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woman, tall, slim, dark haired. Much like a daughter of mine would look like,
I suspect. I thought highly of her too. Perhaps due to her looks, to what we'd
shared together over the years that we'd known each other, the adventures we'd
shared together aboard this very ship. Her uniform in the "new style", the
black silken tunic and hose, instead of a loose dress like fighting women used
to wear even aboard the warships. My own attire was more "feminine", as I
suppose befitting a "Queen".
"Tara's last vessel also mounted cannon," I commented then. Had it not
been for the "intervention" of the Priestesses of Lys and the firepower of the
Gaia there would have been nothing left of the North Star. Not even Maris
Marn's "abilities" at command had made any difference, I recalled, although
her own bravery had left no doubt that she was truly of the Caste of
Warrioresses... I'd never thought that much of her, but she'd had plenty of
guts! Something there'd been no doubt of either there in the "north"... I
recalled too what Darlanis had said of Maris, of her courage, of what they'd
learned there in the north, of what they'd SEEN!! And when it had come down to
it, she'd been brave too this year. Willing to risk her position, her throne,
to fight against Tara.
"We would be defenseless against such weapons," Janice said. I suspected
that the same thought was shared now by many aboard. The crew of the Huntress
were picked men and women, the "best". I could rely upon them to maintain
order even under cannon fire.
"We can turn and run for Trella," I now smiled back at her.
"That probably would be the `wisest' course of action," she answered,
knowing that I was often not "wise" at doing such here.
"But then we would learn nothing of things," I pointed out. I also had
no desire to return to Trella just now either here... Not with the sort of a
"mob" that Les Hawkins might be raising!
"We may have an `advantage' in speed under steam," she said. The
Huntress was newly refitted, and had a powerful engine capa- ble of driving
her at six knots under steam power alone. She was not as "fast" under sail
perhaps as a Dularnian "North", but on the other hand I did not feel Tara's
ship was of the latest type.
"My thought exactly," I said, glancing over at Bob and Carol standing
there together at the rail. At Joyce watching us, her eyes shielded by a dark
cloth from the glare of the bright sun- light. I wondered if it was wise here
to risk their lives here. I saw Bob whisper something to Carol, then walk over
to the hatch that led below to the engine room. I suspected that a decision
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had been made. The old Dularnian Warlady giving me a grim smile!
"Better this way than in bed," Carol said to me, drawing her sword, the
blade glittering there in the reflection of the sun. I nodded, well aware that
"history" cannot be changed, the smile curving my lips no doubt making others
aware that once again the Warlady of the Empire of California strode the deck
of a warship! That once again she scented the odor of battle, my blade
suddenly in my hand almost as if it had a mind of its own. The crew hur- rying
to their stations, some glancing up at me standing there...
"I'm glad to be here," Carol said, joining me then, her old eyes meeting
mine. "I'm glad this time we're on the `same side'. That we're together at
last," she spoke, cutting the palm of her hand on her blade and offering it to
me. I cut my own, tasted of her blood as she did of mine. Such is, I think,
meaningful only to those of our caste. I'm glad we shared this "adventure". I
still recall her last words when Tais and I helped them pass on. She did
"remember" our standing together as she laid beside her husband there in their
own beloved home. The poison they took giving them both a peaceful passing
into the astral world togeth- er just as they wished it to be. I weep as I
write these words. She was a woman I will never forget. A woman I much admire
too.
"We have `lived' as few have," I said, Carol smiling back.
"Definitely a `North'," I said, Janice standing at my side. I nodded to
Carol, to this old, gray haired Dularnian Warlady I'd crossed blades with only
three years ago. There are many "para- doxes" in time travel. Even though
Carol is now "dead", she yet "lives" and it is possible that I will see her
again some time... I would also like to meet Janet Rogers again, she who was
once my Princess Ann of Trelandar, the child who SHE herself took back in time
to the Twentieth Century so that history might be as it was. Bob then
rejoining us on deck, an old man, but still in his way a man who had once
commanded ships of war, who understood "things". Jon had left the palace the
same time I had, with my son and Sue Cross, Yvette, for a place of safety
should the worst happen now.
"And if it is Tara's..." Janice said, standing behind me.
"Then we will do as we must," I answered in level tones.
"We wouldn't stand a chance against cannon," she mused.
"A fact I have already `noted'," I smiled back at her.
"Only one of our battleships could survive it," she spoke.
"Tara used explosive shot before," Sandis North added then.
"No doubt then we can expect she will use it again," I said.
"Cannon will outrange our own weapons," Bob said to me then.
"It is unlikely that her weapons would have a range of more than half a
mile," I replied thoughtfully, aware that ours had a far less range, our steam
powered weapons being able to fire no more than six hundred yards at the very
best. I could "counter" explosive shot with my own fire bombs fired from my
catapults. I was not "defenseless" by a long shot, although the longer range
of Tara's cannon meant that the Huntress would have to endure be- ing under
fire for a period of time before I could return fire... Tara had been able to
fire a broadside into the North Star at close range back last year, Maris
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having had no idea of what she was facing, a situation that would not be
repeated in this case!
"Our speed through the water is about two hundred yards a minute," Bob
observed, mentally doing the same "math" that I was. We would have to
withstand at least one broadside fired at long range from the enemy, perhaps
two depending upon its commander. Granted such fire would be from a
considerable distance, but I had no doubt that we'd take "hits", although how
much "damage" we'd suffer was something unpredictable. Maris had been taken by
surprise at close range, and Tara herself had been in command. There was also
the question of how "good" Tara's gunnery would be. Such weapons violated the
edicts of the Priestesses, and it was unlikely that the evil Princess would
have been able to train her crew in gunnery to any extent. Also, it was likely
that her own first ship had perhaps been pretty much "one of a kind", and this
ship might have only a few cannon and not a full complement.
"Ship is turning towards us," Janice announced just then.
"Signal them again," I ordered, my officer nodding back.
"No response," Sandis North spoke, lowering her telescope.
"I want the deck soaked down," I spoke, Janice nodding back. "Raise
battle flags, load fire bombs in all catapults," I added, her dark eyes
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