The airlock hatches opened, letting in the scent of the docking tube’s air, and, no matter that Kronprinz likely used the same sorts of scrubbers and filters for her air as Elizabeth did, Dansby felt certain he could smell the difference.
A few moments passed, certainly only seconds, but they felt far longer to Dansby, and the frigate’s hatches opened.
Four spacers, these in vacsuits, entered the docking tube, sliding easily from Kronprinz’s gravity to the zero-g of the tube and setting their feet on the deck again in Elizabeth’s. The sight of the vacsuits, and that the arriving Hanoverese were armed, gave Dansby pause, despite the Blackbournes having told him this was how things were done.
Elizabeth’s own waiting spacers, and Dansby himself, were unarmed and not in vacsuits, putting them at a distinct disadvantage if trouble were to start.
The four Hanoverese took up positions, two just inside Elizabeth’s inner hatch and the remaining two in the airlock itself, then a man without a vacsuit entered the tube from the Hanoverese side. He wore a Hanoverese naval uniform, including the oddly folded black cap of their command staff, and set his feet lightly on the deck within Elizabeth’s lock.
He stepped out of the lock and looked around at those waiting before fixing his gaze on Allie.
“Fräulein Blackbourne,” he said.
“Kapitän Böhm,” she answered.
His eyes never left her, but seemed to take in Elizabeth and her crew. “This is different,” he said.
Allie nodded. “Circumstances,” she said.
“So,” Böhm said.
“This is Captain Dansby,” Allie said, “an … associate of ours. He, also, had a cargo of what we bring you and I thought it appropriate to make an introduction. He might, if it’s acceptable to your superiors, have cargoes for you in the future.”
This was the story they’d agreed on, though Dansby hoped never to set eyes on a Hanoverese warship again.
Böhm nodded. “Kapitän.”
“Captain,” Dansby acknowledged.
Another officer, Dansby assumed a Hanoverese lieutenant, and two more spacers arrived, these not in vacsuits or armed.
“The listed mass is correct?” Böhm asked.
Allie nodded. “As always, Kapitän Böhm.”
Behind Dansby, Presgraves snickered. Dansby turned around and she straightened, face going still.
“Something?” Böhm asked.
The lieutenant and his work crew went to the antigrav cart and checked its controls, which told them the mass it was offsetting from its load. The lieutenant tapped at his tablet, then nodded to the spacers, who got behind the cart to shove it toward the hatch and docking tube.
“My crew’s nervous, sir,” Dansby said to Böhm. “Our first time and all.”
Böhm nodded. “Understandable.” His face moved in what Dansby thought could charitably be called a smile. “Soon it will be only business, hein?”
“Yes, Captain Böhm,” Dansby said.
Presgraves covered her mouth.
“Sween?” Dansby said. “Would you? The rest of you, as well, I think. Captain Böhm and his crew have work other than to stand about being gawked at.”
“Aye, sir.”
Sween wrapped an arm around Presgraves’ shoulder and led her off with the rest, while she muttered, “It’s only his name, see, and that we’ve —”
Dansby glanced from his crew, to the antigrav cart being edged from the docking tube to the other ship’s lock, then to the Hanoverese captain.
“I’m sorry for that, Captain Böhm,” Dansby said. “It’s their first time meeting up with a Hanoverese ship, you see —” He smiled in a hopefully disarming way. “One that’s not shooting at them first, in any case.”
Böhm smiled back — sort of.
“It is of no concern. These meetings —” He waved a hand. “— they carry more … mystique than they should, hein? For us, it should be just business.”
“Yes, of course,” Dansby said. “Perfectly ordinary when you get right to it.”
At the far lock, another antigrav cart appeared, this with two crates on it, and, Dansby was relieved to note, of Hanoverese manufacture. The Blackbournes had told him this was how it worked, neither they nor the Hanoverese wishing to hang about each other in darkspace longer than needed, despite Böhm’s assertions that there was no mystique to it. It was quicker and easier with such loads, to simply exchange carts than to move the nearly half-ton crates from one to another.
“Your payment,” Böhm said as his spacers pushed the new cart and its load into place.
