"2566-08" - читать интересную книгу автора (Bigge Jerome - Warlady 4 - 2566 Ad)2566 A.D.! A TALE OF ADVENTURE IN THE SECOND DARK AGE OF MAN By Jerome B. Bigge Chapter Eight "I don't understand any of this," Captain Charles Hawkins of the Seawolf complained as I stepped aboard, the way that the crew stood to "greet" me leaving no doubt as to the lack of discipline aboard this ship. The condition of the deck, the slackness in the rigging I noted upon coming aboard leaving no doubt that there was but little "discipline" aboard this ship of my command! Men who take little "pride" in themselves or in their ship will I feel not be the "best" in a fight either. Others may disagree, but I have found that a "taut ship and crew" will do "better". "I want this deck so clean I will be able to eat my break- fast off it in the morning, and this rigging will be tightened up until it sings in the wind!" I snapped back, standing there in the lamplight before him. I am tall, five nine, and an utterly "different" woman than had been Sela. I have a "reputation" for being "hard" too!! A part of it being no doubt due to the bone structure of my face which makes me appear quite "stern" looking. I wore a flowing black silk dress, long, with leather trappings. A broad brimmed hat with veil, and a pair of high heeled boots. "But...!" captain Hawkins gasped, glancing at his officers. "You have your orders, carry them out!" I snapped back. I had no doubts now why this ship had allowed the North Star to es- cape her. Sela had not been completely "honest" with me. She had tried, for what reason I didn't know, to conceal the "truth" from me. In any case it didn't matter any more. The Seawolf was a new ship, only a few months old, and to be allowed to get into this shabby condition spoke of an utterly incompetent leadership! "Then tomorrow after breakfast," I snapped, "This ship will be put through battle drill and sail drill until I feel satisfied that it is fully capable of `beating' anything that Dularn puts up against it!" I would "make or break" this officer and all his men or know the reason why! And I would do the same with the other five ships until I had a force under my command capable of dealing with whatever came our way! That they would soon be cursing my name under their breath I had no doubts, but such is necessary if you are to expect men to do their "best" in battle! "Aye, your majesty," captain Hawkins muttered, there being no other possible "answer" that he could give to one such as me! "This is not a `happy ship' like the Squala," Yvette said to me in French as she unpacked my things. I nodded, thinking of what could happen should I "push" too hard. I might very well be the "greatest swordswoman who ever lived" as some said, but there was a limit to my own abilities, and mutiny was always a danger! There was a case during the last war with Dularn where the crew of an Imperial bireme did actually mutiny and turn their ship over to the Dularnians. Darlanis had taken "action" then to see that such "incidents" didn't happen in the future, but there is a fine line between "discipline" and "abuse" and one could never be sure just when that "line" was crossed or what would happen then! "I want you to talk to the `ships' girls'," I said to her. I wanted to get to the "bottom" of this state of affairs just as soon as possible. I wondered why I had not investigated affairs aboard this ship earlier when the North Star had escaped Seawolf? I hadn't instituted the court martial that I perhaps should have done simply because of my personal relationship with Sela Dai. I had merely taken her word for it that poor seamanship on the part of the Seawolf's crew had allowed the North Star to "escape" her. "Oui, mistress," Yvette smiled, getting out my things. At least the stern cabin was clean, although I had at least expected that. The stars gleaming over the sea through the open stern windows. The Seawolf was a powerful swift ship. That a "North" class raider could have escaped her now seemed hard to believe... "And find out what you can about the engagement with the North Star," I ordered, speaking in French so that we could not be understood by anyone listening. Yvette and I often do so, the language giving us a certain sort of "intimacy" that I do enjoy! "Is the deck to your `satisfaction'?" captain Hawkins asked as I came up on deck the next morning. During the night we had slowly sailed north, keeping a close lookout for the enemy ships. The height of our mastheads such that I hoped we might be able to take one by surprise. Being "faster" than the "enemy", I felt we stood a good chance of "taking" any raider that we spotted after a long stern chase. True, the Dularnians would no doubt extract a "price" for any of their ships we took, but that is the nature of war whether it is fought on land, or on the sea, or up in the air as it was back in my own time so much only "legends" now. "Now `keep' it so," I answered, leaping up into the rigging. My skirt loose enough that I had free use of my legs for such work. No doubt a few of the crew saw more than they should have of their Queen, but I didn't care all that much anyway right now! I have long thin legs, not the best to "show off" in tight hose. I am not overly "bothered" by heights unless the ship rolls or if I have to do something more than just climb to the top