"2568-25" - читать интересную книгу автора (Jerome Bigge - Warlady 6 - In Harms Way)"IN HARM'S WAY" AN ADVENTURE IN THE SECOND DARK AGE OF MAN By Robert J. Simmons Chapter Twenty Five "We obviously do not share the same `viewpoints' on things," Carol said, holding Hope to her breast beneath the cloth she had to conceal her bare breast with its bare nipple from our view. It is the "nipple" here that is considered "shameful" to display by the people of this time. The causes of these odd "cultural taboos" is now lost. My wife sitting there, her formal gown un- done a bit so that she might nurse, such activities being "com- monplace" in this society. A slave girl, one of Maris', standing close by to be of service. It is not that uncommon to see a wom- an nursing her baby, although she will be careful not to display her breast if in public here where others might see her nursing. The group of us now in an antechamber off the throne room itself. "If there had never been any `involvement' by Lorraine, would you still `feel' the same?" Darlanis suddenly challenged my wife. The Empress no doubt well aware of Carol's feelings here! Carol now switching the baby to the other breast, doing so with an "ease" that surprised me considering how short a period of time it had been since little Hope had been born. Hope was grow- ing fast, having gained almost two pounds since her birth aboard the Diana. She was now the weight of a normal baby of full term, that is about seven pounds, instead of the five which she had weighed in at when Carol had delivered her a full month early... "Do you think Lorraine would have done better than Janet?" Carol "smiled" up at the Empress, answering her question with another. Maris giving me a "grin", Carol obviously having the "better" of the Imperial Empress in this little "game of wits"... "You did pretty good," I said, holding Carol in my arms as we danced in time with the music. Carol "fitting me" a lot bet- ter than Darlanis had, especially as Carol didn't try to "lead". "Just as `good' as a woman of this time?" Carol smiled back, it being obvious that we weren't thinking of the same thing now! Nursing your baby while wearing a formal gown isn't the easiest thing in the world to do, but Carol had pulled it off with ease! She seemed to be a better mother too than I had expected of her. "And you gave Darlanis something to `think' about too," I said, recalling Carol's retort to Darlanis' earlier "challenge" about whether or not she was prejudiced against Janet Rogers' World Federation because it had been designed by Lorraine Duval. "Pretty `good' for an Alabama `farm girl'," Carol laughed. "Nineteen fifty two was a `good year'," I smiled in reply. "Kathi is going to `go without' tonight," Carol whispered. "Probably still a bit `slack' down there yet," Carol said, her hazel eyes burning down into mine as she "rode" me. She was quite a bit "looser" than she had been before, but that was to be expected considering how little time had passed. Her breasts were "heavier" now even though she was "milked dry", and swung back and forth with the motions of her body, the darkness of her nipples against her skin bringing back memories of other times... For a woman who had given birth less than two weeks ago she did- n't look bad at all, her stomach now almost as "flat" as before. "Not much `worse' than Kathi," I smiled, the blonde slave girl lacking the performance that her "looks" seemed to promise. On the other hand my wife is to love making what Lorraine is to swordsmanship, and it's hardly fair to Kathi to compare her here. Perhaps Lara Warsan, the Princess of Baja would be a "match" for Carol. I've never met the Princess, but she is quite "famous"... "We could probably `trade' Kathi for one of Maris' girls," Carol said, knowing fully well that we'd never do that to Kathi. The slow sensual rhythm of her hips reminding me of the times she used to "dance" there at the Hutch. Fortunately no one ever knew that Carol was a "dancer", or otherwise I'm sure Lady Tirana would have had her dancing before the men there on Lorraine's es- tate every night. Such "dancers" being considerably more "valu- able" than an ordinary slave girl, I might note at this point... "Kathi's doing pretty good in `slave school'," I said, the blonde having learned a number of "useful" and "pleasing" skills. "She'll never `match' me," Carol smiled, changing the "pace" of her movements. My wife reaching down, "caressing" herself. I thrust up into her, into the heated liquid "warmth" of her body. "There's only `one Carol'," I said, my wife that "one" too. "Just `remember' that when you're with Kathi," she laughed, "bouncing" up and down on me a bit, her hazel eyes burning down into my own as she rode me like some cowboy on a bucking bronco. "That isn't `wise' letting those Imperials see everything," Jard Sandar growled to me as he stood beside me. I saw no harm in having Darlanis' own engineers off her frigates help in the final "conversion" of the North Star to "steam". Maris