"2568-30" - 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 Thirty "You sent the other ships away," Queen Freydis said to me, her steel gray eyes burning into mine as we sat there at the long oak table, a number of rough looking men sitting there with us, such being Freydis' own advisors and military commanders. A num- ber of slave girls, some of who I suspected were "Dularnian", be- ing of "service" to us. The smoke from the cooking fires and the very "attire" of these people reminding me again of the Vikings of perhaps the Tenth or Eleventh Century. Their "culture" being quite similar except that they built a better grade of raiding ship, their fore and aft rigged schooners the equal of anything that had ever come out of a shipyard back home there in Arsana. "They will be of `better use' now somewhere else," I smiled. Neither the North Star or the Northlight were a match for Darla- nis' steam frigates, and the Diana could easily "handle" anything that the Imperials possessed. I had a great deal of "confidence" in my "invincible battleship", which no weapon of this era could even "dent", the Diana being for all practical purposes invulner- able to all known weapons with the possible exception of cannons. "Will Dularn send us better weapons, `military advisors'?" the "Viking" across the table from me asked. I had stripped the ships of all their small arms, both the compound bows and the crossbows, which might "help" just a bit against Queen Valeris... "I can give you all the `military advice' you need," I smiled back. "You can't fight Queen Valeris `face to face', but you can use her own `tactics' against her just as she has used them against you. Strike at her rear, pick off small units of her forces, but always avoid a direct `confrontation' with her. You have ships, the ability to land forces from them, and I will see to it that the Imperials will not be able to hinder you now." "In the past we have had much reason to fear Dularn," anoth- er spoke, sitting there, a great mug of beer there before him. "As Dularn has `feared' you in return," I pointed out. "Will your people go along with what I suggest?" I said to Queen Freydis as boatload after boatload of firewood was taken out to the Diana. I would stuff the ship full, stack it every- where I could. I needed the "range" to be able to fight effec- tively against roving Imperial ships that I'd find to the north. "My sex will," Freydis smiled. I knew that Dularnian slav- ers used to pick off "Northmen girls" whenever they could get the chance to do so. Such women were considered to be ideal servants back in Dularn, although the Imperial female slave is considered "better" at pleasing a master. "It is wrong to enslave us be- cause of our sex," she added, reminding me muchly of Maris Marn. "You might have to get a bit `bitchy'," I smiled back. "`Enemy in sight'," the midshipman called down, the scouting fourth rate turning away, fleeing back to our protection. I had little doubt that Darlanis would fight. She had three steam frigates, three first rate triremes, all "54's", an equal number of lesser smaller biremes, perhaps a couple "third rates" (two masted fore and aft schooners), along with armed transports and everything else. The "fact" that the Imperials were "willing" to divide their forces such spoke much of what Darlanis' ultimate intentions here were. With "hostile" power to the north, to the south, Darlanis had no doubt hoped to "persuade" Queen Maris that the best "option" she had here was to "submit" to Imperial rule. No doubt Dularn would have been allowed to keep its own culture, much of its own laws, but we'd be only a "part" of the Empire, a nation whose Queen would have to take her orders from Darlanis... "Signal my ships to carry out their instructions," Queen Freydis spoke from beside me, her steel gray eyes meeting mine. It would be up to me now, up to the Diana, the last "hope" Dularn had now to remain a free country. If Darlanis and her "puppet" managed to seize control of everything to the north of Dularn, then we'd eventually be forced into a battle we could never win!! "General Quarters, Battle Stations, Rig for Ramming," I spoke, seeing the first lieutenant nod and then dash below to carry out my orders. I had given Daris Adara her orders earlier. "Maintain speed at three quarters," I said, seeing Sandra nod. I could see the Diana's ram, half in and half out of the water as she cut through the waves, a great metallic "sea monster" that I hoped would terrify the Imperials enough to give them pause now! "Darlanis is now letting her triremes take the lead," Sandra said to me, peering through the still open hatches as the Diana approached the enemy fleet at three quarters speed. I thought of Darlanis, tall and golden. I respected the woman, admired her even if she was an enemy of the ideals for which Dularn stood. I had to admit that Darlanis was meeting me as best she could, her triremes being the only vessels with any hope of matching the Di- ana in battle. Their iron shod rams the only weapon that could possibly now pierce the battleship's armored hull, two inches of steel behind six inches of oak there below the water line. "Close all hatches, watertight doors, go to full power," I replied, Sandra pushing the "repeaters" to full ahead