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# March Upcountry ## THE ROYAL BRAT IS IN TROUBLE Roger Ramius Sergei Chiang MacClintock didn't understand. He was young, handsome, athletic, an excellent dresser, and third in line for the Throne of Man ... so why wouldn't anyone at Court trust him? Why wouldn't even his own mother, the Empress, explain why they didn't trust him? Or why the very mention of his father's name was forbidden at Court? Or why his mother had decided to pack him off to a backwater planet aboard what was little more than a tramp freighter to represent her at a local political event better suited to a third assistant undersecretary of state? It probably wasn't too surprising that someone in his position should react by becoming spoiled, self-centered, and petulant. After all, what else did he have to do with his life? But that was before a saboteur tried to blow up his transport. Then warships of the Empire of Man’s worst rivals shot the crippled vessel out of space. Then Roger found himself shipwrecked on the planet Marduk, whose jungles were full of damnbeasts, killerpillars, carnivorous plants, torrential rain, and barbarian hordes with really bad dispositions. Now all Roger has to do is hike halfway around the entire planet, then capture a spaceport from the Bad Guys, somehow commandeer a starship, and then go home to Mother for explanations. Fortunately, Roger has an ace in the hole: Bravo Company of Bronze Battalion of The Empress‘ Own Regiment. If anyone can get him off Marduk alive, it’s the Bronze Barbarians. Assuming that Prince Roger manages to grow up before he gets all of them killed. ### ABOUT THE AUTHORS Granted, the decade has just begun, but David Weber shows all signs of being the science fiction phenomenon of the decade. Weber is often compared to C.S. Forester (celebrated creator of Captain Horatio Hornblower) for his novels of the exploits of starship commander Honor Harrington, the most recent of which was the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Publishers Weekly, and Amazon.com bestseller, Ashes of Victory. Weber’s work ranges from epic fantasy (Oath of Swords, The War God’s Own) to breathtaking space opera (Path of the Fury, The Armageddon Inheritance) to military science fiction with in-depth characterization (the awesomely popular Honor Harrington novels). Weber lives in South Carolina and, in spite of having gotten married a year ago, shows no sign of slowing down. . . . John Ringo had visited 23 countries and attended 14 schools by the time he graduated high school. This left him with a wonderful appreciation of the oneness of humanity and a permanent aversion to foreign food. A veteran of the 82nd Airborne, he later studied marine biology, but the pay was for beans, so he turned to quality control database management (much higher-paying). Then Fate took a hand, and he now is in the early stages of becoming fabulously wealthy, which his publisher has ASSURED him is the common lot of science fiction writers. With his bachelor years spent in the Airborne, cave diving, rock-climbing, rappelling, hunting, spear-fishing, and sailing, the author is now happy to let other people risk their necks. He prefers to read (and of course write) science fiction, raise Arabian horses, dandle his kids and watch the grass grow. Illustration by Patrick Turner Cover design by Carol Russo Design
Hardcover Paperback This is a work of fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this book are fictional, and any resemblance to real people or incidents is purely coincidental. First printing, March 2002 Distributed by Simon & Schuster 1230 Avenue of the Americas New York, NY 10020 Printed in the United States of America Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Weber, David, 1952– March upcountry / by David Weber & John Ringo. p. cm. ISBN 0-671-31985-X 1. Princes—Fiction. 2. Life on other planets—Fiction. I. Ringo, John, 1963– II. Title. PS3573.E217 M37 2001 813'.54—dc21 00-051940 Distributed by Simon & Schuster 1230 Avenue of the Americas New York, NY 10020 | ### ISBN: 0-671-31985-X Copyright 2001 by David Weber & John Ringo All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form. A Baen Books Original Baen Publishing Enterprises P.O. Box 1403 Riverdale, NY 10471 http://www.baen.com Production by Windhaven Press Auburn, NH Electronic version by WebWrights http://www.webwrights.com
### This book is dedicated to our mothers. To Alice Louise Godard Weber, who put up with me, taught me, edited me, believed in me, and encouraged me to believe I could be a writer . . . despite all evidence to the contrary. I love you. There. I said it. To Jane M. Ringo, for dragging me to places I didn't want to go and trying to make me eat stuff that would turn a monkey's stomach. Thanks Mom. You were right. BAEN BOOKS by DAVID WEBER Honor Harrington: On Basilisk Station The Honor of the Queen The Short Victorious War Field of Dishonor Flag in Exile Honor Among Enemies In Enemy Hands Echoes of Honor Ashes of Victory War of Honor edited by David Weber: More than Honor Worlds of Honor Changer of Worlds Mutineers' Moon The Armageddon Inheritance Heirs of Empire Path of the Fury The Apocalypse Troll Oath of Swords The War God's Own with Steve White: Insurrection Crusade In Death Ground the Shiva Option ### with John Ringo: March Upcountry March to the Sea March to the Stars (forthcoming) BAEN BOOKS by JOHN RINGO A Hymn Before Battle Gust Front When the Devil Dances March Upcountry (with David Weber) March to the Sea (with David Weber) March to the Stars (with David Weber, forthcoming)

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