of a mast. The man in the crows nest regarding me with something of a grin as I scrambled up beside him, the ocean stretching out be- fore us, the sails of the other ships visible there on the hori- zon both to the east and to the west of us. We were sweeping an area of about fifty miles from the coast on out to sea. Upon spotting any sail, especially "fore and aft", signals would be exchanged and the squadron would be sent to engage the enemy. I was rather hoping that any Dularnian, outnumbered seven to one, would simply "surrender" rather than be foolish enough to fight, but one could never tell. I suspected that in any case we could expect that the men of the North Star would fight for their beau- tiful golden Queen regardless of the horrible odds facing them. ***************************************************************** "Signal from Huntress!" the lookout called down to his cap- tain, Sela Dai jumping at bit at the sound of his voice as she stood there on Squala's quarterdeck and looked out over the gleaming rolling ocean. Well aware that Mark was "watching" her. "Sail bearing three thirty, fore and aft rig," the Princess of Talon heard the signals midshipman call out as he peered through the 16x50 telescope at the distant sails there on the azure horizon that was the lithe and swift two masted schooner. The words "fore and aft rig" sending a shudder of terror through the young Princess. Still brightly vivid in her memory was burned the scenes from the last time she had commanded a ship in battle. The catapult balls smashing down on deck, the deadly ballistae bolts that had killed the ship's girl right before her! The paralyzing terror that she, Sela, was the "target" of enemy missiles directed by that golden haired "Valkyrie" that now ruled Dularn! And now once again she would have stand there on a quar- terdeck and let herself be the "target" for their own weaponry!* * It takes a special sort of "bravery" to endure such. I myself would much rather prefer to face armed men blade to blade than to have to stand on a quarterdeck and face enemy fire without being able to do anything but give orders to "return" such fire back! "Signal the others, `possible enemy in sight, will investi- gate'," Sela answered in a soft voice as Mark looked over at her, the little Princess' nails digging into the varnished railing as she stared towards the now hidden enemy ship and fought her fear. "Get those topsails up, set the stunsails!" Mark ordered, standing up there on the Squala's quarterdeck like some "Viking". He wondered about this little brunette who Lorraine had placed in command of their squadron. This little Princess from Talon, that hidden exotic land that was more the stuff of "legend" than any- thing else. A land where women like her rode the backs of great birds into battle. She didn't seem to be the sort one would ex- pect to see in battle. She was too beautiful, too "feminine", he thought to himself. Not like their awesomely competent Lorraine! "Beat to quarters, rig for battle," Sela spoke softly. He nodded, looking into those dark lustrous eyes. He could see the sweet feminine curves of her body beneath her tunic, the trim ta- pering of her legs beneath her hose. The sword there on her hip seemed out of place on such a woman as did the symbols of a com- modore there on her shoulders. Mark suspected that she was not a woman that men would take "seriously" until they saw her in bat- tle. That had probably been her trouble there on the Seawolf earlier, he mused to himself as he regarded Sela standing there. "Why are you staring at me?" Sela suddenly spoke. Mark had not realized that she had been aware of how he had looked at her. Mentally stripping the Princess of her attire as she stood there. "You are a beautiful woman," he smiled, hoping she would ac- cept that. He was not used to taking orders from a woman like her. Lorraine was "different". She looked the part of being what she was. No one could ever doubt that she was "competent"!! "This is not the time for `that'," Sela Dai answered softly. Mark nodding, giving her a smile and then turning away from her. ***************************************************************** "Squala's signaling," the lookout suddenly spoke from beside me, the blinks of the carbide lamp visible there as I read the Morse code flashes. The lookout peering through his telescope at them, although I could "read" them easily enough without one. I do have good vision for my age. Better still than most people's. I do need "reading glasses" however for "fine print" sometimes... "Looks like we've `caught' something," I smiled. I could see the Squala turning away, the topsails being hoisted, men set- ting the stunsails there between the masts. I was very proud of my flagship, its captain, its men. If the enemy was indeed the North Star I could expect to see Maris Jord kneeling stripped be- fore me in chains or dead on her deck between it was lunchtime! "Better them than us," the lookout muttered to himself. "And what do you mean by that!" I snapped, seizing him! "That damm `bitch' sailed circles around us!" the man pro- tested, "And that little Talon beauty just stood there not giving a damn either!" I wondered: Had Sela "froze" during the battle? And what of Captain Hawkins? What "role" if any did he play in all this? And why was "discipline" now so "slack" on