“Does something happen along the way?” Reno asked.
“Nothing special. It was just a pleasant row.”
“You were daydreaming about the girl, weren't you?”
“I may have been, yes.”
“Can we forward to the point where you reach the tower? Believe it or not, I have limited time here in this existence.”
The recording was moved to where the skiff approached the docks at the tower, darkness had fallen as the boat had been rowed.
Half a dozen guards rushed up with rifles and lanterns. “You there! You can't be here!”
The clone of Naffi tied off the skiff and stood up. “Don't you recognize me?”
“Sir Brown? We weren't informed you were out, sir.”
“I was at an event just up river and decided I didn't want to walk. Here... give me a hand.”
The guards assisted, helping him onto the steps. “Sir. It really isn't safe out here. There are Frenchmen right across the river.”
“I'm aware, Mr...”
“Claiborne, sir. Sergeant Claiborne.”
“Thank you for your assistance, Sergeant. Now. I really must get back to work. And I may be returning in a short while. Will you be here?”
“Until dawn, sir.”
“Excellent. I may require your assistance again at that time.”
The sergeant stood and saluted. “It is an honor to serve you, sir. With the weapons you have provided we will push these devils back to the sea.”
The clone nodded before continuing up the steps and toward St. Thomas's Tower. “Let us hope so, Sergeant.”
Reno slowly shook his head. “I can't believe that actually worked.”
“If you maintain a look of confidence it will make others believe you should be there. A similar incident happened as I walked through the gate and under Bloody Tower. I then strolled right into White Tower. No one was there as it was during the evening meal. I found a small alcove in which to hide and I waited for Sir Brown to return.”
The playback was forwarded by almost an hour.
Sir Brown walked into the hall with a contented look on his face. “Perry, that will be all for this evening. We'll begin anew in the morning. Tell the others to be here again at first light. This design needs to be ready for manufacture by the end of the week.”
“Very well, sir. Have a restful evening.”
The aide left the room. As Marwal's clone leaned over a table to review the designs on paper, Roger Dumas slipped out of the alcove, crept close, and placed a pistol in the small of his back.
“Hello Marwal.”
The clone looked over his shoulder. “Naffi? This is quite the bold move.”
“It is.”
The pistol was raised and a hard wallop to the back of the clone's head had him slumping to the floor. The body was wrapped in a cloth and then rolled up in a knitted rug.
Roger Dumas walked out to the courtyard. “Guards. You there. I need some assistance.”
Three guards followed him into the room.
“Take this to the dock. And careful I don't want him injured.”
The sergeant in charge asked, “Who is it, sir?”
“One of our workers. I believe him to be a spy. I'm taking him for interrogation. And no more questions, Sergeant. Just do as you are told and let me get to the bottom of this.”
“Absolutely, sir. You two! Lift that and bring it behind us.”
Roger Dumas, disguised as Sir Brown, nodded. “Thank you, Sergeant. If this works out as I foresee, you and your men will be rewarded for your action.”
“Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.”
The guards at the dock were already prepared to assist. The rug was loaded aboard, and Roger Dumas paddled away.
Reno shook his head. “You actually did it. Unbelievable.”
“Sometimes it's the simplest of plans that work best.”
The playback was forwarded to the point where the skiff reached a waiting steel-clad. The prisoner was carried aboard and taken across the Channel to Calais.
Before leaving, Roger Dumas paid Sir Roderick Brown a visit. “No escape this time Marwal. You will be fed, forcefully if necessary. Bathed, since you are unable to do so on your own without drowning. And you will be monitored continuously.”
Brown tilted his head as he shook it slowly. “A bold move. I should have anticipated such.”
“We would have figured out another way.”
“It won't matter. Your forces at London are outnumbered and will soon be crushed. Your precious Napoleon will only exist in the history books for these people. They will soon be ahead of your every move.”
“If you are talking about the radio design on the table, forgive me, but I took the liberty of making a few alterations before leaving. The only sound they will be hearing from the first units they build will be a loud buzz. Meanwhile, our force command will be equipped with a similar, but working, unit.”
“Won't matter. Your Emperor will soon be executed.”
“About that. I sent word of the Scots. Napoleon is either in retreat, heading back to Portsmouth to mount a defense, or his force of two hundred thousand are converging on your Scots. And I took the liberty of seeing to it another three hundred artillery pieces were delivered. And Napoleon does love his artillery.”
“The British are determined and thanks to me they are now well equipped.”
“Ah. And thanks to me they will now fall behind the French. In the coming months we will see advanced rockets, troop transport vehicles, the RPGs you provided your side, and of course radios. I expect the tactics of Napoleon to once again rule the battlefields. Already our forces are putting plans in place that will make it painful and costly to break out of London. And their food supplies will be running short soon enough.”
“They are only beginning to raise and train their forces, Naffi. History has shown them to be resilient and indomitable.”