Neither of the Blackbournes made a move to open the crates and Dansby followed suit.
“Danke, Kapitän Böhm,” Allie said.
Böhm nodded his head to her, then to Dansby. “Until next time, Fräulein Blackbourne, Kapitän Dansby.”
“Yes, thank you, captain,” Dansby said, but the Hanoverese captain had already turned his back and entered the lock. His spacers and lieutenant followed, flowing down the tube to their own ship, which then shut its hatch.
“Close our hatches, Detheridge,” Dansby said, “and release their tube.”
“Aye, sir.”
The order given, the spacers on Elizabeth’s hull released Kronprinz’s docking tube, which was immediately pulled back toward the other ship.
“Is that it?” Dansby asked the Blackbournes.
Allie nodded.
“They’re not ones for hospitality, the Hanoverese,” Blackbourne said. “Least not their navy — now a lass in port, she’ll show a proper homage to Young Blackbourne’s —”
“Port watch to the sails, Detheridge,” Dansby said, cutting Blackbourne off. “Starboard to the guns, but for Dark’s sake, keep the gunports closed.”
“Aye, sir.”
He made for the quarterdeck, Kaycie and the Blackbournes close behind. “Let loose the jib topsail, that will get some way on her.”
“Aye, sir,” Detheridge said.
Being downwind of the other ship meant Elizabeth would have to be the first to move. If Kronprinz showed a scrap of sail, and Dansby had no doubt she would soon, as the Blackbournes had been clear that Böhm would be giving his crew orders even as Dansby was, the larger ship would be driven down on them in an instant.
The little bit of a jib sail, stretched from Elizabeth’s tallest mast to her bowsprit, would catch just a tiny bit of wind from behind the other ship, but it should be enough to turn her head about and get some way on.
The crew was rushing to and fro in the companionway, half heading for the hull to work that sail and those to come, while the other half made their way to the guns — not that Dansby planned a fight, he just wanted to be ready.
“There’s really no need to man the guns,” Allie said. “All went as it should and we’ve simply to sail away.”
“A precaution,” Dansby said, then, “Up ladder!”
The steep stairs in the companionway cleared of spacers in an instant and he climbed rapidly to the quarterdeck’s level.
“We’ve dealt with Böhm for years,” Allie said. “It’s a profitable business for both sides, and no one wishes —” She broke off as she reached the top of the ladder herself, stopping and blocking the way for her brother below and those crewmen making their way down. “You’ve done something, haven’t you.”
Dansby rushed into the quarterdeck.
“What have you done?” Allie demanded, close behind.
Thirty-One
“Let loose the jib and ready the jib staysail,” Dansby ordered, examining the plot. What wind Elizabeth could catch had them turning from Kronprinz and falling away. In a few moments, they’d be stern-on to the other ship — not the most comforting position in the face of those guns, but clear of her shadow and better able to maneuver. “Up twenty on the planes.”
“Aye, sir,” Grubbs acknowledged from the signals console.
“What makes you think I’ve done anything?” Dansby asked, giving the Blackbournes a bit of attention at la
st.
Allie edged around the navigation plot, though the ship’s quarterdeck was more crowded than usual. He had Kaycie there with two burly spacers in case of trouble from the twins, and Presgraves was right up at the plot’s edge, watching images of Kronprinz eagerly — with Sween at her back, in case she became … disruptive.
Allie narrowed her eyes. “Are you saying you’ve not?”
Dansby spread his hands. “Look, Rab — ah, Miss Blackbourne,” he said with a guilty glance at Kaycie, “we’ve made the trade, we have the payment, as soon as we’ve cleared Kronprinz, I’ll put you and your brother back aboard your pinnace with your share and we can be shut of each other, yes?”
“And no one will be happier than I,” Allie said.
“I’ll take the don’t on that,” Kaycie muttered.
“Kronprinz’s let loose sail, sir,” Smithey said from the tactical console.
Dansby could easily see that from the images on his plot, as well that the frigate was falling off the wind herself, her bow coming to point at Elizabeth, and then past. More sail bloomed on Kronprinz, the dull grey flashing to an azure glow, shot through with white lightning as her particle projectors charged the gallenium mesh fabric of the sails and the lot began to catch the dark energy winds.