now, Queen Freydis standing there at my side, while a midshipman made her- self "useful" by closing the control cabin's heavy steel hatches. "Those galleys will be slower than us, but handier," Sandra commented, obviously thinking out herself what "attacks" that we might make here. They were coming for us under oars only, like a trio of great centipedes creeping across the calm ocean towards us. The sun bright in the sky overhead, a few clouds breaking the monotony of the azure blue. The Diana leaping forward with every "thud" of her engines, like a charger heading for battle... "We will keep the caste codes," I said, seeing her nod. I would not use the flamethrowers unless Darlanis used them first. While such weapons were useless against the armored Diana, I knew well how "effective" such weapons were now against wooden ships. I had in any case no desire to kill any of Darlanis' own people. "We will have to `flank' them," I said, well aware that Dar- lanis was fully prepared to "sacrifice" her entire naval force if only she could destroy the Diana. The Empress well aware that as long as the Diana sailed the seas that her ambitions could never be. Lorraine's own battleship having struck an "uncharted" rock and sunk on its own maiden voyage only a short time before. While the Empire could eventually build another, for the time be- ing the Diana was the "decisive" weapon here on the western coast of North America. The last "hope" Dularn had against Darlanis... "Her steam frigates carry rams," Sandra reminded me then. "Not much wind," I smiled, the sea almost as calm as glass. "I think it is time that you took control," Sandra smiled. I felt in "control", the spokes of the Diana's wheel in my hands, the three "repeaters" locked at full ahead at my side now. This would be a battle that would decide the destiny of a world. A "weapon" built by a man of the Twentieth Century against those of a more "primitive" era. Far behind us now the three ships of Queen Freydis were swinging out, moving to circle in, to strike at Darlanis' relatively "unprotected" rear. I thought of Maris Marn, of Carol, of a Queen standing there beside me, her trust in this strange "machine" she hardly understood. I felt Freydis place her hand on my shoulder. Her steel gray eyes meeting mine. She reminded me much of Lana Clarkson, who played just such a "role" in "BARBARIAN QUEEN" back in the 20th Century. If we won this battle, then Queen Valeris would be deprived of her Imperial support, and it was possible that here, in this time, Darlanis' hopes of an "Empire" that stretched from Alaska to Baja would be crushed. The Empire would still exist whatever happened here, but it would no longer be the danger to free men that it was now. "Half a mile," Sandra spoke, her voice level, calm, much like my wife's had been when we'd sailed the North Star into com- bat. I could feel the sweat beneath my armpits, the interior of the control cabin sealed up like this growing warmer by the minute. The Diana was closing at a rate of twelve miles per hour, a bit over 11 knots, the best Daris Adara could give me... "Turning now!" I breathed, spinning the Diana's wheel, the Diana coming around, the "thudding" of the triple engines hardly noticed. The Diana now racing towards the west, the three gal- leys turning in pursuit, too slow by far to match our superior speed as I circled them. I now spun the wheel in the other di- rection, the Diana coming about again, the galleys trying to fol- low us about, their own missiles harmlessly striking against the Diana's armored hull, although the catapult shots were "noisy"... "Looks like they fouled one another," Sandra said to me, the ram of the Diana parting the waves as we raced towards their vul- nerable sterns. They had fired upon us, but such fire had been hardly noticed, the ballistae bolts and catapult shots harmless! It appearing that one Imperial galley had crashed into another... "Oh Lys!" I heard Sandra breath, the Diana's armored ram smashing into the stern of one of the galleys, tearing, ripping into the vessel, the speed and weight of our battleship such that we tore right through the back of the vessel like a great shell!! "Lots more of them yet," I answered, spinning the wheel, the Diana coming about again, a catapult shot thudding against the control cabin, fired from the leading steam frigate before us now as the Diana came charging in like Moby Dick at his tormentors... "Nice day for it, Darlanis," I laughed, the Diana smashing into the stern of her flagship, smashing the propeller, the rud- der, her steam catapults and quickfirers totally ineffective against the heavily armored Diana. I recalled how "proud" Darla- nis had been of these "steam frigates" of hers, but the Diana was truly a "battleship" in the full sense of the word. Perhaps not a vessel of the Twentieth Century as such, but the late Nine- teenth perhaps I mused just then! I wanted to cripple Darlanis' navy, bring that haughty Imperial Empress to her "knees" before me. I had no desire to take life, as they were almost totally defenseless against the Diana. Freydis standing there, the very look on her face leaving no doubts as to her own feelings here! "With this you could be master of the world," she spoke. "IN HARM'S WAY" AN ADVENTURE IN THE