Cadavers are warhorses and draught horses reared by a special process from stallions of the heavy heroic breeds. Until the age of three, the foals are fed oat press-cake and bone meal. Once they reach the required weight and height, they undergo the rite of unlifing. The organs of the abdominal cavity are removed and replaced with a spirit-furnace made by one of the Sevir workshops, together with a winding mechanism and accumulators. Steel rods reinforce the legs, and a mainspring reinforces the heart. The horse is then buried in bone ash for six weeks. Usually only one animal in six or seven survives the rite. The resulting cadaver, however, knows no fatigue, needs no rest, and possesses great strength and speed. It requires only small quantities of salt water and sweet water, and charged accumulators to accelerate its heart and power external devices: stirrup controls, lamps, a siren, and a radio. The heart’s mainspring is set for a term of one to seven years, depending on the breed and combat role. When the spring has spent its tension, the horse drops dead.
