech are not allowed to go to Fronn. On the troop ship to Secundus Kana shares a cabin with Swordtan Trig Hansu, who seems pleased that Kana has had special training in extra-terrestrial contact. From Secundus Yorke's Horde proceeds to Fronn, where Kana is paired with Deke Mills, a veteran close to being promoted to Swordtan. While the Horde is marching to meet their employer, a Llor prince contending for the throne of a kingdom, Kana and another swordsman detect a spy hidden in a caravan of Venturi merchants. Kana and his companion are obliged to shoot the spy dead when they see that he is armed with a flamer, a Mech weapon that is absolutely forbidden on Fronn. In their first battle the Terran combatants see the prince who hired them killed by a flamer. Uncertain that they have safe passage back to the spaceport at Tharc, Yorke marches his men along the mountain front to camp by a river. At a meeting with Mech officers and a Galactic Agent, Yorke, two of his top Swordtans, and Deke Mills are burned down by flamers. Mills survives his burns long enough to summon Kana and tell him what happened. Told of the treachery, Hansu takes command of the Horde and leads it, stripped to its bare essentials, into the mountains. In the mountains the Horde encounters the Cos, a people similar to the Llor but physically smaller. At first the Horde must bypass various booby traps, but then the Cos attack. The Horde fights back and conquers a Cos fortress. Then the Cos melt away and the Horde meets no further resistance as it marches through the mountains, across a wide valley, and over a range of coastal mountains. The adventures of York's horde on Fronn until they get away from the Llor are based on ''The Anabasis of Xenophon''. As they cross the valley the Terrans become aware that the Llor have declared war upon the amphibious Venturi. Because the Horde has rescued several Venturi from Llor captors, the Terrans find that the Venturi are willing to give them some help. As they have always done when theReviews
In the 1 August 1955 issue of ''References
{{Authority control 1955 American novels 1955 science fiction novels American science fiction novels Military science fiction novels Novels by Andre Norton Anabasis (Xenophon)