“Come two points to port,” Dansby ordered.
As if by some unspoken agreement, Elizabeth’s quarterdeck grew hushed, save for Dansby’s continued orders and their acknowledgment. The two ships’ courses soon separated more, with Elizabeth turning toward the winds and making sail for her best speed on that point, and Kronprinz dropping away to a running reach directly away from her. Then, with the Hanoverese frigate’s stern firmly in Elizabeth’s optics, Dansby took a deep breath.
They were still within range of the frigate’s guns, were she to come about, but it appeared all had gone as expected, so far.
“Grubbs?” Dansby said, finally.
“Aye, sir.”
“The bosun to the quarterdeck and a party to the Blackbournes’ pinnace on the hull. We’ll make ready to release our guests’ ship.”
“Aye, sir.”
“You’ve really not done something snakey?” Rabbit asked.
Dansby winced. He didn’t like the feeling that the girl thought so little of him, even with what he had done. Better by far to get her off Elizabeth and on her own, then, before it was found out.
“I’ll have your share of the payment sent aboard for you,” Dansby said, “and you can be on your way.”
“A shame, lad,” Blackbourne said, eyes on Kaycie. “An’ just when Young Blackbourne were makin’ headway.”
“You were not, I assure you,” Kaycie said.
Blackbourne winked at her.
Allie stared at him for a moment, eyes narrowing. “Very well,” she said finally.
“Indeed,” Dansby said, gesturing toward the hatch. “After you —”
“Aspect change on Kronprinz,” Smithey announced, at the same time Grubbs said, “Signal from Kronprinz.”
The Blackbournes stopped in their tracks.
“In a moment, Grubbs,” Dansby said. He made a shooing gesture to the Blackbournes. “Don’t you wish to be back to your own ship?” he asked,
Allie crossed her arms.
“She’s coming about, sir,” Smithey said.
“The signal?” Allie asked.
“Signal’s —”
“Hold a moment, Grubbs,” Dansby said. He pointed at Allie and Blackbourne. “Your ship, right? Off and on your own at last, yes?”
“Not until I know what Kapitän Böhm wants,” Allie said.
“Captain Boom,” Presgraves whispered to Sween, giggling in way that caused all eyes to go to her warily.
“New signal from Kronprinz, sir,” Grubbs said, “Imperative and Heave-to.” Dansby glared at his signalsman. “Sorry, sir.”
Dansby glanced at the navigation plot, then at Presgraves, who shrugged.
“Isn’t it nearly time?” Dansby asked.
“Time for what?” Allie asked.
Presgraves shrugged again. “It’s not an exact science.”
“It’s bloody time, Presgraves, humanity mastered it quite a while ago. Exact should be bloody —”
“You did do something,” Allie said, “you lying, duplicitous snake!”
Dansby winced again, but ignored Rabbit in favor of the navigation plot.
Elizabeth had some distance on Kronprinz now, but, even as on their approach to the meeting, the frigate had the guns to reach them, something Captain Böhm then demonstrated.
“Kronprinz firing, sir,” Smithey announced.
That much was evident from the plot, where two lines of light streaked away from the frigate’s bow to flash on either side of Elizabeth.
“Signal, sir,” Grubbs said.
“I’m sure,” Dansby said. “Presgraves, do you suppose they found it?”
“Found what?” Allie asked.
“Yes,” Kaycie said, “what have they found, Jon?”
“Why do you keep calling him ‘Jon’?” Allie asked.
“For a reason that’s not a bit of your business,” Kaycie told her.
Blackbourne leaned toward her and whispered. “Y’can call Young Blackbourne anything y’like, lass — an’ his Dangus Khan, as well.”
Kaycie looked from the navigation plot which showed Kronprinz coming up to the wind as close as she could sail in pursuit of Elizabeth.
“Really?” Kaycie asked. “Now?”
Blackbourne leaned closer. “If’n y’like, lass.” He grinned. “The threat o’death, Young Blackbourne hears, is a wonder —”
“Aspect change!” Smithey yelled. “She’s turning!”