this ship? 2566 A.D.! A TALE OF ADVENTURE IN THE SECOND DARK AGE OF MAN By Jerome B. Bigge Chapter Eight "I don't understand any of this," Captain Charles Hawkins of the Seawolf complained as I stepped aboard, the way that the crew stood to "greet" me leaving no doubt as to the lack of discipline aboard this ship. The condition of the deck, the slackness in the rigging I noted upon coming aboard leaving no doubt that there was but little "discipline" aboard this ship of my command! Men who take little "pride" in themselves or in their ship will I feel not be the "best" in a fight either. Others may disagree, but I have found that a "taut ship and crew" will do "better". "I want this deck so clean I will be able to eat my break- fast off it in the morning, and this rigging will be tightened up until it sings in the wind!" I snapped back, standing there in the lamplight before him. I am tall, five nine, and an utterly "different" woman than had been Sela. I have a "reputation" for being "hard" too!! A part of it being no doubt due to the bone structure of my face which makes me appear quite "stern" looking. I wore a flowing black silk dress, long, with leather trappings. A broad brimmed hat with veil, and a pair of high heeled boots. "But...!" captain Hawkins gasped, glancing at his officers. "You have your orders, carry them out!" I snapped back. I had no doubts now why this ship had allowed the North Star to es- cape her. Sela had not been completely "honest" with me. She had tried, for what reason I didn't know, to conceal the "truth" from me. In any case it didn't matter any more. The Seawolf was a new ship, only a few months old, and to be allowed to get into this shabby condition spoke of an utterly incompetent leadership! "Then tomorrow after breakfast," I snapped, "This ship will be put through battle drill and sail drill until I feel satisfied that it is fully capable of `beating' anything that Dularn puts up against it!" I would "make or break" this officer and all his men or know the reason why! And I would do the same with the other five ships until I had a force under my command capable of dealing with whatever came our way! That they would soon be cursing my name under their breath I had no doubts, but such is necessary if you are to expect men to do their "best" in battle! "Aye, your majesty," captain Hawkins muttered, there being no other possible "answer" that he could give to one such as me! "This is not a `happy ship' like the Squala," Yvette said to me in French as she unpacked my things. I nodded, thinking of what could happen should I "push" too hard. I might very well be the "greatest swordswoman who ever lived" as some said, but there was a limit to my own abilities, and mutiny was always a danger! There was a case during the last war with Dularn where the crew of an Imperial bireme did actually mutiny and turn their ship over to the Dularnians. Darlanis had taken "action" then to see that such "incidents" didn't happen in the future, but there is a fine line between "discipline" and "abuse" and one could never be sure just when that "line" was crossed or what would happen then! "I want you to talk to the `ships' girls'," I said to her. I wanted to get to the "bottom" of this state of affairs just as soon as possible. I wondered why I had not investigated affairs aboard this ship earlier when the North Star had escaped Seawolf? I hadn't instituted the court martial that I perhaps should have done simply because of my personal relationship with Sela Dai. I had merely taken her word for it that poor seamanship on the part of the Seawolf's crew had allowed the North Star to "escape" her. "Oui, mistress," Yvette smiled, getting out my things. At least the stern cabin was clean, although I had at least expected that. The stars gleaming over the sea through the open stern windows. The Seawolf was a powerful swift ship. That a "North" class raider could have escaped her now seemed hard to believe... "And find out what you can about the engagement with the North Star," I ordered, speaking in French so that we could not be understood by anyone listening. Yvette and I often do so, the language giving us a certain sort of "intimacy" that I do enjoy! "Is the deck to your `satisfaction'?" captain Hawkins asked as I came up on deck the next morning. During the night we had slowly sailed north, keeping a close lookout for the enemy ships. The height of our mastheads such that I hoped we might be able to take one by surprise. Being "faster" than the "enemy", I felt we stood a good chance of "taking" any raider that we spotted after a long stern chase. True, the Dularnians would no doubt extract a "price" for any of their ships we took, but that is the nature of war whether it is fought on land, or on the sea, or up in the air as it was back in my own time so much only "legends" now. "Now `keep' it so," I answered, leaping up into the rigging. My skirt loose enough that I had free use of my legs for such work. No doubt a few of the crew saw more than they should have of their Queen, but I didn't care all that much anyway right now! I have long thin legs, not the best to "show off" in tight hose. I am not overly "bothered" by heights unless the ship rolls or if I have to do something more than just climb to the top of a mast. The man in the crows nest regarding me with something of