having "agreed" with Darlanis to render her "assistance" in the form of the Diana and our two new "steam sailers". As the "Northmen" were even more of a "menace" to Dularn than to the Empire due to the distances involved here, I thought it was a rather smart move on the part of Maris to offer our "help" to Darlanis. Of course the newspapers hadn't seen it that way, but that was to be ex- pected considering how many yet hated the Empress of California. "We're no longer at war with `her'," I answered him back. "Don't take any `unnecessary' chances," Carol said to me, standing there on the dock next to the Diana, the gangplank be- hind me. "I'm too young to become a widow," she "smiled" then, holding little Hope in her arms, her hazel eyes holding my own. "I'll be as `safe' aboard the Diana as you in the palace," I laughed, taking her in my arms, kissing her soft moist lips then. I knew of no weapon of this era that could harm the Diana, nor with a "force" the size of this one was there any "doubt" as to what the "outcome" would be. We would destroy everything we could, and perhaps force the Northmen to realize that their days of sailing to Dularn and points south for slave girls was over... "I see you didn't have to `strip' this time," I said, the Diana's engineer giving me a smile in reply as she stood watching the men shovel more coal into boiler number three. On the other hand I noted too that she had adopted attire more "suitable" for a more "southernly" climate than that of Dularn, being attired more as a woman of Baja than as a Dularnian woman of high caste. "The radiators and fans help," she smiled, her face glisten- ing a bit from the heat off the boiler. We had all the hatches open, which also helped, although ventilation was still not as satisfactory as I would have wished. On the other hand the Impe- rial ships had the same problem I'd found in my tours of them... "How we doing?" I asked, captain Sandra Steven standing there beside the helmsman, peering out through a forward hatch. "The barometer is starting to fall a bit," she answered. "I'll take a look topside," I smiled, climbing the ladder. "Impressed?" I asked, the midshipman nodding, her eyes glow- ing with excitement. She was blonde, too "beautiful" for her own good. I suspected that was "why" she was aboard the Diana now... The sky was clear in all directions save for the northwest, where a dark line of clouds now hovered just over the distant horizon. Behind us was Sarnian Queen followed by the two other Imperial steam frigates, and then behind them came the Northlight and the North Star, their "handier" fore and aft rig already showing its "advantage" as the square riggers were forced to set both their stay sails and run their steam engines to keep up with the Diana. "Order lower hatches closed and secure all loose gear," I yelled down the hatch to Sandra below. I could tell from the way that the Diana was cutting into the swells that we were in for a good storm. The swell growing higher although also still smooth. "What about the Imperials?" Sandra asked, looking up at me. "They have look outs, I'm sure they know about the storm," I answered. The big steam frigates could take a heavy pounding, and I knew our own vessels were certainly "seaworthy" enough yet. "Sea's getting up," Sandra said, the armored bow of the Di- ana smashing through the waves. We had been forced to close the upper hatches forward, the spray even flying up to the control cabin some twenty feet above the water. The steady "thud-thud" of the triple engines was a reassuring sound inside the Diana. I went around and started closing the forward hatches, the spray having several times sprayed right into the control cabin. We could always operate as before by looking through the viewing slits, although the interior of the cabin got a bit "stuffy"... "Anything from `them'?" I asked the midshipman, the water spots on her uniform leaving little doubt that at times spray was now passing completely over the Diana as the ship smashed through the waves. I estimated their height at about fifteen feet now. The top of the forward quickfirer turret is thirty feet from the ship's waterline. The black smoke from our boilers drifting off in a dark cloud there towards the island of Dularn miles away... "No, sir," she answered, standing there, clinging to the railing there on top of the forward quickfirer turret that is mounted on top of the control cabin. I could see the spray leap up over the bows of Sarnian Queen, although Darlanis was still keeping up with us, her other ships still holding their own sta- tion. The Northlight and the North Star having swung out a bit, both pounding heavily in this sea from the way they appeared now. "Sandra," I yelled down through the hatch, seeing her look up at me. "Cut engine two off and maintain three and one as they are." That would slow the Diana and ease the strain on the other ships. It was obvious that the sailing ships could not take the sort of "sea" that the Diana with her superior design