Read Online How Firm a Foundation by David Weber - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: David Weber
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(albeit a bit greasy), and their steward had madeenough chocolate for everyone. For that matter, he’d even managed to come up with fresh bread. He’d expended the last of their flour in the process, but the result had been well worth it.
Unfortunately, poor Zhones clearly wasn’t going to be able to keep the stew down. He’d contented himself by devouring his share of the precious bread one slow, savoring mouthful at a time, washing it down withthe sweet, strong chocolate. Now he looked up as Aplyn-Ahrmahk’s mug slid in front of him.
“I—” he began, but Aplyn-Ahrmahk shook his head.
“Consider it a trade,” he said cheerfully, snagging Zhones’ untouched stew bowl and pulling it closer. “Like Trahvys says, I’ve got an iron stomach. You don’t. Besides, the sugar’ll do you good.”
Zhones looked at him for a moment, then nodded.
“Thanks,”he said a bit softly.
Aplyn-Ahrmahk waved the gratitude away and scooped up another spoonful of the stew. It really was tasty, and—
“All hands!” The shout echoed down from the deck above. “All hands!”
By the time Aplyn-Ahrmahk’s spoon settled into the stew once more, he was already halfway up the ladder to the upper deck.
* * *
It took all the self-discipline Sir Dunkyn Yairley had learnedin thirty-five years at sea to not swear out loud as his earlier thoughts about his improvised rudder ran back through his mind.
I suppose the good news is that we’re still two hundred yards offshore , he told himself. That gives us a little more room to play with … and if the spar’s just long enough to keep the tubs out from under her, they may still work, anyway. Of course, they may not, too .…
He watched Destiny ’s company completing his highly unusual preparations with frenzied, disciplined speed, and he hoped there’d be time.
Of course there’ll be time, Dunkyn. You’ve got a remarkable talent for finding things to worry about, don’t you? He shook his head mentally, keeping himself physically motionless with his hands clasped behind him. Just keep your tunic on!
“Another six or sevenminutes, Sir!” Rhobair Lathyk promised, and Yairley nodded, turning to watch the longboat fighting its way back towards the ship.
He’d hated sending Mahlyk and Aplyn-Ahrmahk back out, but they were clearly the best team for the job, as they’d just finished demonstrating. Two of the ensign’s seamen had gone over the side while they struggled to get the bitter end of the spring nipped onto thebuoyed anchor cable. Unlike most Safeholdian sailors, Charisian seamen by and large swam quite well, but not even the best of swimmers was the equal of waters like these. Fortunately, Aplyn-Ahrmahk had insisted on lifelines for every member of the longboat’s crew, and the involuntary swimmers had been hauled back aboard by their fellows. From the looks of things, one of them had needed artificialrespiration, but both of them were sitting up now, huddled in the half foot of water sloshing around the floorboards as the thirty-foot boat clawed its way back towards the galleon.
“Lines over the side, Master Lathyk,” Yairley said, looking back at the first lieutenant. “There’s not going to be time to recover the boat. Bring them up on lines and then cast it adrift.” He bared his teeth. “Assumingany of us get out of this alive, we can always find ourselves another longboat, can’t we?”
“Assuming, Sir,” Lathyk agreed, but he also grinned hugely. It was the same way he grinned when the ship cleared for action, Yairley noted.
“Cheerful bugger, aren’t you?” he observed mildly, and Lathyk laughed.
“Can’t say I’m looking forward to it, Sir, but there’s no point fretting, now is there? Andat least it ought to be damned interesting! Besides, with all due respect, you’ve never gotten us into a fix yet that you couldn’t get us back out of.”
“I appreciate the vote of confidence. On the other hand, this is the sort of
Unfortunately, poor Zhones clearly wasn’t going to be able to keep the stew down. He’d contented himself by devouring his share of the precious bread one slow, savoring mouthful at a time, washing it down withthe sweet, strong chocolate. Now he looked up as Aplyn-Ahrmahk’s mug slid in front of him.
“I—” he began, but Aplyn-Ahrmahk shook his head.
“Consider it a trade,” he said cheerfully, snagging Zhones’ untouched stew bowl and pulling it closer. “Like Trahvys says, I’ve got an iron stomach. You don’t. Besides, the sugar’ll do you good.”
Zhones looked at him for a moment, then nodded.
“Thanks,”he said a bit softly.
Aplyn-Ahrmahk waved the gratitude away and scooped up another spoonful of the stew. It really was tasty, and—
“All hands!” The shout echoed down from the deck above. “All hands!”
By the time Aplyn-Ahrmahk’s spoon settled into the stew once more, he was already halfway up the ladder to the upper deck.
* * *
It took all the self-discipline Sir Dunkyn Yairley had learnedin thirty-five years at sea to not swear out loud as his earlier thoughts about his improvised rudder ran back through his mind.
I suppose the good news is that we’re still two hundred yards offshore , he told himself. That gives us a little more room to play with … and if the spar’s just long enough to keep the tubs out from under her, they may still work, anyway. Of course, they may not, too .…
He watched Destiny ’s company completing his highly unusual preparations with frenzied, disciplined speed, and he hoped there’d be time.
Of course there’ll be time, Dunkyn. You’ve got a remarkable talent for finding things to worry about, don’t you? He shook his head mentally, keeping himself physically motionless with his hands clasped behind him. Just keep your tunic on!
“Another six or sevenminutes, Sir!” Rhobair Lathyk promised, and Yairley nodded, turning to watch the longboat fighting its way back towards the ship.
He’d hated sending Mahlyk and Aplyn-Ahrmahk back out, but they were clearly the best team for the job, as they’d just finished demonstrating. Two of the ensign’s seamen had gone over the side while they struggled to get the bitter end of the spring nipped onto thebuoyed anchor cable. Unlike most Safeholdian sailors, Charisian seamen by and large swam quite well, but not even the best of swimmers was the equal of waters like these. Fortunately, Aplyn-Ahrmahk had insisted on lifelines for every member of the longboat’s crew, and the involuntary swimmers had been hauled back aboard by their fellows. From the looks of things, one of them had needed artificialrespiration, but both of them were sitting up now, huddled in the half foot of water sloshing around the floorboards as the thirty-foot boat clawed its way back towards the galleon.
“Lines over the side, Master Lathyk,” Yairley said, looking back at the first lieutenant. “There’s not going to be time to recover the boat. Bring them up on lines and then cast it adrift.” He bared his teeth. “Assumingany of us get out of this alive, we can always find ourselves another longboat, can’t we?”
“Assuming, Sir,” Lathyk agreed, but he also grinned hugely. It was the same way he grinned when the ship cleared for action, Yairley noted.
“Cheerful bugger, aren’t you?” he observed mildly, and Lathyk laughed.
“Can’t say I’m looking forward to it, Sir, but there’s no point fretting, now is there? Andat least it ought to be damned interesting! Besides, with all due respect, you’ve never gotten us into a fix yet that you couldn’t get us back out of.”
“I appreciate the vote of confidence. On the other hand, this is the sort of
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