a grin as I scrambled up beside him, the ocean stretching out be- fore us, the sails of the other ships visible there on the hori- zon both to the east and to the west of us. We were sweeping an area of about fifty miles from the coast on out to sea. Upon spotting any sail, especially "fore and aft", signals would be exchanged and the squadron would be sent to engage the enemy. I was rather hoping that any Dularnian, outnumbered seven to one, would simply "surrender" rather than be foolish enough to fight, but one could never tell. I suspected that in any case we could expect that the men of the North Star would fight for their beau- tiful golden Queen regardless of the horrible odds facing them. ***************************************************************** "Signal from Huntress!" the lookout called down to his cap- tain, Sela Dai jumping at bit at the sound of his voice as she stood there on Squala's quarterdeck and looked out over the gleaming rolling ocean. Well aware that Mark was "watching" her. "Sail bearing three thirty, fore and aft rig," the Princess of Talon heard the signals midshipman call out as he peered through the 16x50 telescope at the distant sails there on the azure horizon that was the lithe and swift two masted schooner. The words "fore and aft rig" sending a shudder of terror through the young Princess. Still brightly vivid in her memory was burned the scenes from the last time she had commanded a ship in battle. The catapult balls smashing down on deck, the deadly ballistae bolts that had killed the ship's girl right before her! The paralyzing terror that she, Sela, was the "target" of enemy missiles directed by that golden haired "Valkyrie" that now ruled Dularn! And now once again she would have stand there on a quar- terdeck and let herself be the "target" for their own weaponry!* * It takes a special sort of "bravery" to endure such. I myself would much rather prefer to face armed men blade to blade than to have to stand on a quarterdeck and face enemy fire without being able to do anything but give orders to "return" such fire back! "Signal the others, `possible enemy in sight, will investi- gate'," Sela answered in a soft voice as Mark looked over at her, the little Princess' nails digging into the varnished railing as she stared towards the now hidden enemy ship and fought her fear. "Get those topsails up, set the stunsails!" Mark ordered, standing up there on the Squala's quarterdeck like some "Viking". He wondered about this little brunette who Lorraine had placed in command of their squadron. This little Princess from Talon, that hidden exotic land that was more the stuff of "legend" than any- thing else. A land where women like her rode the backs of great birds into battle. She didn't seem to be the sort one would ex- pect to see in battle. She was too beautiful, too "feminine", he thought to himself. Not like their awesomely competent Lorraine! "Beat to quarters, rig for battle," Sela spoke softly. He nodded, looking into those dark lustrous eyes. He could see the sweet feminine curves of her body beneath her tunic, the trim ta- pering of her legs beneath her hose. The sword there on her hip seemed out of place on such a woman as did the symbols of a com- modore there on her shoulders. Mark suspected that she was not a woman that men would take "seriously" until they saw her in bat- tle. That had probably been her trouble there on the Seawolf earlier, he mused to himself as he regarded Sela standing there. "Why are you staring at me?" Sela suddenly spoke. Mark had not realized that she had been aware of how he had looked at her. Mentally stripping the Princess of her attire as she stood there. "You are a beautiful woman," he smiled, hoping she would ac- cept that. He was not used to taking orders from a woman like her. Lorraine was "different". She looked the part of being what she was. No one could ever doubt that she was "competent"!! "This is not the time for `that'," Sela Dai answered softly. Mark nodding, giving her a smile and then turning away from her. ***************************************************************** "Squala's signaling," the lookout suddenly spoke from beside me, the blinks of the carbide lamp visible there as I read the Morse code flashes. The lookout peering through his telescope at them, although I could "read" them easily enough without one. I do have good vision for my age. Better still than most people's. I do need "reading glasses" however for "fine print" sometimes... "Looks like we've `caught' something," I smiled. I could see the Squala turning away, the topsails being hoisted, men set- ting the stunsails there between the masts. I was very proud of my flagship, its captain, its men. If the enemy was indeed the North Star I could expect to see Maris Jord kneeling stripped be- fore me in chains or dead on her deck between it was lunchtime! "Better them than us," the lookout muttered to himself. "And what do you mean by that!" I snapped, seizing him! "That damm `bitch' sailed circles around us!" the man pro- tested, "And that little Talon beauty just stood there not giving a damn either!" I wondered: Had Sela "froze" during the battle? And what of Captain Hawkins? What "role" if any did he play in all this? And why was "discipline" now so "slack" on this ship? |
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