[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
Page 147
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
Laurence frowned, trying to puzzle the thing out: it looked rather like a
ship-of-the-line, but with no railings at all around her upper deck, and no
masts shipped, with strange thick beams protruding from both sides fore and
aft, and no gunports.
What is it for? Chenery said, turning it around. I thought he already had
boats?
Perhaps it will become clearer if I explain that he had dragons carrying them
about over the ground,
Rankin said. Laurence understood at once: the beams were intended to give the
dragons a place to hold;
Napoleon meant to fly his troops over the Navy s guns entirely, while so many
of Britain s aerial forces were occupied at the Mediterranean.
Lenton said, We are not certain how many men he will have in each
Sir, I beg your pardon; may I ask, how long are these vessels? Laurence
asked, interrupting. And is this to scale?
To my eye, yes, Rankin said. The one which I saw in mid-air had two Reapers
to a side, and room to spare; perhaps two hundred feet from front to back.
They will be three-deckers inside, then, Laurence said grimly. If they
sling hammocks, he can fit as many as two thousand men apiece, for a short
journey, if he means to carry no provisions.
A murmur of alarm went around the room. Lenton said, Less than two hours to
cross each way, even if they launch from Cherbourg, and he has sixty dragons
or more.
He could land fifty thousand men by midmorning, good God, said one of the
captains Laurence did not know, a man who had arrived only recently; the same
calculation was running in all their heads. It was impossible not to look
about the room and tally their own side: less than twenty men, a good quarter
of whom were the scout and courier captains whose beasts could do very little
in combat.
But surely the things must be hopeless to manage in the air, and can the
dragons carry such a weight?
Sutton asked, studying the design further.
Likely he has built them from light wood; he only needs them to last a day,
after all, and they need not be watertight, Laurence said. He needs only an
easterly wind to carry him over; with that narrow
file:///K|/eMule/Incoming/Novik,%20Naomi%20-%20Temeraire%2001%20-%20His%20Maje
sty's%20Dragon.html (176 of 215)22-12-2006 15:57:34
file:///K|/eMule/Incoming/Novik,%20Naomi%20-%20Temeraire%2001%20-%20His%20Maje
sty's%20Dragon.html framing they will offer very little resistance. But they
will be vulnerable in the air, and surely Excidium and Mortiferus are already
on their way back?
Four days away, at best, and Bonaparte must know that as well as do we,
Lenton said. He has spent nearly his entire fleet and the Spanish as well to
buy himself freedom from their presence; he is not going to waste the chance.
The obvious truth of this was felt at once; a grim and expectant silence fell
upon the room. Lenton looked down at his desk, then stood up,
uncharacteristically slow; Laurence for the first time noticed that his hair
was grey and thin.
Gentlemen, Lenton said formally, the wind is in the north today, so we may
have a little grace if he chooses to wait for a better wind. All of our scouts
will be flying in shifts just off Cherbourg; we will have an hour s warning at
least. I do not need to tell you we will be hopelessly outnumbered; we can
only do our best, and delay if we cannot prevent.
No one spoke, and after a moment he said, We will need every heavy- and
middleweight beast on independent duty; your task will be to destroy these
transports. Chenery, Warren, the two of you will take midwing positions in
Lily s formation, and two of our scouts will take the wing-tip positions.
Captain Harcourt, undoubtedly Bonaparte will reserve some dragons for defense;
Page 148
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
your task is to keep those defenders occupied as best you can.
Yes, sir, she said; the others nodded.
Lenton took a deep breath and rubbed his face. There is nothing else to be
said, gentlemen; go to your preparations.
There was no sense in keeping it from the men; the French had nearly caught
Rankin on his way back and already knew that their secret at last was out.
Laurence quietly told his lieutenants, then sent them about their work; he
could see the passage of the news through the ranks: men leaning in to hear
from one another, their faces hardening as they grasped the situation, and the
ordinary idle conversation of a morning vanishing quite away. He was proud to
see even the youngest officers take it with great courage and go straight back
to their work.
This was the first time Temeraire would ever use the complete accoutrements of
heavy combat outside of practice; for patrol a much lighter set of gear was
used, and their previous engagement had been under traveling harness.
Temeraire stood very straight and still, only his head turned about so he
could watch with great excitement as the men rigged him out with the heaviest
leather harness, triple-riveted, and began hooking in the enormous panels of
chain-mesh that would serve as armor.
Laurence began his own inspection of the equipment and belatedly realized that
Hollin was nowhere to
file:///K|/eMule/Incoming/Novik,%20Naomi%20-%20Temeraire%2001%20-%20His%20Maje
sty's%20Dragon.html (177 of 215)22-12-2006 15:57:34
file:///K|/eMule/Incoming/Novik,%20Naomi%20-%20Temeraire%2001%20-%20His%20Maje
sty's%20Dragon.html be seen; he looked three times through the whole clearing
before he quite believed the man s absence, and then called the armorer Pratt
away from his work on the great protective plates which would shield
Temeraire s breast and shoulders during the fighting. Where is Mr. Hollin?
he asked.
Why, I don t believe I ve seen him this morning, sir, Pratt said, scratching
his head. He was in last night, though.
Very good, Laurence said, and dismissed him. Roland, Dyer, Morgan, he
called, and when the three runners came, he said, Go and see if you can find
Mr. Hollin, and then tell him I expect him here at once, if you please.
Yes, sir, they said almost in unison, and dashed off in different directions
after a hurried consultation.
He returned to watching the men work, a deep frown on his face; he was
astonished and dismayed to find the man failing in his duty at all, and under
these circumstances most particularly; he wondered if
Hollin could have fallen ill and gone to the surgeons: it seemed the only
excuse, but the man would surely have told one of his crewmates.
More than an hour went by, and Temeraire was in full rig with the crew
practicing boarding maneuvers under Lieutenant Granby s severe eye, before
young Roland came hurrying back to the clearing. Sir,
she said, panting and unhappy. Sir, Mr. Hollin is with Levitas, please do not
be angry, she said, all in one rushing breath.
Ah, Laurence said, a little embarrassed; he could hardly admit to Roland
that he had been turning a blind eye to Hollin s visits, so she naturally was
reluctant to be a tale-bearer on a fellow aviator. He will have to answer for
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]