If she had been born in a different place and time, Dieter believed she would have cut her hair and led the Hannover army to war, charging intobattle on an enormous, white Percheron stallion, and Carl von Clausewitz would have written his book about her. Hell, she could have taught at the Prussian war college and writtenVom Kriegeherself.
Clausewitz said, of generals, that “Two qualities are indispensable: first, an intellect that, even in the darkest hour, retains some glimmerings of the inner light which leads to truth; and second,the courage to follow this faint light wherever it may lead.”
Flicka had become Clausewitz’s ideal military strategist, but also Sun Tzu’s consummate general. “Regard your soldiers as your children, and they will follow you into the deepest valleys; look on them as your own beloved sons, and they will stand by you even unto death.”
The Rogues would have ridden into the Valley of Death if hervoice over the com told them to charge.
Her quiet, alto voice speaking in Dieter’s ear had steadied his arm while he picked off the bad guys with his sniper rifle.
And afterward, with the adrenaline running through their veins like fire, well, that effect hadn’t changed, either.
Flicka said, “We might have another conference coming up in a week or two. We’ll tell you as soon as we know.”
“Yep,” Dieter said, “We’ll let you know.”