could take! "IN HARM'S WAY" AN ADVENTURE IN THE SECOND DARK AGE OF MAN By Robert J. Simmons Chapter Twenty Five "We obviously do not share the same `viewpoints' on things," Carol said, holding Hope to her breast beneath the cloth she had to conceal her bare breast with its bare nipple from our view. It is the "nipple" here that is considered "shameful" to display by the people of this time. The causes of these odd "cultural taboos" is now lost. My wife sitting there, her formal gown un- done a bit so that she might nurse, such activities being "com- monplace" in this society. A slave girl, one of Maris', standing close by to be of service. It is not that uncommon to see a wom- an nursing her baby, although she will be careful not to display her breast if in public here where others might see her nursing. The group of us now in an antechamber off the throne room itself. "If there had never been any `involvement' by Lorraine, would you still `feel' the same?" Darlanis suddenly challenged my wife. The Empress no doubt well aware of Carol's feelings here! Carol now switching the baby to the other breast, doing so with an "ease" that surprised me considering how short a period of time it had been since little Hope had been born. Hope was grow- ing fast, having gained almost two pounds since her birth aboard the Diana. She was now the weight of a normal baby of full term, that is about seven pounds, instead of the five which she had weighed in at when Carol had delivered her a full month early... "Do you think Lorraine would have done better than Janet?" Carol "smiled" up at the Empress, answering her question with another. Maris giving me a "grin", Carol obviously having the "better" of the Imperial Empress in this little "game of wits"... "You did pretty good," I said, holding Carol in my arms as we danced in time with the music. Carol "fitting me" a lot bet- ter than Darlanis had, especially as Carol didn't try to "lead". "Just as `good' as a woman of this time?" Carol smiled back, it being obvious that we weren't thinking of the same thing now! Nursing your baby while wearing a formal gown isn't the easiest thing in the world to do, but Carol had pulled it off with ease! She seemed to be a better mother too than I had expected of her. "And you gave Darlanis something to `think' about too," I said, recalling Carol's retort to Darlanis' earlier "challenge" about whether or not she was prejudiced against Janet Rogers' World Federation because it had been designed by Lorraine Duval. "Pretty `good' for an Alabama `farm girl'," Carol laughed. "Nineteen fifty two was a `good year'," I smiled in reply. "Kathi is going to `go without' tonight," Carol whispered. "Probably still a bit `slack' down there yet," Carol said, her hazel eyes burning down into mine as she "rode" me. She was quite a bit "looser" than she had been before, but that was to be expected considering how little time had passed. Her breasts were "heavier" now even though she was "milked dry", and swung back and forth with the motions of her body, the darkness of her nipples against her skin bringing back memories of other times... For a woman who had given birth less than two weeks ago she did- n't look bad at all, her stomach now almost as "flat" as before. "Not much `worse' than Kathi," I smiled, the blonde slave girl lacking the performance that her "looks" seemed to promise. On the other hand my wife is to love making what Lorraine is to swordsmanship, and it's hardly fair to Kathi to compare her here. Perhaps Lara Warsan, the Princess of Baja would be a "match" for Carol. I've never met the Princess, but she is quite "famous"... "We could probably `trade' Kathi for one of Maris' girls," Carol said, knowing fully well that we'd never do that to Kathi. The slow sensual rhythm of her hips reminding me of the times she used to "dance" there at the Hutch. Fortunately no one ever knew that Carol was a "dancer", or otherwise I'm sure Lady Tirana would have had her dancing before the men there on Lorraine's es- tate every night. Such "dancers" being considerably more "valu- able" than an ordinary slave girl, I might note at this point... "Kathi's doing pretty good in `slave school'," I said, the blonde having learned a number of "useful" and "pleasing" skills. "She'll never `match' me," Carol smiled, changing the "pace" of her movements. My wife reaching down, "caressing" herself. I thrust up into her, into the heated liquid "warmth" of her body. "There's only `one Carol'," I said, my wife that "one" too. "Just `remember' that when you're with Kathi," she laughed, "bouncing" up and down on me a bit, her hazel eyes burning down into my own as she rode me like some cowboy on a bucking bronco. "That isn't `wise' letting those Imperials see everything," Jard Sandar growled to me as he stood beside me. I saw no harm in having Darlanis' own engineers off her frigates help in the final "conversion" of the North Star to "steam". Maris having "agreed" with Darlanis to render her "assistance" in the form of