Roger Dumas laughed. “They are Humans just like the rest. When their spirits have been crushed, that indomitable-will goes away. We've already seen that in one of the archive reads, so we know it can be done.”
“Our offer remains in place. Give up, come back, and your fortune will be restored. And Reno will once again be a scientist working on research.”
“And my family will still be dead and Reno's life work will be locked away and forgotten. And Nunol will remain unaccountable for my family's demise.”
“We cannot change the mistakes we've made in the past, Naffi. We can only make certain we don't make those again in the future.”
“That's where you are wrong, Marwal. We can change the past... and we will. Personally, neither Reno nor I any longer care about the Opamari Empire. We were mistreated and would just as soon live out our lives jumping to a thousand Human pasts rather than living there as an Opamari. It is you who should give up. If the Opamari timeline were to change, so long as you aren't anywhere but on that station, you would never know the difference. Just go home and be happy. Let us live our own lives.”
“You know I can't do that.”
“Which is why you will stay right here in this room for as long as we can keep you alive. Meanwhile, we will be advancing our plan... without your interference or threat.”
Naffi's clone left the room with his head held high. A steel door closed with a clang. A lock mechanism sealed it shut. The clone of Marwal was fully isolated. A team would monitor his existence for every minute of the day.
Back at London, Napoleon took heed of the warning and marched his troops west and then south to Portsmouth. Earthwork defenses were dug, surrounding the port with a seemingly impregnable perimeter. Roger Dumas steamed into port on a steel-clad and was soon standing on a rampart as he and Napoleon walked in discussion.
“I apologize for putting you in the situation, General. We had no way of knowing of their advancement in weaponry. Our tanks should have opened that city for a full invasion.”
“As you know, Admiral, I have no desire to fig
ht a war within those walls. I want the British people to join our Empire. If done willingly it will make us that much stronger. The Spaniards and Portuguese are already at the tipping point. With the British aboard there would be little that can stop us. Imagine a world without war, living under one government, with open and free trade, and equal justice for all. Imagine the accomplishments that could be made toward building a better world.”
Roger Dumas nodded. “I share your vision, General. But history shows the people also respect power. If they believe they can overcome a government they feel is oppressive, they will fight. At least some portion of them will, that is.”
“I understand your position, Admiral, and while we will use our power to seize control, we won't be using it to maintain control. That will come by the choice of the people. We will build farms and roads and cities like the world has never seen. I don't know if you realized this or not, but our victories in Northern Italy were followed by plundering the wealth of the elites. The same was done on the German plains and in Austria. And I will do the same here among the British.”
“And how is that going to endear the people to you?”
“Because instead of taking that wealth back to Paris where it would sit locked in a vault, I plan to use it for the people. Do you not think the majority of British citizens would find loyalty with me if the immense wealth of their royal families was shared among them? Or would they rather that wealth be returned to its prior owners?”
“Don't underestimate their loyalty to their current identities, General. While they do view the French as their neighbors, they also view us as enemies who they have been at war with for much of the last thousand years. Think of it as loyalty to one's family even though a neighbor might be offering a better financial situation.”
“Astute points, Admiral Dumas. I will take those under consideration.”
Reno stopped the playback. “That does not sound like the historical Napoleon. His drive was power and the wealth that came with that power. Here he genuinely sounds benevolent.”
“Yes,” Naffi replied. “Which better suits our own vision. One world order that we can then focus on science and technology. Should we complete this mission here and unite all Europe, we can then turn our focus to the Americas and finally to Asia and the remainder of the world.”
“What technologies would we seek to bestow upon them?”
Naffi smiled. “I believe that may be the most fascinating part of this entire endeavor. Do we leave it at ground-based plasma cannons? Or do we shoot for the stars with a powerful fleet of warships?”
“A fleet powerful enough to defeat our own? What if the Humans then overrun our Empire?”
“Do you care about this Empire? About these people?” Naffi asked.
“I suppose not.”
“Perfect, then we are all set to proceed. And I'll tell you now, this is the most excited I've been about a potential accomplishment in years. I had many such moments while building my companies. This however, far surpasses those thrills.”
The playback continued.
The fortifications around Portsmouth were continuously probed by the British forces. In the meantime, another hundred thousand French infantrymen were transported to the British shore. Roger Dumas, still having the British woman, Heather, on his mind, made the short trip out to her farm, the area surrounding it being protected by French defenses at Chichester.
The clone caught a worker dragging a hoe out in the field. “Excuse me, but where might I find Ms. Heather Bennett?”
The worker stopped his work and wiped his brow. “She and her mother have moved to London. I am renting this land from them.”
Roger Dumas bowed his head. “I thank you for the information. Might I ask when that move took place?”
“Two days ago.”
Reno paused the playback. “She left for London? Why?”
“I can only assume she did not feel safe. She was in the countryside and surrounded by French soldiers. I should have ordered a squad of guards to stand watch. I can only hope she made the journey safely.”