SECOND DARK AGE OF MAN By Robert J. Simmons Chapter Thirty "You sent the other ships away," Queen Freydis said to me, her steel gray eyes burning into mine as we sat there at the long oak table, a number of rough looking men sitting there with us, such being Freydis' own advisors and military commanders. A num- ber of slave girls, some of who I suspected were "Dularnian", be- ing of "service" to us. The smoke from the cooking fires and the very "attire" of these people reminding me again of the Vikings of perhaps the Tenth or Eleventh Century. Their "culture" being quite similar except that they built a better grade of raiding ship, their fore and aft rigged schooners the equal of anything that had ever come out of a shipyard back home there in Arsana. "They will be of `better use' now somewhere else," I smiled. Neither the North Star or the Northlight were a match for Darla- nis' steam frigates, and the Diana could easily "handle" anything that the Imperials possessed. I had a great deal of "confidence" in my "invincible battleship", which no weapon of this era could even "dent", the Diana being for all practical purposes invulner- able to all known weapons with the possible exception of cannons. "Will Dularn send us better weapons, `military advisors'?" the "Viking" across the table from me asked. I had stripped the ships of all their small arms, both the compound bows and the crossbows, which might "help" just a bit against Queen Valeris... "I can give you all the `military advice' you need," I smiled back. "You can't fight Queen Valeris `face to face', but you can use her own `tactics' against her just as she has used them against you. Strike at her rear, pick off small units of her forces, but always avoid a direct `confrontation' with her. You have ships, the ability to land forces from them, and I will see to it that the Imperials will not be able to hinder you now." "In the past we have had much reason to fear Dularn," anoth- er spoke, sitting there, a great mug of beer there before him. "As Dularn has `feared' you in return," I pointed out. "Will your people go along with what I suggest?" I said to Queen Freydis as boatload after boatload of firewood was taken out to the Diana. I would stuff the ship full, stack it every- where I could. I needed the "range" to be able to fight effec- tively against roving Imperial ships that I'd find to the north. "My sex will," Freydis smiled. I knew that Dularnian slav- ers used to pick off "Northmen girls" whenever they could get the chance to do so. Such women were considered to be ideal servants back in Dularn, although the Imperial female slave is considered "better" at pleasing a master. "It is wrong to enslave us be- cause of our sex," she added, reminding me muchly of Maris Marn. "You might have to get a bit `bitchy'," I smiled back. "`Enemy in sight'," the midshipman called down, the scouting fourth rate turning away, fleeing back to our protection. I had little doubt that Darlanis would fight. She had three steam frigates, three first rate triremes, all "54's", an equal number of lesser smaller biremes, perhaps a couple "third rates" (two masted fore and aft schooners), along with armed transports and everything else. The "fact" that the Imperials were "willing" to divide their forces such spoke much of what Darlanis' ultimate intentions here were. With "hostile" power to the north, to the south, Darlanis had no doubt hoped to "persuade" Queen Maris that the best "option" she had here was to "submit" to Imperial rule. No doubt Dularn would have been allowed to keep its own culture, much of its own laws, but we'd be only a "part" of the Empire, a nation whose Queen would have to take her orders from Darlanis... "Signal my ships to carry out their instructions," Queen Freydis spoke from beside me, her steel gray eyes meeting mine. It would be up to me now, up to the Diana, the last "hope" Dularn had now to remain a free country. If Darlanis and her "puppet" managed to seize control of everything to the north of Dularn, then we'd eventually be forced into a battle we could never win!! "General Quarters, Battle Stations, Rig for Ramming," I spoke, seeing the first lieutenant nod and then dash below to carry out my orders. I had given Daris Adara her orders earlier. "Maintain speed at three quarters," I said, seeing Sandra nod. I could see the Diana's ram, half in and half out of the water as she cut through the waves, a great metallic "sea monster" that I hoped would terrify the Imperials enough to give them pause now! "Darlanis is now letting her triremes take the lead," Sandra said to me, peering through the still open hatches as the Diana approached the enemy fleet at three quarters speed. I thought of Darlanis, tall and golden. I respected the woman, admired her even if she was an enemy of the ideals for which Dularn stood. I had to admit that Darlanis was meeting me as best she could, her triremes being the only vessels with any hope of matching the Di- ana in battle. Their iron shod rams the only weapon that could possibly now pierce the battleship's armored hull, two inches of steel behind six inches of oak there below the water line. "Close all hatches, watertight doors, go to full power," I replied, Sandra pushing the "repeaters" to full ahead now, Queen Freydis