the Diana and our two new "steam sailers". As the "Northmen" were even more of a "menace" to Dularn than to the Empire due to the distances involved here, I thought it was a rather smart move on the part of Maris to offer our "help" to Darlanis. Of course the newspapers hadn't seen it that way, but that was to be ex- pected considering how many yet hated the Empress of California. "We're no longer at war with `her'," I answered him back. "Don't take any `unnecessary' chances," Carol said to me, standing there on the dock next to the Diana, the gangplank be- hind me. "I'm too young to become a widow," she "smiled" then, holding little Hope in her arms, her hazel eyes holding my own. "I'll be as `safe' aboard the Diana as you in the palace," I laughed, taking her in my arms, kissing her soft moist lips then. I knew of no weapon of this era that could harm the Diana, nor with a "force" the size of this one was there any "doubt" as to what the "outcome" would be. We would destroy everything we could, and perhaps force the Northmen to realize that their days of sailing to Dularn and points south for slave girls was over... "I see you didn't have to `strip' this time," I said, the Diana's engineer giving me a smile in reply as she stood watching the men shovel more coal into boiler number three. On the other hand I noted too that she had adopted attire more "suitable" for a more "southernly" climate than that of Dularn, being attired more as a woman of Baja than as a Dularnian woman of high caste. "The radiators and fans help," she smiled, her face glisten- ing a bit from the heat off the boiler. We had all the hatches open, which also helped, although ventilation was still not as satisfactory as I would have wished. On the other hand the Impe- rial ships had the same problem I'd found in my tours of them... "How we doing?" I asked, captain Sandra Steven standing there beside the helmsman, peering out through a forward hatch. "The barometer is starting to fall a bit," she answered. "I'll take a look topside," I smiled, climbing the ladder. "Impressed?" I asked, the midshipman nodding, her eyes glow- ing with excitement. She was blonde, too "beautiful" for her own good. I suspected that was "why" she was aboard the Diana now... The sky was clear in all directions save for the northwest, where a dark line of clouds now hovered just over the distant horizon. Behind us was Sarnian Queen followed by the two other Imperial steam frigates, and then behind them came the Northlight and the North Star, their "handier" fore and aft rig already showing its "advantage" as the square riggers were forced to set both their stay sails and run their steam engines to keep up with the Diana. "Order lower hatches closed and secure all loose gear," I yelled down the hatch to Sandra below. I could tell from the way that the Diana was cutting into the swells that we were in for a good storm. The swell growing higher although also still smooth. "What about the Imperials?" Sandra asked, looking up at me. "They have look outs, I'm sure they know about the storm," I answered. The big steam frigates could take a heavy pounding, and I knew our own vessels were certainly "seaworthy" enough yet. "Sea's getting up," Sandra said, the armored bow of the Di- ana smashing through the waves. We had been forced to close the upper hatches forward, the spray even flying up to the control cabin some twenty feet above the water. The steady "thud-thud" of the triple engines was a reassuring sound inside the Diana. I went around and started closing the forward hatches, the spray having several times sprayed right into the control cabin. We could always operate as before by looking through the viewing slits, although the interior of the cabin got a bit "stuffy"... "Anything from `them'?" I asked the midshipman, the water spots on her uniform leaving little doubt that at times spray was now passing completely over the Diana as the ship smashed through the waves. I estimated their height at about fifteen feet now. The top of the forward quickfirer turret is thirty feet from the ship's waterline. The black smoke from our boilers drifting off in a dark cloud there towards the island of Dularn miles away... "No, sir," she answered, standing there, clinging to the railing there on top of the forward quickfirer turret that is mounted on top of the control cabin. I could see the spray leap up over the bows of Sarnian Queen, although Darlanis was still keeping up with us, her other ships still holding their own sta- tion. The Northlight and the North Star having swung out a bit, both pounding heavily in this sea from the way they appeared now. "Sandra," I yelled down through the hatch, seeing her look up at me. "Cut engine two off and maintain three and one as they are." That would slow the Diana and ease the strain on the other ships. It was obvious that the sailing ships could not take the sort of "sea" that the Diana with her superior design could take! |
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