“I will check the archives when we are done.”
The playback was continued.
A rider approached. “Admiral, we must be going. A large British force is heading this way. Napoleon has requested your presence.”
“Very well, Lieutenant. Lead the way.”
Chapter 13
_______________________
The playback was forwarded to a section of recording that showed an attack on the Portsmouth perimeter. The British made repeated attempts to maneuver artillery close enough where it could be used to damage the defensive lines the French soldiers had constructed. However, artillery already in place by the French had foiled each attempt. Instead, the Brits began construction of their own perimeter, three kilometers outside that of the French.
Roger Dumas stood with Napoleon atop a sighting tower that was a half-kilometer behind the perimeter line.
The clone was staring through his spyglass. “The new artillery will be here within the week, General. Jacques Lamonde has seen to it the designs will give us ten kilometers range.”
“And how many pieces are coming?”
“I'm told one hundred sixty will be ready to deploy. Do you have a plan for their use?”
“I do. Half will be used to neutralize the British artillery while the other half will be used to ravage a single point in their lines. We will then drive our army through the position before turning west and pushing that flank back to the sea. We attack at Salisbury and then push them south to Bournemouth. They will predictably try to reinforce to the east of Salisbury, whereas we will bombard their lines at Winchester, once again cutting off a portion of their army and attacking its flank.”
“You are aware of the new force coming from London? They are expected at Farnborough tomorrow.”
“I am.” Napoleon replied. “I expect the British force to the east of Salisbury to retreat back to Farnborough. They will be pursued by the force guarding Salisbury and the force returning from Bournemouth.
“The British Generals won't be willing to make a blunt attack against such a well-trained superior force. That indecision will doom the right-hand portion of their flank leading to the coast at Worthing. When that task is complete, we will march toward Farnborough with more than one hundred fifty thousand men.”
Roger Dumas nodded. “That will give us a force nearly the size of what they have. Would you not expect them to once again dig in?”
“That is precisely what I am expecting. What I haven't told you is there is another force landing at the beaches of Bognor Regis. That force will be nearing one hundred twenty thousand by the time they will be called. They will be marching north, just to the east of Guildford, coming up to a position between London and Farnborough. And our main force will go west of Farnborough, joining up with the Bognor Regis force to the northeast of Farnborough.”
“Cutting them off. Excellent.”
“They will be forced to surrender in a matter of weeks. My spies have already informed me their supply lines are weak. Starving soldiers do not display a significant will to fight.”
“This is where we will benefit from our new supply trucks. No longer will your troops be burdened by long trails of horse-drawn wagons.”
“I look forward to seeing these in action. And what of our tanks? When can we expect a new supply?”
Roger frowned. “Not for some time, I'm afraid. The manufacturing was shut down after the last run. We wanted to test their usefulness before building more. I believe they have fully surpassed our expectations, even with the advent of RPGs. Enhancements can be made to counter those.”
“You mentioned a new device. A radio?”
“Yes. It makes use of invisible waves that travel through the air. I expect us to have a channel up and connected from here in Portsmouth to Paris. Once that is operational, we will build a command center here that will allow you to send commands to your officers instantan
eously. No more waiting for a messenger. And I am told there are more advances to come.”
Napoleon said, “Jacques Lamonde should be celebrated as a national hero.”
“He insists that he is a Frenchman, General, and that we are all heroes. He also decries having any fame or notoriety heaped upon him as he believes that will only distract from his work, which he considers of extreme importance.”
“If this radio performs as you say, it will transform our ability not only to fight, but to make adjustments during a fight. I look forward to its fielding.”
Naffi forwarded the playback. “This is the beginning of our offensive.”
A long row of artillery pieces fired at the same instant, their shells flying up and overhead. Roger Dumas lifted his spy glass as he watched from a tower, Napoleon looking through a scope of his own beside him. A far field was soon blotted from view by clouds of dirt and debris.
“Stunning,” Napoleon said. “Such effectiveness. As I have said many times before, artillery is changing the way we do battle.”
Roger Dumas replied, “That is one of three batteries, General. Should we be looking to the one on the right or the left?”
“You should be looking at the trenchworks. How any man would survive in that torrent of death I would find to be impossible.”
A second volley left all one hundred sixty cannons within a matter of seconds. The forward troops of the line were already beginning their fast march across the fields. The third volley saw the last of the British artillery protecting the perimeter of Salisbury laid to waste. When the smoke of the bombardment began to clear, bodies, wheels, and cannon barrels littered the area.
Napoleon looked at a timepiece he held in his hand. “In less than an hour, Salisbury will be under our control and our flanking force will be making its way down their line. Look to the east. Troops are already beginning to move in that direction.”
“I see.”
“What you do not yet see is what the new artillery will do to them. Such a loss when it is unnecessary.”
“I thought the artillery was to support your southern flanking maneuver?”
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