standing there at my side, while a midshipman made her- self "useful" by closing the control cabin's heavy steel hatches. "Those galleys will be slower than us, but handier," Sandra commented, obviously thinking out herself what "attacks" that we might make here. They were coming for us under oars only, like a trio of great centipedes creeping across the calm ocean towards us. The sun bright in the sky overhead, a few clouds breaking the monotony of the azure blue. The Diana leaping forward with every "thud" of her engines, like a charger heading for battle... "We will keep the caste codes," I said, seeing her nod. I would not use the flamethrowers unless Darlanis used them first. While such weapons were useless against the armored Diana, I knew well how "effective" such weapons were now against wooden ships. I had in any case no desire to kill any of Darlanis' own people. "We will have to `flank' them," I said, well aware that Dar- lanis was fully prepared to "sacrifice" her entire naval force if only she could destroy the Diana. The Empress well aware that as long as the Diana sailed the seas that her ambitions could never be. Lorraine's own battleship having struck an "uncharted" rock and sunk on its own maiden voyage only a short time before. While the Empire could eventually build another, for the time be- ing the Diana was the "decisive" weapon here on the western coast of North America. The last "hope" Dularn had against Darlanis... "Her steam frigates carry rams," Sandra reminded me then. "Not much wind," I smiled, the sea almost as calm as glass. "I think it is time that you took control," Sandra smiled. I felt in "control", the spokes of the Diana's wheel in my hands, the three "repeaters" locked at full ahead at my side now. This would be a battle that would decide the destiny of a world. A "weapon" built by a man of the Twentieth Century against those of a more "primitive" era. Far behind us now the three ships of Queen Freydis were swinging out, moving to circle in, to strike at Darlanis' relatively "unprotected" rear. I thought of Maris Marn, of Carol, of a Queen standing there beside me, her trust in this strange "machine" she hardly understood. I felt Freydis place her hand on my shoulder. Her steel gray eyes meeting mine. She reminded me much of Lana Clarkson, who played just such a "role" in "BARBARIAN QUEEN" back in the 20th Century. If we won this battle, then Queen Valeris would be deprived of her Imperial support, and it was possible that here, in this time, Darlanis' hopes of an "Empire" that stretched from Alaska to Baja would be crushed. The Empire would still exist whatever happened here, but it would no longer be the danger to free men that it was now. "Half a mile," Sandra spoke, her voice level, calm, much like my wife's had been when we'd sailed the North Star into com- bat. I could feel the sweat beneath my armpits, the interior of the control cabin sealed up like this growing warmer by the minute. The Diana was closing at a rate of twelve miles per hour, a bit over 11 knots, the best Daris Adara could give me... "Turning now!" I breathed, spinning the Diana's wheel, the Diana coming around, the "thudding" of the triple engines hardly noticed. The Diana now racing towards the west, the three gal- leys turning in pursuit, too slow by far to match our superior speed as I circled them. I now spun the wheel in the other di- rection, the Diana coming about again, the galleys trying to fol- low us about, their own missiles harmlessly striking against the Diana's armored hull, although the catapult shots were "noisy"... "Looks like they fouled one another," Sandra said to me, the ram of the Diana parting the waves as we raced towards their vul- nerable sterns. They had fired upon us, but such fire had been hardly noticed, the ballistae bolts and catapult shots harmless! It appearing that one Imperial galley had crashed into another... "Oh Lys!" I heard Sandra breath, the Diana's armored ram smashing into the stern of one of the galleys, tearing, ripping into the vessel, the speed and weight of our battleship such that we tore right through the back of the vessel like a great shell!! "Lots more of them yet," I answered, spinning the wheel, the Diana coming about again, a catapult shot thudding against the control cabin, fired from the leading steam frigate before us now as the Diana came charging in like Moby Dick at his tormentors... "Nice day for it, Darlanis," I laughed, the Diana smashing into the stern of her flagship, smashing the propeller, the rud- der, her steam catapults and quickfirers totally ineffective against the heavily armored Diana. I recalled how "proud" Darla- nis had been of these "steam frigates" of hers, but the Diana was truly a "battleship" in the full sense of the word. Perhaps not a vessel of the Twentieth Century as such, but the late Nine- teenth perhaps I mused just then! I wanted to cripple Darlanis' navy, bring that haughty Imperial Empress to her "knees" before me. I had no desire to take life, as they were almost totally defenseless against the Diana. Freydis standing there, the very look on her face leaving no doubts as to her own feelings here! "With this you could be master of the world," she spoke. |
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