“Hard a’port,” Dansby yelled in response. “Roll ninety!”
“Aye, sir!”
Dansby was very nearly grateful for Kronprinz’s distraction, even if it meant the Hanoverese frigate was turning to present her broadside and send a round two dozen lances of deadly shot straight into them. If Elizabeth were to manage to turn in time to protect her vulnerable stern, and roll quickly enough to present her thicker, tougher keel to the shot, they might just survive this first broadside.
He caught Kaycie and Rabbit glaring at him.
Well, the ship might survive — odds are rather against me.
“Presgraves,” he said, trying to understand how his plan, which he’d thought quite the thing, could be going so wrong. “What do you suppose gave it away? Did they find the thing?”
“What thing, Jon?” Kaycie asked.
Dansby caught her eye, which was a bad thing to do, since he’d never been able to put Kaycie off once she looked him in the eye.
“I …” He sighed. “Well, I may have held a mining charge or two back from that job on Keldworth Heath.”
Kaycie opened her mouth to speak, then her eyes widened nearly as much. “You kept one?”
“Look, it’s not as though I … well, see, if one’s engaged in shipping that sort of thing under the radar, as it were, it’s only to be expected that a crate or two should stick along the way, isn’t it?”
“Two? What in the Dark would possess you to do that?” Kaycie demanded. “Where would you ever think we’d have a need for two bloody nuclear mining charges?”
Dansby spread his hands to take in the navigation plot. “Well, it’s just the one now, isn’t it? And, in all fairness —” He shrugged. “— I have found a use for one.”
“Jon —” Kaycie’s response was cut off by Rabbit’s shriek.
“You tried to nuke my buyer?”
Dansby winced. “They are, generally, at war with us quite often —”
“Firing!” Smithey called, and Dansby thought he would never again in life be so grateful to face a frigate’s broadside — not only because this was likely to be the last time he had such an opportunity, but because it put an end to Rabbit’s and Kaycie’s admonishing him.
Sweet Dark, if I make it out of this, I will never again put two las
ses together in the same ship. One’s bloody enough, but they do seem to sort of feed off one another in a most disagreeable —
He broke off the thought as the frigate’s broadside neared.
The roll hadn’t been quick enough, he saw, though a number of the shots would miss, no fewer than six would strike true along Elizabeth’s starboard side, just below her own gunports. There’d be damage to the hold, sure, as the hull wasn’t so thick there as it was lower down to support the keel. Moreover, the angle was bad and the shot would likely punch straight through the hold’s upper bulkhead to raise havoc on their own main deck where their guns were.
Dansby gripped the navigation plot’s edge as the shot struck and Elizabeth shuddered from the jets of vaporizing thermoplastic driven off her hull by the frigate’s fire. He waited for the clouds of off-gas on the plot’s images to clear, for calls reporting damage, for the sound of running feet on the deck as those injured on the gundeck were dragged below to what passed for a surgeon aboard a merchant ship.
“My ship!” Rabbit shrieked.
Dansby stared at the plot in shock.
Elizabeth hadn’t rolled enough to present her keel, but she had presented the Blackbournes’ pinnace, nestled against her starboard side, and every shot had struck home on the smaller ship. Some had blasted clean through the pinnace to spend themselves against Elizabeth’s hull, but so much of their energy was spent that the result was no more than a shallow pockmark in the thick thermoplastic.
The pinnace, though, was a shattered wreck, and, as they all watched, its single mast, folded and nestled against its hull so as not to interfere with Elizabeth’s, broke loose, caught in the dark matter they sailed through and was pulled behind. The quarterdeck watched in silence as it hung by a single bit of rigging for what seemed an extraordinarily long time before the line snapped and the mast, yards folded tight against it, dropped behind. It struck Elizabeth’s massive planes in passing before spinning off into darkspace behind them.
“My ship,” Rabbit whispered.
Her words shook Dansby loose from shock they’d not been damaged more, and he spun to the signals console.
“Detheridge and a work party to the hull, instanter! Cut that hulk free!” He turned to the helm. “Rosson, keep her between us and Kronprinz!”
Spacer, Smuggler, Pirate, Spy Box Set Page 32